As Americans and the rest of the world watched an unexpectedly strong "blue wave" midterm election victory by the Democratic party happen on Nov. 3, Stevie Nicks has revealed she wrote a poem titled "Morning Symphony" on Oct. 18 predicting the Democrats' triumph as a kind of wish into the universe. "It was sort of like a little prayer for the coming elections," Nicks posted on X on Nov. 5. "I really believed that what has happened was going to happen; it just had to. Good almost wins I didn't have time to get it out before the election -- so here it is. That's the dream." And the 78-year-old Fleetwood Mac frontwoman's dream came true, as the nation watched the electorate soundly rebuke the second term agenda of Pres. Donald Trump by giving Democrats a historic blue wave victory that has swept them into the majority in both the House and Senate, in addition to flipping five governorships and racking up massive wins on the local, state and national level. In related news, Bruce Springsteen made an Instagram post on Nov. 3 urging election officials to protect the vote on election day. Standing in front of a stone wall and dressed in a flannel shirt, the Boss delivered a direct appeal to those overseeing the electoral process. "I'm speaking to election officials and representatives of our government on Election Day," he said. "You have sworn an oath to preserve, protect, and defend our Constitution. That means you have a solemn duty to ensure that our votes are securely counted." He continued: "Thomas Jefferson said, 'Government requires a consent of the governed.' You who represent us must never consent to any directives that undermine our constitutional right to a free and fair election. Our vote is our voice. And it's up to you to ensure that our voice is heard. I wish you all a good Election Day, and thank you for your service." In the caption accompanying the 45-second clip, Springsteen, 77, thanked those voting on Election Day and encouraged his followers to continue supporting democracy by taking the Oath to the Constitution at oathproject.org. A day earlier, Springsteen posted that he backed controversial Democratic Michigan senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in the election. "He's a fighter for our American Democracy, and he's a fighter against the corrupt, lawless, and anti-American leadership currently in the White House. I'm in his corner 100%," he posted. El-Sayed surprised many by defeating Republican Mike Rogers by about 7 points. - Billboard, 11/6/26...... 
Bob Dylan was given an audience with Pope Leo XIV at his official residence at the Vatican on Nov. 4. Pope Leo, who has previously revealed he's a big Dylan fan, presented the legendary singer-songwriter with a rosary at the meeting at the Apostolic Palace. In return the 85-year-old Dylan, who was wearing a black hoodie, gifted Leo a copy of his autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One. The pair were pictured shaking hands on Instagram with Leo smiling warmly in his usual traditional white robes, while Dylan looked at him intently. "Pope Leo XIV met with American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in a private audience on Wednesday, November 4," the caption simply reads. According to Vatican News, their meeting was "brief, consisting of greetings and a few lighthearted exchanges." The visit happened ahead of Dylan's concert on Nov. 5 at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, one of several Italian stops on his continuing "Rough And Rowdy Ways Tour." Leo has previously referenced Dylan in his own work, quoting his unreleased anti-nuclear song, "Go Away You Bomb," in the preface to a book titled Disarmed And Disarming: Peace Is A Gift. Leo previously met with punk poetess Patti Smith during a 40-minute private audience at the Vatican over the summer. - New Musical Express, 11/5/26...... Deep Purple's Ian Gillan has provided an update on the medical emergency that forced DP to postpone their current "Euro Tour." "Thank you for all the good wishes and support over the last few days, it means the world. I had a medical problem whilst in Leipzig which required urgent attention at the hospital," wrote Gillan on Instagram. The band has yet to provide any additional information on what is ailing Gillan, 81, who has fronted the group during several stints after first joining the band in 1969 and is the voice of some of the British rock group's biggest hits, including their signature 1973 No. 4 hit "Smoke on the Water." Among the shows impacted are four more stops in Germany, as well as gigs in the Netherlands, four shows in France and five U.K. shows, including what was intended to be the final stop on the European tour on Nov. 25 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The band still has a short South American tour on the books slated to launch on Dec. 5 in So Paulo, Brazil, although its future remains uncertain. - Billboard, 11/3/26...... Stevie Wonder took to the stage at London's O2 Arena on Nov. 5 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his 1976 smash album Songs in the Key of Life. Supported by a 25-piece band, the 76-year-old Motown legend delivered a multi-set evening celebrating one of pop music's defining double LPs. Before appearing on stage, Wonder's voice echoed through the dark arena, asking the crowd to close their eyes and experience the world through "the eyes of our ears." Taking his place behind his keyboards, he launched into "Love's in Need of Love Today," later bringing his son Mandla Morris out for a duet on "Have a Talk With God." Between numbers, Wonder kept the mood light, slipping into a Cockney accent, riffing on recent US election results, and reflecting on global division. He mused that while the universe operates in natural alignment, humanity remains out of sync, urging the room toward unity. The performance built momentum through the brass-heavy fan-favourite "Sir Duke" and the unmistakable groove of "I Wish," alongside a delicate rendition of "If It's Magic" featuring harpist Brandee Younger. Stevie also dedicated an emotional performance of "As" to his late mother, before concluding the main set with an extended "Another Star." For the finale, wonder's daughter Zaiah Morris sang lead on John Lennon's "Imagine," before Stevie capped the night with a thunderous "Superstition," driving its iconic Clavinet riff into an extended horn jam before walking off to a standing ovation. Originally released in 1976, Songs in the Key of Life earned Wonder his third Album of the Year Grammy, achieved Diamond certification with over 10 million copies sold, and was inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. - Music-News.com, 11/6/26...... 
Also marking its 50th anniversary is the Rocky franchise of films -- the original, five Rocky sequels and three Creed movies -- and a new Rocky movie, I Play Rocky, premiered Sept. 12 at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its limited release in the US on Nov. 6 and in theaters nationwide Nov. 20. Likewise, the original Rocky's theme song "Gonna Fly Now" knocked out all competition to top the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart dated July 2, 1977. Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins cowrote its lyrics; Bill Conti was the composer. The three went on to receive an Oscar nomination for best original song and a Grammy nod for best instrumental composition. On Sept. 29, a three-song release Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Rocky dropped, featuring a new orchestral version of "Gonna Fly Now." Carol Conners told Billboard that one day when she was in the shower, she could see the whole film, especially with Rocky in training, drinking the eggs and running through the streets. "I knew what the film was about, I knew what the song was about and what the song should say. I had the words 'gonna fly now,' because, to me, Rocky could do anything, even fly," she said. "I was ecstatic," Connors remembers. "I called Bill Conti and told him I had the lyrics. He heard the water running and asked me, 'Where are you?' I said, 'In the shower.' He says, 'Are you with somebody?' I said, 'Bill, if I was with somebody, would I be calling you?' He says, 'No, but you better give me the lyrics before you electrocute yourself.' Because of the original Rocky's limited budget, with just $18,000 bankrolled for music, Conners and Robbins were paid only $500 each, and Conti $2,000, for composing the song. "That, however, was up-front money," she says. "With Rocky turning into a worldwide box office smash, those of us involved in the movie made out very well on the back end." The song also marked the first in a string of hit songs from Rocky films. Rocky III yielded another Hot 100 No. 1: Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," which dominated for six weeks in 1982. In 1986, the band reached No. 2 with "Burning Heart," from Rocky IV, which additionally spun off James Brown's classic "Living in America" (No. 4) and Robert Tepper's "No Easy Way Out" (No. 22). Anthony Ippolito plays Sylvester Stallone in the forthcoming I Play Rocky, directed by Peter Farrelly. The Amazon MGM Studios film's title reflects Stallone's gloves-off insistence that he star in Rocky after penning the screenplay himself. The official I Play Rocky trailer can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 11/5/26...... The Ozzfest heavy metal festival confirmed on Nov. 5 that it will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a trio of shows in the U.K., U.S. and Mexico. The first show kicks off at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, U.K. on July 10, followed by a show at the Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino, Calif. on Sept. 11 and a gig at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City on Sept. 18. Lineups for the shows will be announced at a future date. "Ozzy was the first to launch his own traveling metal festival," said Sharon Osbourne, the event's co-founder and widow/manager of the festival's namesake, late metal legend Ozzy Osbourne. "And Ozzfest will always remain an important part of Ozzy's legacy." The Live Nation-promoted shows will include a nod to Ozzfest's legacy, as the San Bernardino venue is the same one where the festival launched in 1996; the Mexico City date will represent the first edition of the show in Mexico. It will also be the first Ozzfest since Osbourne's passing last July, less than two weeks after his final performance at the all-star "Back to the Beginning" concert on July 5, 2025. - Billboard, 11/5/26...... Journey's "Final Frontier" tour made a stop in Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 4, treating fans to a career-spanning, two-and-a-half-hour show with lots of deep cuts in the first half leading up to a hits-heavy second half. Journey opened the show with "Be Good To Yourself" and then broke into Canada's national anthem "O Canada" to huge cheers. Philippines-born lead singer Arnel Pineda, who's been with the band for 19 years now, delivered such standout power ballads as "Who's Crying Now" and "Open Arms," which drove the crowd to spirited singalongs, swaying and lighting up their phones. The big payoff in the end as the group wrapped up the night with fans on their feet were "Don't Stop Believin'," "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," and "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)." On Nov. 2, co-founder-lead guitarist Neal Schon -- and the last original member standing -- told the Toronto Sun (and posted on Facebook) he was renaming the trek, "The Long Goodbye," saying the road trip has been so positive, it's up to the fans what the band does next. - Canoe.com, 11/5/26...... 
Elton John is ready to "Step Into Christmas" with a brand new version of his festive classic starring acclaimed Irish singer, songwriter, and musician CMAT. First released in 1973, the reimagined holiday classic now features the Irish country-pop star on vocals alongside John. The song is available to stream exclusively on Amazon Music, and a 7" vinyl single is also available. Speaking on the collaboration, John said, "I've loved CMAT since I first heard her and saw her videos years ago. She has this incredible personality, and a wicked sense of humor. You can tell she has rock n' roll and country and Americana at the heart of what she does -- we're kindred spirits in so many ways. And that's why I was so thrilled with the idea of us collaborating on 'Step Into Christmas.' She's done an amazing job." CMAT added, "When I listen to the music of Elton John, I am seven-years-old in the back of my mam's car. It doesn't matter how old or famous I become -- whenever I listen to Elton John I will always be seven-years-old in the back of my mam's car. Reconciling this feeling with the reality of getting to work with the man in question has been confusing to say the least, but the greatest joy of my life." Meanwhile, Sir Elton's video for the maudlin 1989 single "Sacrifice" has joined the prestigious YouTube "billion-views club." The single from John's 22nd studio album, 1989's Sleeping with the Past, chronicles the challenge of remaining faithful in marriage, with a video starring singer/songwriter Chris Isaak and supermodel Yasmeen Ghauri. The clip directed by Alex Keshishian (Madonna: "Truth or Dare," Selena Gomez: "My Mind & Me") follows Isaak as he and Ghauri struggle to maintain their connection as a married couple while raising their young daughter, with Isaak seeming to take on single parenthood near the end of the video. Surprisingly out of John's numerous videos, the visual for the song that peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart from an album that stalled at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 album chart is the first one of John's videos to reach the billion mark on YouTube, besting his other top-viewed clips by a huge margin. The "Sacrifice" video can be viewed on YouTube. In other Elton-related news, his songwriting partner has told Britain's MOJO magazine that he cannot remember the new lyrics he wrote for his and Elton's "Candle In The Wind" when it was performed as a tribute to Princess Diana. Taupn rewrote the lyrics to "Candle In The Wind" for John's performance at his friend Princess Diana's funeral in 1997. Diana died in August 1997 in a Paris car crash at the age of 36. Bernie completed the emotional tribute in a hurry and admits he would struggle to recite the words today, despite the single becoming one of the biggest-selling records in history. "I don't want to sound cold or cruel, but it's not something I intended to do." Recalling how the tribute came about, he explained: "Elton called and said they were asking him to sing at the memorial or funeral. I said, Do you want me to write a new song? I can't remember who said it, but it became, what about rewriting the lyrics to Candle In The Wind?" He added: "All I remember is I did it really quickly. To this day, if you ask me to recite one of the lyrics, I'd not be able to if you held a gun to my head." The original "Candle In The Wind" appeared on Elton's 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and was written as a tribute to Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962 aged 36. The single was released in 1974. Taupin also revealed that another late actor, Montgomery Clift, had initially inspired the song, as he had been fascinated by the way celebrities who die young are remembered by the public. "I was never a fan of Marilyn Monroe. I'd originally written the story of Montgomery Clift," he said. Taupin released his first solo album in more than 40 years, The Sea Has No Mercy, on Oct. 23. - Billboard, 11/5/26..... 
Rush announced on Nov. 5 they'll bring their triumphant reunion tour to Las Vegas' Sphere in spring 2027. The beloved prog rock band fronted by co-founders singer/bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson will touch down at the iconic venue for the five-date "Elevate From the Norm" residency on May 21, 23, 26, 28 and 30. Each night will feature a set of fan favorites and greatest hits, as well as the touching tributes to late drummer/lyricist Neil Peart that have been a moving staple of the band's ongoing "Fifty Something" tour. "When I first heard of Sphere, I thought to myself, 'wow, what a shame that Rush is no longer touring, because this venue sounds tailor made for the kind of visual attitude with which we have always designed our shows,'" Lee said in a statement. "Normally we spend months designing the visual effects for our shows and this scenario seemed like the cherry on top of the ice cream for our design team. But life is nothing if not surprising and now, here we are, living and touring in the present tense and we are able to make that particular dream come true." Lee added the group are currently working on expanding the trippy visuals that accompany the current tour and to concoct some "new madness to suit this incredible venue and musically perform the kind of show we've been doing in some of our 'one off' cities." That includes the crowd-pleasing run through their entire 1976 prog masterpiece 2112 and their equally iconic 1981 eighth studio album, Moving Pictures. "We are so effin' excited to make use of this incredible opportunity to please our fans both visually and viscerally -- from wherever they might fly in from. Gonna be so much fun!!," Lee said. - Billboard, 11/5/26...... Cher seems unbothered by her fellow Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas' recent swipe at her 1988 Academy Award win. Dougles, 82, dissed the singer/actress during a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, where he said he didn't believe that Cher, 80, deserved to win a best actress Oscar for her role in the 1987 rom-com Moonstruck. A rep for Cher reportedly responded to the diss in an email to Entertainment Weekly, in which they said, "Cher adores Michael Douglas." The polite response came after Douglas questioned Cher's fitness for the prize on the Oct. 30 Norton show, where he appeared with his Fatal Attraction co-star, Glenn Close. "She should have won with Fatal Attraction," Douglas, told host Graham Norton just weeks before Close is slated to receive an Academy Honorary Award at the Nov. 15 Governors Awards after eight Oscar nominations and no wins to date. In addition to her 1988 Oscar win, Cher was nominated for best actress in a supporting role for the 1983 nuclear whistleblower drama Silkwood and nabbed Golden Globe best actress wins for Moonstruck and Silkwood. - Billboard, 11/4/26...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Queen guitarist Brian May insisted he's just "on a break" from touring with Queen after saying a previous interview with London's The Times that Queen will never tour again. "Oh, yeah, I got kind of misinterpreted, slightly misquoted there," May said. "I never said we'll never tour again. I don't know how I could ever say that. I couldn't. I feel like I'm on a break, and I'm enjoying my break, and I'm getting to do all the things which I dreamed of doing when there was no time all those years on the road." He continued: "So I'm getting to see my kids, I'm getting to see my grandchildren, getting to do a lot of projects on the side which I've dreamed of doing. I get to do more astrophysics. I get to do more animal welfare and animal campaigning work. And all round, it's been a good decision for me so far." May, 79, went on to insist he is likely to perform with Queen again, adding: "Maybe one day I'm gonna wake up and think: 'Ah, maybe we should get out on the road.' But I don't think I will be committing to nine-month-long tours again. I think I'll be happy just doing... I mean, at the moment I get to play just when I want to, which is not a bad deal really... " - Music-News.com, 11/2/26...... Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Mick Jagger have donated items to the King's Trust auction charity's 50th anniversary concert, set to take place in Los Angeles on Nov. 19. Headlined by The Phil Collins Archive -- generously donated by Phil and and wife Jill Collins -- the landmark sale conducted by Julien's Auctions features rare memorabilia alongside high-profile donations from other music and screen icons including Ringo Starr, Robert Plant, Brian May, George Clooney, Daniel Craig and Al Pacino. Online bidding is now open ahead of the live auction taking place in Los Angeles on Nov. 19. Proceeds will directly support The King's Trust in its mission to help young people facing adversity gain access to work, education, and training. A selection of auction highlights will be on public display at The Peninsula Beverly Hills on Nov. 13, prior to the live sale on Nov. 19. - Music-News.com, 11/2/26...... Ten-time Grammy Award winner George Benson is the 2026 recipient of the Tommy LiPuma Award for Recording Excellence. The honor was presented by the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) during its fundraising event at Vibrato Grill Jazz in Los Angeles on Nov. 1. During his acceptance speech, Benson name-checked several people who played pivotal roles in his career, including Tijuana Brass frontman and A&M Records co-founder Herb Alpert -- who helped Benson "buy my first house" -- as well as late acclaimed producer Tommy LiPuma, who helmed Benson's game-changing 1976 album Breezin'. Tonight is an incredible night for a lot of reasons," said Benson. "I'm sharing it with people who love the same things that I love. And thanks for contributions to the auction because I know what it's going to do for some very deserving people who gave us a lot of the wonderful music that we've enjoyed for many years. This is just one way to give some of that back." - Billboard, 11/3/26...... 
The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger announced via the official Doors Instagram page on Nov. 4 that his wife Lynn Krieger had passed away "peacefully" at the age of 79 in late October. A cause of death wasn't disclosed. "I am so sorry I can't share this news in person. After more than 50 years of love and marriage, my wife Lynn Ann Veres passed away peacefully last night, October 29th," he wrote alongside black-and-white photo of Lynn posing beside a car. Robby and Lynn's son, Waylon Krieger, was with his mother "until the end." "Will miss her so much," the 80-year-old continued. And to conclude, Robby thanked fans for their "thoughts and prayers" at this time. Krieger has said he wrote The Doors' 1971 song, "Love Her Madly," about Lynn, who he wed in 1972 and the couple welcomed Waylon the following year. While Robby rarely spoke about his personal life, he dedicated his 2021 memoir, Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying and Playing Guitar with the Doors, to his wife. "She's the only person I've ever met who lets me be me. And that's why I'll always love her," he wrote at the time. Krieger and drummer John Densmore are the only surviving members of The Doors. Frontman Jim Morrison died at the age of 27 in 1971 and keyboardist Ray Manzarek passed away at the age of 74 in 2013. - Music-News, 11/4/26...... Tony Batula, who charted 20 songs (including six top 40 hits) on the pop charts in the early '60s through early '70s with vocal group The Lettermen, died on Nov. 1, a rep for the band confirmed. A cause of death for the 87-year-old was not reported. "We have lost an integral member of The Lettermen family," a statement read. "It is with profound sadness that we announce the recent passing of Tony Butala, founding member of the international recording artists 'The Lettermen,' and recipient of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with his children, grandchildren, siblings, the love of his life, the entire Lettermen organization and all who knew and loved him." Born in Sharon, Pa., in 1938, Mr. Batula entered his 20s with The Lettermen alongside Bob Engemann and Jim Pike who originated as a trio in 1958. They had their first hit on the chart in 1961 with their version of "The Way You Look Tonight," a standard originally performed by Fred Astaire for the film Swing Time. Their highest-charting singles were "When I Fall in Love" and the double-sided release of their recordings of "Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You," which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Lettermen were nominated for four Grammy Awards throughout their career, including best new artist in 1962. They were nominated for best performance by a vocal group for their remake of the Oscar-winning 1936 classic "The Way You Look Tonight" and for their album which contained that hit, A Song For Young Love. In 2020, Mr. Butala and The Lettermen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The honor came after the death of his bandmates; Engemann passed in 2013, and Pike died in 2019. Mr. Butala had taken a step back from performing as of 2019. "The Lettermen" continues on with a current lineup of vocalists Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton and Rob Gulack. While no public viewing is planned, celebrations of life for Mr. Butala will be held in Wisconsin and California at a later date. - Billboard, 11/3/26...... 
Paul Anka is among the artists tapped to receive prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for 2026. "After 70 years of doing what I love and being a part of the fabric of the American culture, I am humbled to receive this prestigious honor," the 85-year-old Anka posted on X. Anka has been writing and recording hits for nearly seven decades. His hits include "Diana," "You Are My Destiny," "Lonely Boy" and "(You're) Having My Baby." He went on to write the English language lyric for Frank Sinatra's late-career signature song, "My Way," and the jaunty theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and his honors include the Songwriters Hall of Fame's top honor, the Johnny Mercer Award; BMI's Icon Award and France's National Order of Merit. Other 2026 Kennedy Center Honors inductees include 16-time Grammy winning producer David Foster and legendary female country artist Barbara Mandrell. - Billboard, 11/2/26...... Steve Ellis, the singer of British pop-rock band Love Affair, died on Oct. 30 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 76. Ellis rose to fame as the frontman of Love Affair in the late 1960s, when the British group scored its biggest hit with a cover of "Everlasting Love." Originally released in Dec. 1967, the song topped the U.K. singles chart in 1968, spending two weeks at No. 1, according to the Official Charts Company. Written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, "Everlasting Love" was originally recorded by singer Robert Knight and released in 1967. Knight's version reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Love Affair's recording did not chart in the US. Other Love Affair singles also reached the U.K. top 10, including "Rainbow Valley" (No. 5), "A Day Without Love" (No. 6) and "Bring on Back the Good Times" (No. 9). Love Affair reunited under Ellis in 1991, with the singer leading his own touring group, Steve Ellis' Love Affair, through 1998. He also continued recording solo material, releasing Best of Days in 2008, an album featuring contributions from Roger Daltrey and Paul Weller. - Billboard, 11/3/26...... Martin Erlichman, the longtime manager of Barbra Streisand, died on Oct. 31 at the age of 97. Following the news, Streisand was among the first to pay tribute to Erlichman -- who discovered her when she was 19 and managed her career for more than six decades. "Although Marty lived a long and full life, nothing can prepare you for the reality of losing someone so dear," the 84-year-old shared on Instagram. "I truly thought he would live forever. In my eyes, he was simply indestructible -- always by my side, through everything. And we never even had a contract. Marty can never be replaced, and I will be forever grateful for his friendship, loyalty and unwavering support." Mr. Erlichman negotiated all of Streisand's contracts and produced her 2000 "Millennium Concert" and 2006-2007 world tour. Mr. Erlichman's othe high-profile clients included comedian Joan Rivers, actor Chevy Chase, and boxer George Foreman. - Music-News.com, 11/2/26.
Deep Purple announced on Oct. 31 that they were forced to cancel two shows in Germany after frontman Ian Gillan was hospitalized following a medical emergency. "This comes as a result of a medical emergency involving Ian Gillan, which has resulted in his current hospitalisation," wrote the band, adding that the cancellation of concerts in Leipzig and Hamburg came "with great disappointment." The band -- which also features founding members Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice along with Simon McBride (guitar) and Don Airey (keyboards) -- did not provide further details about Gillan's condition or indicate when he might be released from the hospital. The band added that it is working to find a "suitable time to reschedule" both concerts. Tickets purchased for the original dates will remain valid for the rescheduled performances. In October, former DP bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes underwent 10-hour open-heart surgery. Hughes, who announced his retirement from touring earlier in 2026, shared an update saying he was recovering at home following the procedure. - Billboard, 10/31/26...... 
Aerosmith returned from a three-year live performance hiatus on Oct. 29 with the first of two all-star "California Dream On: Aerosmith and Friends" shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In addition to a 45-minute set by Aerosmith -- their first full performance since singer Steven Tyler's 2023 vocal injury scuttled their planned "Peace Out - Farewell Tour" -- they were joined by Foo Fighters drummer/vocalist Dave Grohl, Heart, Sammy Hagar, Guns N' Roses, the Black Crowes and guitarist Joe Perry's Hollywood Vampires bandmate actor Johnny Depp. For most of Aerosmith's six-song, show-ending set, Grohl sat in with Tyler, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford and bassist Tom Hamilton in place of the band's co-founding drummer Joey Kramer, who has been on hiatus from the group since first taking a break due to health issues in 2020. At the close of Aerosmith's set, Tyler addressed the elephant in the room of their long break from performing: "Before we say good night, I just want to say what a ride it's been with my brothers -- Joe, Tom, Brad and Joey. Fifty-five f-king years, and we're the same f-king band that started fifty-five and a half years ago." Kramer then walked out and hugged Tyler and sat behind his drum kit, alongside Aerosmith's drum tech, John Douglas, who'd filled in for Kramer in his absence, and the band brought it all back home with their Top 10 1976 hit "Walk This Way." The night also included a five-song set from Guns N' Roses, who covered the early Aerosmith songs "Nobody's Fault," "Last Child" and "Season of Wither," in addition to their own indelible hits "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Paradise City." Heart took on two classics, Aerosmith's take on Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You)" (retitled "Never Loved a Girl" on 2004's blues covers album Honkin' on Bobo) and "Janie's Got a Gun" and country star Eric Church also picked a pair of favorites, "Rag Doll" and Aerosmith's No. 1 power ballad "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing." Tyler, 78, was diagnosed with a fractured larynx in Sept. 2023, just three dates into what was billed as the band's last tour. They initially postponed, then canceled the outing, announcing their official retirement from touring after more than five decades of road work. While the veteran band has not revealed whether these gigs are their true swan song, Variety noted that host comedian and fellow Boston native Bill Burr opened the night by called them "the final two shows in Aerosmith's history." A second Hollywood Bowl show is scheduled for Nov. 1. - Billboard, 10/30/26...... Blue Oyster Cult's 1976 hit "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" has jumped to the top of Billboard Top TV Songs chart after a synch of the song was used in the new season of Prime Video's series Reacher. "The Reaper" appears in the sixth episode of Reacher's fourth season; it aired on Sept. 2, with its season finale following two weeks later on Sept. 16. Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of Sept. 2026. - Billboard, 10/30/26...... Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers, a new documentary detailing the untold story of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, became available Oct. 30 for rent via Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play and Fandango, after a nearly nine-month run in film festivals and theaters. As the title indicates, Occupational Hazard is an origin story, from the beginnings of the Parrothead-In-Chief's career as a troubadour (after a tenure writing for Billboard) and his move to Key West, Fla., where he assembled the initial Coral Reefer lineup during the mid-70s, after using the name for an imaginary band during his solo performances before then. Narrated by Oscar-winning actor and Buffett friend Jeff Bridges, it details a decidedly different and significantly less polished ensemble than Parrotheads became used to from the late '70s until Buffett's death on Sept. 1, 2023. "We wanted to capture the time before the Parrothead phenomenon began, when it was still rough 'n' ready out on the road," says director-producer John H. Cunningham. "Those were wild times; many viewers who are watching this have no idea that period even existed for this band, because they've seen this very organized, polished group for such a long time," he says. "But the first years were a little bit different. Some of the band are starting to pass away and disappear without the history being recorded. So just for historical purposes, we thought this was an important time to document," he added. The film, which won audience awards at the Dallas International Film Festival and the Sarasota Film Festival, is loaded with archival footage and images -- including home movies shot by original Coral Reefer Roger Bartlett's girlfriend Phyllis McBride and the late harmonica player Greg "Fingers" Taylor's brother Brent, who was the band's assistant road manager for a time. - Billboard, 10/30/26...... 
A previously unseen David Bowie 1978 concert film, Stage, will debut at Berlin's Uber Arena on Feb. 14. According to a press release announcing the project, the sound and vision experience was designed around recently discovered and restored footage from the 1978 "Isolar II" world tour, on which Bowie performed songs from his landmark "Heroes" album. The film will be presented in a three-screen format, combining large-scale projections of footage assembled from raw, unseen 35mm film and transparent LED screens with an elaborate lighting design by acclaimed lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe (Rolling Stones, Elton John), with a newly created sound mix by Oscar-winner Paul Massey (Bohemian Rhapsody, Michael). Bowie conceived and produced Stage in 1978 during his Isolar II concerts at London's Earls Court, with the legendary footage going untouched in the late singer's archives for more than 50 years, according to the release, which promises that it showcases "Bowie at the zenith of his powers as a live performer" in what is said to be one of his best live performances. A teaser for the film can be viewed on X. - Billboard, 10/24/26...... The soundtrack and film for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's epic July 2025 "Back To The Beginning" show are getting an official release, and will feature behind-the-scenes footage, video tributes from Dolly Parton, and more. The soundtrack and concert film will be released on Dec. 11, and available on a variety of formats including 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, CD, and vinyl. Highlights on the Blu-ray release include footage of Jack Black performing "Mr. Crowley" and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst performing "Changes," as well as a Sounds of Birmingham documentary. Video tributes to Osbourne from Dolly Parton, AC/DC, Ricky Gervais and more are included too. In April 2027, there will also be the release of a "Deluxe Box Set" of the concert film, which will feature memorabilia, collectables, and a bonus HD Blu-ray featuring all 35 Ozzy and Black Sabbath songs, including the covers performed by the guests. That version will also come with a limited edition film poster, a hardback book about the show, and an Ozzy Pendant Necklace. The huge one-day event, organized by Sharon Osbourne with musical direction from Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello, took place at Villa Park in Birmingham in July 2025. It marked both Osbourne's final solo performance and the last ever show from Sabbath's original line-up -- with the frontman Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward playing live together for the first time in two decades. Meanwhile, two previously-unheard Ozzy tracks are set to be released to coincide with the upcoming movie being made about Osbourne's life. According to a source in The Sun's "Bizarre" column, the songs are described as still being "works in progress," and even Ozzy's widow Sharon, who managed his career, hasn't heard them. "Those tracks have only been heard by [2022 Patient Number 9 producer] Andrew Watt and his musicians." Sharon and son Jack Osbourne have been the driving forces behind the biopic and the film is moving forward, though fans may have a long wait for both the movie and the songs as it is still in development. A source said: "The script is being worked on as a final draft with Sony Studios looking for directors." - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 10/28/26...... A Los Angeles judge says Universal Music Group (UMG) can keep pursuing a legal battle demanding the return of what the label has called the "first known Beatles recording" from the estate of a famed Abbey Road sound engineer. In October, Judge David Cowan ruled that Calderstone Productions -- a UMG unit that administers the Beatles catalog -- had legal standing to seek to recover the rare tape from the estate of Geoff Emerick, who the label claims stole it decades ago. Emerick's estate, which says he rescued a piece of history from destruction, had argued UMG couldn't show a "chain of title" to prove it was the rightful legal successor to Abbey Road, meaning it lacked ownership rights in the first place. But in an Oct. 16 ruling, Judge Cowan rejected that argument: "Calderstone shows how the chain of title gives it the right to pursue its underlying conversion claim," the judge said, using the legal term for the civil law equivalent of theft. The decision sets the stage for an early 2027 trial over the big remaining issue: Whether Abbey Road legally abandoned ownership of the tape. The estate says it was basically thrown away and that Emerick saved it. UMG argues back that it was always company property: "At issue in this action is a highly valuable artifact of rock and roll history that was stolen." The courtroom showdown, currently scheduled for January, will be a bench trial before the same probate judge, without the kind of jury that often decides civil trials. Beyond the issue of abandonment, it will likely also touch on whether the entire dispute is past the statute of limitations. - Billboard, 10/28/26...... A new George Harrison photo book titled The Third Eye: Early Photographs features never before-seen photos of the Fab Four in their heyday. Billed as an "intimate, beautiful collection of more than 200 never-before-collected photos of the Beatles at work and at play," The Third Eye's photos were taken by Harrison through his Pentax film camera between 1963 and 1970 and span the most prolific years of the Beatles' career, covering everything from the making of seminal albums like A Hard Day's Night to the band's famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show and subsequent tours around the world. First announced in 2025, the book was released Oct. 6 and has shot to number one on Amazon's bestselling photography books chart. - Billboard, 10/28/26...... 
Interviewed on the Classic Album Review YouTube channel, The Who's Pete Townshend revealed that he "never really got into Led Zeppelin" and felt like they were "trying to pinch our audience." During the show, host Barry Robinson asked him about his thoughts on how The Who impacted the music industry, and whether they could be considered pioneers of heavy metal. The question seemed to reference past comments made by Who frontman Roger Daltrey, who told Rolling Stone earlier in 2026 that he thinks his band "were the first heavy metal band" and that they paved the way for the genre in the '60s. Asked if he agreed with the statement, Townshend said: "No, I don't necessarily think so. I think [our 1970 live album] Live At Leeds is probably as explosive as it got." He also added that while they did have "some heavy stuff" in their discography, they didn't center purely around that sound. He went on to speak about other bands of that era, and said that "the only heavy metal I really listened to was AC/DC." "I never really got into Led Zeppelin," he added, "which is strange because today I've recently been trying to get Jimmy Page to have lunch with me. I sent him a note recently just saying, 'I've been listening to all of the Zeppelin albums again,' and I thought I should. And there's some f---ing great stuff there." As for why he never got into Led Zep's music, Townshend shared: "At the time I didn't like it that they were, in a sense, trying to pinch our audience. I'd been through it before with Jimi Hendrix coming over with his big amplifiers and his distortion and his wah-wah pedal, and having to admit, 'Wow, here is a guitar genius.'" Townshend also spoke about Black Sabbath, and had a similar attitude, despite the Birmingham, UK band widely being considered the pioneers of heavy metal. "I don't know about bands like Black Sabbath and so on because I really didn't listen to them, despite the fact that I think they were great fun and enjoyable," he explained. "And I really love the parts of the music business where people don't take themselves too seriously. That was my issue in my early days - I felt I was carrying a big cross, a big manifesto for rock and roll. I felt that this was important for me to deliver." The Who played their final-ever live shows in 2025, however, earlier this year Townshend hinted that there could be more to come from the band. "We are always trying to come up with something special, and God Willing will continue to do that, hoping one day we can astound you the way we used to," he said. - NME, 10/28/26...... KISS is prepping a two-part KISS: End of the Road documentary chronicling the final tour of the glam-rockers that will debut on Nov. 19 on the band's KISSOnline platform, followed by a roll-out on other platforms. "With unprecedented access to KISS's historic End of The Road World Tour, KISS: End of The Road chronicles the final live chapter of one of rock's most legendary bands, capturing the camaraderie, conflicts, challenges and emotion behind their journey to one last performance at Madison Square Garden, while also exploring how the band plans to carry its legacy forward in the years ahead," according to a press release. In a statement, singer/guitarist Paul Stanley said, "The End of The Road World Tour was the culmination of fifty years of touring to elevate the live concert experience for fans old and new. A defining moment in KISS history. The documentary takes everyone along with us to see and be a part of all the unseen moments that made this last tour one of the wildest, most memorable rides of our career. We can't wait for the world to see it through our eyes for the very first time and relive the magic of these shows." KISS's long farewell tour launched in Jan. 2019 and wound down on Dec. 2, 2023 with a show at Madison Square Garden. The film will premiere during a special livestream on the KISS website in November, with fans able to sign up now to access the stream for $14.99. Attendees at the upcoming "KISS Kruise: Land-Locked in Vegas" will get the first chance to watch the documentary during the Nov. 13-15 event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. KISS bassist Gene Simmons recently told the NewsNation media outlet that KISS stopped touring out of "respect" for their fans. "You've got to know when to gracefully and proudly step off that stage, because you have to understand that KISS was and continues to be the only band of its type, " he said. "Every show I had to spit fire... fly through the air, keep my tongue out all the time. Wear 70 lbs, as much as that, or as little as 50 to 60 lbs of armour, studs, guitars, and all on seven-inch platformed boots for two hours. It's exhausting. I'm 77 now, and boy, do I look good. But you've got to know -- you've got to respect the fans enough to know when to get off that stage," he added. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 10/28/26...... A letter by late The Rolling Stones member Brian Jones urging Charlie Watts to join the band is up for auction. The historic letter, dated 3 June 1962, is being auctioned by Watts' sister after more than six decades in the family and its contents have now been revealed publicly for the first time. Jones, who co-founded the Stones before being dismissed from the band in June 1969 -- a month before drowning in his swimming pool at the age of 27 -- due to alcohol and drug problems, urged Watts to quit Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and join the group he had formed alongside Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. He wrote: "Dear Charlie, if you consider this letter impertinent, please excuse me... I don't know at the moment what your relationship with Korner's band is. "I noticed Nick Nicholls was drumming last night at Ealing. If you are not going to work with Alex in the future, and still want to play R+B, we are looking for a good drummer. Already we consider our band far better than Alex's -- we are getting a very tightly-knit sound." Jones also informed Watts, who passed away at the age of 80 in 2021, that the band was rehearsing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The letter is expected to sell for between $70,000 and $80,000 and will be on display to the public at Sotheby's New York from Dec. 2-8, with online bidding open from Dec. 2-15 before the item's sale on Dec. 15. - Music-News.com, 10/28/26...... 
On Oct. 28 it was announced that ABBA's "Mamma Mia! The Party" dining experience will have its Australian premiere in Mar. 2027 at Sydney Event Centre at The Star. Created by ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus, "Mamma Mia! The Party" is an immersive theatrical dining event, where guests soak up the pop legends' music in a restaurant recreated to look like a taverna on the Greek island of Skopelos, where most of the feature film was shot. Dinners are treated to Mediterranean cuisine and, of course, many of ABBA's hits, performed by a live band and cast of 20 musicians and performers. Sydney is the third city to host "Mamma Mia! The Party" after Stockholm, which is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, and London, now its seventh year, collectively clocking up over 1,500 performances and welcoming 700,000 diners. The event's official trailer can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 10/28/26...... Actress Barbara Barrie, who appeared in such fims as Breaking Away (1979), One Potato, Two Potato (1964), and Company (1970), died on Oct. 28. She was 95. Ms. Barrie was also known for her stint in the popular '70s ABC sitcom Barney Miller (1975-78), and as the grandma of Brooke Shields's character on Suddenly Susan (1996-2000). Ms. Barrie, who wrote and spoke about her battle with cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, opted for via medically assisted suicide because of a terminal cancer diagnosis. - Variety, 10/28/26...... Acclaimed British actor Patrick Stewart best known for his work on Star Trek, died on Oct. 28 following a brief and poignant journey" with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. He was 86. Born on July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, Mr. Stewart made his professional theater debut in 1959, eventually joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. He spent the next two decades performing in both classical and contemporary productions -- Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"; Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" -- alongside fellow stage greats such as Ben Kingsley and Helen Mirren. In the mid '80s, Mr. Stewart moved to Los Angeles to star in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran from 1987 to 1994, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He later reprised the role on the big screen for a series of Star Trek films, including Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). Mr. Stewart had more than 160 credits as an actor, most recently as the voice of Avery Bullock on the animated comedy series American Dad!. He will also appear posthumously in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday as Professor Charles Xavier, a role he played in several previous X-Men films. In 2010, Mr. Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and given the title of Sir in honor of his contributions to TV, film and theater. "We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today," Hugh Jackman, who starred alongside Mr. Stewart in X-Men, wrote in an Instagram post. "And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days." - Yahoo Entertainment, 10/29/26...... Donnie Iris, the Pennsylvania rocker best known for his 1981 No. 29 Billboard Hot 100 new wave hit "Ah! Leah!" and his 1970s No. 2 song "The Rapper" with the group The Jaggerz, has died at 83. A beloved staple of the Pittsburgh music scene, Elwood City, Pa., native Iris was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2023 shortly after his 80th birthday show, later canceling several shows and continuing to perform until announcing his retirement from the stage earlier this month after a final gig at Citizens Live at The Wylie in Pittsburg on Sept. 28. "After much thought, and in light of recent health issues, I have made the difficult decision to retire from future concert performances," he wrote on Oct. 9. "Music has given me far more than I could ever put into words. From the earliest days to every chapter of my life, your support has been a constant source of joy and inspiration." New Castle, Pa. native Donnie Iris found success pretty quickly with "The Rapper" from his group The Jaggerz, a swinging rock tune about a smooth-talking dude who uses a series of smarmy lines to pick up women at bars. After The Jaggerz split a few years later, Iris joined the group Wild Cherry -- two years after they scored their most well-known hit, "Play That Funky Music" -- to help them in the studio and play live guitar on the road. He performed on their 1979 album Only the Wild Survive, and then split the group with keyboardist Mark Avsec to form Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. The group hit pay dirt with their 1980 debut on Midwest Records, Back on the Streets, which featured their breakout hit "Ah! Leah!," a longing tune about romantic obsession on which he sings, "Leah, it's been a long time, you're such a sight/ You're lookin' better than a body has a right to/ Don't you know we're playin' with fire?/ But we can't stop this burnin' desire." The album topped out at No. 57 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned the band's biggest-ever chart hit, the doo-woppy "My Girl," which topped out at No. 25. The musician released another half dozen albums with the Cruisers through 2010's studio swan song, the Christmas album Ah! Leluiah! and continued touring with the group in the Pittsburgh area and beyond until his final gig in October. - Billboard, 10/27/26...... 
Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress who costarred with Rock Hudson in the 1970s TV crime series McMillan & Wife and later costarred with Jane Curtin in the sitcom Kate & Allie in the 1980s, died on Oct. 27. She was 80. Born Susan Jane Miller on Aug. 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, she was raised in the northern Illinois city of Rockford, where her father had transferred for work. She began modeling as a teenager in Paris. At 20, she moved back to Los Angeles and landed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios. She made her television debut in the 1966 movie Fame is the Name of the Game with Tony Franciosa. She got another break when it became a series called The Name of the Game in 1968, with rotating lead characters played by Franciosa, Gene Barry and Robert Stack. Ms. Saint James provided the show continuity in her role as Peggy Maxwell, a research assistant who worked for all three men. She won an Emmy Award for the part in 1969. Before The Name of the Game, the actress had a recurring role in the crime-caper series It Takes a Thief starring Robert Wagner. Her other early TV credits included Ironside, McCloud and Alias Smith and Jones. In 1980, she guest-starred in an episode of M*A*S*H. Ms. Saint James left the NBC show before its sixth and final season because of a contract dispute, with her character killed off in a plane crash. She then turned to feature films. She played opposite Peter Fonda in Outlaw Blues in 1977. She costarred with George Hamilton in the 1979 vampire spoof Love at First Bite and joined Jessica Lange and Curtin in the 1980 comedy heist How to Beat the High Cost of Living. While guest-hosting Saturday Night Live in 1981, she met Dick Ebersol, the show's then-executive producer and the future chairman of NBC Sports. They married barely six weeks after meeting and had three sons, Charlie, Willie and Teddy. She filed for divorce from Ebersol in 2002, but they reconciled later that year. Teddy died at age 14 in a 2004 private plane crash that also killed the pilot and flight attendant; Ebersol and Charlie survived with serious injuries. "She never met a stranger," her family said in a statement to People. "Every person she met became the most important person in the room at that moment, from a fellow board member to the clerk at the shoe store, who usually walked away knowing her entire life story." - AP,10/27/26...... Elke Sommer, who rose from European cinema to become one of the most recognizable international actresses of the 1960s, died on Oct. 29. She was 85. Among her biggest roles was Maria Gambrelli opposite Peter Sellers in A Shot in the Dark, one of the most beloved films of the Pink Panther era. She also starred alongside Paul Newman in The Prize, played Linka Karensky in the Dean Martin spy adventure The Wrecking Crew, and showed a darker side in cult favorites such as Lisa and the Devil and Baron Blood. Her comic range was also on display in Carry On Behind, where she played Professor Anna Vooshka. Ms. Sommer remained a familiar presence on television through appearances in The Muppet Show, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna. Years later, she reached another generation as the German voice of Yzma in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. - Variety, 10/29/26.
Neil Young has filed another lawsuit against Pres. Donald Trump for using Young's 1989 song "Rockin' in the Free World" at political rallies without a license. Young sued Trump's political action committee, Trump 47 Committee Inc., on Oct. 26 for copyright infringement and is seeking $10 million in damages for the use of "Rockin' in the Free World" as Trump's walk-up song at an Oct. 12 rally for the upcoming midterm elections in Youngstown, Oh. Young claims he did not, and never would, grant Trump's PAC a public performance license to use his song, says the Trump campaign should have known this was illegal because Young previously sued the campaign for the same thing during his 2020 presidential run. According to Young, Trump's campaign quickly settled the 2020 lawsuit and promised that "it would never again use 'Rockin' in the Free World' without a license and permission from Young." Young is asking for a legal injunction preventing further misuse, and also seeking hefty financial damages. "Among other things, Young has suffered damage to his reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way," write Young's lawyers. In the suit, his legal teams states: "'Rockin' in the Free World' is a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten. The lyrics paint vivid street-level portraits -- a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair, garbage piling in the shadows of prosperity -- while the repeated chorus delivers a savage irony, celebrating freedom that clearly isn't shared by all. In short, the song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for." The White House has yet to comment on the lawsuit. Young is only one of a slew of musicians, including The White Stripes and the estates of Tom Petty and Isaac Hayes, who have gone public with their distaste for the practice ever since Trump entered politics in 2016. - Billboard, 10/26/26...... In a new interview with the BBC, Sharon Osbourne reveals she still looks at her late husband Ozzy Osbourne's grave every day at her Buckinghamshire, England estate, over a year since his July 22, 2025 death at age 76. "You've lost the love of your life, so you don't just wake up and go, 'I'm fine now. I'm cured.' You never get over it," Sharon said. "But you learn to live with it, and that's what I'm trying to do. So you either sit in a room and don't come out, or you accept it, befriend it, and that's it." Sharon added the family collected all the cards and messages left at public memorials in Ozzy's hometown of Birmingham, England, as well as the floral tributes left behind by the thousands who attended the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's public funeral procession in his hometown on July 30, 2025. The items have been sorted and photographed, while the flowers were composted into the family garden at their 250-acre private estate, Welders House, in Buckinghamshire. Sharon said there was "no way" she could have put Ozzy in a public graveyard." "I've seen what happens to other people in the public eye," she said. "There's no peace because people want to come and they want to pay their respects. That's an ongoing thing, and I wanted Ozzy to rest and just be." Asked how often she visit's Ozzy's grave, Sharon said, "of course, every day. I can see him from my window." Sharon said she also talks to her late husband of half a century "regularly," though she declined to reveal what they discuss. - Billboard, 10/26/26...... The record collecting and music discovery platform Discogs.com has teamed up with Germany-based indie record store Black Plastic Records for the public sale of nearly 1,300 rare records from The Beatles from the private collection of an anonymous fan. The collection, compiled over decades by a dedicated fan who tracked down original pressings and rare singles and editions in different countries, represents an uncommonly extensive archive of Beatles recordings from the U.K. and continental Europe. Following the fan's death, Black Plastic Records, a shop located in Dortmund, Germany, acquired the collection from his estate. The collection includes nearly 1,500 records total, though only around 1,300 will be available for purchase. Included in the sale are: a rare 1963 promotional pressing of The Beatles' debut studio album Please Please Me, one of an estimated 250 copies produced for British radio stations; an early promotional copy of the 1963 single "From Me to You"; an original 1963 U.K. mono first pressing of Please Please Me, featuring the black-and-gold Parlophone label; a rare 1968 pressing of The Beatles (better known as "The White Album") featuring the Parlophone label; and a 1970 U.K. box set edition of Let It Be -- including the original slipcase, fragile interior tray and book of photographs from the band's recording sessions -- described in a press release as "remarkably well-preserved." The first drop of roughly 1,300 records will be available to purchase exclusively through discogs.com starting Friday (Oct. 30) at 8:00 a.m. ET. The sale will remain exclusive to Discogs for the first 10 days, though in-store browsing and pickup will be offered at Black Plastic Records. Previous sales in the series have included the personal collections of late Television frontman Tom Verlaine and rock journalist and author Mikal Gilmore. - Billboard, 10/26/26...... 
AI tech behemoth Anthropic has been sued for allegedly stealing Elvis Presley music to train their AI models without permission from the owners of Presley's music. The music owners' lawsuit, filed on Oct. 23, claims that Anthropic, the tech behemoth behind Claude, infringed 274 of the King of Rock & Roll's copyrighted songs, including famed hits like "Can't Help Falling in Love," "A Little Less Conversation" and "Don't Be Cruel." "The Elvis Plaintiffs bring this action to enforce these exclusive rights against the defendant that has built its entire business model based on copyright infringement at a scale never seen before," writes Richard Busch, the lead attorney behind the lawsuit. "The Elvis Plaintiffs are deeply protective of these iconic songs." The case was filed by a unit of Authentic Brands Group, the licensing giant that largely controls the intellectual property rights to Elvis, including much of his song catalog, his brand trademarks and the rights to his name, image and likeness. It was co-filed by various other entities that own Elvis rights. Though music companies like Universal Music Group have already repeatedly sued AI companies for stealing their IP, the new lawsuit represents by far the most high-profile legal action filed on behalf of an individual musician -- in this case, arguably the most famous recording artist of all time. Like other AI firms, Anthropic is already facing numerous lawsuits over the process of "training" their models to create new ones, which involves ingesting millions of existing works without permission. AI companies say that process is protected by copyright's fair use defense, but that issue remains pending across dozens of lawsuits -- with billions of dollars in potential damages at stake. In a statement to Billboard, an Anthropic spokesperson said: "We disagree with the claims and intend to defend this case fully." - Billboard, 10/24/26...... Speaking to Rolling Stone, Elvis Costello revealed he was "on the verge" of releasing what he calls his "ragtime songs" 35 years ago, but stopped in his tracks because they were too "revealing." "I felt [at the time that] they revealed too much, which is why they were never released until now," Costello mused. "I was on the verge of releasing them like 35 years ago, and then I thought, 'No, they just -- everybody will see.'" However, when it comes to listening to the "vaudeville-sounding songs" now, Costello said they're "nothing to be embarrassed about" and "sound like somebody learning." Costello, who has just dropped a 
Talking Heads have announced a new career-spanning coffee table book titled 
Bernie Taupin released 
Michael Gray, the star of the 1970s Shazam! television series, died on Oct. 23 in Palm Desert from natural causes. He was 75. Gray first got his break in television in 1972 when he was cast in NBC's The Little People alongside Brian Keith and Shelly Fabares. Early in his career, he held several supporting roles across series including playing Marcia's boyfriend Jeff on The Brady Bunch as well as appearing on Dynasty, Marcus Welby, M.D., Room 222 and The Flying Nun, as well in films such as Run, Simon, Run, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Myra Breckinridge. In 1974, he joined the cast of Shazam! as Billy Batson, starring alongside John Davey and Les Tremayne in the series, which ran for three seasons until 1976. Gray became a teen idol, frequently appearing on the covers of Tiger Beat and other teen magazines. Gray was born in Chicago on Sept. 2, 1951, and was raised in Miami Beach, Fla., before moving to Los Angeles to study acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and pursue his career in entertainment. After landing his role in Shazam!, Gray began to feel typecast and took a hiatus from acting. During this time, he worked in children's theater education and men's fashion, as well as owning and operating a floral business with his wife, Stacy. Following the 2012 resurgence of Shazam!, he frequently attended fan conventions and reconnected with his fanbase while also pursuing roles in projects such as the Surge of Power franchise. - Variety 10/23/26...... Actress/singer Peggy King, a 1950s television and recording star, died on Oct. 25 following a battle with Alzheimer's at the Saunders House Assisted Living facility in Wynnewood, Pa. She was 96. Ms. King appeared on shows including Bob Hope's Chevy Show, American Bandstand, The Steve Allen Show, The Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle, What's My Line?, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson The Perry Como Show, The Garry Moore Show and The Jack Benny Program. Her dramatic credits include roles on Maverick and Dragnet. She was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2010 and was among the first celebrities honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ms. King's last released recording was the album "Songs a la King," released in 2016. She performed regularly in the Philadelphia area, New York and Los Angeles as late as 2014. She is survived by her daughter, Suzy Rudofker, and son-in-law, Dwain Goforth. - Variety, 10/26/26.
A tribute to country rock icon Gram Parsons will take place at Los Angeles' Troubadour on Nov. 11 ahead of Parsons' posthumous induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame three days later. Emmylou Harris, one of Parsons' key musical collaborators during his short lifetime, will top the bill, along with Elvis Costello, who covered a pair of Parsons songs on his 1981 country covers album Almost Blue and contributed to the 1999 tribute album Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons. Also featured will be sets of Parsons tunes from the likes of the Black Crowes, Margo Price, Grace Potter, Jesse Welles, the Head and the Heart, Madison Cunningham, Jim Lauderdale, Harper Simon and Grahame Lesh, as well as L.A.'s Parsons-infuenced country rockers Beachwood Sparks. The event is being co-produced by Parson's daughter, Polly Parsons, along with Vector Management and Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Shirley Halperin, along with the Parsons estate and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The show will benefit the L.A. sober living house for women Friendly House Foundation and Backline, which provides mental health and wellness resources for music industry professionals and their families. During his brief, hugely influential career, Parsons performed with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the International Submarine Band and released two beloved solo albums, including 
Longtime liberal activist and frequent Donald Trump critic Bette Midler was honored with the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Okla., on Oct. 16. Before accepting the award, Midler sang an updated version of folk icon Woody Guthrie's 1940s protest classic "All You Fascists (Bound to Lose)," and just so no one missed the message, she wore a T-shirt embossed with the blunt song title. "Justice doesn't always come from the courthouse," Midler said. "Sometimes the law is late, overdressed, and on the wrong side. Justice comes from a beat-up guitar instead. So, when I wanted to say something about what I was seeing going on today, I took his [Woody's] song, and I put new words in its mouth, because the old fights came back in new suits. They always do." She continued, "Thank you for accepting me, and for letting me rewrite the song, that became my small contribution to the Resistance. We're having a knife fight in a phone booth. These are hard and terrible times. A war is being waged against us, and we are all being drafted. Whether the letter arrives or not. Thank you for noticing that I showed up for duty." Midler released her spirited version of Guthrie's song on 
The B-52s have been tapped to be honored with the 2,861st star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame on Oct. 29. "The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome the B-52s to the Hollywood Walk of Fame," Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez said in a statement on Oct. 20. "Honoring The B-52s with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a celebration of their unforgettable music, fearless spirit and the nostalgia they've created for generations of fans. Their unique sound and energy have truly become part of Hollywood's musical history," she said. SiriusXM radio personality Richard Blade will emcee the event, and 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Go-Go's, who received their star in 2011, and musician/actor/comedian Fred Armisen, are set to speak at the livestreamed event. The group's star is located at 6212 Hollywood Boulevard in front of Amoeba Music. The B-52s peaked in 1989 with their album Cosmic Thing, which reached No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and remained on the chart for 65 weeks. The album spawned the back-to-back hit singles, "Love Shack" and "Roam." The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson and Keith Strickland.Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985, and Strickland stopped touring with the band in 2013. Following several farewell tour announcements, The B-52s will wrap its current "Cosmic De-Evolution Tour," which they are co-headlining with Devo, in Palm Desert, Calif., on Oct. 31. - Music-News.com, 10/20/26...... Michael star Jaafar Jackson has spoken about the cut third act of the Michael Jackson biopic that was set to deal with child abuse allegations. Released in Apr. 2026, Michael tels the story of the King of Pop from his time in the Jackson 5 to become one of the biggest solo stars in the world. However Michael didn't include any reference to the child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson, though the story was included in the initial screenplay. During production, a clause in a legal settlement was discovered, which forbid the Jackson estate from mentioning one of the accusers, Jordan Chandler, meaning that the production spent $15 million on reshoots. The movie ultimately ended at a different point in Jackson's life, shifting the narrative tension onto his relationship with his father, Joe (Colman Domingo). Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew who played the King Of Pop in the biopic, has now spoken about leaving that material on the cutting room floor. "It was a massive shoot. I've heard many stories from other actors about how much you shoot on a project that doesn't make it into the final picture. In the editing room, you go through scenes looking for specific performances or takes and things change constantly. So going in, I knew not everything we shot would make it into the final picture," he said in an interview with Variety. "But for me, it was the most rewarding experience because even the things that weren't used, the experience I got from them, made me a better actor. I feel like that will happen many more times with other projects. You wish a certain performance was in there and it's not. That's something you have to deal with when making a film. Seeing a film about your own family can make a lot of people uncomfortable because you have your own idea of what that is, and it's hard to capture it in a two-hour film. But the response I got from my family was incredible," he added. Michael had the biggest ever opening for a musical biopic and went on to take more than $1 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing biopic of all time. In August, it was confirmed that Michael will be getting a sequel and will address abuse allegations from Michael's point of view. However, speaking to Variety, Jaafar confirmed that he's not been told "anything concrete" about the sequel. "Whatever decision is made, I'm more than ready to get back into it." - NME, 10/20/26...... Country Music Hall of Fame inductee John Anderson died "peacefully in his sleep" on Oct. 21, according to his family. He was 71. A native of Apopka, Fla., Anderson relocated to Nashville in 1971. An early job saw him nailing shingles onto the roof of the new Grand Ole Opry House ahead of that iconic building's 1974 opening. Anderson, who battled health issues in recent years but pushed through the pain, was known for such country hits as 1983 CMA Single of the Year "Swingin'," "Straight Tequila Night," and "Seminole Wind." With his distinctive voice, he landed five No. 1s, among 20 top 10s, on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, with those top 10s spanning 1981-95. On Top Country Albums, he notched five top 10s, from the years 1982-92. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2026. In addition to his family who said he "made every ordinary moment feel special," he was also praised by such fellow country stars as Blake Shelton and John Rich, who called him "my favorite country artist of all time." - Billboard, 10/21/26...... 
Rick Wakeman delivered a masterful performance at the "Starmus VIII" astronomical gathering at Tenerife in the Canary Islands on Oct. 20. The prog-rock titan debuted his brand-new composition, "Echoes from Black Holes." Merging grand classical structures and cosmic storytelling, the world premiere captivated an audience filled with eminent scientists, astronomers, and music enthusiasts. The piece grew from an idea by Starmus co-founder Garik Israelian, who envisioned taking a historic lecture on black holes delivered by the late Stephen Hawking, dividing it into distinct segments, and setting it to music paired with vivid backdrop visuals. Inspired by Hawking's concepts, Wakeman took the vision and brought it to life, interspersing his dramatic keyboard arrangements with Hawking's own recorded voice to seamlessly bind the musical movements together. As the final section concluded, the venue erupted into an enthusiastic standing ovation. Wakeman initially left the stage to roaring applause, but with the audience refusing to leave their seats, the keyboard wizard returned for an extraordinary two-song encore. To cap off the evening, the former Yes keyboardist offered a brilliant display of his musical genius by reimagining two Beatles classics through the lens of legendary classical composers. He first performed "Help!" styled as a romantic piece by French composer Camille Saint-Sanës, before transforming "Eleanor Rigby" into a dark, driving arrangement in the theatrical tradition of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. The entire performance by Wakeman, who has struggled with recent health scares, can be viewed on YouTube. - Music-News.com, 10/20/26...... Betty McGuire, the actress best known for her role as grandmother Kate Malone on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains, died Oct. 8 at the Motion Picture & Television Fund's Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, Calif., of natural causes. She was 100. Ms. McGuire had a seven-year run on Growing Pains as Kate Malone, mother to Joanna Kerns' Maggie. She was a recurring character in Seasons 1-2 and again in Seasons 4-7. Aside from Growing Pains, Ms. McGuire's career in television includes appearances in shows including Falcon Crest, The Doris Day Show Columbo, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Hill Street Blues, ER, CSI: Miami, MacGyver, Moonlighting and Charlie's Angels. On the silver screen, Ms. McGuire appeared in feature films such as Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke and Michael Crichton's Coma. Later in life, Ms. McGuire volunteered as a receptionist and advocate at the Coalition for Economic Survival legal clinic in Los Angeles to offer support for low-income tenants facing eviction. She was an active resident of The Motion Picture & Television Fund Home. On Channel 22, the on-campus TV station at the retirement community, she hosted her own talk show, GabFest. - Variety, 10/19/26...... Richard Riehle, known for his roles in Office Space, Star Trek, and Halloween II, has passed away at 78. The veteran actor appeared in more than 400 film and television projects during his career. Riehle died of natural causes in Los Angeles, according to his friends, TMZ.com reported. Born in Menomonee Falls, Wisc., in 1948, the actor was best known for playing Tom Smykowski in the acclaimed workplace comedy Office Space, which also featured Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston. Riehle made his film debut in the 1975 True Grit sequel Rooster Cogburn, which featured Riehle in an uncredited role alongside John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn. He also appeared in numerous TV shows such as Grounded for Life, One Life to Live, Dragnet, Quantum Leap, The Golden Girls, Roseanne, The West Wing, ER, Modern Family, The Mindy Project, NCIS, The Middle, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager. - Variety, 10/19/26.
More than six decades after becoming a permanent resident of the U.S., Canadian-born Joni Mitchell has officially become a United States citizen. The legendary singer/songwriter shared the news via an 
Former Black Sabbath and Deep Purple singer/bassist Glenn Hughes has told fans that he is on the mend after undergoing another major heart procedure. In an 
On Oct. 15 Blondie announced their first new album in nine years, High Noon, will be released on Feb. 26 via BMG Music. According to a release, the 13-track set mixes their "classic punk/new wave energy with dance music and Latin rhythms" on songs that feature contributions from former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, and Beirut's Zach Condon, among others. It is also the last recording co-founders singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein made with late drummer and fellow co-founder Clem Burke before his death in 2025. "This album is classic Blondie -- an amalgamation of all our different influences and eras into something new," said Harry in the statement. "This music feels grounded in the present, shaped by who we are and how we're living now." High Noon will be the New Wave icons' first LP of new material since 2017's Pollinator, and like that album, High Noon was produced by John Congleton, and the group said that following Burke's death at 70 from cancer in Apr. 2025 the record took on added meaning. "It's been a long, strange ride, and somehow here we are with another Blondie album," said Stein of the latest from the band formed in New York in 1974, which now stands as one of the last remaining groups still making new music from an era that spawned the likes of Talking Heads, The Ramones, Television and Patti Smith. "I'm not sure what the f--- I'm supposed to say at this point, except that we're incredibly grateful for all your support over the years." The new album's first single, the Johnny Marr-penned "Spectral Eyes," can be previewed on 
Led Zeppelin has finally allowed 
Sir Cliff Richard celebrated his 86th birthday on Oct. 14 alongside his devoted fans at a special afternoon tea event held at London's Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane. Hosted by UK radio legend Ken Bruce, the gathering marked the upcoming release of his 48th studio album,