Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on April 5th, 2026

English prog-rockers Yes took to Instagram on Apr. 2 to announce that the group is delaying the 11-date "Fragile" tour of Europe to allow guitarist Steve Howe time to recover from an undisclosed surgery. "The upcoming YES 'Fragile' UK and EU Tour, due to commence on 22nd April, has had to be postponed as guitarist Steve Howe requires an essential operation that requires recovery time," the band posted. "This decision has been made to ensure that Steve can return to the stage in full health and deliver the performances that fans deserve." Set to kick off on Apr. 22 at Scotland's Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the European leg was set to feature a full performance of the band's 1971 album, Fragile. The tour follows a North American leg, which took place in 2025. Yes said they they are "working hard to reschedule the UK and EU shows to a later date, with full details to be announced after Easter... please retain your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled dates." They concluded with: "Tour dates currently being arranged for later in 2026 will proceed as planned. Steve Howe and YES would like to thank their UK fans and hope for their continued support at this time." Howe is the sole active member of the lineup that recorded Fragile, as drummer Bill Bruford left the group in 1992, while vocalist Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman departed in 2004. Bassist Chris Squire stayed with the band until his passing in 2015. - Billboard, 4/4/26...... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off their "Land Of Hope And Dreams" tour in Minneapolis' Target Center on Mar. 31, with the Boss using his time on stage to continue his long-running criticism of the US Pres. Donald Trump. Springsteen started his show by telling the crowd: "We are living through some very dark times. Our American values that have sustained us for 250 years are being challenged as never before. We've got our young men and women's lives at risk in an unconstitutional and illegal war." He also criticized the targeting of immigrants by ICE agents and hit out at Atty. General Pam Bondi, who was recently fired by Trump: "Bondi takes her marching orders straight from a corrupt White House," he said, accusing her of prosecuting the president's "perceived enemies" and covering up his alleged misdeeds. "You want to talk about snowflakes? We have a president who can't handle the truth," he continued, accusing Trump and his family of getting richer at the expense of working Americans in a "corruption unmatched in American history." Fittingly, the marathon 28-song show began with a cover of Edwin Starr's 1970 hit song "War," which saw him bring out Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello to the stage, and perform the cover for the first time since 2003. Morello remained on stage to help perform "Born In The U.S.A" and "Death To My Hometown," and Springsteen later broke out his politically-charged new song "Streets Of Minneapolis" for the first time with his E Street Band. He also helped close out the show with a cover of "Chimes Of Freedom" by Bob Dylan, and Springsteen's first cover of Prince's "Purple Rain" in 10 years. Other covers included a rendition of "Because The Night" by the Patti Smith Group, and more of his own classics included "Dancing In The Dark" and "Born To Run." In the midst of the unpopular and grinding Iran war, rising inflation and gas prices at home and historically low poll numbers, Pres. Trump took time the following day to lash out at Springsteen in a Truth Social post in which he wrote about the "bad, and very boring singer, Bruce Springsteen, who looks like a dried up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon, has long had a horrible and incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome" and called on his MAGA faithful to boycott Springsteen's "overpriced concerts, which suck... save your hard-earned money." - NME/Billboard, 4/2/26..... As Ringo Starr prepares to release his 22nd solo album Long Long Road on Apr. 24, the 85-year-old Beatles legend has revealed to Rolling Stone that his secret to anti-ageing is "peace and love and broccoli." "Well, you've got to eat more broccoli. All the good things about me, I blame broccoli for," Starr said when asked how he keeps his energy up to keep recording and touring new music. Elaborating on his trademark catchphrase, Starr quipped: "So now I saw, peace and love and broccoli." In 2025 during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ringo gave fans more insight into his idiosyncratic eating habits He confirmed a rumor that he had "never eaten pizza," and added to audience gasps when he added, "or a curry." He clarified that he's "allergic to several items," and that with pizza and curry, "you don't know what the f---'s in it." The gamble to try either dish is too great for him: "I'm strict with myself since it makes me ill immediately." In March, Starr gave fans a taste of Long Long Road's music with a YouTube video of the LP's first single, "It's Been Too Long," co-written with T-Bone Burnett, who has produced the entire record, as he did with last year's Look Up album. Ringo will head out on the road beginning on May 29 in Temecula, Calif., also visiting San Diego; Charlotte, N.C.; Tuscon; Lincoln, Neb.; Paso Robles, Calif.; Albuquerque; San Jose; and Tempe, Ariz. before wrapping at L.A.'s Greek Theatre on June 15. - New Musical Express, 4/4/26...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Paul McCartney has shared his "must-see spots" for anyone visiting his hometown of Liverpool as he preps his first new studio effort in five years, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, for a May 29 release. Asked by fans about specific locations that mean a lot to him in Liverpool on his official PaulMcCartney.com website, Sir Paul first named "Forthlin Road, the house I ended up," as well as the "Liverpool Institute, which is now LIPA." As for what else he'd show people if he were to give them a personal tour, he said: "I show them the site of the first gig we ever played, called the Wilson Hall in Garston. And then I show them everything in between. Where John [Lennon]'s mum used to live, where John used to live, where George [Harrison]" used to live, and where Ringo [Starr] lived." To celebrate the album announcement, McCartney play a two-night stint at 1,200-capacity venue the Fonda Theatre on Mar. 28 and 29, his first gigs since wrapping his "Got Back Tour." On Mar. 31, Macca brought Apple Computer's worldwide 50th anniversary festivities to a close with a special performance at Apple Park in Cupertino, Calif. The musician, songwriter, and former Beatle has been a longtime user of Apple's products, capturing riffs and song fragments in the Voice Memos app on his iPhone, some of which became full-blown songs on his last solo album, McCartney III. Before that, McCartney starred in an animated iTunes and iPod ad in 2007 that featured his song "Dance Tonight," and iTunes offered an exclusive pre-order of his album Memory Almost Full. At the time, Apple CEO Steve Jobs commented, "Paul McCartney is one of the greatest musicians of all time." McCartney and his former band have long served as a source of inspiration for the innovation that still guides the company today. In 2003, Jobs famously declared in an interview, "My model of business is the Beatles. They were four very talented guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other, and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. And that's how I see business. Great things in business are never done by one person, they re done by a team of people -- and we've got that at Apple as well." - NME/Apple.com, 3/31/26...... There are rumors swirling that The Rolling Stones may be gearing up to drop new music or play a surprise gig in London under the moniker "The Cockroaches." As highlighted by journalist and broadcaster Matt Everitt, the name appears to be one that the rock gods have adopted in the past as a pseudonym. In the early '80s, they played a secret show under the alias "Blue Sunday And The Cockroaches." "I could be falling for an elaborate April Fool's hoax, or I could have dropped down a rabbit hole of obscure Stones folklaw, but this would appear to be some form of cryptic @therollingstones announcement, right?" Everitt wrote on Instagram, also sharing images of the pages that come up when the QR code is scanned. The code takes you to a new website called "thecockroaches.com," and when you click the button to "sign up," the page reads "Who The F--- Are The Cockroaches?" and invites fans to subscribe for updates. As highlighted by Everitt, the text on that sign-up page is similar to that seen in an old, famous photo of Ronnie Wood, in which he is seen wearing a shirt that reads "Who the f--- is Mick Jagger?". When signing up for updates, an email is sent out with a confirmation message from Universal Music -- which also happens to be the same label that represents the Stones. it isn't clear if the Cockroaches poster has any connection to the Stones beyond speculation, nor is it clear if it is angling at new music or a new live show. As well as the gig in the early '80s, Jagger and co. have used the alias The Cockroaches before -- usually for the occasional secret set, or for impromptu warm-up shows over the years. Previous instances include a gig in Toronto in 1977, a stop in Atlanta the following year, and a show in Worcester in 1981 -- which was revealed to be The Rolling Stones shortly before it kicked off. If they came to fruition, the gigs would have been the first tour dates from the rock legends since they went out on their "Hackney Diamonds" tour in the US in 2024. They sold nearly a million tickets across those 20 dates and generated an estimated $235 million (£185.1 million) - making it to No. 6 on the highest-grossing music world tours of that year. The Stones last played the UK in 2022, when two huge BST Hyde Park gigs followed a stadium show at Liverpool's Anfield. - NME, 4/1/26...... Elton John's The Remixes album is set to be released on vinyl for the UK's Record Store Day on Apr. 18. The LP will be available as a limited-edition glow-in-the-dark 1LP, on the day, exclusively at participating record stores and via Positiva Records. The album presents John's deep connection to club culture and dance music, and features five remixes on vinyl for the first time, with edits of such Elton standards as "Philadelphia Freedom," "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," "Rocket Man," and others by the likes of The Blessed Madonna, Purple Disco Machine, The 2 Bears, Shine A Light, Claptone, Shep Pettibone, Sanchez and KDME. Speaking on the release, John said: "Record Store Day is incredibly important to me and with this package I really think we've made something special for dance music fans. I first got into dance music in '70s New York through disco and those early days at clubs like Le Jardin and Studio 54. It's been a huge part of my life ever since." The 19th instalment of RSD will celebrate independent record shops and vinyl culture in the UK. More than 300 UK and Ireland record shops will be taking part, alongside thousands of indie retailers worldwide, as they sell an array of exclusive physical releases on a first-come-first-served basis and host some in-store events for one day only. The album will also be available to download on Beatport.com. The full list of Record Store Day 2026 releases, which also includes music by David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, The Cure, and others can be viewed on recordstoreday.co.uk. - NME, 4/3/26...... '70s artists George Clinton and Heart are among the music acts who have been added to the list of performers for the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum's 2026 Grammy Hall of Fame Gala taking place May 8. Fourteen titles spanning nearly a century of recorded music will be honored for their historical significance at the gala, extending as far back as 1926's "Trouble in Mind" recorded by Bertha "Chippie" Hill to 1998's "Car Wheels on A Gravel Road" by Lucinda Williams. Among the other three singles and 11 albums being inducted are Pink Moon by Nick Drake, Maggot Brain by Clinton's band Funkadelic, Dreamboat Annie by Heart and All Eyez on Me by 2Pac. The Recording Academy's national trustees established the Grammy Hall of Fame to honor recordings released before the Grammy Awards began being handed out in 1959. The honor is now open to any recording that is at least 25 years old. A special member committee selects the recordings to be inducted based on their qualitative or historical significance. Final ratification comes from the Recording Academy's national board of trustees. - Billboard, 4/2/26...... A dreadlock from '70s reggae legend Bob Marley's hair has been estimated to sell for 25,000 at an upcoming auction. The 1.5 inch length of hair originates from a 1978 Marley Top of the Pops where the singer appeared on the programme with The Wailers to perform their new single "Satisfy My Soul." The owner of the lock explained that "after Bob Marley had finished singing, myself and a friend went up onto the platform where he was performing. He was chuckling away and I asked if I could take off a piece of his hair. He just kept nodding and chuckling and appeared amused by it so I twisted a piece of his dreadlock off. And he of course gave me his autograph as well." The autograph alone is estimated to be worth 4,000 alone, but Bristol company JC Auctions estimates that the lock will go for between £20,000-25,000 when it goes on auction on April 9. It will be the first Bob Marley dreadlock to auction in over 20 years, and will be accompanied by the signature. The dreadlock and autograph can be viewed at invaluable.com. - NME, 4/2/26...... Former Fleetwood Mac member Lindsey Buckingham was reportedly attacked by a woman on his way to an appointment in Santa Monica, Calif., on Apr. 1. According to NBC4 Investigates, Buckingham had just entered a building when the woman allegedly threw an unknown substance at the musician before running away. Police believe that she had discovered the time and location of his appointment and waited for him there ahead of his arrival. Law enforcement sources say the police suspect the perpetrator is someone who is known to Buckingham due to previous run-ins. No arrests have been reported, though police said an arrest is expected soon. A few days prior to the alleged attack, Buckingham had shared in an Instagram video his excitement for his ongoing work on another solo album, as well as an upcoming Fleetwood Mac documentary from Apple Original Films and hinted at a potential Fleetwood Mac reunion after he and former partner Stevie Nicks are now back on talking terms after the reissue of their 1973 collaborative effort Buckingham Nicks. - Billboard, 4/1/26...... On Mar. 29 Jimmy Page shared the "original home demo" version of Led Zeppelin's "Ten Years Gone" on YouTube. The Led Zep guitarist/founder uploaded the early recording of the 1975 song to his official YouTube channel, with the description: "As a footnote to Physical Graffiti [Zeppelin's 1975 sixth album], I thought you might like to hear the original home demo, recorded in my studio at Plumpton Place, of a piece of music that was going to surface as 'Ten Years Gone'," he wrote. "I presented this rough mix to the band at Headley Grange in order to do this for real. Robert Plant came up with some lyrics for my music that were extraordinary and then we arrive at the song 'Ten Years Gone'." In the comments section, one fan hailed the alternate version as "a genius of layering guitars." Another listener said: "Jimmy's stripped down guitar playing heals my soul to the core... we need more of this pleaseeee." Someone else wrote: "Hard to choose, but 'Ten Years Gone' may be the greatest Zep song. It's all right here in the demo. Incredible." Elsewhere, a user called for "more of these" demos. A fan agreed by saying: "We wanna hear this all, Jimmy. Keep it coming." In 2023, Page shared a previously unreleased Led Zeppelin instrumental demo, "The Seasons." This recording would eventually form the basis of '"The Rain Song" from the group's 1973 album Houses Of The Holy. Last autumn, Led Zeppelin marked the 50th anniversary of Physical Graffiti with the release of "Live EP" on 123 vinyl, CD and digital formats. A deluxe edition had arrived in 2015 to celebrate the LP's 40th anniversary. High-quality rare footage of Led Zeppelin playing live in Amsterdam in 1972 emerged online earlier this year. - NME, 4/1/26...... Iconic The Who frontman and longtime charity activist Roger Daltrey has lent his support to the fight against Parkinson's disease by joining Think Loud 4 Parkinson's -- a high-profile charity project dedicated to raising funds and global awareness for the neurological disorder. "Wow, what a coup to have Roger Daltrey involved in this," Andy Simons, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Cure Parkinson's, remarked. "Ian Grant and the Think Loud team are pulling out all the stops to raise funding to find a cure for Parkinson's! Thank you so much on behalf of the 11.8 million people hoping for a cure." Daltrey joins an elite roster of "famous faces" committed to the cause, including bandmate Pete Townshend, Alice Cooper, and Sir Richard Branson. The project is centered around a charity album and a series of musical releases aimed at supporting the UK-based charity Cure Parkinson's. In a major musical contribution to the initiative, the "Superband" Blue Water Giants comprised of members of Procol Harum, Tears for Fears and Simple Minds have announced their new single, "Dangerously in Love," set for release on April 29. The band's connection to the cause is deeply personal; their consultant, Ian Grant, is currently living with Parkinson's. In summer 2025, the late Ozzy Osbourne selected Cure Parkinson's as a primary beneficiary for Black Sabbath's historic farewell show at Villa Park. - Music-News.com, 4/3/26...... Dolly Parton has made a "generational and transformational" donation to the East Tennessee children's hospital that was named in her honor in February. Dolly Parton's Children's Hospital CEO Matt Schaefer says Dolly has "made a generational and transformational commitment to Children's and its mission... and that commitment is something that goes beyond our wildest expectations, that is beyond generous, and will be a lifeline for this mission for now and for years to come." Sevierville, Tenn. native Parton has long made charitable giving tied to children a priority, most famously through her Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which to date has registered more than 3.1 million children for its services, which including gifting more than 314 million books to date. - Billboard, 4/2/26...... Bob Dylan, described by one fan as "guaranteed to zig when you think he'll zag every single time," has baffled fans after posting an Instagram story with a flyer promoting "Lectures From the Grave," an exclusive series on his new Patreon.com account, which costs $5 a month to view. As yet, there are only six posts on Dylan's Patreon, with the first simply an embedded video of a Mahalia Jackson performance, which is followed by three posts featuring audio essays seemingly read aloud by an AI voice. These are about former Vice President Aaron Burr, 19th-century outlaw Frank James, and American folk hero Wild Bill Hickock. There's also a series titled "Letters Never Sent." The sole entry so far features a fictional letter written by Mark Twain and sent to Rudolph Valentino, an Italian actor from the silent film era -- who was 14 years old when Twain died in 1910. The letter ends with Twain's cursive signature, and the post is attributed to the pen name "Herbert Foster." The latest move from Dylan, who has won a Nobel Prize for Literature, has baffled fans, particularly given many of the posts seem to utilize AI. "Bob Dylan AI history patreon just confirms he is in the very top percentile of weirdest/most inexplicable people ever born," wrote one X user after he launched it. His flyer can also be viewed on X/Twitter. Dylan resumed his "Rough And Rowdy Ways" tour on Mar.30) at Waukegan's Genesee Theatre, and will continue until the final announced show in Abilene, Tex. on May 1. - NME, 3/30/26...... Suki Lahav who played violin with Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band in the mid-1970s, has died at the age of 74. The news was confirmed by her son Yonatan Lahav on Apr. 2who wrote on Facebook that his "beloved and beautiful mother" had been "gathered into infinity after a short and hard battle with the cursed disease." "She wrote songs that touched people's hearts," he added. "She was a special woman, smart, pure in heart and loving life. She was the best mom I could ever ask for." Tzruya "Suki" Lahav's spell with the E Street Band was relatively short -- spanning between Oct. 1974 and Mar. 1975 -- but in that time, she contributed to the sessions for Springsteen's second album The Wild, The Innocent And The E Street Shuffle and its follow-up Born To Run. Among her most notable contributions were on the violin introduction to the latter album's "Jungleland," and on the choir-like vocals on the former's "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," which saw her voice overdubbed several times to imitate the real church choir that failed to show up to the recording session. She played with the group at their shows in late 1974, debuting at New York City's Avery Fisher Hall on Oct. 4, and would join them on stage for any songs requiring violin parts - including "Incident On 57th Street" and their version of Bob Dylan's "I Want You" -- until her final show on March 3 in Washington DC. Shortly afterwards, she moved back to her native Israel and found success as a musician and writer, playing with the Kibbutz Orchestra and writing for other artists. - NME, 4/3/26...... Legendary R&B drummer James Gadson, who backed such artists as Diana Ross, Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye, has died at the age of 86. Mr. Gadson became one of the defining funk, soul, and disco drummers of the 1970s, providing the beats on classics such as Withers' "Lean on Me" and "Use Me," The Jackson 5's "Dancing Machine," and Ross' "Love Hangover." During that decade, he also played on Gaye's "I Want You," Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way," and Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band's "Express Yourself." As a highly in-demand session player, Mr. Gadson also recorded with The Temptations, Leonard Cohen, Bobby Womack, B.B. King, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Herbie Hancock, Paul McCartney, D'Angelo, Beck, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake, Lana Del Rey and Harry Styles. "He was a wonderful man," his wife Barbara told Rolling Stone on Apr. 2. "He was a great husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and one hell of a drummer." - Billboard, 4/4/26...... Christopher North, the keyboardist co-founder of the 1970s/'80s LA-based yacht rock band Ambrosia, died on Mar. 30 after a battle with cancer. He was 75. "Fans of Ambrosia, we honor the legendary life and career of our dearest family member Christopher North, the 'Hammond B3 King' whose sonic architecture defined a generation of progressive and soft rock," the band posted on Facebook. "A founding member since 1970, he was a keyboard wizard who brought an unmatched intensity and emotional depth to every performance," they added. Born in San Francisco on Jan. 26, 1951, North played in a series of high school bands before forming Ambrosia in Los Angeles in 1970 with singer/guitarist David Pack, bassist Joe Puerta and drummer Burleigh Drummond. The group released their Grammy-nominated self-titled debut album in 1975, which included the soft prog rock opening track "Nice, Nice, Very Nice," featuring lyrics cribbed from a poem in Kurt Vonnegut's postmodern 1963 sci-fi novel Cat's Cradle; the album reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and the song made it to No. 63 on the Hot 100 pop singles chart. Like their debut, 1976's Alan Parsons-produced Somewhere I've Never Travelled toed the line between layered Beach Boys-like vocal harmonies, prog rock flourishes and gentle melodies, peaking at No. 79 on the Billboard 200. North's keys and backing vocals helped anchor the band's third studio album, 1978's Life Beyond L.A. -- their album chart peak at No. 19 on the Billboard 200 -- and their fourth, breakthrough effort, 1980's One Eighty. It was an apt title given the group's shift into a more radio-friendly pop sound on such hits as their No. 3 "Biggest Part of Me" and their No. 13 followup, "You're the Only Woman (You & I)" on the LP that scored three Grammy nominations, including best pop vocal group; the album peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 200. The group's final album, 1982's more prog-leaning Road Island, only managed to reach No. 115 on the chart and spawned just one charting single, the bouncy pop tune "How Can You Love Me," which topped out at No. 86 on the Hot 100. Ambrosia broke up in 1982 and then reunited in 1989 with all four original members. The have continued to tour ever since, with North stepping aside for a period in 2024 to get treatment for throat cancer. No official cause of death had been revealed. Back in Oc. 2025, lead singer David Pack sent well wishes to North -- his friend since their late teens -- after he reported that the band's co-founder was recovering after being struck by an "out of control speeding car while walking into a restaurant." At the time, Pack said North was "fighting for this life" after "bravely surviving cancer." - Billboard, 3/31/26.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 31st, 2026

Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson opened Canada's Juno Awards on Mar. 29 with their first live performance alongside their new drummer, Anika Niles. In the spirit of new beginnings, Rush performed the song "Finding My Way," the first track on their 1974 debut Rush, which featured John Rutsey on drums in the studio, rather than the late Neil Peart, who didn't join the band until afterwards. The performance at Ontario's TD Coliseum marked the first time Lee and Lifeson have played as Rush since they wrapped their career-spanning "R40" farewell tour in 2015, playing 35 headline shows across North America, having formed over four decades prior. Throughout their performance, vintage footage of Rush with Peart, who died from brain cancer in early 2020, showed on screen. Anika Nilles, a German drummer, composer, and producer, has performed as Jeff Beck's drummer and has released four solo albums. Handling keyboard duties during the performance was The Who's Loren Gold. Rush has announced that they will be touring across the UK, Europe and South America in 2027, kicking off in Buenos Aires in January. So far, 24 shows in 13 countries have been confirmed, marking the first time the band has played in Europe since 2013, as well as 17 years since visiting South America. They are pegged as an '"Evening with Rush" event, and will see the band play two sets each night. Before that, Rush will be returning to the stage in North America for a "Fifty Something" tour with shows kicking off in June. A full list of 2027 dates can be viewed on Instagram. Meanwhile, Canada's favorite daughter Joni Mitchell reflected on how she built a new life "like a phoenix" in a poignant speech at the Junos on the same night. After Mitchell, 82, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on behalf of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), the previously LA-based singer-songwriter noted she was "so glad" to be back in her homeland after living in the U.S. for "many, many years." Addressing PM Carney, the "The Circle Game" singer noted, "We are so lucky... We are so fortunate to have him... I'm living in the States, and you know what's happening there." Then she went on to reference her past health issues. I had a (brain) aneurysm, which changed my life - oddly, for the better," the 82-year-old continued. "I went into a coma, which helped me to quit smoking. And my house filled up with the most wonderful nurses. I was on the road with men for years and years; now I live with a house full of women... So, my life has changed for the better out of a catastrophe like a phoenix. Thank you very much for this honour." After receiving the prestigious prize, Mitchell joined fellow native Canadians Sarah McLachlan and Allison Russell for a rendition of her 1970 hit, "Big Yellow Taxi," amid a tribute medley. The Grammy Award-winning artist has made only a few public appearances since suffering a brain aneurysm rupture in March 2015. - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 3/30/26...... The estate of Bob Marley has filed a lawsuit against the global cannabis company Tilray over what it claims are unpaid licensing fees for the deceased Jamaican music icon's official marijuana brand, Marley Natural. The suit, filed in Maryland on Mar. 27, alleges Tilray owes nearly $11.3 million for the use of Marley's name, image, likeness, signature and trademarks on Marley Natural cannabis products. Marley's estate accuses Tilray and its partners of "elaborate efforts to avoid paying" and a "scheme to defraud." The complaint seeks $11.3 million from Tilray for fraud and breach of contract, which they contend accounts for the $13 million in missing licensing fees, minus a $1.7 million settlement that Marley's heirs already obtained from a related subsidiary. Marley's estate, helmed by the late singer's daughter Cedella Marley, has been diligently working for decades to expand and market his legacy. The family's profile of businesses includes the Tuff Gong record label, music tech company House of Marley and Marley Coffee. - Billboard, 3/30/26...... As promised, Bruce Springsteen performed "Streets of Minneapolis" at the flagship No Kings rally in St. Paul, Minn., outside the State Capitol building on Mar. 28. Springsteen addressed an estimated crowd of more than 200,000 and delivered the third live performance of the protest anthem since its January release. Introduced to the stage by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, The Boss spoke at length before playing the song, honouring the state's resistance to Pres. Donald Trump's administration's Operation Metro Surge immigration enforcement campaign. "This past winter, federal troops brought death and terror to the streets of Minneapolis, but they picked the wrong city," he told the crowd. "The power and the solidarity of the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota was an inspiration to the entire country. Your strength and your commitment told us that this is still America, and this reactionary nightmare -- and these invasions of American cities -- will not stand. You gave us hope, you gave us courage." He went on to name the two Minneapolis residents, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by ICE agents during the operation. The crowd then chanted "ICE out now" as Springsteen launched into the song. Springsteen wrote and recorded "Streets of Minneapolis" in the immediate aftermath of the shootings, releasing it within days. He debuted the song live on January 30 at a benefit concert at Minneapolis' First Avenue, and performed it a second time earlier this week at Democracy Now!'s 30th anniversary event in New York. The No Kings rally -- the third round of nationwide protests against the Trump administration -- drew millions of participants across more than 3,100 registered events in all 50 states. The St. Paul event served as the national flagship, with a bill that also included Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers, Jane Fonda, Tom Morello and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, among others. - Billboard, 3/29/26...... On Mar. 26 Paul McCartney announced a reflective new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, inspired by his youth. McCartney's first release since 2020's McCartney III, the new album is his 18th studio effort and described in a press release as a look backward at the former Beatle's formative years, revisiting those youthful times that "shaped not only his life, but the very foundations of modern popular culture. In a career defined by timeless storytelling and unforgettable characters, Paul now tells the most personal story of all, his own. The Boys of Dungeon Lane is his most introspective album to date and takes the listener back to where it all began." "This is very much a memory song for me," Macca said in a statement. "The album title, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, comes from a lyric in this track. I was thinking just that, about the days I left behind and I do often wonder if I'm just writing about the past but then I think how can you write about anything else? It's just a lot of memories of Liverpool. It involves a bit in the middle about John and Forthlin Road which is the street I used to live in. Dungeon Lane is near there. I used to live in a place called Speke which is quite working class. We didn't have much at all but it didn't matter because all the people were great and you didn't notice you didn't have much." The LP was recorded with producer Andrew Watt (Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne) in bits in Los Angeles and Sussex, England between legs of McCartney's tours. In the spirit of his legendary 1970 debut solo album McCartney, Macca plays the majority of the instruments himself -- with the album credited entirely to himself. The Boys of Dungeon Lane is due out on May 29 through MPL/Capitol Records. McCartney has shared the new album's wistful first single, "Days We Left Behind," on YouTube. Two days after announcing the new LP, the legend played two intimate shows at LA's historic The Fonda venue in Hollywood on Mar. 28, with a second show VIP guest list that included Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Margot Robbie. For those who scored highly coveted tickets to the show at the cozy 1,200-person capacity theater, the music was a much-needed escape and salve. Playing a set heavy with Beatles and Wings classics, Sir Paul largely avoided politics aside from poking fun at Pres. Donald Trump's recent "Y.M.C.A." dance moves -- a moment that earned boos from the crowd, who had surrendered their phones before the show. McCartney's roster of Beatles classics included "Help!," "Something," "I've Just Seen a Face," and Fab Four political tracks "Revolution" -- a response to the fraught period of political protests in opposition of the Vietnam War -- and "Blackbird" -- a solemn acoustic track that McCartney wrote amid the 1960s civil rights movement in the US inspired by the Little Rock Nine. Many in the crowd -- which also included actors Steve Carrell, Laura Dern and Dakota Johnson among others -- sang and cried as McCartney played, particularly during "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be." Wings rockers during the two-hour set included "Band on the Run" and "Let Me Roll It," among many others. On Mar. 30, and perhaps due to the no-phone rule at the Fonda gig, McCartney's own Reddit account was banned. The thread in question has since been removed, although McCartney's Reddit account itself, thought to be run by his management team, has since been restored. - Billboard/CNN.com, 3/29/26...... Former Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm announced on Mar. 27 that he'll be playing selected dates in the US from May until October behind his third and latest solo LP, Released. After kicking off in Wabash, Ind., on May 9, the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (as a member of Foreigner) will be co-headlining the Roanoke Festival in Virginia (5/22), then visit Stamford, Conn. (5/28), Lancaster, Penn. (5/30), Lexington, Ky. (6/6), St. Charles, Ill. (7/10), Layton, Ut. (8/13), Pine Bluff, Ariz. (8/28), and Carmel, Ind. (9/26) before wrapping in Missouri at the St. Charles Family Arena on Oct. 10. Gramm was a member of Foreigner during its key years between 1976 and 1990. He rejoined in 1992 but left again inn 2003, though he has made occasional appearances with the band. In addition to his work with Foreigner, the singer scored a top five hit in the U.S. in 1987 with his solo song, "Midnight Blue," followed in 1989 with "Just Between You and Me." - PennLive.com, 3/27/26..... U.K. hard-rock legends Deep Purple will be touring North America this summer and fall with opening acts Kansas and Jefferson Starship. Deep Purple are currently fronted by singer Ian Gillan, alongside bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Simon McBride. In February, Deep Purple announced a hometown gig at the famed Royal Albert Hall venue in London on Nov. 25 of this year. The show is billed as a "one night only" event, following a concert at London's Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith the previous evening, Nov. 24. - Canoe.com, 3/30/26...... A new tribute album honoring the music of Tom Waits and his musician partner Kathleen Brennan, Where The Willow and the Dogwood Grow, was announced on Instagram on Mar. 27 and will feature contributions from the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash. Other artists from a wide variety of genres contributing include Marianne Faithfull (on "Strange Weather"), The Ramones ("I Don't Want To Grow Up"), Willie Nelson ("Picture In A Frame"), Alison Krauss and Robert Plant ("Trampled Rose"'), and Norah Jones ("The Long Way Home"). The LP opens with Springsteen and The E Street Band's 1981 live recording of "Jersey Girl" -- Waits' ode to Brennan from his 1980 album, Heartattack And Vine. Elsewhere on the tracklist is the late Cash's take on "Down There By The Train" from his acclaimed 1994 album, American Recordings. Folk legend Joan Baez's version of Waits and Brennan's anti-war track "Day After Tomorrow" -- from Waits' 2004 album Real Gone -- closes the new compilation. Created with the blessing, approval and involvement of Waits and Brennan, Where The Willow And The Dogwood Grow is due for release on May 29 via Ace Records. - NME, 3/27/26...... During a recent appearance on the Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware podcast, Chaka Khan said many of today's popstars are flaunting their bodies to overcompensate for a lack of talent. Khan, 73, was asked by the hosts about recent comments she made on The Breakfast Club podcast in which she said, "When we go on stage, we just sing. We don't need to do the bells and whistles. We don't need to show our bodies." "The game has changed because all bets are off," Khan told the Table Manners hosts. "These women are doing any and every dam thing on stage and trying to sing, too. And the ones who are doing the most physicalities, with their butts and stuff, and their body parts, are the ones that usually are compensating for what they don't have." Khan is currently touring the US with Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills. - Music-News.com, 3/28/26...... Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne has reportedly ended her engagement to Sid Wilson of the band Slipknot. Wilson proposed to Osbourne at Ozzy's final concert with Black Sabbath in Birmingham, England, last July, presenting her with a huge diamond ring. Kelly later revealed that she had "no clue" the moment was coming. Osbourne first met her now former partner 27 years ago. She was introduced to Sid when Slipknot toured with Ozzfest, the music festival founded by her parents. They welcomed their son, Sid, in 2022, and the family have since been living on a farm in Iowa in the US. Osbourne was last pictured with Wilson at the Grammy Awards in February and, since then, has only made public appearances with friends or her mother. - Music-News.com, 3/24/26...... Actress Eve Plumb, forever immortalized as the often-overlooked middle daughter Jan Brady on the classic 1969-1974 ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch, discussed her new memoir Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond in an interview with Woman's World magazine. Plumb, 67, revealed that she enjoys keeping her private life out of the spotlight, and made it clear she has no desire to speak negatively about any of her castmates from The Brady Bunch, which has become a cultural touchstone and endures decades later through reruns and nostalgia, keeping its actors closely tied to their roles. "I wish more stuff had come up. I thought [writing the memoir] might bring some things back that I'd forgotten, but not a bit of it," said Plumb. "But the process itself was really wonderful. It was very gentle." Plumb, who was cast in the show at the tender age of 11, added, "As a public person, I've always wanted to keep certain things private. I didn't even want to tell people the name of my dog for a long time. You share so much of your life already." That sense of privacy shaped not only how she approached her personal life, but also how she chose to portray her time on set. Despite decades of curiosity about what really went on behind the scenes, Plumb resisted the temptation to revisit her past through a critical lens. "Part of this book was that I really didn't want to throw anybody under the bus not my castmates, not anyone. I had to tell the truth about a few things, but I was cloaking it, for their sake and for mine," she shared. "I think most of us realize there's no need," she said of the cast. "It doesn't look good on me to trash them in public, does it?" Instead, writing the book (with co-author Marcia Wilke) became an opportunity to reconnect with the positive moments that defined her experience as a young actor and beyond. "The process of writing the book offered something closer to reflection than revelation, like a therapy session where she didn't have to challenge me at all," she admitted. "I just got to talk about myself and the things that I remembered." Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond is due Apr. 28. - People.com, 3/28/26...... Ross "The Boss" Friedman, a legendary rocker known for co-founding the proto-punk band The Dictators and later playing with the iconic metal band Manowar, died on Mar. 28 just weeks after he announced that he was battling ALS, which is commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 72. The Metal Hall of Fame issued a statement on Facebook announcing his passing. "It is with deep sadness that we confirm the passing of legendary guitarist, our dear friend, Metal Hall of Fame Inductee, and Global Metal Ambassador Ross "The Boss" Friedman." Ross was a pioneering force in both punk and heavy metal, best known as a founding member of The Dictators and Manowar. His powerful playing, unmistakable tone, and uncompromising spirit helped shape generations of musicians and fans around the world." The Hall of Fame added that Friedman, who first revealed his battle in Feb. 2026, battled his disease "with the same courage and honesty that defined his life and career." Friedman joined Manowar in 1980 and recorded six albums with them before leaving in 1988 after playing on Kings Of Metal. He had continued to play with The Dictators until recently. The band announced in November that it was cancelling a show because he had suffered a hand injury that was being evaluated. Friedman joined Manowar in 1980 and recorded six albums with them before leaving in 1988 after playing on Kings Of Metal. He had continued to play with The Dictators until recently. The band announced in November that it was cancelling a show because he had suffered a hand injury that was being evaluated. ALS is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic. It causes loss of muscle control and gets worse over time, and it is not known what causes the disease. "It's difficult to know what lies ahead, and it crushes me not to be able to play guitar," Friedman said earlier this year. "But the outpouring of love has been so, so strong. I'm absolutely blown away by the love and support from family, friends and fans. I love you all." - PennLive.com, 3/28/26...... Actress Mary Beth Hurt, who was nominated for three Tonys and appeared in numerous films including Interiors and The World According to Garp, died on Mar. 29 from Alzheimer's. She was 79. Her death was confirmed via a joint Facebook post from her daughter, Molly Schrader, and her husband, writer-director Paul Schrader. "She was an actress, a wife, a sister, a mother, an aunt, a friend, and she took on all those roles with grace and kind ferocity," read the post. "Although we're all grieving there is some comfort in knowing she is no longer suffering and reunited with her sisters in peace." Hurt worked on stage, in films and in television and collaborated with her husband, Schrader, on Affliction and Light Sleeper. Born Mary Beth Supinger in Marshalltown, Iowa, she was married to Oscar-winning actor William Hurt from 1971 to 1982, after a four-year separation. She studied acting at the University of Iowa and then at NYU and made her debut on the New York stage in 1974. She was Tony-nominated for her performances in "Crimes of the Heart," for which she won an Obie, "Trelawny of the Wells" and "Benefactors." Woody Allen cast her in her first film role in the 1978 Interiors, in which she played one of the three sisters dealing with the breakdown of her family. She followed with The World According to Garp, playing Helen Holm Garp, Chilly Scenes of Winter, Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence and Six Degrees of Separation. Hurt rarely enjoyed top billing during her career, and that's the way she preferred it. "I've never been extremely comfortable playing the lead," she explained in a 2010 interview. "I don't like the responsibility; there's a feeling that I have to be good. Besides, I found secondary parts much more interesting, especially when I was younger and the ingnue roles were pretty bland." For television, she starred on the 1988-89 NBC drama Tattinger's and had a memorable guest-starring turn alongside Henry Winkler on a 2002 episode of Law & Order: SVU. Survivors also include her children, Molly and Sam. - Variety, 3/30/26...... Dash Crofts, one half of the '70s soft rock duo Seals and Crofts, died of heart failure on Mar. 26. He was 85 years old. The news was announced on Facebook by the duo's producer, Louie Shelton, shortly after which a member of Crofts' family confirmed it to TMZ.com. "Sad to hear our dear brother and partner in music has passed away today," Shelton wrote on Facebook. "Sending love and prayers to all his family and many fans. R.I.P. my brother..Dash Crofts." Born Darrell George Crofts on Aug. 14, 1940, in Cisco, Tex., Mr. Crofts met fellow Texan Jim Seals, who died in 2022 at age 80, while they were teenagers. Before their success as a duo, Seals and Crofts were members of the rock band The Champs, who were riding the success of their No. 1 Latin-rock instrumental hit "Tequila." Mr. Crofts combined with Seals to form Seals and Crofts in 1969 and the duo had some big hits. The biggest of those was 1972's "Summer Breeze" which made it to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972, and the band followed that with another hit, "Diamond Girl" which also made it to No. 6 in 1973. The duo also had "Get Closer" featuring Carolyn Willis, which made it to No. 6 in 1976, "I'll Play for You," and "You're the Love." One of their most controversial tracks, "Unborn Child" -- an anti-abortion song released the year after the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court verdict in 1973 -- reached No. 66. The album of the same name was a critical and commercial flop, and prompted pro-choice demonstrations at many of their shows. The pair also had success on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart. In 1972, Summer Breeze reached No. 7, after which Diamond Girl peaked at No. 4 in 1973. Seals and Crofts released the first of its 17 albums, Seals & Crofts, in 1969. After 1980's The Longest Road, the duo split up. That led to a 24 year gap before a brief reunion in 2004 when they released their final album, Traces. After living in Mexico, Australia and Nashville, Mr. Crofts returned to his home state late in life and raised horses. He is survived by his wife, Louise Crofts, three children and eight grandchildren. - Billboard/PennLive.com, 3/26/26.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 26th, 2026

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 Bruce biopic 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.