On Mar. 23 Barry Manilow announced he's releasing his first new studio album of mostly new material in nearly 15 years, What a Time, on June 5. Primarily produced by Manilow and longtime collaborator Michael Lloyd, the album will be Manilow's 33rd studio LP and his first mostly original LP since 2011's 15 Minutes, his 15th top 10 album on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Manilow, 82, first made the top 10 in Feb. 1975 with Barry Manilow II. The star has released the first single from the album, "Sun Shine," ahead of the album that echoes his ebullient 1977 hit "Daybreak," along with a video that doesn't feature the singer but focuses instead on an attractive young couple getting ready for the day. Manilow wrote or co-wrote all but two of the 13 tracks, teaming with John Bettis to write three of the songs. The album announcement arrives amid a time of both health challenges and professional validation for Manilow. 
On Dec. 22, 2025, he announced a diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer, for which he underwent surgery. On Mar. 3, he released an upbeat video in which he declared "But I am getting stronger and I have great doctors and wonderful friends and family, but I am so looking forward to getting back on stage." Meanwhile, Manilow is opening up for the first time about his "nightmare" lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. In a cover story for the new issue of People magazine, Barry said his "nightmare" lung cancer surgery and long recovery "really, really made me take stock of my life." "You just don't even think about [how fragile life is]. And suddenly, you have lung cancer," he says. "But I'm still here. I'm not all here; there's part of me that isn't here -- they took out a part of me, and now I've got to figure out, 'What do I do?'." He described going initially going to a doctor in Nov. 2025 for hip pain that turned into a more serious diagnosis. Unexpectedly, a pelvic MRI expanded to a scan of his lungs when the doctor heard that the singer had suffered through two recent bouts of bronchitis. "If he hadn't done that, man. He saved my life, because there's no symptoms for what I had. I could go on, nothing hurt -- but they found the dot in my lung," he says. "They called me and said, 'Could be cancer.' That's a bad word. 'Not me. F--k you. I can't have cancer.' If it had gone any further, then I would be up s--t's creek. It just so happened that it hadn't spread, and boy oh boy, I thought I might be dying." Manilow said he doesn't remember his "nightmare" hospital stay and that he is grateful that he didn't have to undergo further invasive treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation. Manilow also announced a long list of upcoming U.S. tour dates, running from Apr. 13 to Jan. 21, 2027. - Billboard, 3/24/26...... The executors of Michael Jackson's estate say the late King of Pop's daughter Paris Jackson doesn't have any reason to complain about their spending on the long-anticipated MJ biopic Michael, arguing that objections lodged by Paris "betray a complete lack of understanding about how the motion picture industry works." Paris, 27, is fighting over finances with estate lawyer John Branca and A&R executive John McClain, co-executors who've overseen MJ's fortune since his death in 2009. The estate is still in Los Angeles probate court, where a retired judge has been appointed to referee disputes like this one with the superstar's survivors. After losing an earlier challenge to the executors' spending, Paris' attorneys filed an objection this fall focused on the estate's 2021 account statements. This objection accused Branca and McClain of aiming to "enrich and aggrandize" themselves and criticized their roles as producers on the upcoming Michael biopic, including Branca's casting of Miles Teller to play a younger version of himself. Branca and McClain have now filed their own document saying there's zero validity to Paris' complaints: "These meritless objections are a profound waste of the court's time and, ironically, the estate's money," reads the executors' response filed on Mar. 19 in probate court. The pair claim their work has generated billions of dollars for Michael's estate, $65 million of which has already gone to Paris. Much of that revenue has come from entertainment projects produced by Branca and McClain, including the Broadway show "MJ The Musical" and the 2009 documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It. A source close to Paris, meanwhile, says, "It's a shame the executors are lobbing personal attacks against a beneficiary instead of providing basic transparency and accountability. If the estate is interested in clarifying the facts, they could just release all the years of financial records Paris has been requesting. Without them, Paris and the rest of the Jackson family are totally in the dark." - Billboard, 3/24/26...... 
On Mar. 21 Neil Diamond announced he will release his third and final album collaboration with veteran producer Rick Rubin, Wild At Heart, on CD, vinyl and digital platforms via Capitol/UMe on May 8, with limited edition colored vinyl and 2CD versions also available. Diamond's previous collaborations with Rubin, 2005's 12 Songs and 2008's Home Before Dark, were met with critical and commercial success, and the songs that make up Wild At Heart were initially recorded during the Home Before Dark sessions. Now Diamond has revisited the material, fleshing out nine new songs that will now be released for the first time, as well as an alternate take of the Home Before Dark track "Forgotten." Speaking about Rubin, Diamond has said: "My work with Rick was a labor of love, and I'm so gratified that these songs will finally be set free into the world to complete our trilogy of work." Diamond, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2018, retired from touring in the same year. He briefly came out of retirement in 2022 to sing 'Sweet Caroline' during the curtain call of A Beautiful Noise, a Broadway musical about his life. The country-flavored title track of Wild At Heart can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 3/21/26...... On Mar. 24 Willie Nelson announced the 2026 lineup for his annual Outlaw Music Festival and a 12-date tour slated to kick off on July 3 at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Tex. The Outlaw festival will be topped by Nelson and his family band, along with the Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow and Wilco. The festival, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, will once again feature Nelson, 92, topping the bill, though this year's roster of shows has been pared down, with a release saying for that reason, "each night carries added significance, a rare chance to experience a living legend alongside a powerhouse lineup of iconic voices and next-generation trailblazers." The tour will feature appearances from Nelson's son, Lukas Nelson and Sierra Hull, as well as Stephen Wilson Jr., Margo Price, Lily Meola, Rodney Crowell, Robert Randolph and Don Was with the Pan-Detroit Ensemble. "Being on the road and playing for the fans is what I love to do. We don't get to do as many shows as we used to, so every night out there means a little more," Willie said a statement. "I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and making it a special time." Meanwhile, Nelson's new album Dream Chaser will feature a new collaboration with Bob Dylan. The 10-track LP will be the followup to 2025's Workin' Man. Willie has already shared the title track of Dream Chaser on YouTube, and the album will be released on May 29. Another track from the LP, "I Can't Read Your Mind," was co-written with his friends Dylan and Buddy Cannon. Nelson and Dylan have toured extensively together in the past, including at the Outlaw Music Festival Tour in 2025 and 2024, but rarely shared a credit on a song. The last time they did so was on "Heartland"' from Nelson's 1993 album Across The Borderline. - Billboard, 3/24/26...... Speaking of Bob Dylan, the rock bard has covered Eddie Cochran's "Nervous Breakdown" for the first time ever at his inaugural 2026 "Rough And Rowdy Ways" tour show. Dylan has been playing shows on the tour since Nov. 2021 and the most recent leg kicked off at the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha, Neb. on Mar. 21. The 16-song set saw Dylan make adjustments to the familiar setlist and stage setup from previous legs of the tour, including a switch to acoustic guitars over electric and a keyboard over his usual grand piano. The tour continues until the final announced show in Abilene, Tex. on May 1. By that point, the tour will have consisted of over 300 shows. - New Musical Express, 3/22/26...... 
Electronic musician Moby is facing strong pushback from The Kinks' lead guitarist and co-founder Dave Davies after criticizing one of the British Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band's signature hits, "Lola." In a recent edition of its "Honest Playlist" series in which the UK paper The Guardian asks musicians to talk about the songs that mean the most to them, Moby called the Kinks' 1970s US No. 9 hit a track he can no longer listen to. "'Lola' by the Kinks came up on a Spotify playlist, and I thought the lyrics were gross and transphobic," Moby told the paper about the song that tells the tale of a young man's romantic encounter with a transgender woman or drag queen in a Soho nightclub. "I like their early music, but I was really taken aback at how unevolved the lyrics are," he added. Those comments did not sit well with Davies, who shot back in a Mar. 22 post on X/Twitter in which he wrote, "I don't wanna show the guy up, but Moby should be careful what he says. The cockettes and their friends used to follow us around on tour. We appreciated them," the guitarist said in reference to the gender-bending 1970s psychedelic hippie troupe. "Why is Moby being so rude about this simple song? We're not trans phobic. Why does he have to have a go at us?" In addition, Davies posted a letter he said was sent to himself and his brother, Kinks singer Ray Davies, from their good friend and pioneering trans punk icon Jayne "Wayne" County, who wrote about what "Lola" meant to her back in the day. County wrote that when she first heard the song she was both "thrilled and amazed" that the Kinks would record a song about a trans person and wondered if anyone else had clocked what the song was about. "'Lola' will always be one of those songs that for me 'broke the ice' so to speak! A song that breaks down barriers and brings a used to be, hush, hush subject to the forefront and makes it sound perfectly natural to be singing a song about a 'girl' named Lola!" Moby has yet to respond to Davies' comments. - Billboard, 3/23/26...... The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is teaming up with Bruce Springsteen on a 30-second video soundtracked by his 1984 hit "Born In The U.S.A." a week before the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in a landmark case about Pres. Donald Trump's administration's attempts to rewrite the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The song, which has been improperly hijacked by years by people at political events who've mistaken its seemingly fist-pumping patriotic chorus as a jingoistic anthem akin to the "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!," actually describes the thoughts of a disillusioned Vietnam veteran lamenting his meager options back home. Now the Supreme Court is slated to hear arguments in Trump v. Barbara, a birthright citizenship case stemming from a Jan. 2025 executive order from Pres. Trump attempting to curtail the 14th Amendment's grant of automatic citizenship to anyone born in the U.S.A. The new "Born In The U.S.A." video shows a series of different types of American families that could be impacted by the ruling. "We're reminding President Trump what it means to be born in the U.S.A.," reads the caption to the video. "We're honored that the one and only Bruce Springsteen trusted us with use of his iconic anthem ahead of our landmark Supreme Court case Trump v. Barbara, where we're challenging President Trump's attempt to overturn birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment speaks for itself." The ACLU sued Trump within two hours of the executive order attempting to revoke birthright citizenship in the case the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on beginning on April 1, after several other lower courts already ruled to block the order. The video can be checked out on YouTube. Meanwhile, Springsteen has announced his intention to play his anti-ICE protest song "Streets of Minneapolis" in Minnesota's Twin Cities on Mar. 28 during St. Paul's No Kings rally. Springsteen dropped the politically charged song in January as a broadside against the Trump administration's deadly incursion into the city that resulted in the killing of two American citizens: 37-year-old mother of three Rene Good and 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti. "You want to try to meet the moment," Springsteen told the Minnesota Star Tribune on Mar. 23. "The No Kings movement is of great import right now. When you have the opportunity to sing something where the timing is essential and if you have something powerful to sing, it elevates the moment, it elevates your job to another level. And I'm always in search of that," he added. The appearance will come just a few days before The Boss kicks off his "Land of Hope and Dreams" tour on Mar. 31 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. - Billboard, 3/23/26...... 
On Mar. 2, what would have been Karen Carpenter's 26th birthday, her brother Richard Carpenter posted a loving tribute on his official Instagram page. "Today, the second of March, 2026, would have been my late sister's 76th birthday," Richard wrote. "Karen's marvelous, timeless alto, was perfect, truly perfect, and able to interpret with ease from the heart, any type of popular song, whether it be 1937's 'I Can Dream, Can't I?' to 1961's 'Please Mr. Postman,' all the while appealing to millions of listeners around the world and to this day." He closed with a sincere declaration that reflected the monumental loss Karen's death was for the world and for Richard personally: "I realize one should never say 'never,' but there will never be another Karen." Karen died on Feb. 4, 1983, at just 32, from heart failure brought on by anorexia nervosa. In the more than four decades since, Richard has continued and honored the legacy of The Carpenters. He last performed a song from the duo's catalog in April 2025 at an event for the The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, which opened in 1994 and honors their legacy. The theater, which features a lobbe that displays Carpenters memorabilia, is located on the campus of California State University Long Beach, which Richard and Karen both attended shortly before they rose to fame together. - Yahoo Entertainment, 3/2/26...... For the KISS Army member who has everything, ex-KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent is selling his new album, Guitarmageddon, "in master format only" for $2 million. Just months after selling his limited-edition single for $225, Vincent has announced the news of a 10-track album. The musician, who played with KISS between 1982 and 1984, might be selling what he describes as "one of the greatest rock albums of all time" for "only" $2 million -- but he's offering fans some unique perks with the purchase. Additionally, the price would not include copyright and trademarks related to Vincent or the album, only a perpetual license to use the brand name 'Vinnie Vincent Invasion' and 'Vinnie Vincent' for the album. The website states "a separate agreement can be arranged and negotiated" for those interested in purchasing the copyright. For those who feel the album's price tag is too hefty, individual songs are also available to buy for $200,000 each. According to the website, "no refunds will be made once the buyer receives the masters and artwork." Vincent has previously defended the high price tags of his music, writing on Facebook: "I understand the bitching, the moaning, the whining about price, but you must also understand that my situation is as such that my music is so desired that it will be targeted and taken from me immediately, which I cannot/will not allow. I wish it was not this way, but I'm honoured that it is. It's a double-edged sword for me, but I sincerely hope that when you think it through you will understand the dilemma I face." He went on to compare his single to "caviar or fine art," stating that "not everyone can afford it" and asserting that "fair market price" was "yesteryear." - NME, 3/19/26...... Songwriter Chip Taylor, who penned such rock classics as "Wild Thing" and "Angel of the Morning," died on Mar. 24. He was 86. The announcement was made by his record lable Train Wreck Records and no cause of death has been reported. "Known for songs that captured the emotion and spirit of the times, Chip created a catalog over a six decade career that included works for a diverse range of artists including Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Linda Ronstadt, Shaggy, and Tina Turner," an obituary posted by Train Wreck read in part. Born James Wesley Voight in Yonkers, N.Y., in 1940, Mr. Taylor was the youngest of three sons, including his older brother, actor Jon Voigh. He originally followed in the footsteps of his professional golfer dad Elmer, playing golf in college in South Carolina, before returning to New York and adopting his stage name to become a singer/songwriter. His earliest success came with "Wild Thing," which was a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 three times: first as a No. 1 hit in 1966 by The Troggs; then as a comedy recording by Senator Bobby featuring Bill Minkin (No. 20 in 1967); and finally Fancy (No. 14 in 1974). It was also famously covered by the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Another big hit was "Angel of the Morning," a top 10 hit twice by two different artists: first by Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts (No. 7 in 1968) and then by Juice Newton (No. 4 in 1981). It was a top 40 hit twice on the Hot Country Songs chart as well, thanks to versions by Connie (No. 34 in 1970) and Newton (No. 22 in 1981). "Angel of the Morning" was also interpolated in Shaggy's 2001 No. 1 Hot 100 hit "Angel," featuring Rayvon. A prolific performer who released than 30 albums in his lifetime starting in 1971 and extending through last year, Mr. Taylor was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. His wife Joan died in 2025, and the couple is survived by their two children, Kristian and Kelly, and five grandchildren. - Billboard, 3/24/26...... 
Actress Valerie Perrine, best known for playing Lex Luthor's girlfriend in the original Superman films and starring opposite Dustin Hoffman in the Lenny Brucebiopic Lenny, died at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Mar. 23. She was 82. Her friend and caregiver, Stacey Souther, shared news of her death with fans in a Facebook post, writing: "It is with deep sadness that I share the heartbreaking news that Valerie has passed away. She faced Parkinson's disease with incredible courage and compassion, never once complaining. She was a true inspiration who lived life to the fullest -- and what a magnificent life it was. The world feels less beautiful without her in it." Souther asked her fans to consider donating to a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her funeral costs. "Her final wish is to be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery, but after more than 15 years of fighting Parkinson's, her finances are exhausted," he said. "Let's come together to make her last wish a reality -- she truly deserves it." Ms. Perrine was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015, a neurodegenerative disorder that would eventually take away her ability to live independently. Souther, a filmmaker, became her caregiver. Her battle with the disease would be the subject of Souther's documentary Valerie, which was released in 2019. A former Las Vegas showgirl, Ms. Perrine made her big-screen debut in the film Slaughterhouse-Five in 1972, an adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's sci-fi novel. Her appearance in "Steambath," a play that aired on PBS in 1973, raised eyebrows when she became the first woman to intentionally expose her breasts on TV, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Other roles she took on in the 1970s included playing the girlfriend of Jeff Bridges' race-car driving character Elroy Jackson Jr. in The Last American Hero and portraying Honey Bruce, the stripper wife of Hoffman's Lenny Bruce in Lenny. Her performance in the 1974 biopic earned her a best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival and nominations at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards. She then took on the role of Eve Teschmacher, the secretary and love interest of Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie in 1978 and its sequel in 1980. She would continue acting in the following decades with her last role in the 2016 comedy Silver Skies, according to IMDb. - Canoe.com, 3/23/26.
AC/DC guitarist Stevie Young was hospitalized in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Mar. 19 four days before the Aussie hard rockers were play three shows in the South American city on Mar. 23, 27 and 31. "Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, AC/DC band member Stevie Young was not feeling well," a spokesperson for the band told Billboard on on Mar. 20. "Out of an abundance of caution, he was admitted to a local hospital where he is undergoing a full battery of tests," adding that "Stevie is doing well and in good spirits. He is looking forward to getting on stage on Monday." Stevie Young has been AC/DC's rhythm guitarist since 2014, when he replaced his uncle Malcolm Young who retired from music due to health issues related to dementia; he died three years later in Nov. 2017 at age 64. The veteran "Back in Black" group are scheduled to play three sold-out shows at Buenos Aires' 85,000-capacity Monumental Stadium in late March. The gigs will be AC/DC's first performances in Argentina since 2009, when they played for nearly 200,000 fans over three shows at the same stadium on their "Black Ice" world tour. AC/DC launched the "Power Up" tour in support of their 17th studio album of the same name in May 2024 in Germany. After touring Europe that year, North America and their native Australia in 2025, they picked things back up in Feb. 2026 with a trio of shows in So Paulo, Brazil and two gigs in Santiago, Chile. - Billboard, 3/20/26...... 
Peter Frampton announced on Instagram on Mar. 17 that he'll be dropping his first album of original music in 16 years on May 15. "This record is a very special one for me," Frampton said of the LP, Carry the Light "I got to write and produce it with my son Julian [Frampton], as well as work with some wonderful friends along the way." Among the featured artists are Sheryl Crow, who sings with Frampton on "Breaking the Mold," and H.E.R., who plays guitar alongside the "Baby, I Love Your Way" singer on "Islamorada." Tom Morello fittingly appears on a track titled "Lions at the Gate," which is described as a "protest song" in a release. Also on the record are Graham Nash on "I'm Sorry Elle," Benmont Tench on the album's first single, "Buried Treasure," and saxophonist Bill Evans on "Can You Take Me There" and "Tinderbox." Frampton's last proper album, Thank You Mr. Churchill, dropped in 2010 and appeared on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, on which the guitarist has scored 14 entries total. His 1976 live album, Frampton Comes Alive!, spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the chart. Frampton has credited Crow for helping him become inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. "[Sheryl] stirred the pot big-time and made people aware -- including some of the board members, I think," Frampton told Billboard in 2024 of crediting Crow with his nomination to the Rock Hall. "They thought I was already in." Frampton's announcement and the single "Buried Treasure" can be streamed on Instagram. - Billboard, 3/17/26...... Appearing on Sirius XM's The Julia Cunningham Show, Irish actor Barry Keoghan discussed working on the forthcoming Beatles biopic, describing his co-stars as "brothers." The unique format of the films, in which Sam Mendes directs a film for each member of the band, was discussed and the actor was enthusiastic about his time filming. "It's going to be an event and you know and we knew that coming on board" he said. "What an exciting event to be part of, and no better filmmaker to do it than Sam, you know, so I'm having an absolute f---ing brilliant time and elevating my craft and, you know, making brothers as well on set." Keoghan is joined by Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon. His full interview can be viewed on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 3/20/26...... The cause of Neil Sedaka's death on Feb. 27 at age 86 has been revealed three weeks after the passing of the "Laughter In the Rain" singer. The New York Post reports that Sedaka died of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a chronic condition caused by the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in artery walls -- often referred to as plaque -- which can cause arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow resulting in blood clots that can lead to heart attack or stroke, according to the Mayo Clinic. Kidney failure also contributed to Sedaka's passing, according to a death certificate reportedly obtained by the paper, which noted that his occupation was listed as "singer-songwriter" and that he was embalmed at the Hollywood Funeral Home and buried at Beth Olam Cemetery in Los Angeles on Mar. 3. In an Instagram post after his passing, his family described the Brooklyn-born musician as "a true rock n' roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed." - Billboard, 3/19/26...... 
Elton John and husband David Furnish's annual Oscars viewing party held at West Hollywood Park on Mar. 15 raised a historic $10.6 million for the global fight to end the AIDS epidemic. Co-hosted by John, Furnish, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, the 34th annual event featured a aw, unfiltered performance by rising double-platinum British artist Lola Young. "Elton, David, and the Foundation are all about celebrating who you really are," Young said, emphasizing the responsibility of her generation to advocate for LGBTQ+ communities and those still affected by HIV. Elton echoed the sentiment, praising Young as "bold, brilliant, and completely herself" amidst a legendary night for British talent. The fundraising reached a fever pitch during an auction led by Lydia Fenet. The centerpiece was an original artwork titled "Tiny Dancer" by Jack Coulter. Coulter, who experiences synesthesia, translated sound into color while John performed a rare, solo piano rendition of the classic song. Meanwhile, Mick Jagger and his fiancé Melanie Hamrick made a glamorous appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar party on the same evening. Hamrick, 38, smiled alongside her 82-year-old significant one, who sported a teal shirt and matching sport coat. While Jagger and Hamrick are engaged, they seem to have no official plans to get married, but Hamrick says that doesn't mean they may not pursue it in the future. "We've been engaged two or three years," Hamrick told Paris Match, a French publication, in 2025. "Maybe one day we'll marry, maybe not. We are so happy in our current life that I would be too afraid to change anything." Jagger has said he is considering retiring from touring after a recent harrowing experience involving Hamrick being physically attacked at a private members' club in London. The experience involving Hamrick has forced him to "reassess his priorities," according to an insider. In February, Hamrick shared online that she'd been "physically attacked at Annabel's Mayfair." That is a private members' club in London. - Music-News.com/Parade/RealityTea.com, 3/16/26...... Veteran pop songwriter Diane Warren has responded to her record-breaking Oscars loss, losing her 17th nomination for Best Original Song for "Dear Me," meaning she now holds the record for the most nominations without a win. Warren made light of her latest loss on social media after the ceremony, writing, "Well at least I'm consistent! And I set a new record tonite!! But U know me, I will be back if you'll have me (sic)!!!" Warren, 69, may well keep her promise as she has been nominated for Best Original Song every year since 2016 and is likely to return again in 2027. The songwriter was previously tied with sound mixer Greg P. Russell with 16 nominations and no wins. The Mar. 15 ceremony gave her the all-time record for the most nominated person to not yet have a competitive Oscar. "Dear Me," performed by Kesha during the Oscars, was featured in her documentary Diane Warren: Relentless. However, she lost out to "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters. While she has yet to win a competitive Oscar, Warren was bestowed an honorary Academy Award in 2022. - Music-News.com, 3/16/26...... On Mar. 19 executives at entertainment firm Pophouse announced that they had completed a "strategic transaction" with BMG music to become the majority owner of Tina Turner's catalog. We are incredibly proud to be entrusted with helping celebrate and develop Tina Turner's extraordinary legacy," Pophouse exec Johan Lagerlf said. "Tina Turner is not only one of the greatest artists of all time, but a force of nature whose impact extends far beyond music. We look forward to developing new and exciting projects that respectfully carry her legacy forward for generations to come." Pophouse also acquired Turner's Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights, and the terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Based in Sweden, Conni Jonsson and ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus founded Pophouse Entertainment in 2014. The firm is known for investing in ABBA Voyage, the concert residency which features iconic band ABBA as virtual avatars. Turner died at the age of 83 in May 2023 following years of poor health. - Music-News.com, 3/19/26...... 
On Mar. 17 Judy Collins announced her final tour, dubbed "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes," will get underway in July and continue through November, with additional encore performances planned afterwards. The 86-year-old singer-songwriter and folk-rock icon will head out on her last ever performing jaunt, prefaced with some "warmup" shows in June, before the tour officially launches on July 4 at the "America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together" celebration in Williamsburg, Va. While dates are scheduled all over the U.S. through Nov. 29 at this time, more shows are still to be announced. After the main tour, Collins will keep the music going with "a series of encore performances for devoted fans and new audiences alike" dubbed the "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes -- Celebration Encore." She will be joined by a series of special guests throughout the tour, including Bruce Cockburn, Richard Thompson, the High Kings, Elles Bailey, Livingston Taylor and others. Fans can expect some of her biggest hits including her 1968 cover of "Both Sides, Now" by Joni Mitchell and her 1975 cover of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns," released on her best-selling platinum album Judith. Her latest release was 2022's Spellbound, which was her first ever full album of original material. Collins has released more than 30 studio albums in her six-decades-long career, and is celebrated for her mix of folk and Americana music and her pure soprano voice. She also famously inspired the Crosby, Stills & Nash song "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes." On Mar. 24, her singing career will be honored as she is inducted into the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame, along with Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin, Jackson Brown, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Neil Young. - Parade, 3/17/26...... '60s pop icon Lulu has revealed she once had a brief sexual relationship with David Bowie, and compared his thighs to those of supermodel Naomi Campbell. During an interview with British ITV daytime show This Morning, Lulu spoke about the pair's relationship for the first time publicly. "You know what? I have never said, 'Yes, I had sex with David Bowie,' until now. This is the first time I've said it because I've always chosen not to speak about it. It was private... I wouldn't share the details anyway," she added. "I do have boundaries. I'm learning to have boundaries." Lulu told host Louis Theroux on his podcast about how she would best describe the status of the relationship they had. "I had a brief relationship [with him]... a fling," she said, before the host recalled seeing a 2015 interview she did with a UK paper, in which she complimented the 'Starman'"s thighs in particular. "I think you don't have to have had an intimate relationship with David Bowie to know he had the best thighs," she told Theroux. "He and Naomi Campbell. He never wore tights. Well, he did occasionally, but he would often come on with a swimsuit on, and you'd go, 'Jesus!' she added, before the host asked her what "was so special about them." "They were very strong thighs!" Lulu replied. Both Lulu and Bowie had a professional relationship as well as a personal one, and worked together on a version of "The Man Who Sold the World," which previously featured on Bowie's 1970 album of the same name. The "To Sir, With Love" singer would then go on to look back fondly on that collaboration in 2016, shortly after the rock icon's death from cancer. "Making a record with David Bowie was pretty rock 'n' roll!," she told Good Housekeeping. "I thought he was so cool and I wasn't so cool. But when he met me, he said, 'You have a fuck off voice and I'm going to make a hit with you. I always perform 'The Man Who Sold the World', the song that we recorded together in 1974," she added. In 2025, Lulu opened up about her battle with alcohol in her new memoir, If You Only Knew, and later admitted that opening up about her sobriety and struggles for the first time felt "liberating." Lulu's full interview with Theroux can be streamed on Spotify.com. - NME, 3/18/26...... 
On Mar. 17 Heart frontwoman Ann Wilson announced that she'll embark on a 10-stop North American tour to screen her forthcoming documentary In My Voice. After each screening, Wilson will participate in a live Q&A alongside director Barbara Hall (Madam Secretary, Army Wives). As the title suggests, In My Voice is Wilson's tale told in her own words. The documentary explores Wilson's life from growing up a military child to becoming a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Featured in the doc are highlights pulled from the singer's archive of home movies, journals, photographs and never-before-seen footage. Wilson's family members, bandmates and fellow artists will make cameos and share commentary on the artist's incredible career, in which she flourished in a male-dominated rock scene in the '70s. The film tour will kick off in Seattle on May 11 before making its way across the U.S., Vancouver and Toronto before concluding in Boston. The teaser for the film can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 3/17/26...... During an recent interview on the celebrity gossip show Extra, Sting opened up on his "fairy-tale" life as well as his rough beginnings. The "Roxanne singer" described his childhood horror of having to work in a "hellscape" as he promoted his new stage musical, "The Last Ship." "I was born next to a shipyard," said Sting . "It's a noisy hellscape, infernal row, very dangerous work. I wanted to escape that. I watched thousands of men every morning walk to work past my house and I'd think, 'Is this my destiny? Is this what I have to do?'" Fortunately, Sting, 74, was able to bypass the dockyards of his hometown, Newcastle, by earning a place at a good school, which led to his eventual music career. "I did everything in my power to escape it," he shared. "So, I got a scholarship to a school and I became a musician, a successful one." However, Sting said, he had an ordinary life as a teacher before finding fame with his New Wave band The Police -- which he credited with keeping him grounded. "Until the age of 25, I was a schoolteacher," he recalled. "I had a mortgage. I paid tax. I voted. I was a citizen. I didn't just go from school to being a celebrity, which I think is very difficult, so I'm grateful for my normal life because it makes the one I have now... it balances it out." The Police had their first UK number-one hit in 1979 with the song "Message in a Bottle," and were immortalized in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. - Music-News.com, 3/18/26...... It has been revealed that actress Annabel Schofield, who was best known for her memorable role as Laurel Ellis on the beloved '70s/'80s primetime soap opera Dallas, has died at the age of 62. The Welsh-born actress and model actually passed away on Feb. 28 in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. As a fashion model, she was represented by London's Take Two Agency and appeared on hundreds of fashion magazine covers and starred in major designer and brand campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Rimmel, Revlon and Boots No. 7. Weeks before she died, Schofield turned to Instagram to provide a health update after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor from her nasal cavity. "It was very exciting to finally get this done but I'm not out of the woods yet," she shared on Jan. 20. "I'm very wobbly and now waiting to find out if I need more chemo or radiation. I swear it never seems to end. Hopefully this week's MRI will reveal a nice clear image," she added. Schofield also set up a GoFundMe to raise funds to support her fight against cancer, which had grown to nearly $35,000. "I'm really tired of asking for help, but I have no choice until I can get back to work," she shared. - PennLive.com, 3/19/26..... 
Chuck Norris, longtime actor and martial artist, died on Mar. 19 after being hospitalized earlier in the week in Hawaii after an undisclosed medical emergency. He was 86. "It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning," his family said in a statement. "While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace. To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family," the statement added. Born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Okla., in 1940, Mr. Norris moved with his family to Torrance, Calif., when he was 12. He joined the U.S. Air Force after high school in 1958 and learned martial arts while serving in South Korea. After returning to the United States, he competed in martial arts competitions (he was a six-time World Professional Middleweight Karate champion) and opened his own studio, where he trained celebrity clients, including Steve McQueen. Over the years, he developed his own style of karate, known as Chun Kuk Do or the Chuck Norris System. Mr. Norris got his first big break in Hollywood in 1972, appearing opposite Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon. He went on to star in a steady stream of martial arts movies and action films, including Breaker! Breaker! (1977), Force of One (1979), The Octagon (1980), An Eye for an Eye (1981), Silent Rage (1982) and Missing in Action (1984), Missing in Action 2 (1985), The Delta Force (1986) and Firewalker (1986). His television career took off in 1993 with the debut of Walker, Texas Ranger. The show ran for eight full seasons on CBS. Mr. Norris continued making films during and after TV success, even playing himself in the 2004 hit comedy Dodgeball. The last mainstream movie he appeared in was The Expendables 2, in 2012. He starred in Agent Recon, a 2024 sci-fi action film, and will appear in Zombie Plane alongside Vanilla Ice, which will be released later in 2026. He also appeared with Christie Brinkley in a long-running series of cable TV infomercials promoting fitness equipment. Tributes to the late star came from several of his fellow action movie icons, including Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme, and from Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas, where the actor owned a ranch. - Yahoo Entertainment, 3/20/26.
The iconic "Black Strat" played by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmouir on such classics as "Money" and "Comfortably Numb" has smashed the all-time record for the most expensive guitar ever sold. During a Christie's auction in New York on Mar. 12, the guitar was sold to an unidentified buyer and smashed the pre-sale estimate of $2-$4 million. According to the New York Times, the black Fender Stratocaster purchased by Gilmour in 1970 from New York's beloved Manny's Music store in Manhattan is covered in scratches and chipped paint from decades of use, and was played by Gilmour on every studio recording from 1972-1983, as well as during many live performances in that period. The winning bidder, who submitted bids online, paid $14.55 million for the instrument after a 21-minute bidding war. That was more than double the price of $6.01 million paid in 2020 for late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's Martin D-18E acoustic guitar which he played on MTV Unplugged just months before his Apr. 1994 death. The guitar was one of a number of high-profile items that went under the gavel as part of a sale of items from late Indianapolis Colts owner and pop culture memorabilia collector Jim Irsay, who died in 2025. Irsay bought Gilmour's guitar in 2019 during a previous Christie's auction for just over $5 million. The Gilmour Strat was one of several items guitars from Irsay's expansive collection that were sold that day, which also included one of late Grateful Dead singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia's custom "Tiger" guitars, which went for $11.56 million, as well as the Mustang electric guitar Cobain used in the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video, which sold for $6.9 million, a new high for one of Cobain's guitars. The Irsay Collection sale will continue through Mar. 17, with a number of rare items up for bid, including a signed Paul McCartney's Hofner bass guitar and the handwritten lyrics to the Beatles track "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," a signed Eddie Van Halen "Frankenstrat" guitar, and one of late ZZ Top member Dusty Hill's custom sheepskin covered bass guitars, among many other items. - Billboard, 3/13/26...... It was announced on 
Posting on his Neil Young Archives site that "politics today is sad and depressing for me," Neil Young has announced he's escaping the current tumultuous political world by working on a new album with his backing band The Chrome Hearts. "Folks, I am so hurt for this country," Young lamented. "I can't do it anymore. I can go out and demonstrate my feelings about it. We have the worst president in the history of our country. Every day, a bad TV show produced by DJT [Pres. Donald Trump] is what we get." He added: "Now, thankfully, once again, I'm in the studio recording a new album with the Chrome Hearts. I love the songs and the feelings of life and love. Music is. So far, we have eight new songs. They make me feel." Young and his band took aim at the president on their most recent collection, 2025's Talkin to the Trees, and on the track "Big Crime," on which the artist and persistent critics of Trump sings: "Don't need no fascist rules. Don't want no fascist school. Don't want soldiers on our streets. There's big crime in DC at the White House. No more money on the fascists. The billionaire fascists. Time to blackout the system." - Music-News.com, 3/12/26...... Bruce Springsteen will be among the contributors to a new tribute album to late The Pogues frontman Shane McGowan. 20th Century Paddy - The Songs Of Shane MacGowan is a collection of Pogues songs the late frontman "wanted to make himself," according to a press release. The release, set to drop on Nov. 13 on vinyl and digitally, will be accompanied by a limited edition deluxe bookpack edition featuring 3LPs, 2CDs, and a 56-page book of memorabilia and liner notes will also be made available. A first taste of the record, available for streaming on 
In an interview with Loudersound.com, Sammy Hagar says he'll never play with Alex Van Halen again, because he's a "negative" person. The two former Van Halen members haven't spoken in more than 20 years, and it remains unclear with the 78-year-old Hagar and the 72-year-old Van Halen no longer speak, though Alex didn't even mention Hagar's name in his 2024 memoir Brothers, writing only that Van Halen "had a lot of other singers over the years" following original VH frontman David Lee Roth's departure in 1985. Hagar told Rolling Stone in 2025 that he and Alex hadn't spoken in 21 years. Though the interviewer suggested that Alex was unhappy with Hagar's 2011 memoir -- which went into detail about the low points of Eddie Van Halen's life -- and that he was just generally a more private person than Hagar, the Red Rocker disagreed. "I think Al's angry because I'm out doing it... And he can't. He's not a singer. He's not a guitar player. He is not really a band leader. And he seems like he doesn't want to play drums or can't play drums anymore, and he can't go write a new record," Hagar said. "If I put myself in his shoes, I would feel terrible if I couldn't do it anymore." He went on to encourage Alex to "just leave me alone," saying he would do the same for him. "Everything's good. I'm making you money, by the way, Al," he told RS. "I'm out there selling Van Halen records and keeping the name alive, keeping the music alive." Hagar previously had a falling out with Eddie, but the two had reportedly "buried the hatchet" before Eddie died in 2020. Hagar has also previously criticized Roth, saying on Steve-O's Wild Ride podcast that Roth "ain't like his persona. "[David's] not a fun guy. He doesn't play well with others. I'm not sure what his problem is," Hagar said. "He's a chest-beating motherf---er. And God bless him, 'cause the early stuff is frickin' great." - People, 3/11/26...... REO Speedwagon played a surprise reunion concert in Peoria, Ill. on Mar. 7, more than a year after calling it quits. The show, fronted by lead singer Kevin Cronin was a special tribute to late guitarist Gary Richrath, a Peoria native who died in Sept. 2025. According to UltimateClassicRock.com, the lineup included Cronin, Syracuse, N.Y. native Alan Gratzer on drums, bassist Bruce Hall, and retired keyboardist Neal Doughty playing a short set of REO Speedwagon favorites like "Ridin' the Storm Out," "Take It on the Run," and "Roll With the Changes." Former vocalist Mike Murphy, who briefly replaced Cronin in the '70s, and Richrath's son Eric Richrath also performed. It was an "amazing tribute for Gary at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Being back on stage with Mike, Kevin, Alan and Neal was awesome. Having Gary's son, Eric, join us made it all the more special," Bruce Hall wrote on Facebook. "We ended the week with a private showing at the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66.... Good things are happening. Long Live REO Speedwagon!!" It's unclear if the event will open the door for a full reunion tour. The band played its last official concert as REO Speedwagon on Jan. 1, 2025, after announcing a split due to "irreconcilable differences." REO Speedwagon, fronted by Cronin since 1972, is best known for '70s and '80s rock hits like "Can't Fight This Feeling," "Take It On the Run," and "Keep on Loving You." In 2025 Cronin said that he may continue performing solo and will also work on finishing his memoir, tentatively titled Roll With the Change: My Life Within and Without REO Speedwagon. - Syracuse.com, 3/10/26...... Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne and his wife Aree have welcomed a baby girl named Ozzy Matilda Osbourne after Jack's famous dad. Born on Mar. 5, Matilda was announced to the world in a joint 
Billy Joel's daughter Alexa Ray Joel has given a health update amid her famous Piano Man dad's brain disorder diagnosis. "He's doing physical therapy regularly and he's doing great," Alexa Ray, the rocker's only child with ex-wife Christie Brinkley, told The Hollywood Reporter. He's lost weight as he's on his diet. I'm so proud of him. He's such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. He's a fighter. He's always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how life's like a fight," she added. The legendary pop star, recently the subject of HBO's two-part, 2025 documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, canceled all upcoming tour dates when he revealed that he was dealing with normal pressure hydrocephalus. At the time, he said in a statement that his condition -- which occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain -- had been exacerbated by his performing and led to issues with his balance, vision, and hearing. A tribute event to Joel, "The Music of Billy Joel," was held on Mar. 12 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Alexa Ray, along with Wyclef Jean, Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas, Train's Pat Monahan, Rufus Wainwright, and others performed some of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's many tunes from over the years, including "Tell Her About It," "Vienna," and "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant." Joel, 76, surprised the crowd at a concert by Turnstiles, a Billy Joel cover band, in January, when he joined them onstage to perform his songs "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "Big Shot." The Grammy winner is also the father of daughters Della Rose, 10, and Remy Anne, 8, whom he shares with Alexis Roderick, his wife since 2015. - Entertainment Weekly, 3/12/26...... In a recent street interview with TMZ.com, KISS singer/bassist Gene Simmons slammed actors Ben Stiller and Mark Ruffalo for what he called preaching politics instead of doing their art. Stiller, 60, recently went public with his frustration over the Donald Trump administration using a clip from his 2008 comedy film Tropic Thunder in an official video. The video mixed movie scenes with real footage of U.S. airstrikes, framing it as a triumphant montage. Stiller took to social media, demanding the clip's removal and labeling it as propaganda. He stated he had no interest in his work being tied to real-world conflicts, emphasizing that war isn't a movie. This wasn't the first time Stiller has weighed in on politics, but it hit a nerve amid ongoing debates about U.S. actions abroad. Simmons told TMZ this as a perfect example of why stars should stay in their lane. He argued that regular folks don't need lectures from the elite. The interview quickly went viral, racking up views on YouTube and shares across platforms like X and Facebook. Simmons also zeroed in on Ruffalo, 58, who's known for his outspoken views on everything from climate change to anti-Trump sentiments. Simmons mispronounced his name as "Mark Buffalo" in a mocking tone, then imitated a reporter asking Ruffalo about politics before dismissing it with, "I don't care." "People work hard for a living, and they don't want to be lectured by people who live in mansions and drive Rolls-Royces," he added. Not everyone is on board with Simmons' viewpoint though. Some pointed out the irony, with Facebook users asking, "Does he realize the irony that he is a celebrity commenting on politics?" "If only he would take his own advice," Chris_H posted. Others noted, "Isn't he a celebrity? Doesn't he voice his opinion every chance he gets?" - WealthofGeeks.com, 3/13/26...... 
Cher's son Chaz Bono married his longtime partner, Shara Blue Mathes, on Mar. 8 at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. The dress code was "Hollywood Glam Formal," according to the couple's wedding website. Their relationship goes back decades, with the pair having met as teenagers at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Their life journeys continued over the years until they eventually reconnected and made their romance official in Jan. 2017. "I first met Shara more than 40 years ago when we were just teenagers," Chaz, 57, told People. "I think it's safe to say that not many grooms ultimately end up marrying the very first girl they ever kissed so many years later." Chaz continued, "She makes me feel complete knowing she will always be there beside me as partner, my best friend, and the love of my life. No matter what life brings us, we will always be safer and stronger together ... and we are home." Cher, 79, looked on from the front row as the couple took a romantic dip at the end of the black aisle, which was lined with glowing red candles and moody floral arrangements. Chaz is the child of Cher and the late Sonny Bono, and the singer is also a mother to son Elijah Allman, 49, whose father is Cher's late ex-husband, Gregg Allman. Cher has been supportive of Chaz over the years, once telling a friend, "I admire my son Chaz's courage for sharing his personal journey. Most important to me is that he is very happy. That's what I care about the most. He has my love and support." - People, 3/13/26...... Blake Emmons, a Canadian country music icon and TV personality, has died at age 81. Mr. Emmons hosted the CTV series Funny Farm, which was billed as Canda's answer to Hee Haw in 1974. He also hosted The Country Place in the 1970s, and he hosted the game show Chain Reaction in 1985. He was also known for his charitable contributions, hosting the ACT Telethon for Camp HE-HO-HA for disabled children in the 1970s and late in the decade he helped develop the Telemiracle telethon. His hit single singles in Canada included 1969's "You're My Woman" and 1976's "Sunchild" and "Let Me Do Something Lord." - PennLive.com, 3/13/26...... Phil Campbell, the longtime guitarist of Motörhead, has died. He was 64. Campbell's death was announced on Mar. 14 through the 
On Mar. 10 Alice Cooper announced details of a new "definitive autobiography," Devil On My Shoulder, confirmed plans for a new UK Q&A book tour. The memoir, the shock-rocker's first, is set to be published by Ebury Spotlight on Oct. 8, and promises to lift the lid on the huge career and the intriguing personal life of the 78-year-old rock icon. It promises to explore how Alice's two personas -- the theatrical, elaborate rock star, and the sober pastor's son who played him and has been married for 50 years -- intertwine. "Alice is still on tour around the world today, a proper senile delinquent playing hundreds of gigs every year, while I myself am reformed," Cooper said. "And with the benefit of hindsight and a certain maturity, I'd like to describe our journey to hell and back together, because it's not only rock stars who can lose their way." It will also reveal how the rocker, real name Vincent Damon Furnier, began the group 'Alice Cooper' in the late '60s, and later went on to adopt the name as his own moniker, and later change it legally after becoming lost in the character's identity. "I was born Vincent Damon Furnier but, seduced by my character's reputation, changed my name legally to Alice Cooper, and in the process lost sight of who I really was," Cooper added. "The mild-mannered, all-American boy I'd once been became a monster and a mortal danger to himself." There will also be anecdotes that feature some of Alice's most famous acquaintances, including Salvador Dal, Bob Hope, John Lennon, Groucho Marx, Vincent Price, Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Gerald Ford and Andy Warhol and others, as well as deeper topics explored. To celebrate the upcoming release, Cooper will be headed out on a UK book tour later in 2026, which kicks off on Oct. 11 at the New Theatre in Cardiff. From there, there are stops at the Cambridge Corn Exchange (Oct. 12), London Palladium and Brighton Dome over the following three-nights. Dates wrap up in Manchester (Oct. 16), Stockton (Oct. 17), Glasgow (Oct. 19) and Wolverhampton (Oct. 20). Cooper will also be among the headliners at the UK's "Louder Than Life" summer festival alongside the likes of Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Tool, Limp Bizkit, and others. In 2025, Alice reunited with his original group for an intimate show in London, and shared his first album with them in over 50 years, titled The Revenge Of Alice Cooper. - New Musical Express, 3/10/26...... Elton John will be honored with the 15th Glenn Gould Prize Laureate at an all-star Canadian gala in Toronto on May 9. Diana Krall, The Beaches, Ron Sexsmith, Jeremy Dutcher, LOONY, Emily D'Angelo, Ryan Wang and more -- all handpicked by John, who will be in attendance -- are to perform at the event at the city's Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort. Often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of the Arts," the Glenn Gould Prize recognizes a living individual of any nationality or creative field for a lifetime of artistic achievement that has enriched humanity. "In selecting Elton John, we chose to honour someone whose artistic achievements have been transformed into profound social impact," said former prime minister Kim Campbell, who serves on the prize jury. "He has used his success to change lives, embodying the very highest ideals of the arts." Established in 1987, the Prize includes a $100,000 award for the Laureate, who also personally selects a young artist to receive the $25,000 Glenn Gould Protgé Prize, celebrating the vital role of mentorship. Through the Elton John AIDS Foundation, founded in 1992, John has also helped raise over $650 million US for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care worldwide. John is also married to Torontonian David Furnish and the couple have two children. - Canoe.com, 3/9/26...... 
The BBC is reportedly planning a major televised tribute to David Bowie this summer, stepping in to fill the gap left by the off-year of the Glastonbury Festival. The UK paper The Mirror reports that the broadcaster is preparing a star-studded celebration of the late music legend -- who died aged 69 in Jan. 2016 following a private cancer battle -- featuring a roster of high-profile performers backed by an all-star band and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Organisers reportedly want the event to serve as a long-overdue national salute to Bowie, whose influence continues to shape generations of artists. One source described the project as "a thank you to David Bowie and a celebration of his continued influence among today's artists," adding that the scale of the show will be unlike anything previously staged for the late icon in the UK. All proceeds from the concert will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust and the music-therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins, echoing Bowie's long association with charitable causes. Despite the artist's towering legacy, the UK has never hosted a Bowie tribute concert of this magnitude. The largest to date took place at New York's Carnegie Hall four months after his death in 2016, featuring performances from Debbie Harry, Cyndi Lauper and Michael Stipe. Meanwhile, the Bowie supergroup Holy Holy, featuring musicians who closely collaborated with the rocker including drummer Woody Woodmansey and Tony Visconti, will embark on a farewell tour of the UK this fall. The 12-date run begins in Glasgow on Sept. 3, and concludes in Hull on Sept. 19, with a London show at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on Sept. 10. - Music-News.com, 3/10/26...... A huge statue of Ozzy Osbourne is set to be unveiled at the UK's Hellfest this summer in tribute to the late Heavy Metal pioneer. Ozzy's wife, Sharon Osbourne, shared the news at the MIDEM music industry conference in Cannes, France on Mar. 4, and gave fans a glimpse of the statue, too. Oh, there he is. Look at him, a rock god," Sharon said while images of the in-progress statue were shown on a screen. "That is going to debut at Hellfest, and that is June 18th. And the whole family will be there to see it. And it's such a great tribute. It's amazing. So, I can only thank [Hellfest director] Ben [Barbaud]. Just bless you. It's an amazing piece of art." This year, Hellfest will run from June 18 to June 21, with Bring Me The Horizon, Iron Maiden, Limp Bizkit and The Offspring headlining. Ozzy's statue can be viewed during Sharon's interview on 
Interviewed in a cover story for the new People magazine, Valerie Bertinelli describes herself as "a survivor" after her last relationship, with writer Mike Goodnough, ended in a difficult breakup in 2024, two divorces, struggles with weight, and being sexually abused at 11, which she reveals in her new memoir, 
Iconic counterculture musician Country Joe McDonald of Country Joe and the Fish, whose Vietnam War protest anthem 
Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr has announced his next album will be titled Long Long Road and released on Apr. 24. Featuring the likes of Sheryl Crow and St. Vincent, the 10-track record was co-written by Ringo and legendary producer T Bone Burnett, who he worked with on his 2025 record 
Longtime Beach Boys member Bruce Johnston has told Rolling Stone that he plans to retire from touring to focus on songwriting and recording. Johnston, 83, added that he still intends to join the band for special performances, specifically the upcoming July 2-4 gigs at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles as part of the events celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary. After touring and recording with the BB for 61 years and performing upwards of 6,000 concerts, Johnston says "it's time for Part Three of my lengthy musical career." "I can write songs forever and wait until you hear what's coming!!! As my major talent beyond singing is songwriting, now is the time to get serious again," he continued. "In addition, I'm currently working on developing a speaking-engagement chapter of my career -- inspired in part by Cary Grant, who long ago made a similar move after his movie career... I might even sing 'Disney Girls' & 
Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1973 track "Free Bird" has netted big gains on multiple Billboard charts dated Mar. 7 after the song became the unofficial anthem for the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams at the 2026 Winter Olympics. "Free Bird" returns to Hot Rock & Alternative Songs at No. 15 on the strength of 3.2 million official U.S. streams (up 35%), 343,000 in radio airplay audience (up 17%) and 3,000 downloads sold (up 217%) in the week ending Feb. 26, according to Luminate. Older songs are allowed to re-enter rankings such as Hot Rock & Alternative Songs if in the top half of chart points and with a meaningful reason for their return. The driving anthem, from Skynyrd's breakthrough LP 
After a recent round on the Rock Legends Cruise, The Guess Who principals Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman have announced they will be taking their recent ownership of The Guess Who moniker on the road this spring. The duo kicks off its "Takin' It Back Tour" at home with previously announced Canadian dates that begin May 26 date in Moncton, N.B. The U.S. run starts in late June, when it brings the show south of the border for two dozen concerts staring June 25 in Shakopee, Minn., wrapping on Aug. 23 in Vancouver, B.C. Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder opens the headlining dates. The tour marks the first time in 23 years Cummings and Bachman have toured as The Guess Who, following last year's legal triumph over what they call "the fake Guess Who," run for decades by bassist Jim Kale and drummer Garry Peterson, who cofounded the band with Bachman as Chad Allan & the Reflections during 1962 in Winnipeg. "It was enough already. They tarnished what we created," Cummings, who joined in 1966, told Billboard in a Zoom call with Bachman. "I remember I went on Facebook and talked to people and there were a lot of remarks about the fake Guess Who, about the band going on stage and kind of dishonoring the songs. So Randy and I are out here now, honoring the history of The Guess Who." Bachman adds, "You can only sit around for so long and watch people tarnish something you built, something that's intangible -- that's called a reputation. It's with music, it's with fans. It's making music that is the soundtrack of our lives, and everybody who hears it and buys it falls in love with it and cherishes it. To see it stolen and not given justice and then hearing about it from your fans was terrible. So be able to be part of that again and see the reaction of the fans, it's really special." The duo say they plan to keep The Guess Who on the road for the foreseeable future, but they say new music will have to wait. "There's no time for that right now," says Cummings, who released a solo album -- A Few Good Moments -- during 2024. "Right now, let's get out there and rekindle the legacy that has been tarnished. New music may come later, but that's not on our agenda right now. We're going out to rebuild what the fake band broke down." The band's ambitious 35-city North American tour will wrap in Vancouver, B.C. on Aug. 23. - Billboard, 3/3/26...... A group of siblings who claim they were abused by Michael Jackson have brought new child sex trafficking claims against the King of Pop's estate. Four of the five Cascio siblings -- Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo -- alleged in a federal lawsuit filed on Feb. 27 that Jackson raped and molested them as children over the course of more than a decade, including at his Neverland ranch and while on the road for the Dangerous world tour and HIStory world tour in the 1990s. The fifth sibling, Frank Cascio, has made similar sex abuse claims in a separate pending legal proceeding. "Jackson groomed and brainwashed each plaintiff," reads the lawsuit, filed by attorney Howard King. "After the abuse started, he isolated them emotionally, and sometimes physically, from responsible adults and from each other. He plied them with drugs and alcohol. He showed them pornography, including pictures of unclothed children, to normalize the abuse and desensitize them. He made them fear and distrust others by convincing them that not only his life, but also their lives and the lives of their family members, would be destroyed if anyone found out what he was doing to them." A lawyer for Jackson's estate, Marty Singer, denied the Cascios' allegations in a Feb. 27 statement and said the new lawsuit is a "desperate money grab" and "transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael's estate and companies." - Billboard, 3/2/26...... Legendary Notre Dame college football coach Lou Holtz died on Mar. 4. He was 89. In his five-decade career, Mr. Holtz led football teams at several universities, including William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota and South Carolina. During his time with Notre Dame, he led the team -- known as The Fighting Irish -- to 100 victories. He won 249 total games across his 33 seasons of coaching. "Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field, earning their respect and admiration for a lifetime," Notre Dame said in a statement. The long-time Republican spoke at the party's convention in 2020 to endorse Donald Trump for president. Pres. Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honour, that December. "Holtz is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others," his family said in a statement. Videos of his inspirational speeches to his players before games earned him fans in the years after his coaching career ended. Following his sport career, he went on to become a commentators for broadcasters ESPN and CBS. - The BBC, 3/4/26...... 
On Mar. 4 the Los Angeles City Council officially designated the iconic