Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on August 28th, 2026

Reaction to the sudden death of Dolly Parton on Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer continues to reverberate around the world days after the country music queen's passing. A petition advocating for the Nashville International Airport in her native Tennessee to be renamed Dolly Parton International Airport in honor of the singer has exploded on Change.org after it was originated by Nashville comedian Lydia Popvich in 2025. Popvich updated the pitch on Aug. 26, noting that it retained a key supporter in Tennessee State Sen. Todd Warner, who she said had pledged to introduce legislation to make the name change happen. In addition, Nashville City Council member Russ Bradford responded to the petition, writing, "I'm proud to sponsor a resolution asking the Metro Nashville Airport Authority to consider renaming BNA to Dolly Parton International Airport." Meanwhile, Parton's Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., announced that it would remain open after her passing. "Dolly's heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams," a statement on its website by park president Eugene Naughton said in part. "While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates." Parton has made frequent visits to the park over the years, including its 40th anniversary celebration in Mar. 2025, which took place less than two weeks after the death of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean. She was scheduled to appear at Dollywood a couple of weeks prior to her death to support the opening of its new NightFlight Expedition ride, but canceled due to then-unspecified health issues. Elsewhere, Dolly's Imagination Library program has been honored by the Library of Congress. The organization shared a tribute to the singer on Aug. 25, shortly after news of her dying at the age of 80 was shared earlier that day. "The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of @DollyParton, a music legend and titan of children's literacy," the federal establishment wrote on X. "Her Imagination Library program has earned multiple Library Literacy Awards and, in 2018, she visited us to donate its 100 millionth book to our collection and host a story time," the post continued, alongside a sweet photo of Parton reading a book to a group of enraptured children seated on the floor in front of her. Elsewhere, it has been revealed that the country music icon left behind a song more than a decade before her death that she specifically instructed would not be heard until her 100th birthday in 2046. At Dollywood's DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., sits a locked chestnut box containing a recording of an unreleased Parton song called "My Place in History." The song was written in 2015, the same year the resort opened, and Parton specifically arranged for it to be unveiled on what would have been her 100th birthday: Jan. 19, 2046. Inside the box is a CD containing the recording, along with a CD player so that future generations will be able to hear it, outwardly a Dolly time capsule. The country legend even acknowledged the uncertainty of leaving technology from 2015 to be opened decades later. "There's no telling what music is going to be by then," she wrote in her 2020 book, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. "Hopefully, it will play and the whole thing ain't rotted." Parton also joked that she hoped she would live long enough to hear the song herself when the box eventually opened. She was 69 when she wrote and recorded "My Place In History." Meanwhile, in the week before her death it was reported that Parton was exploring "avatar performances" as part of several new ways to perform for fans in the future. Now, her team have revealed the extent of her planning, saying in a new statement that the musician "worked up until the day she died." "She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy. Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come," says her longtime manager Danny Nozell. "As the leader of the team responsible for overseeing her legacy, we will ensure the many dreams she had yet to fulfil are brought to life. Many projects were in various stages of development, and we want to be transparent with her fans about this fact. If you see unreleased music, products, books, experiences, and campaigns launched through official Dolly Parton channels, you can have confidence in knowing that she placed her personal stamp on it." They then shared an overview of some of the active projects at the time of Parton's death, which include Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stops, Dolly Parton's SongTeller Hotel, Dolly Dolls, and a Dolly's Life Of Many Colors Museum opening in Nashville on Sept. 29. In the entertainment realm, a musical, "DOLLY: A True Original Musical On Broadway," is set to open on January 19 2027 -- what would have been Parton's 81st birthday -- while further details of a Dolly avatar show, a biopic, a docuseries and a scripted series will be revealed soon. Finally, Dolly's iconic 1973 track "Jolene" has topped Apple Music's U.S. songs chart a day after her death. "Jolene," released in Oct. 1973 before the album of the same name dropped the following year, was loosely inspired by a bank teller who flirted with her husband, Carl Dean, who died in Mar. 2025 at the age of 82. As well as the top country hit, several other songs by the country music icon made the top 10, including "I Will Always Love You," "9 to 5," and "Islands in the Stream." - Billboard/NME/Music-News.com, 8/26/26...... In a new interview with E! News, Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne promised that the forthcoming Ozzy biopic will be for the people, not "artsy, esoteric." "I have this mantra, and I always say it, when in meetings with my mom or doing anything with the family business. It's, 'give the fans what they want,'" said Jack. "That's our people, that's who we're catering for, that's what my dad wrote music for, that's what he toured for, it's why we did the shows we did. It's been a big theme." Jack revealed that the script for the film being developed by Sony Pictures and Polygram Entertainment in conjunction with the family is already finished and that the call is out for directors now for the project that has not yet announced a shooting schedule or potential release date. The good news is that the family already has someone in mind for the title role, but it's too early to reveal who that is. "I'm not allowed to say, but conversations have been had, and if it all works out, it's gonna be awesome," Jack said. An Ozzy biopic was first revealed by Osbourne's widow Sharon Osbourne in 2021 that would chronicle the couple's 45-year love affair. "Our relationship at times was often wild, insane and dangerous but it was our undying love that kept us together," Sharon said at the time. - Billboard, 8/27/26...... Barry Manilow announced on Aug. 26 that he's taking a break from his Las Vegas residency at the International Theater at Westgate that had been planned to kick off in late August, as well as six shows scheduled for September in order to rest and recuperate from his battle with stage 1 lung cancer. "Hi everybody - Barry here," he wrote in an Instagram post. "And I want you to be the first to know that we're going to take a quick break. We just finished a fantastic summer tour. 29 shows in 68 days. The shows were fantastic. The audiences were fantastic. And I sounded fantastic. But it seems that we were pushing a little too hard," he added. The decision came after Manilow, 83, postponed his planned 2026 arena tour and delayed his February residency shows in Vegas in the wake of surgery for lung cancer in December. He was slated to return to the stage at Westgate on Aug. 20, but that show was called off just before curtain, followed by the cancelation of last weekend's Friday and Saturday gigs due to reported "technical and vocal problems." The message ended with Manilow adding that new Westgate dates will be in September. Manilow had treatment for stage 1 lung cancer in December, including surgery to remove a cancerous spot from his left lung, which resulted in the singer pushing back his planned February Las Vegas residency dates, as well as his February, March and April arena shows on doctor's advice to rest. - Billboard, 8/26/26...... Ahead of a new expanded special edition of Rubber Soul set to drop on Oct. 2, an early "songwriting work tape" of one of the album's key tracks, "Day Tripper," has been shared on YouTube. "Day Tripper," recorded during the sessions for Rubber Soul in 1965, was first developed by John Lennon as a folk song, and later turned into the final rocking version with lead vocals by Paul McCartney a month later. The newly released recording shows the two working on it together -- and features audio of them laughing together and also noting the high level of sound being captured on tape. The finished version was later completed during an eight-hour studio session. With the new version of the album. It will be presented in new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes for the first time in over six decades, and come in a box-set alongside the original mono mix and the original Capitol US Album version (which did not include "Day Tripper"). Alongside the original tracklist -- which features fan-favorites including "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," "Nowhere Man," "Michelle" and "In My Life" -- there will also be "We Can Work It Out" and a selection of previously unreleased session recordings and home demos. - New Musical Express, 8/26/26...... Bruce Springsteen announced on Aug. 25 he is returning for another year of supporting veterans at the annual "Stand Up for Heroes" charity event, which in 2026 is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Boss will perform at the event which raises money for members of the military facing injury or illness, as well as their families, on Nov. 9 at Lincoln Center in New York City. The Resilient, a band that includes wounded U.S. combat veterans, is also on the bill along with Alex Warren, and the event will be hosted by comedian Jon Stewart. This year's benefit will take place three days into the 2026 New York Comedy Festival, which will run from Nov. 6 to Nov. 15. Springsteen has a nearly perfect attendance record at "Stand Up for Heroes," appearing at almost every one of the annual showcases since 2007. - Billboard, 8/25/26...... Eric Clapton and John Mayer have joined forces for a limited-edition guitar collection in aid of charity. On Aug. 26, Billboard's Guitar Center unveiled its 2026 exclusive Crossroads guitar collection, with limited-edition guitars across five models. The line-up was created in collaboration with Clapton and includes a new John Mayer x PRS Silver Sky. Mayer will debut the model onstage at this year's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Austin, Tex. Previous Clapton-exclusive guitars have been a hot commodity at Guitar Center, with the remake of the singer's 2006 "Blackie" flying off the shelves in just four hours, the fastest-selling guitar launch at that time. Almost two decades later, in 2025, the Gibson Custom Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul sold out in under 12 hours. The new collection is available at Guitar Store and at stores nationwide and online. Fans at the 2026 Crossroads Guitar Festival, which runs from Sept. 26-27, can also shop the collection at The Guitar Center Experience. - Billboard, 8/26/26...... On Aug. 22 ZZ Top returned to the stage for the first time following the death of longtime drummer Frank Beard. The band performed at Austin's Moody Theater, "one of Frank's favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him," according to a press statement. Following Beard's death at age 77 on Aug. 17, ZZ Top canceled two tour dates in Salt Lake City on Aug. 18 and Colorado Springs on Aug. 19. The band previously announced that it would resume its current "The Big One! Tour" with back-to-back shows this weekend at Austin City Limits. During the Aug. 22 show, drummer Michael Monahan stepped in behind the kit. Both Monahan and longtime drum tech John Douglas had been filling in for Beard as he dealt with health issues in recent years. ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons addressed his bandmate's death once during the performance, during the group's introductions after the first song, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. "I guess some of you probably know there's a new man in town," Gibbons said of Monahan. "In fact, it all started a little while back. [Bassist Elwood Francis] and I got an unexpected call from our dear Frank Beard, our dear drummer for 50 years. I've never heard him admit, he said, 'My bass drum foot's a little weak. Can you get my man [Monahan] to take over?' I said, 'Oh yeah, yeah, he's been doing pretty good.' Frank said, 'Yeah, that's what worries me.'" Gibbons then shifted his tone to a more upbeat one, telling the audience, "We're all here for a celebration, you know what's going on. So we're gonna have a good time." Footage of Gibbons introducing the band's new drummer can be viewed on Instagram. ZZ Top will remain on the road through October as part of the band's The Big One! Tour. The group will then travel to South America for additional shows in November. The band hasn't yet announced whether Monahan will remain behind the kit for those performances. - Billboard, 8/23/26...... Elton John has unveiled his family's annual summer playlist during the latest episode of his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music, featuring track selections curated alongside his husband David Furnish and their sons, Zachary and Elijah. The collection bridges generational tastes, pairing legacy artists with contemporary electronic and dance producers. Selections include Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Could You Be Loved," and Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down A Dream." Reflecting on Petty's catalog, John highlighted the 1989 album Full Moon Fever as one of the finest rock records ever produced. John clarified that the radio broadcast represents an abbreviated selection from a broader personal playlist used by the family throughout the season. The full episode of Rocket Hour is available to stream on demand via Apple Music and Apple Podcasts. - Music-News.com, 8/25/26...... Richard Lloyd, the guitarist in the acclaimed '70s New Wave band Television, has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer and is seeking financial help. The bile ducts are small tubes that connect different organs, including the liver and gall bladder and are part of the digestive system. Although bile duct cancer is treatable, in can be difficult to treat, which is what Richard is facing. Friends have rallied support through a newly launched GoFundMe fundraiser as Richard is unable to tour. Created by his Richard Lloyd Group bandmate Sean Seymour, the GoFundMe explains that the musician is dealing with "tumors in his liver, including one located dangerously close to a major blood vessel." Seymour says the tumour's position means doctors would struggle to carry out an operation without causing damage. Richard has already endured seven ICU admissions and repeated medical crises, including deadly sepsis twice, on top of liver and kidneys complications. All the money raised will help Richard and his wife Sheila better manage the financial pressure created by his illness, covering medical bills, everyday costs, and the impact of him being unable to work while Sheila provides full-time care. The goal is $80,000 (58,690), and they are already midway to the target. Television frontman Tom Verlaine died in 2023, aged 73, and the band has been inactive ever since. - Music-News.com, 8/25/26...... Jaye P. Morgan, one of the top female recording artists of the 1950s with seven top 40 pop hits in 1954-55 alone, including "That's All I Want From You," and who later became a frequent talk show guest and game show panelist -- infamously taking off her blouse on The Gong Show -- died on Aug. 24 of natural causes in Longview, Wash. She was 94. Her longtime attorney and friend, Mark Sendroff, said Ms. Morgan had been living with her nephew and niece, Duke Morgan Spencer and Peggy Sue Spencer. Ms. Morgan's biggest hit was 1954's "That's All I Want From You," which reached No. 3 on the Most Played by Jockeys chart and No. 5 on the Best Sellers in Stores list. In the Billboard Hot 100 era, she scored three hits: "Are You Lonesome Tonight" (No. 65 in 1959); "Miss You" (No. 78, 1959); and "I Walk the Line" (No. 66, 1960). Later, she would become a regular guest on The Tonight Show and make appearances with Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett and Mike Douglas as well as spots on The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. But it was her years hamming it up as a celebrity judge -- along with Jamie Farr and Rip Taylor -- on the chaotic The Gong Show starting in 1976 that cemented her fame. On the show, amateur performers tried out their acts, and when one of the judges couldn't stand it anymore, they smashed a gong, ending the proceedings. Whichever performer won the day's show received a check for the random amount of $516.32. On one episode, Eugene Patton -- the dancing stagehand performing as Gene Gene the Dancing Machine -- started his thing when Morgan opened her shirt to expose her breasts, helping bring an end to the show's run on NBC in 1978. "It paid good money, and it was great exposure. I really enjoyed it," she told the Los Angeles Times in 1992. "Jaye P. Morgan's devil-may-care ad libs on television game shows have probably made her more famous as a personality than as a singer," The New York Times wrote in 1984. "But the same kooky recklessness that inspires Miss Morgan's remarks is also a part of her musical sensibility." Her film credits include The All-American Boy with Jon Voight, Loose Shoes, The Gong Show Movie, Night Patrol and the 2002 Miramax release Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, directed by George Clooney. Married and divorced three times, Ms. Morgan is survived by a son, Paul Kane. - Associated Press, 8/26/26...... Acclaimed British actor, author, comedian and singer Tim Curry, best known for playing cross-dressing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the iconic 1975 cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died on Aug. 25 at his Toluca Lake, Los Angeles home of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 80. After gaining notice as part of the original cast of the British production of the musical Hair in 1968, Mr. Curry rose to international stardom in the role that would come to define his half-century career as the lascivious, lingerie-wearing Frank-N-Furter in the original stage production of "The Rocky Horror Show," a b-movie send-up that chronicles the misadventures of a naive couple who take refuge from a storm in the home of mad scientist Furter. Though he would go on to perform in dozens of other plays and movies, it was his role in Rocky Horror that made Curry an international star, with audiences transfixed by his show-stopping, bump-and-grind introductory number, "Sweet Transvestite," as well as the cabaret-like "I Can Make You a Man" and the emotional ballad "I'm Going Home," among others. He famously reprised the role in the musical film adaptation in 1975, with that movie becoming a staple of interactive midnight screenings in which fans dressed up as his character (and others), and came armed with props mimicking the action on screen. Born Timothy James Curry on Apr. 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire England, he showed musical talent early on, graduating with a degree in English and drama from the University of Birmingham in 1968. Following his breakout role in the "Rocky Horror" stage musical, Mr. Curry appeared in a string of stage plays and TV projects, including a lauded performance as William Shakespeare in the six-part 1978 British Will Shakespeare mini-series. His film career also took off, landing him roles in another cult classic, Times Square, as well as a scene-stealing turn as "Rooster" in the 1982 film adaptation of Annie. He scored another classic role in 1985 in the Ridley Scott fantasy film Legend as the Lord of Darkness and another that year as Wadsworth the butler in the film adaptation of the board game Clue. He earned a Best Lead Actor Tony nomination in 1980 for his titular role in "Amadeus" and spent much of the next two decades bouncing between Broadway and London's West End in a series of starring roles in "The Threepenny Opera," "The Art of Success," "My Favorite Year" (for which he earned his second Tony nomination) and as Scrooge in the 2001 musical "A Christmas Carol." After moving the U.S., Mr. Curry began a run of television roles, including his Emmy-nominated portrayal of Winston Newquay in the triple role on the 1983 anthology series Tales From the Crypt, as well as a return to horror as Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 miniseries Stephen King's It. In addition to his long list of stage, screen and television roles, Mr. Curry appeared on the Rocky Horror soundtrack -- which reached No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart in 1978 -- and released his debut album, a collection of mostly covers, on A&M Records in 1978, Read My Lips. His second LP, 1979's more rocking collection of originals, Fearless, reached No. 53 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the minor hit "I Do The Rock," which topped out at No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. His third album, 1981's Simplicity, peaked at No. 112 on the album chart. Mr. Curry was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2002 for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for his reading of A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning. Mr. Curry, who suffered a stroke in 2012 and spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair, released his memoir, Vagabond, in 2025. - Billboard, 8/26/26.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on August 25th, 2026

Singer/songwriter/actress/philanthropist/entrepreneur Dolly Parton, one of Country and Pop music's biggest and brightest icons, died in Nashville following a brief battle with cancer on Aug. 25. She was 80. The veteran entertainer had been mostly out of the public eye for the past year following a struggle with unspecified health issues that forced the "Jolene" singer-songwriter to curtail public appearances and postpone, then cancel her planned 2025 Las Vegas residency. Dolly's death came 17 months after the passing of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died on Mar. 3, 2025 at age 82. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared a message on Instagram after her passing. A cultural and commercial force, Dolly landed 49 albums in the top 10 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, the most of any female artist. She also scored more No. 1s on the Hot Country Songs chart for a woman artist, with a total of 25. Born on Jan. 19, 1946, to a poor family in Sevier County, Tenn., Dolly started recording at an early age, with her first single, "Puppy Love," appearing when she was only 13. At 18, she moved to Nashville, where she became a professional country songwriter, while also recording a few minor pop singles. In 1966, she married Dean, who kept a famously low profile for the rest of her career. She also maintained a close relationship with her childhood friend Judy Ogle, and the two remained inseparable throughout her life. In 1967, Dolly replaced Norma Jean as Porter Wagoner's co-host and duet partner on his syndicated TV show, and the duo would go on to place 20 duets on the country charts. After her first Hot Country Songs charting hit, "Dumb Blonde," in 1966, she had a number of songs that reached the 40s and 50s, until her breakthrough as a solo artist, a 1970 cover of Jimmie Rodgers' "Mule Skinner Blues," which reached No. 3. Over the next few years, her string of hits -- many of which she wrote, including "Coat of Many Colors" and "My Tennessee Mountain Home" -- established her persona: a passionate sentimentalist, shaped by the rural poverty of her childhood. She went on to release at least one Top Ten Country single every year through 1985. In 1971, she recorded her acclaimed Coat of Many Colors album, and 1973's heartbreaking true-live tale of romantic jealousy, "Jolene," went on to become her most-covered song and crossed over to the pop chart, giving her a taste of broader pop stardom. Also in 1974, she wrote and recorded "I Will Always Love You," a magnificent farewell to Wagoner, whose organization she was leaving. It was first a No. 1 country single for her, and again when she re-recorded it for the soundtrack of the movie comedy The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982. In 1992, Whitney Houston covered the song, and it went on to become one of the best selling singles in pop music history. Dolly famously turned down a request by Elvis Presley to record the song because his manager Col. Tom Parker insisted on Dolly giving up half of her publishing royalties. "That was one of the hardest things I ever had to do because I loved Elvis," she remembered in 2020. "I Will Always Love You" was also the closing theme of Dolly!, the syndicated variety show she hosted in 1976 and 1977. The series was a springboard for her concerted efforts to expand her audience: she had her first top 10 Billboard Hot 100 in 1978 with "Here You Come Again," and even hit the disco chart with 1978's "Baby I'm Burning." Her 1981 theme song from the movie 9 to 5 (in which she also starred) reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary chart, a feat she repeated with 1983's Kenny Rogers duet "Islands in the Stream," written for them by The Bee Gees. In total, she topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice and topped the Hot Country Songs chart 25 times. In 1986, she took over the Pigeon Forge, Tenn., theme park Silver Dollar City, and reopened it as Dollywood (with a replica of her childhood home). Trio, her 1987 collaboration with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, was a neo-traditionalist setting for the three singers' exquisite harmonies, and a platinum hit. After her appearance in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, Dolly returned her focus to recording country music, and rarely performed live for most of the '90s. In 1993, she recorded Honky Tonk Angels with fellow Country icons Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, and 1999's Trio II became another gold album of collaborations. In 1994, she published her memoir, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business. Dolly returned to the road in the 2000s, touring extensively in North America and Europe, and headlining at England's Glastonbury Festival in 2014. The 2015 TV movie Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors was based on her autobiographical 1971 rags-to-riches song. The same year, Dollywood's DreamMore Resort expanded her theme park. Her other movie credits include Rhinestone Cowboy with Sylvester Stallone and Steel Magonolias with Julia Roberts. Even into her seventies, Dolly's voice, persona and appearance remained remarkably close to what they'd been in the earliest years of her career, maintained by a penchant for plastic surgery. "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap," she would quip. In 2022, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on her first nomination, and the singer experienced a major resurgence late in her career a year later when Rockstar, largely a collection of rock covers, debuted at No. 3, her pinnacle on the all-genre chart. The album, which featured contributions from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sting, goddaughter Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Elton John and others, also debuted at No. 1 on Top Album Sales chart, providing her with her biggest sales week in the modern era. Though primarily lauded as a country artist, she made detours (with albums and/or songs) into such genres as Americana/folk, bluegrass, children's music, Christian, dance/electronic and pop. The Imagination Library, which provides books monthly to children from birth to age 5 and has donated over 150 million books to date, was one of her many philanthropic projects. In the early days of COVID, she also donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which helped fund the Moderna vaccine. In 2024, Dolly released the album Smoky Mountain DNA: Faith, Family and Fables, which featured the icon performing with members of her extended family, and the project hit No. 1 on Billboard's Bluegrass Albums chart. Countless artists posted tributes to the music and pop culture icon on social media, including Paul McCartney, who posted a thoughtful statement on Instagram, sharing a black-and-white photo of himself meeting Parton and Porter Wagoner at the Grand Ole Opry. "She was such a wonderful woman," the former Beatles member wrote. "She was so bubbly and full of life it is difficult to take in the news that she has passed. Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly." Elton John wrote on his Story page that he was "shocked and devastated" to hear that Dolly had died, calling her "a giant of an artist -- unique and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart." Beyoncé, who worked with Dolly on Cowboy Carter, thanked her for her "art," "heart," "generosity," "humor" and "entrepreneurship." "I'm honored that I had the privilege to work with you. I will treasure that forever," she posted on her official website. "Thank you for your profound impact on the world." Other accolades came from Sabrina Carpenter, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Strait, Jack White, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Stanley, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley and Barbra Streisand, who shared a photo of herself with Dolly on Instagram, writing "So sorry to hear about Dolly -- she was a true force of nature." At Dolly's request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family," according to a press release announcing her death. "Dolly's fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com." - Billboard, 8/25/26.

The sequel to the blockbuster Michael Jackson biopic Michael will address child abuse allegations against the late King of Pop "from his point of view", says his nephew Jafaar Jackson, the titular actor in the film. Michael, which has become the highest-grossing biopic ever made, followed the beginning of Jackson's career in the Jackson 5 up until the "Bad"world tour in the late 1980s. Michael notably didn't include any reference to the child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson, though the story was included in the initial screenplay. However, 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 Jackson, played by Colman Domingo. Earlier in August, it was revealed that the sequel is officially set to start filming later in 2026, and now Jaafar has provided some insight into the potential plot. Speaking to GQ Middle East, Jafaar said it will depict the abuse allegations "from [Michael's] point of view." "I think the second film will give even more insight from his point of view, because at the end of the day, [the allegations] are always from someone else's," he said. "It's someone else's story. It's someone else's idea of what it is, and it's mainly driven by an agenda. And that's really the issue we've been having as a family -- not having Michael's voice being heard. I think that's very, very important, especially in the late years," he added. The article points out the screenplay is still in development and that Jafaar has no real say in its story, but is rather noting what he would like to see. After debuting to the largest-ever opening weekend for a biopic, it was confirmed in July that the movie had taken in $1.001 billion (£750 million) globally, making it the first of its genre to pass the milestone. - New Musical Express, 8/22/26...... Legendary British Invasion pop stars The Hollies have announced the end of their touring career after 63 years, bringing one of England's longest-running rock bands to a close. The news was confirmed in a statement on Aug. 20, which explained that guitarist Tony Hicks was stepping away from touring for health reasons. Drummer Bobby Elliott, the other long-running member still with the group, added that he was also retiring in solidarity with his bandmate. "After more than six decades, The Hollies' touring career will come to a close with immense gratitude to the fans who have supported them around the world," the statement read. Naming themselves after legendary '50s Rock & Roll star Buddy Holly, The Hollies were formed in Manchester in 1962 by childhood friends Allan Clarke and Graham Nash and joined by Hicks in 1963, the band made a successful for Parlophone Records at Abbey Road Studios, while Hicks' former bandmate in The Dolphin, Elliott, followed later in the year, with bassist Eric Haydock completing the classic line-up. The band became known for their distinctive three-part harmonies and became one of the defining bands of the British Invasion, with hits including "I'm Alive," "Bus Stop," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," "Stop Stop Stop," "The Air That I Breathe" and "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)," a No. 2 US hit in 1972. Nash left the group in Dec. 1968 and went on to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with Terry Sylvester replacing him in the band the following year. Clarke retired from the performing with the band in 2000. Hicks and Elliott remained in the band throughout, being joined in the last two decades by singer Peter Howarth, guitarist Steve Lauri, bassist Ray Stiles and keyboardist Ian Parker. Their most recent album was Then, Now, Always in 2009. The Hollies were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010, although Hicks and Elliott did not attend the ceremony as The Hollies had a previously booked concert that night. "He's Not Heavy, He's My Brother" became a UK Number One single on re-release in 1988, and The Hollies sold and estimated 60 million+ records worldwide across their career. NME, 8/21/26...... After losing a court battle against the UK paper The Daily Mail in which it was claimed the media outlet published stories after unlawfully obtaining information by hacking into their messages, tapping landlines or acquiring medical records, several high profile celebrities including Elton John and Prince Harry have been ordered to repay a £9.54 million ($13 million) legal bill. On Aug. 21 UK judge Mr. Justice Nicklin detailed the "conduct of the trial" in his ruling and criticized the case put forward by the claimants' legal team. In particular, he noted "the objective breadth and character of the case as advanced, the speculative and inferential foundation on which many serious allegations rested, the maintenance of serious allegations after the evidential position should have been reassessed, the way in which unpleaded or unsupported allegations were put at trial, the failure to withdraw serious allegations when they were no longer being pursued, and the cumulative effect of those matters." An initial payment of £9.54 million will be due by Aug. 28, and Nicklin said that was making an exception order to force the claimants to pay up to £34.5 million ($47 million) in costs incurred by the Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the Daily Mail's publisher, because of the way the case had been brought. John and their co-claimants have until Oct. 2 to attempt to launch an appeal. The interim payment will come ahead of future hearings to decide ANL's legal costs in full. - Billboard, 8/21/26...... Friends and family of Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris have given an update on the musician's recovery from what was described as a critical medical emergency earlier in August that resulted in doctors putting the 58-year-old in a medically induced coma. In a post on the Standing for John Paris Facebook page -- maintained by EW&F co-founder bassist Verdine White and several of Paris and his wife Kathy Merrick's friends -- the past week has featured "encouraging moments and new challenges." They recalled that Paris briefly woke up from his coma and then needed to be sedated again, before recently waking up again. "This time, there was encouraging progress," they wrote. "Over the next couple of days, his medical team monitored him closely. Unlike the first time he awakened, John's blood pressure remained stable and his breathing stayed strong, allowing doctors to continue evaluating his condition. While continuing to evaluate John's condition, doctors performed additional testing that gave them a much clearer understanding of what his body needs to continue healing." The post added it's been determined that Paris will need two more unspecified "major surgeries" as part of his recovery, which will require him to remain in the ICU longer than anticipated. EW&F was back on the tour two days after the postponed show, with former member Sonny Emory filling in for Paris, who joined the veteran band founded in 1969 in 2001; the San Francisco show has been rescheduled for Sept. 26. A GoFundMe has been started to help the family with medical expenses and to date it has raised more than $82,000 of its $90,000 goal. - Billboard, 8/21/26...... The Beatles' company Apple Corps Ltd have announced a new unique partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG) to handle the licensing and merchandising for the renowned band. Apple Corps, founded in 1968 by The Fab Four to handle their business interests, and UMG announced on Aug. 19 that they had reached a "holistic agreement" that will see the latter "take The Beatles' iconic story to fans across generations and around the world." The deal relates to digital and physical merchandising, licensing, and e-commerce surrounding the legendary band. Apple Corps' headquarters at 3 Savile Row will also be open to the public for the first time in 2027, with a fan experience that promises "seven floors of never-seen-before material from Apple Corps Ltd's extensive archives, rotating exhibitions, a fan store, and the recreation of the original studio where 'Let it Be' was recorded." Tom Greene, CEO of Apple Corps Ltd, said in a press release: "We are delighted to partner with UMG on a new global merchandising deal. There has never been a more exciting time to work on The Beatles as we look ahead to the 3 Saville Row fan experience in 2027, and our biopic movies in 2028. The Beatles message has never been more relevant or needed in the world today, and we look forward to delighting millions of fans with everything we have planned." The announcement comes ahead of director Sam Mendes' four-part Beatles biopic The Beatles -- A Four-Film Cinematic Event, due for simultaneous release in 2028. - NME, 8/20/26...... Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that he is once again fighting cancer. In an interview with El Salvadorian station YSKL, the 63-year-old musician discussed his philosophy for keeping a positive, hopeful attitude after revealing in 2013 that he was battle Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he said returned in 2015 and yet again recently. "There's only been one time that I felt it was gonna kill me," Campbell said of his diagnosis. "In the winter of 2023, I got really scared about what was happening and the pace at which it was happening. And I realized at that point that I had to do a donor transplant. It was my only hope to survive I did that in January of '25 . Unfortunately, it didn't stick. So the cancer has returned, and I'm continuing treatments to manage it." Campbell said he plans to try another transplant within the next few years with a different donor to see if that will stick, but in the meantime, he is going to keep performing with the band as well as his side project, the Last in Line, and racing rally cars, a lifelong obsession. "I love cars and I love driving," he said. "And as a child, I thought, 'If I don't play guitar for a living, I'm gonna be a race-car driver.' So I'm very, very, very fortunate and blessed that I get to do both." Campbell, who logged time in Ronnie James Dio's band, Dio, as well as Whitesnake and the British new wave metal band Sweet Savage, joined Def Leppard in 1992 following the death of founding guitarist Steve Clark. Def Leppard are slated to play the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla. on Oct. 15, followed by dates in Mexico and Central and South America in October and November. - Billboard, 8/21/26...... Footage has been unearthed from Jimi Hendrix's iconic 1969 Woodstock performance, which was filmed by a drama student who snuck onto the stage. Hendrix's now-legendary gig took place at Woodstock in Bethel, N.Y., in Aug. 1969, where the guitar icon took to the stage with his newly formed band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, a.k.a. Band of Gypsys. The set closed out the festival, and is now set to mark its 57th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a new film called Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock - A Second Look has been released, and it features rarely seen footage from the show. Some of that new material is recently unearthed footage from 22-year-old drama student Albert Goodman, who snuck onto the stage during the set and filmed some of it using two open-reel videotapes. Goodman hid behind a friend carrying a guitar to get access to the stage, and filmed it from behind percussionist Juma Sultan. He was assumed to be a member of the film crew who were hired to capture footage of the whole show, and his footage shows Hendrix standing just 15 feet in front of him. In the newly unearthed footage, Hendrix is seen playing "Purple Haze," "Voodoo Child," "Message To Love," and his improvised interpretation of "The Star-Spangled Banner," as well as rare footage of him playing "Hear My Train a Comin'." The latter song is available for streaming on YouTube. After storing the footage for three decades, Goodman then made it available to the late guitarist's family. It is now available to view in the new Live at Woodstock - A Second Look film, which premiered on YouTube on Aug. 18. - NME, 8/20/26...... Janie Bradford, the songwriter behind "Money (That's What I Want)" which was later covered by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, died at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles on Aug. 21, following an extended illness. She was 87. Born in Charleston, Mo. in 1939, Ms. Bradford later moved to Detroit, where her neighbor Jackie Wilson introduced her to Motown founder Berry Gordy. Ms. Wilson had already recorded a number of hits written by Gordy, including "Reet Petite" and "Lonely Teardrops." Ms. Bradford began working with Gordy in 1958, before the Motown label had even been officially founded, and as well as working as a secretary, she quickly became involved in the company's creative process. While Gordy was developing "Money (That's What I Want)" at the piano in 1958, Bradford helped to complete the song by contributing an additional verse. The finished composition was recorded by Barrett Strong and became Motown's first hit single. It later reached a wider audience thanks to a cover version by The Beatles on the closing track of their 1963 album With The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones also recording their own version on their first EP in 1964. Ms. Bradford went on to co-write several other hit songs, including "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" with Strong and Norman Whitfield. The Temptations first recorded the song in 1966, before Marvin Gaye scored a hit with it three years later. She also received writing credits on songs recorded by Mary Wells, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Diana Ross and The Marvelettes. After leaving Motown, Bradford founded the Heroes And Legends Awards, which established a scholarship fund in the 1990s. The awards honored figures from the music industry and supported young people pursuing careers in the performing arts. She was also inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall Of Fame earlier this year. Berry Gordy paid tribute to her in a statement, saying: "Janie was there with me from the very beginning, before there was even a Motown. Janie was smart, clever, witty and fun. She was also talented and determined. In those early days, everybody did what was needed to be done, and Janie was no exception. She became Motown's first receptionist, but her talents quickly took her far beyond the desk." She is survived by her husband Wardean Hobbs, her daughter Nicole Hobbs, her son Lance Finney and two grandsons. - NME, 8/22/26...... Ray Stevens is set to be honored with a star-studded concert at Nashville's Opry House on Nov. 9. "Don't Look, Ethel! A Salute to the Musical Genius of Ray Stevens" will be hosted by comedian Cledus T. Judd with performances from Ricky Skaggs, Ronnie Milsap, Jamey Johnson, Gretchen Wilson, Mark Chesnutt, The Gatlin Brothers, Lee Greenwood and many more. "I've always been so fond of the Nashville music community, and I'm truly honored that they would want to do this tribute," Stevens said in a statement. "All my life I've wanted to be successful in the music business and have people appreciate what I create. That's impossible without the fans. I'm so grateful for all of them!" In the 1960s, Stevens' slate of novelty hits such as "Gitarzan" and "Harry the Hairy Ape" earned him pop hits, while he also became an in-demand Nashville studio musician and songwriter, including playing trumpet during recording session for Elvis Presley and playing on Waylon Jennings' recording of "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line." Stevens also wrote and produced Dolly Parton's 1966 song "Busy Signal." By 1970, he had been called upon as a summer replacement for television host Andy Williams, and in preparing for the gig, he wrote the uplifting track "Everything Is Beautiful," which won a Grammy in 1971 for best contemporary vocal performance, male. The 1970s and 1980s saw Stevens continue to earn hits with novelty songs including "Mississippi Squirrel Revival," No. 1 Pop and Country smash "The Streak." The line "Don't Look, Ethel!,"( which is part of the name of this event, comes from this song) and "Shriner's Convention." In 1976, he won another Grammy, this time for a fiddle-dominated arrangement of the standard "Misty." He continued expanding his business ventures, opening the Ray Stevens Theatre in Branson, Mo., in the '90s, and in 2015, he launched the weekly music variety cable show Ray Stevens Nashville. Beyond his membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame, he's also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame, the Georgia Hall of Fame and has a star on the Music City Walk of Fame. - Billboard, 8/18/26...... Barbra Streisand has sent a sweet message to her friend Rosie O'Donnell after O'Donnell filled in for the vacationing Jimmy Kimmel for a week on the late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Streisand reached out with a short but incredibly sweet message on Instagram to celebrate the return to television of the comedian, who has recently relocated to Ireland. O'Donnell shared a screenshot via Instagram on Aug. 20, giving her audience a peek at the unexpected note. "Be still my heart she is a class act what a way to finish my week on Kimmel!!!" O'Donnell wrote alongside the screenshot, adding the hashtags "#love" and "#barbra." The two have shared a memorable history dating back to the comedian's days hosting The Rosie O'Donnell Show, when Streisand appeared as a guest. O'Donnell has previously spoken about how significant that interview was to her, making the singer's encouragement all the more special now. - Billboard, 8/20/26...... Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell has died. The news was shared on Facebook by Greg Brooks, the band's official archivist. "Terribly sad news just received that early Queen bass player (circa 1970), Barry Mitchell, has passed away," the post read. "His anecdotes at the convention were fascinating and offered rare insight. He will be greatly missed." Mitchell was the second bassist in the band, joining after the departure of founding member Mike Grose. He stayed in the band between Aug. 1970 and Jan. 1971 -- two years before their breakthrough 1973 self-titled debut album -- and reportedly played the original bass lines on songs "Liar" and "Son And Daughter." He left the line-up as he "wasn't enthusiastic enough about their music", he revealed in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, looking back at his time playing live with Freddie Mercury & co. After leaving Queen, Mitchell went on to join the proto-punk band Tiger, who formed in the late '60s. He then made a comeback in the early '90s, playing as part of Jayne Raydio. Friends and fans have taken to social media to pay tribute to Mitchell following news of his death. "Farewell to a genuinely lovely man," wrote friend Mark Cotterill. "A pleasure to call him friend. He had time for everyone at the Queen conventions. He had some great stories to tell re his music career. A man who could make any hat look cool. RIP Barry." Another friend, Gary Taylor, shared on Facebook: "RIP Barry Mitchell, Queen's second bass player, who sadly passed away on August 17. He was a great guy, and a friend, and we had some very interesting chats over the years on the phone and in person." Born in London, Mitchell attended Claremont High School in Harrow in the mid 1960s, and went on to live in Northampton shortly before his death. Details about his death have yet to be publicly disclosed. - NME, 8/21/26...... Long-tenured ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard, a key part of one of the longest-lasting consistent band lineups in rock history, passed away at his ranch in Richmond, Tex., on Aug. 17. He was 77. A press release from longtime band publicist Bob Merlis confirmed his passing on Aug. 18, stating that Beard was "in hospice care when he passed away at his ranch in Richmond, TX with family members at his side." Born on June 11, 1949, in Frankton, Tex., Beard had served as stickman for the Texas blues-rock trio since 1969, when he made the jump from the more psychedelic-oriented local group American Blues to ZZ Top. At that point, the latter group consisted of Beard, singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Billy Ethridge. After Ethridge quit the band and was replaced by Dusty Hill, the band's power-trio lineup was locked in, and would not change for the next half-century. ZZ Top became national rock stars in the mid-'70s with the release of its breakthrough LP Tres Hombres, with Beard's explosive-but-swinging drumming playing a huge part in the band's sonic identity. While "La Grange," the album's breakout hit single and a future classic-rock radio staple, is perhaps best remembered for frontman Gibbons' limber guitar riffing and haw-haw-haw vocal sleaze, equally crucial was Beard's frisky stick-tapping on the song's intro and clipped gallop on its main groove. The trio found continued success throughout the late '70s and early '80s, hitting the Billboard Hot 100's top 40 with the horny rave-up "Tush" and the spiky Sam + Dave cover "I Thank You." During this time, Beard struggled with substance abuse, with the band going on hiatus in the late '70s as Beard dealt with his issues. He got clean in the early '80s, and shortly after, ZZ Top really went into mid-'80s commercial overdrive, thanks largely to the advent of MTV -- a format not often charitable to the AOR rockers of yesteryear, but one that ZZ Top embraced with particular lan, becoming music video icons as the mystical hairy dudes with the fuzzy guitars, the cool car and the hot chicks. (Ironically, Beard was the one member of the group to go clean-shaven; "Frank's beard is on his driver's license," quipped Gibbons.) ZZ Top's 1983 album Eliminator spawned a trio of MTV smashes ("Gimme All Your Lovin," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs") and would ultimately be certified diamond by the RIAA, becoming the group's biggest album. While Beard's drumming on the set was somewhat smoothed out by the group's increasingly processed, new wave-friendlier sound, he still helped provide the singles much-needed muscle and backbone under the shiny guitars and synths. (Beard also got married for the second time shortly before the album's release, with he and wife Debbie Meredith remaining together -- with twin sons Rory and Nico born in 1985 -- until his death.) The group released two albums in the 21st century, 2003's Mescalero and 2012's La Futura, and continued to tour with the same three-man lineup it had held since 1969, the longtime consistency of its lineup an extreme rarity among popular rock bands. In 2004, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2019, it was the subject of the Netflix documentary That Little Ol' Band From Texas. Sadly, the group was finally forced into lineup changes with the death of Hill in 2021, with longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis replacing him at live performances. Now, with Beard's death, Gibbons remains the lone living member from the group's classic lineup. The press release also stated that Beard's death "necessitates the cancellation of ZZ Top tour dates that had been scheduled for [Aug. 18] in Salt Lake City and [Aug. 19] in Colorado Springs," but that the band "will resume its current The Big One! Tour this weekend with two dates in at Austin City Limits, one of Frank's favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him." - Billboard, 8/18/26.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on August 18th, 2026

A previously unheard David Bowie demo titled "Today" has been shared on YouTube, taken from the upcoming David Bowie: The Shel Talmy Recordings album. The release comes as a series of early Bowie songs from 1965 are to be released on a new album featuring a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page. Set to arrive on Sept. 18 via Parlophone, the songs were recorded before the singer -- real name Davie Jones -- went on to adopt the David Bowie moniker. They were all made alongside legendary producer Shel Talmy, who was responsible for hits from The Who and The Kinks. The album will also include 10 previously unheard tracks, as well as musical contributions from The Yardbirds and Nicky Hopkins (The Rolling Stones, The Beatles). - NME, 8/14/26...... Roxy Music has announced on Instagram that an expanded reissue of their 1973 sophomore effort For Your Pleasure is set for release on Nov. 6. With unheard studio recordings, songwriting sketches, rehearsals, outtakes, live sessions and rare unseen performances, the 2026 edition of For Your Pleasure takes listeners back to its creation, and the central question of how to tackle the daunting second album. "It was a good pressure. Realising, now there's an audience to write for. An intelligent audience," Roxy frontman Bryan Ferry reflected. "I felt a responsibility for the work that I hadn't for the first album, certainly with regard to the lyrics. "There was a hunger in the whole band to do more: a very strong urge to get back into a recording studio and make a better record than the first one. Nick de Ville had a cottage in Derbyshire, and offered to let me have it for a few days. So I went up there with the sole purpose of writing songs." "Grey Lagoons (1971 demo)," a track on the new reissue, has been shared on Spotify.com. That demo that formed part of the homemade tape that first brought Roxy Music to the attention of the music press. The 2026 edition of For Your Pleasure will be available in a variety of formats including 2LP Black vinyl, and in Blue Pearl Vinyl as a D2C Exclusive, 2CD, Digital, Blu-Ray, Dolby ATMOS, and as a 3CD+1DVD Super Deluxe Edition. The 2CD Deluxe Edition includes the original album, plus AIR Studios outtakes, singles and BBC sessions, presented in a hardcover digibook with a new essay and unseen images, while the 2LP Vinyl edition features the original album, plus AIR Studios outtakes in a gatefold sleeve. - NME, 8/13/26...... On Aug. 14, Carly Simon released her new studio LP Comes in Waves, her first album of original material since 2008's This Kind of Love. In July, Simon announced she had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and treated for skin cancer. "It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly," she said in a statement. "Parkinson's is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I'm so tired I can't get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself." But she says recording new music has been a salve. "Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape. It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room. It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life." Simon wrote five of the songs by herself, penning the remaining with numbers of collaborators, including her son Ben Taylor, who also helped produce the set. - Billboard, 8/17/26...... The Four Seasons legend Frankie Valli has responded to his brother's recent claims that 92-year-old Frankie will be retiring soon. Earlier in August Bobby Valli took to Facebook to announce his brother "will soon retire." Alongside a photograph of them together that was taken in 2025, he posted in part: "My brother Frankie whom I am so proud of and love him dearly [has] had a magnificent career in music... He has millions of fans you love him dearly." After listing his brother's achievements over the years, Bobby added: "He will now retire." But Frankie has now denied his brother's claims, writing on his own Instagram page: "In spite of what you might have heard, I am not retired." Bobby then put out another statement on Facebook saying: "I apologize, I was misinformed. I was under the impression my brother Frankie was retiring. Hoping for him to have a speedy recovery to continue his illustrious career!" Frankie was set to continue his farewell, "The Last Encores Tour," which began in 2023, until November of this year. But in a statement earlier this year, he said: "I'm so sorry to disappoint the folks who have purchased tickets to my shows, but I have decided to take the rest of the year off from touring to focus on my health. I'm looking forward to getting healthy and seeing you all again soon," he added. "Thank you for all your good wishes." Vallie's break from performing comes two years after he issued a statement addressing concerns over his health and well-being, sparked by footage that appeared to show him lip-syncing while displaying difficulty keeping up with the music. - NME, 8/17/26...... Founding Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore joined his old bandmates recently at a concert in Wantagh, N.Y. for a rendition of the group's 1972 classic song, "Smoke On The Water," and says the reunion could be the "last time" the bandmates ever see each other. Interviewed about the gig by Guitar Player magazine, Blackmore said: "It was very moving because I went on very quickly and had to play immediately. I couldn't warm up, but I wasn't there to be playing correct notes." "I was there to see old friends I hadn't seen in 40 years and we're all getting older. I think we realised it could be the last time we see each other, maybe," he added. Earlier in the conversation, Blackmore explained: "I woke up one morning thinking, the day before their show [thinking], 'You know it would be good for the fans if I just got up for one song, probably 'Smoke' and just show that were not at each other's throats and don't hate each other'." He then spoke further about the "very emotional" reunion with his fellow classic members Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover, admitting that it was "tricky." "I didn't play anything too technical, as I felt I should stick to the rudiments of being simple," Blackmore continued. "I still lost my place at one point, but it's not why I was there. I was there to heal any wounds - but there weren't any wounds. Everyone was like, we were in the army, all along the Western front and we were all getting together again. Very emotional moment." The concert also saw the first performance Blackmore shared with Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey in 44 years, following the latter's exit from Rainbow in 1982. Blackmore discussed his past clashes with Gillan that led to his departure from Deep Purple in 1993, too. "We're two alpha guys," he explained. "I'm used to running a band, and I think he's used to running a band. So we clashed in the old days. But all that changed." Deep Purple are currently out on a North American tour in support of their latest album, Splat!, which was released in July. They'll play a huge show at London's Royal Albert Hall in November as part of their upcoming UK and European leg. In 2025, Ian Gillan revealed he was losing his eyesight and said that retirement was "not far off." "It's one of those things. I've only got 30 per cent vision," he explained. - New Musical Express, 8/18/26...... Dolly Parton has apologized for missing the opening of a new attraction at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on Aug. 14 due to her ongoing struggle with unspecified health issues. Dollywood president Eugene Naughton shared a personal video from the 80-year-old country legend welcoming the first riders of the park's newest roller coaster in which she apologized for not being there with them. "Well, hey Eugene. I'm right here Well, kind of. Sorta," Parton said in the whimsical clip in which she sprouted colorful butterfly wings and seemed to be interacting with Naughton in real time. "I'm still in Nashville, and I'm sorry about that. I was supposed to be there in person like I planned." Dolly noted that she's already shared with fans that she's had some recent "health issues" and that sometimes she gets "a little dizzy" and dehydrated, which might explain why her doctors advised her against making the 200-mile trek to the park for the opening of the new attraction. "My Nashville doctor has kinda clipped my wings, saying, 'You ain't traveling this week.' So I guess, if your doctor tells you, 'you ain't traveling this week,' you ain't traveling this week," she laughed. She energetically encouraged Naughton to tell the assembled fans all about the new ride, told them to have fun and promised that she would see them "down the road." Parton has largely been out of the public eye since announcing the postponement of her Las Vegas residency in September due to a "few" undisclosed medical procedures. She made a rare in-person appearance in March to deliver the keynote address marking the 41st anniversary of Dollywood on this year's opening day. - Billboard, 8/18/26...... Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan and Harris Dickinson -- the four actors lined up to portray The Beatles in the upcoming four-part Beatles biopic series, The Beatles -- A Four-Film Cinematic Event -- recently recreated the Fab Four's iconic Abbey Road cover shoot. In footage posted by fans on Instagram of what appears to be the film's recreation of the iconic cover, you can see John Lennon (Dickinson), Paul McCartney (Mescal), George Harrison (Quinn) and Ringo Starr (Keoghan), taking that stroll and then headed back across the street for another take. The four-part project, with each film focusing on a particular member, is slated to release in Apr. 2028. So far, director Sam Mendes has not revealed any of the plot points for the ambitious project that will be the first-ever movie to be granted the rights to the Beatles' discography. The real Beatles originally walked across the road outside the EMI Studios in London on the street that helped name their eleventh studio album -- and the last one they recorded together, though Let It Be was released afterward -- on Aug. 8, 1969. - Billboard, 8/17/26...... Legendary pop songwriter Jimmy Webb is celebrating turing 80 on Aug. 15 by announcing a new album, Yours For the Taking: The Found Songs of Jimmy Webb, due out Oct. 23 on Sun Records. As the title indicates, "it's pretty much overlooked or unrecorded, neglected in a way, music that my wife [album executive producer Laura Savini Webb] and some of the younger people around me really inspired me to go back and finish," Webb -- who penned the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits "MacArthur Park," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston" and "Up, Up and Away," among many other classics -- told Billboard via Zoom from Long Island. "And my children say, 'Y'know, dad, you wrote this. This is great. This could've been a hit.' So the basis of this album is rebirth, recycling that youthful energy and not letting (the songs) just molder away in the attic but to go back and flip those pancakes again and see what we can come up with. It's very invigorating. Very inspiring. Just 'cause I'm 80 doesn't mean I've lost that fire, y'know? I may be 80 on the outside, but I'm always 18 on the inside." The three-time Grammy winner says "Winter Clothes" -- which is presented on the album via the demo as well as a "polished up" new recording with Graham Nash guesting -- dates back to the early '70s, and was written with Frank Sinatra in mind. "Mr. Sinatra thought he might record it, but he thought I needed to work on it," says Webb, who still refers to Ol' Blue Eyes formally "because he might be listening." "When Mr. Sinatra says, 'Y'know, kid, this is pretty good, but I think it needs some work,' you listen to him. He was telling me some really important stuff. I never really took that song back to him, but I never gave up on the idea. I thought it was a pretty good song, so when we decided to do this (album), it felt like it was time to bring it back out." Webb will take the new songs and the rest of his body of work back on the road in November, with tour dates in New York City (Nov. 1), Boston (Nov. 7) and Roslyn, N.Y. (Nov. 21). His official 80th birthday celebration, meanwhile, takes place Feb. 4 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center in California. - Billboard, 8/14/26...... Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris has been placed in a medically induced coma following what his family has described as a critical medical emergency earlier this month. Paris, 58, was hospitalized on Aug. 6, shortly before the group was due to perform with Lionel Richie at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The show was postponed minutes before it was scheduled to begin, with the band citing "a medical emergency involving a member of our band." The SFFD confirmed that crews responded to a report of a cardiac incident at the venue and transported one person to a hospital in critical condition, though the family has not publicly confirmed the nature of Paris' condition. A GoFundMe campaign established to support Paris and his family has raised nearly $70,000 toward a $75,000 goal, with several of his bandmates among the donors. EW&F resumed their tour two days after the postponed show, with former member Sonny Emory filling in on drums. The San Francisco concert has been rescheduled for Sept. 26. Paris joined the band in 2001, playing on studio albums including 2003's The Promise and 2005's Illumination, and has also worked with artists including Patti LaBelle and Sheila E. The band is currently the subject of a Questlove-directed documentary that premiered in June. - Billboard, 8/16/26...... '70s pop singer/songwriter Stephen Bishop has unveiled a new song he recorded for his 1976 debut album, Careless. The album included the now Yacht Rock classic, the swaying "On & On," which peaked at No. 11 on the hit parade, as well as its breezy predecessor "Save It for a Rainy Day," which reached No. 22. Bishop is releasing a 50th anniversary edition of Careless which can be ordered on StephenBishopMerch.com. The 50th-anniversary limited vinyl edition of Careless with two additional previously unreleased songs and a 20-page booklet was released on Aug. 14. Of Careless, which featured Eric Clapton, Art Garfunkel, Andrew Gold and Chaka Khan, and its ongoing popularity (Keith Urban just covered it on his new Yacht Rock album), Bishop says, "It's hard to believe 50 years have gone by. Music was different then -- you brought an album home, put it on the turntable, and listened from beginning to end. I'm thankful Careless has been part of so many people's lives, and it's been wonderful seeing new generations discover it. People of all ages still come up to me and tell me how these songs have stayed with them through different chapters of their lives. Even many of my friends and fellow musicians have shared what the album has meant to them over the years. That's incredibly humbling, and it's an honor I'll never take for granted." The album served as fans' musical introduction to Bishop, who went on to continue his successful solo career, including recording the 1982 top 30 hit "It Might Be You," the theme from Tootsie, which received an Oscar nomination for best original song for songwriters Dave Grusin, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman. Bishop himself was then nominated for a best original song Oscar three years later for writing "Separate Lives," performed by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin from the movie White Nights. Bishop will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Careless at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Oct. 9. - Billboard, 8/13/26...... The venerable music marketer Columbia House has announced on its website that the company would stop receiving orders after Sept. 15. Columbia House was launched by Columbia Records back in 1955. The service was designed to help music lovers in rural or suburban areas who did not have convenient access to a local music store. Customers could order records by mail and have them delivered straight to the proverbial front door. Membership often came with promo discounts -- if the subscriber promised to purchase a minimum number of regular-priced records within the first year, not including the cost of shipping and handling. Getting out from under the weight of membership was no small task, either. Still, the company was a major player on the music scene for decades. By the mid-90s, Columbia had more than 16 million members, accounting for more than 15% of CD sales in the United States. In the end however, the digital age began a slow and steady decline for the company with the rise of file sharing services like Napster and LimeWire. After a series of ownership changes, Columbia House filed for bankruptcy in 2015. After they stopped selling music to Americans in 2015 and Canadians in 2010, the company focused primarily on DVD and Blu-ray sales, but that section of the marketplace soon dried up with the advent of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV. xisting memberships and outstanding purchases will be honored as the business winds down. On the main page, the company is currently selling DVDs and books. - Toronto Sun, 8/18/26...... Dave Marsh, one of the most influential music writers of his generation and a passionate activist for health care, social justice and freedom of expression, died on Aug. 14. He was 72. The cause of his death has not been reported but he had been in declining health in recent years. Born in Pontiac, Mich., in 1950, Marsh grew up immersed in the sounds of Detroit -- Motown, R&B, and rock 'n' roll -- inspiring a lifelong belief in the power of music. He was among the first editors of Creem magazine when it launched in 1969. He also wrote extensively for Rolling Stone and other publications and authored more than two dozen books on artists including Elvis Presley, The Who and Bruce Springsteen. His 1979 biography, Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, became a New York Times bestseller. In 1993, Marsh shared a Grammy for best album notes for Aretha Franklin's Queen of Soul. He also co-founded the newsletter Rap & Rock Confidential and, in 2004, joined SiriusXM, hosting Kick Out the for 19 years, along with Live from E Street Nation and Live from the Land of Hope and Dreams. He was married to Barbara Carr, longtime co-manager of Springsteen. Following the death of their daughter, Kristen Ann Carr, in 1993 at age 21 of sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, Marsh co-founded and served as a trustee of the The Kristen Ann Carr Fund to advance sarcoma research and support families affected by cancer. "Here on E Street, the irreplaceable loss of Dave Marsh has us heartbroken," Springsteen wrote in a statement shared on Instagram on Aug. 15. "My great friend Dave, with his straight out of Detroit attitude, was a true Rock 'n' Roll lifer. He was soulful, intelligent, heartfelt, opinionated, bruising and often fantastically argumentative. Watching Jon Landau and Dave drive each other crazy over some arcane piece of music would make my day. He wrote the first book about me, Born To Run, and Dave always had my back. He deeply believed in what I was trying to accomplish and his lifetime of support meant the world to me." In 2021, a host of authors, activists and artists -- including Springsteen, Tom Morello, Pete Townshend, Nona Hendryx, Dion DiMucci, Jackson Browne and Steven Van Zandt -- took part in online sessions billed as "Land of Hope and Dreams: A Celebration of Dave Marsh's Work and Vision." He was predeceased by his daughters Kristen Ann Carr and Sasha Carr, and is survived by his wife, Barbara Carr. - Billboard, 8/15/26.

Fleetwood Mac's 1988 greatest hits album has reached even greater heights after a new expanded reissue reached the top 10 on Billboard's 35-year-old Top Album Sales chart for the first time. Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits re-entered the Aug. 15-dated chart at No. 10, besting its previous high of No. 13 (set in 2016), after the album was bolstered with seven additional hits and issued digitally and on multiple physical formats. The standard version of Greatest Hits remains a 16-song edition, and the new deluxe edition adds seven further hits. The deluxe set was released via digital download services and streamers on June 10, and physical formats followed on July 31. The deluxe package bowed across six double-vinyl variants and a two-CD offering. In the tracking week ending Aug. 6, Greatest Hits sold nearly 6,000 copies in the United States, according to Luminate -- a gain of 286% as compared to its sales in the previous week. - Billboard, 8/11/26...... On Aug. 12 Rod Stewart cancelled the remaining dates on his North American farewell tour after undergoing a routine coronary stent procedure. Stewart, 81, had been scheduled to perform at Ohio's Riverbend Music Center on Aug. 9, but cancelled the show at the last minute, stating in a press release that it was due to an "unforeseen but minor medical procedure." The 1994 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee than went on to cancel his remaining tour dates after the procedure. He was set to perform at Morton Amphitheater in Kansas City, Mo. on Aug. 15), Las Vegas on Aug. 18 for a performance at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, followed by gigs in Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, plus a run of shows in Mexico (Sept. 9-13). In a statement issued to Rolling Stone, Stewart's reps said he was "doing well" and that "on the advice of his doctors, he will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage. Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates." In his own message posted to Instagram on Aug. 11, Stewart assured fans that he was "already feeling better and very much on the mend." He said that while he was "deeply disappointed to miss these shows," he looked forward to returning to playing live in the future. After touring with the Jeff Beck Group, Faces and as a solo artist for over 60 years. Stewart has most recently been on the road with his "One Last Time" trek since 2024. - Billboard, 8/12/26...... A lawsuit brought by four siblings who claimed they were abused by Michael Jackson has been tossed out of court, with the judge ruling that under the clear terms of a 2019 settlement between the family and the Jackson estate, all related disputes must be handled in confidential arbitration. "Although the allegations are horrific, the court is without discretion to do aught but enforce the language of the arbitration clause," wrote federal judge Herrn D. Vera on Aug. 12. Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo Cascio grew up with Jackson and once referred to themselves as his "second family." While previously staunch defenders of the King of Pop against pedophilia claims, the family members alleged in a February lawsuit that Jackson raped and molested them as children over the course of more than a decade. The Jackson estate strongly denies these claims, which the Cascios first raised in 2019 after the release of the explosive HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. The four siblings, along with their fifth brother Frank, claimed privately at the time that this documentary "deprogrammed" them. The estate paid them a $3.5 million settlement without admitting any wrongdoing. The Cascios now say that settlement is void and unenforceable because they were coerced into signing it. Judge Vera ruled that those arguments, "while serious," clearly do not belong in a public courtroom under the terms of the settlement. "While plaintiffs are fully within their rights to raise questions about unconscionability, those challenges must be presented later before an arbitrator," wrote the judge. Jackson, who died in 2009, was never convicted or held legally liable for any accusation of child sex abuse during his lifetime; he settled a civil claim in 1994 without admitting any wrongdoing, and he was acquitted at a criminal trial in 2005. Two other former young acquaintances of Jackson's, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, continue to litigate civil abuse claims against the estate. - Billboard, 8/12/26...... Rock's most famous combination lead guitarist and astrophysicist has shared his advice on how best to view the solar eclipse in northern Europe on Aug. 12. Brian May, who is qualified astrophysicist after achieving a PHD degree in 2007, gave regular updates about the celestial phenomenon on his Instagram page and shared advice on how best to view it. In one particular post, he showed a partial eclipse, and also warned against "looking straight at the Sun" and not going "anywhere near a telescope or binoculars pointed at the Sun." He also suggested "making a small pin hole in a sheet of cardboard," and "practice projecting an image of the Sun through this hole on to a piece of white card." In another post he shows himself in Spain preparing for the eclipse, saying he is hopeful of seeing a total eclipse but fears "there may be clouds in the way." Speaking to BBC Newsnight about the event May said: "It's kind of a life changing experience, to see at total eclipse of the Sun every time." "This is only 1 minute 40 seconds or so," he went on before adding: "I just wanna use my eyes and ears, every sense to absorb what I'm really taking part in. "It's a unique experience because you feel that you know where you are in space. It's the only time that happens, You're looking in towards the centre of our solar system, the Sun and you can never do this any other time, you can see the little family of planets around you and see the odd star around you... Suddenly you realise you're on this ball of rock and it kind of feels like you could fall off, it's an amazing feeling." Elsewhere, May has insisted "we actually don't need AI" after using the tech to recreate an iconic Queen album cover. May took to Instagram to share a version of the artwork for the classic 1980 Queen record 'The Game', which he used Meta AI to create. The original cover sees all four members of Queen standing side-by-side in matching leather jackets, and is rendered unrecognizable in the AI version May shared. May captioned the picture of the shoddy cover: "I just had to share this with you guys. I asked Meta AI to show me what the cover of THE GAME album looked like. This is what it gave me ! Good job, eh? So this is the kind of intelligence that will soon be ruling the world ??! Well, great. Maybe this is the time to realise WE ACTUALLY DON'T NEED AI !!" May then said that he was "now very serious," adding: "I believe the price we are about to pay for this 'inevitable' development is way too high. We must not allow these hideous Data Centres to be built in the UK. They will destroy our beautiful country, like they are already destroying beautiful America." Addressing UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, May signed off his post by writing: "Dear Andy -- you must stop it now. Before it's too late." - New Musical Express, 8/12/26...... After recently abruptly cancelling an Aug. 5 gig at the Hollywood Bowl due to "unforeseen personal matters," ZZ Top says it will continue with its "The Big One" summer U.S. tour with a replacement drummer after longtime drummer Frank Beard has temporarily left the road for undisclosed reasons. A spokesman for the band says that the outing will continue with founding vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons and late co-founder bassist Dusty Hill's longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, who was tapped to join the group following Hill's death at 72 in 2021. Beard, 77, has been behind the kit for the group for more than 55 years and experienced a series of health issues over the past few years. In Mar. 2025, the group announced that he had "temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term." At the time, longtime drum tech John Douglas stepped up, just as he had in Oct. 2022 when Beard was forced to miss a Paris show due to an emergency appendectomy. Beard has played on all of the group's records from 1971's First Album through their most recent LP, 2012's La Futura. "The Big One" tour is slated to continue to 13 states in the western US and New England, with the final U.S. date taking place in Port Wentworth, Ga. on Oct. 9 before the band moves on to gigs in Mexico and South America in November. - Billboard, 8/11/26...... Rush guitarist Geddy Lee has shared a surreal moment from the start of Rush's "Fifty Something" tour, describing an encounter that left him questioning whether the band's late drummer Neil Peart was somehow in the ether nearby. When asked whether he has felt Peart's presence during the run, Lee laughed at the "spooky question" before revealing a story from the tour's opening night in Los Angeles. He explained to Toronto's Q107 radio station that he was texting bandmate Alex Lifeson from his hotel room when he noticed something unusual on the floor outside his door. The tour's promotional poster features two birds on a wire, with one flying away -- and the creature in front of him looked uncannily similar. "My door to my room was open a crack, and I don't know if you've seen the posters [for Rush's Fifty Something tour] that have two birds on a wire and the one bird is flying away. I looked in front of me, on the floor, and there was a bird on the floor that looked just like that bird in the poster. I was kind of shocked. And, you know, I love birds, so I approached it, and it flew by me and flew into my bedroom and sat on the edge of my bed. And when I approached it, it was like it was looking at me, and then it flew out the door. So, I quickly ran to the computer and was texting Al this crazy story that had just happened." Lee stressed that he's not someone who believes in "mumbo jumbo," but admitted the timing and symbolism made the moment feel "remarkable." - Music-News.com, 8/11/26...... Iconic U.K. New Wave rocker Elvis Costello has announced he will play a solo acoustic show at Canada's Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Nov. 21 as a fundraiser for the Owen Hart Foundation. This will be the second time the foundation has hosted Costello, an iconic and influential performer who released his first album, My Aim is True, in 1977 and quickly emerged as one of the most literate and eclectic songwriters of the punk/New Wave movement. The concert will mark The Owen Hart Foundation's 27th anniversary and will also feature a celebrity online auction to raise additional funds. Named after late Calgary wrestler Owen Hart, who died at the age of 34 in 1999, the foundation was founded by his wife Martha Hart. Funds are raised for education, affordable housing and international aid for vulnerable people. Past concerts have featured Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Bob Newhart, Sarah McLachlan and Martin Short. In October, Costello will release an ironically named 49th anniversary My Aim Is True box set, featuring a remastered version of the album and 52 never-before-heard demos. - Canoe.com, 8/12/26...... After years of turning down interviews for other people's books, The Brady Bunch actress Eve Plumb is releasing her own memoir, Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond, on Apr. 28. Plumb says the book's title started as a promise stamped on a product. Back when she and her husband were building their company, a branding conversation led her to a single line of copy. "Put a smile on your face," she recalled telling him, and that little tagline eventually grew into "happiness included." The phrase stuck. "I've just always loved that phrase," she shared, and "it just seemed very fitting for the book." It also happened to sum up her life so far. Plumb is passionate about her home goods line, PlumbGoods, and its companion coffee brand, aptly called Happiness Included Coffee. She co-owns both with her husband Ken Pace. "All the coffees are named after different types of terriers," she explained, with each blend built around a little mascot and a personality of its own. She was inspired by her fondness for Scottie and terrier imagery from the 1930's and 1940's when designing the terrier design for the logo and packaging. Another cool thing about their coffee brand is that they give a whopping 50 percent of all their net profits to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Eve and Ken also have a one-eyed terrier mix that they rescued from A New Leash on Life. People had been asking the actress for her Brady memories for years, hoping to include them in their books. But she says she realized that if she was going to share those stories, they belonged in a book of her own, and now turned out to be the perfect time for her to share them. "I think you know when things are right," she reflected, describing how a project can sit in the back of your mind for years before it finally feels ready. Plumb, a recovering breast cancer victim, says she only decided to include her experiences with breast cancer in the book after a dinner with friends that included Christopher Knight, her former co-star who played Peter Brady on The Brady Bunch. Sitting around a table at the Smoke House in the San Fernando Valley, Plumb floated the idea of leaviing the diagnosis out, and the people who love her wouldn't hear of it. "You have to," they told her. She's glad she listened. "It's been so long and I'm so removed from it that it's easier to talk about." "You don't push yourself forward. You don't brag about yourself," she said of the old-fashioned values she grew up with, which made writing a memoir a genuine step outside her comfort zone. - Y! Entertainment, 8/8/26...... Ben Jones, the actor-turned-politician best known for playing Cooter Davenport on the 1979-1985 CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard, died on Aug. 9 from a heart attack, according to his wife Alma Viator. He was 84. Viator announced her husband's death in a Facebook post that afternoon with a photo of Mr. Jones holding his dog. "I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack," she wrote. "He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the raves to come on and whoop the Yankees. Ben had the most amazing, rich, full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so much." In The Dukes of Hazzard, Mr. Jones played Cooter Davenport, the Hazzard County mechanic and an honorary member of the Duke clan. Appearing in 142 episodes, he starred alongside Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, Sorrell Brooke and Waylon Jennings. Dukes star Wopat paid tribute to Mr. Jones on social media. He wrote in an Instagram post, "'The Dukes of Hazzard' lost another integral part of their cast today. Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business. He will be sorely missed... Denver Pyle frequently said to Ben, 'I'm not your Uncle Jesse!' But I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today." In 1988, Mr. Jones ran for Congress in Georgia's Fourth Congressional District and won by 20 points. He was reelected in 1990. Four years later, redistricting took his seat, and he lost his next race against Newt Gingrich. - Variety, 8/10/26.