The estate of Michael Jackson has slammed an explicit flip of the King of Pop's classic 1982 hit "Beat It" by Sexyy Red after a clip of the St. Louis rapper's edition went viral on social media earlier in February. "We were totally unaware of this," a spokesman for MJ's estate said on Feb. 12. The viral craze began when rapper Lil Yachty posted the clip of Sexxy Red rapping along to her version of Jackson's hit in the studio. After quickly spreading across social media, the clip drew an angry backlash from Jackson fans after Lil Yachty joked in his caption that Sexxy Red's spicy remix was set to appear on the soundtrack for the upcoming Michael biopic. Rap pioneer Monie Love condemned the sample flip, calling the move "beyond disrespectful." "Whoever cleared the Beat It sample for Sexyy Red, I hope they know they not seeing heaven," she wrote on X. "Playing with MJ name and discography like that is beyond disrespectful!" Sexyy Red has proven to be a fan of Michael Jackson in the past, bringing out MJ impersonator Rico Hampton to perform "Billie Jean" for the crowd at her hometown show in St. Louis in 2025. "Beat It" was the second single from MJ's 1982 classic Thriller LP, following "Billie Jean" to the top of the pop chart in early 1983. - Music-News.com, 2/12/26...... 
One of the more sensational rumors in rock music lore is that "Mama Cass" Elliot of The Mamas and the Papas died choking on a ham sandwich. Now a new Mama Cass biopic that aims to dispel that rumor and tell the "California Dreamin'" singer's story has cast its titular role. Baby Reindeer phenom Jessica Gunning is set to play Mama Cass in the movie which will be based on the memoir of Elliot's daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell, called My Mama, Cass. According to a press release, the biopic "is not a Mamas & the Papas biopic" and will focus on Cass, who died in her sleep in 1974 in London at the age of 32, with the cause of her death being ruled as a heart attack. According to her autopsy, the singer died in her sleep after feeling unwell the previous evening, and there were no drugs in her system. "I can't believe we're still talking about the sandwich after all these years," Elliot-Kugell told Rolling Stone. "I started running my mom's estate when I was 18. One of the first things I remember thinking is, 'We've got to stop that ham sandwich rumor thing,' because it was so painful. It wasn't enough that we had lost her, to then be [made into] a joke." In the years before, the "California Dreamin'" singer's home in Laurel Canyon, Calif., became a hub for the talented and beautiful in the prelude to the storied 1967 "Summer of Love," welcoming guests from Joni Mitchell to Eric Clapton. Cass was a founding member of the Mamas and Papas vocal group and went on to embark on a solo career after they disbanded. She released her final album, the live album Don't Call Me Mama Anymore, and died a year later. The biopic hasn't yet got a director, although the screenplay is being written by Emma Forrest and is planned to use Cass's voice in songs. Jessica Gunning, who had previously starred on the Outlaws, shot to fame for her portrayal of Martha Scott, a woman obsessed with a struggling comedian, in Baby Reindeer. She's also set to appear in the upcoming The Magic Faraway Tree movie, out on Mar. 27. - The Daily Beast, 2/13/26...... In related news, actress Bijou Phillips, the daughter of Mamas and Papas members, the late John Phillips and Michelle Phillips, is still in urgent need of a kidney, even after receiving hundreds of donor offers from fans after posting about her search online. According to sources close to Phillips, the situation is "touch and go by the minute," and the offers have been "incredible outpouring of support," but "doctors haven't found a match yet," according to TMZ.com. Bijou is seeking kidney donors with blood types B negative, B positive, O negative, or O positive. The model/actress was born with underdeveloped kidneys and had to undergo a kidney transplant nine years ago to manage the medical issue. She has since suffered from serious complications following the initial surgery in 2017, including a serious case of the BK virus. Her original organ transplant failed, leaving her in the life-threatening state she is in now. Bijou is currently hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Phillips divorced That '70s Show star Danny Masteron in 2023, after the actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for two convictions of forcible rape from two separate 2003 incidents. - The Daily Beast, 2/12/26...... 
Interviewed on the LegendsNLeaders podcast, KISS's Gene Simmons reiterated his belief that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame shouldn't induct hip-hop stars, saying the genre "doesn't speak [his] language." During the interview Simmons was explaining that he thinks critics and official musical institutions can't be trusted to determine a band or artist's relevance when he brought up the Rock Hall as an example. "The fact that, for instance, Iron Maiden is not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when they can sell out stadiums, and Grandmaster Flash is," he began. "Ice Cube and I had a back and forth -- he's a bright guy, and I respect what he's done. [But] It's not my music. I don't come from the ghetto. It doesn't speak my language. I said in print many times: Hip-hop does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, nor does opera, symphony orchestras & -- it's called the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame." Simmons continued: "But [Ice] shot back and said, 'No, it's the spirit of rock n' roll.' OK, fine & I just want to know when Led Zeppelin's gonna be in the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. Music has labels, because it describes an approach." KISS was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2014, two years after which Ice Cube earned a spot in the institution's hallowed halls as part of pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A. The latter is one of several hip-hop stars the Hall has welcomed, along with rap icons such as Jay-Z, LL Cool J and Missy Elliott. In the same interview, Simmons also compared Taylor Swift's fame to the Beatles' heyday, calling it "almost cultish." The bassist spoke about how powerful it is as a musician to see fans connect with your music in real time -- something he says is more validating of an artist's dominance than anything else. "The only analogy I can point to is the Swifties of today," he said. "Yes, the songs are cool, and [Taylor's] wonderful, we know her, but it's more than that," he continued. "It's almost a gathering of the tribes & The Beatles had that. It was called Beatlemania. It's almost cultish. You're a member of that, and there's a connection." Simmons' full LegendsNLeaders interview can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 2/11/26...... On Feb. 11 The Eagles added more dates to their 2026 residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, extending their run as the artist with the most dates at the unique immersive venue to 58. The new shows will take place April 10 and 11. The Eagles had previously announced 12 shows for this year: Jan. 23-24, Jan. 30-31, Feb. 20-21, Feb. 27-28, March 20-21 and March 27-28. The band's stint at the Sphere started in Sept. 2024, and they've since added dates a handful at a time, setting the record for the most shows with the announcement of the February dates in October at 52. The previous record belonged to Dead & Co. at 48 shows. - Billboard, 2/11/26...... 
Officials in New York City have announced plans to co-name the Greenwich Village's West 8th Street after guitar god Jimi Hendrix as part of a national education initiative. The ceremony, set for Feb. 24, will take place at the doorstep of Electric Lady Studios, the hallowed recording facility Hendrix founded in 1970 and which remains a premier, operational hub for musical innovation today. Led by District 2 Council Member Harvey Epstein, the street naming serves as the high-profile launch for a national education partnership between Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. and Stevie Van Zandt's TeachRock. This collaboration introduces a new multimedia curriculum, "Jimi Hendrix: Rock's Trailblazing Innovator and Influential Guitarist," designed for middle and high school students. The curriculum utilizes exclusive archival footage from Hendrix's iconic 1967 Monterey Pop performance. Through a partnership with NYU's MusEdLab, students can even use interactive digital tools to experiment with the guitar effects and sonic breakthroughs that defined Hendrix's signature sound. The event brings together Van Zandt, Janie Hendrix (President/CEO of Experience Hendrix), and local educators to bridge the gap between rock history and modern classrooms. "Jimi Hendrix wasn't just a legendary musician; he was a fierce advocate for peace, racial equity, and social justice," noted Epstein. Van Zandt added, Hendrix's story reminds young people that "creativity has no limits." The two add that by connecting one of rock's most historic landmarks to a national network of schools, "Jimi Hendrix Way" ensures that the artist's journey will continue to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers. - Music-News.com, 2/12/26...... A new immersive David Bowie show, "David Bowie: You're Not Alone," is coming to London in April, showcasing some of the iconic musician's most famous performances as well as rarely seen material. The show contains a mixture of rarely seen and never-before-exhibited material selected from thousands of hours of film from the David Bowie Archive in New York, from Space Oddity to "Heroes" to Blackstar. The 360 immersive experience is produced by Lightroom, which has previously collaborated with the likes of David Hockney and Tom Hanks, and written and designed by Mark Grimmer of 59, the creative director for the V&A's "David Bowie Is" exhibition, as well as Tom Wexler. Performance footage is combined with photography, drawings, lyrics, personal notes and audio recordings, with the film structured in thematic chapters in a looping presentation. Among the footage included is a somewhat awkward transatlantic TV interview with Russell Harty in 1975 and the reconstructed set of the "Diamond Dogs" tour. As with previous Lightroom exhibitions, the footage will be projected all around the cube-shaped room, placing visitors at the centre of his live performances. As for the music, each track has been newly reconfigured to work with Lightroom's specialised spatial audio system to guide guests through Bowie's illustrious career. One of Bowie's most famous songs, "Heroes," has seen a huge streaming surge in recent weeks after being featured in the final episode of Netflix's Stranger Things. According to Luminate data, the track saw a boost of almost 500% on streaming services. - NME, 2/10/26...... 
John Fogerty is set to receive the Johnny Mercer Award, the Songwriters Hall of Fame's top honor, at the annual SHOF Induction and Awards Gala on June 11 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York. The Mercer Award is reserved for a songwriter or songwriting team who has already been inducted into the SHOF and whose body of work is of such high quality and impact that it upholds the high standards set by Johnny Mercer, the lyricist on such standards as "Moon River" and "The Days of Wine and Roses." Fogerty was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of Creedence Clearwater Revival. He's the 12th person to be inducted into the Rock Hall as a performer and also receive the Mercer Award from the SHOF. He follows Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Carole King, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Dolly Parton, Phil Collins (inducted into the Rock Hall as a member of Genesis), Elton John, Van Morrison, Lionel Richie and Neil Diamond. SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers praised Fogerty as "one of those rare talents who is unmistakably himself." "His style of composition is rock and roll mastery," Rodgers said. "It's what I've always personally believed in, something I call 'The art of complex simplicity.' He's done what I believe all great songwriters do. He makes us feel. He deserves this award as much as anyone who's ever received it, or will receive it, in the future. I send my congratulations to John Fogerty." - Billboard, 2/10/26...... Catalog company ABKCO, owner of the Rolling Stones music catalog, says its recent court victory over unlicensed music in classic rock documentaries provides key clarity on the limits of "fair use," a hot-button issue in the AI-focused copyright conversation of 2026. On Feb. 4, a New York federal judge held filmmaker Robert Carruthers and his company Coda Publishing liable for infringing 80 songs owned by ABKCO and Universal Music Group (UMG) in documentaries about the Rolling Stones, ABBA, U2, Elton John, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Carruthers had argued that the critical commentary included in the documentaries renders them fair use -- a tenet of copyright law that allows unlicensed works to repurposed for "transformative" creations. But Judge Katherine Polk Failla said simply getting a few critics to juxtapose "hot takes" next to reproduced videos does not "in any way transform the songs about which they are speaking." Fair use is a big deal in current copyright law ecause of artificial intelligence. Across dozens of lawsuits across the country, technology developers have argued that the "transformative" nature of AI makes it fair use for them to train models on existing work without paying for licenses. Now that the judge has rejected Carruthers' fair use defense and granted judgment in favor of ABKCO and UMPG further litigation will ensue to determine what kind of financial damages are owed. Judge Failla has ruled that Carruthers' infringement was willful, which could entitle the music companies to enhanced damages. - Billboard, 2/9/26...... 
In other Rolling Stones-related news, Mick Jagger's fiance Melanie Hamrick has been left "shaken" and "heartbroken" after being attacked outside a London club. The former ballerina revealed on her Instagram Stories on Feb. 10 that she was grabbed from behind outside the private members' club Annabel's in London's Mayfair district. "This is incredibly hard to share, but I was physically attacked at Annabels Mayfair tonight (sic)," Hamrick wrote in a since-deleted post. "I'm so thankful to my friends for protecting me. Two people grabbed me from behind and thank god for good people who stepped in to help me." Melanie added, "I'm shaken, sad and heartbroken that people can treat each other this way." According to The Sun, the attack was an opportunistic mugging attempt outside the upscale venue. Hamrick, 38, has been in a relationship with the Stones frontman since 2014. After two years of dating, they welcomed their first child together -- a son named Deveraux -- in 2016. The boy is Jagger's eighth child. Hamrick confirmed speculation that she and Jagger were engaged in an interview with Paris Match in Apr. 2025, revealing that she and the 82-year-old had been engaged "two or three years," but were in no rush to get married. "Maybe one day we'll marry, maybe not," she said. "We are so happy in our current life that I would be too afraid to change anything. We try to support each other, be there for each other, and make sure everyone is happy. That's all that matters to me and all I strive for." Jagger was previously married to Bianca Jagger from 1971 to 1978 and has been in long-term relationships with Marianne Faithfull, Jerry Hall and L'Wren Scott. - Music-News.com, 2/11/26...... A cassette recording of Ozzy Osbourne rehearsing in 1980 has been unearthed in an attic. Labelled "Ozzie Last Day," the cassette is an early listen at what would go on to become the heavy metal legend's first work with his solo band. The 12-minute bluesy jam session captures Ozzy alongside his beloved guitarist Randy Rhoads, as well as bassist Bob Daisley, ahead of the recording of the Blizzard of Ozz album. As reported by Sky News earlier in February, the recording was discovered in the attic of David Jolly, who befriended Ozzy after a turbulent period saw him fired by Black Sabbath and had started to put together his solo band. Daisley, now the only surviving member of that era, confirmed the authenticity of the tape to Sky News, telling them the recording took place prior to the trio aligning with drummer Lee Kerslake. "As soon as I heard it, I thought, 'Yes, that's us, that's Ozzy's voice,'" Kerslake said. "I don't know if we were auditioning a drummer and just loosening up a bit, or we're just clowning about but it wasn't a song we were working on because we had definite songs by then, we had several songs." In June 2025, it was announced that a compilation of demos that Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward recorded in 1969, back when they still went by the name Earth, was to be released under the title Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes. That release didn't wind up happening, and Ozzy's wife/manager Sharon Osbourne spoke out against the project in November, issuing a detailed social media post outlining Black Sabbath's legal position, which disputes the legal ownership of the recordings. The "Ozzie Last Day" cassette can be checked out on YouTube - NME, 2/8/26.
Seventies artists Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Nile Rodgers & Chic and ZZ Top guitarist/vocalist Billy Gibbons will be among the headliners at the upcoming 2026 Love Rocks NYC Benefit concert that supports the delivery of nutritious meals for people affected by serious illness in the NY area. The 10th annual charity show will also feature performances by the likes of Mary J. Blige, Hozier, Goo Goo Dolls, Jon Batiste and Susanna Hoffs, among others. Since its founding in 1985 in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, God's Love We Deliver has served more than 40 million meals to those in need, with 2026 marking the organization's 40th anniversary. In 2025, according to a press release, the organization's cooked, packaged and home-delivered four million medically tailored meals to 15,000 New Yorkers living with and affected by severe illness. Since 2017, the Love Rocks NYC concerts have raised $65 million, funding 6.5 million meals to New Yorker affected by illness. A trailer for the show has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 2/9/26...... 
Interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning on Feb. 8, Eagles co-founder Don Henley said his Grammy-winning California rock band will disband after it completes its residency at the Sphere venue in Las Vegas at the end of February. Asked if the Eagles are finally going to quit, Henley said, "You know, I think this year will probably be it. And I've said things like that before, but I feel like we're getting toward the end... And that will be fine too." When asked if it's definitely the end for the band, which formed in 1971, he added: "I think so, yeah. And I'm OK with that." Henley went on to reveal he is hoping to spend more time with his family and tending to his garden as well as travelling when he no longer has to consider his responsibilities with the group. "I would like to spend more time with my family and I would like to spend more time growing vegetables and I'd like to... I've traveled all over the world, but I haven't seen much of it because we see the airports and the hotel room and the venue, and we don't get out much, you know," he said. "And so I'd like to go back to some of the same places I've been and see more of those places, you know, before it all disappears or it gets vaporized or whatever." The Eagles, who have been playing shows on their lengthy "The Long Goodbye" tour, recently became the first group with an album certified quadruple diamond platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for their 1976 hits collection Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975. Henley said he now feels more comfortable playing the band's classic hits because they are what the fans want to hear at the shows. "After a while, you learn to make friends with the songs. It's not about us. It's about what they mean to the people we're playing them for," he said. "You have to play every night with your heart in it. Music is medicine. And people need some medicine right now." - Music-News.com, 2/9/26...... In an apologetic message to his fans on his Neil Young Archives website on Feb. 6, Neil Young revealed he is canceling his planned 2026 tour dates with his Chrome Hearts band in the U.K. and Europe, saying "this is not the time." "I have decided to take a break and will not be touring Europe this time," the message begins. "Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. I'm sorry to let you down, but this is not the time. I do love playing LIVE and being with you and the Chrome Hearts." He signed the note: "LOVE Neil" and "be well." Young and the Chrome Hearts had been set to kick off the European jaunt on June 17 in Bodelva, England, and were scheduled to perform through July 26 in Udine, Italy, with Elvis Costello and the Imposters set to open on select dates. Young's Chrome Hearts band includes guitarist Micah Nelson, bassist Corey McCormick, drummer Anthony Logerfo and organist Spooner Oldham. Young recently made headlines when he pledged to give his music to anyone in Greenland after Pres. Donald Trump's administration announced plans to seek U.S. control of the island nation, and spoke out against big corporations such as Apple, Verizon and T-Mobile for supporting the "fascist Trump regime." - Billboard, 2/6/26...... 
Don McLean has marked his 10-year relationship with reality star Paris Dylan in an Instagram tribute of a photo of the couple together in May 2024 when they attended a state dinner at the White House. "Happy anniversary, Paris," McLean wrote in his caption. "We've been together for more than 10 years, and you are the love of my life." Dylan, who turns 32 in February, commented, "Love of my life," with a red heart emoji. The 80-year-old "American Pie" singer and Dylan, who gained notoriety on the MTV reality show Catfish, met in 2016 when Dylan was hired to run McLean's social media accounts. They went public with their relationship shortly before Thanksgiving that year. Dylan later made their romance Instagram official with a birthday tribute to McLean in May 2018. "Happy birthday my baby, my beauty, love of my life, my everything," she wrote alongside the photo of them smiling and hugging. During a 2021 interview with People magazine, McLean called Dylan "the most wonderful person that I have ever known." "I think of her when I sing a lot of my songs. But I especially think of her when I sing that song," McLean said of his 1970 hit "And I Love You So." McLean was previously married to Carol Sauvion from 1969 to 1972, and Patrisha Shnier from 1987 to 2016. He shares two children with his second wife. His marriage to Shnier imploded when he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic violence in 2016. He pleaded guilty to four of six charges as part of a plea agreement and did not receive any jail time. - Music-News.com, 2/8/26...... Posting on Instagram on Feb. 4, Barry Manilow announced that he's postponing his upcoming Las Vegas residency dates as he recovers from his recent cancer surgery. The 82-year-old "Copacabana" hitmaker was forced to postpone his January arena shows to allow him to recover from surgery to remove a "cancerous spot" on his left lung in December, but assured his fans that he would be back performing at his "home away from home" at the Westgate Las Vegas on Valentine's Day weekend. However, now Manilow says that he had to reschedule his February residency shows to ensure he was well enough for his upcoming arena tour. "I'm doing great and recovering very well after my surgery. I've been getting exercise and spending some time in the studio, which has been fantastic," he wrote on Instagram. "With my doctor's guidance and recommendation, however, we have decided to postpone my residency dates at Westgate Las Vegas from February 12-21 so I can stay focused on healing and getting ready for the tour that's kicking off at the end of February. Having a few weeks to rest and prepare is what the doctor ordered!," he added. Manilow's rescheduled arena tour is set to launch in Tampa, Fla. on Feb. 27 and run through to his show in Duluth, Ga. on Apr. 29. Manilow is slated to perform his residency at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on selected weekends throughout 2026. His next shows at that venue are scheduled for Mar. 27 and 28. - Music-News.com, 2/5/26...... The BRIT Awards, the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards, will honor Ozzy Osbourne during its 2026 ceremony on Feb. 28 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. A source told the UK tabloid The Sun that a new "large-scale In Memoriam section of the Brits is being planned" that will not only remember Osbourne and the late Stone Roses musician Gary "Mani" Mounfield, but also "several artists we have lost in the past 12 months." The BRIT Awards, first staged in 1977, are the UK's highest profile music awards show and recognize the best in British and international music. Ozzy died from "acute myocardial infarction" and "out of hospital cardiac arrest," with coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease with autonomic dysfunction as "joint causes" of his death on July 22, 2025. - Music-News.com, 2/7/26...... 
KISS has joined the elite club of a billion YouTube views with their hit "I Was Made For Lovin' You," hitting the 10-digit milestone with the video since it was first uploaded in 2019. Though filmed in 1979 (according to IMDb), the video was posted to YouTube less than six years ago. It features the members of the iconic rock band all dressed up in their signature black-and-white hair, makeup and outfits, performing the classic hit on a stage beneath flashing lights. Long before its triumph on YouTube, "I Was Made For Lovin' You" was a success on the Billboard, peaking at No. 11 on the Hot 100, while the album it hails from, Dynasty, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The song is KISS's first entry on YouTube's Billion Views Club. - Billboard, 2/4/26...... Diana Ross has been tapped to headline the UK's Brighton & Hove Pride 2026 on Aug. 3. "Welcoming the incomparable Diana Ross as our Sunday headliner as a UK live show exclusive is a dream come true," festival managing director Paul Kemp said in a statement. "Her legendary voice and catalogue of hits will be an unforgettable moment in Brighton Pride history." Kickstarting Brighton & Hove Pride this year will be its annual LGBTQ+ Community Parade. The theme the 2026 event is "The Power Of Love" -- which will bring attendees "together in solidarity, resistance and community" as they "strive for equality for all." London-born singer RAYE will headline the opening night of the Pride festival on Aug. 2. More information can be found at www.brighton-pride.org. - New Musical Express, 2/4/26...... In the newly uploaded official trailer for his forthcoming Wings documenary Man on the Run, Paul McCartney wonders "how can I ever do anything that's anywhere as good as the Beatles?" After the Fab Four's contentious break-up in Apr. 1970, the then-27-year-old McCartney was suddenly faced what was perhaps the most daunting second act in pop culture history, and in the film describes that worrisome time and his determination to punch through the fear. "The Beatles had broken up and I was thinking, 'what do I do now?," McCartney says over the strains of the Paul McCartney and Wings' 1974 No. 1 hit "Band on the Run." In voiceover, he continues, " How can I ever do anything that's anywhere near as good as the Beatles?'" But the superstar needn't have worried, as evidenced by the tireless touring and successful recordings he's done in the half-century since. Directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom, Won't You Be My Neighbor), Man on the Run follows McCartney's rebirth after the Beatles' messy dissolution. The movie will be released into theaters for one-night-only by Trafalgar Releasing on Feb. 1. Each screening will also include a bonus conversation between McCartney and Neville. - Billboard, 2/4/26...... 
Appearing in London's High Court during his breach of privacy suit against the UK tabloid Daily Mail on Feb. 6, Elton John condemned what he called a "sickening" press intrusion into his family's private life. John, 78, described how the Daily Mail allegedly breached his family's privacy after the birth of his eldest son, Zachary, in 2010 and reported on his own health in a manner he found deeply distressing. Elton noted that 10 Daily Mail articles published between 2002 and 2015 were based on information obtained unlawfully, and said the intrusion was "truly sickening" and "outside even the most basic standards of human decency." The Rocketman added he felt "passionately" about "how wrong it is that such gross invasions could have been inflicted upon us and our family and friends without us ever knowing." During the hearing, Catrin Evans KC, representing Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers Limited, asked the singer whether he had complained at the time the articles were published, to which he responded, "I can't remember." "We did not know the extent of the seriousness of what had gone on," he continued. "When we knew the seriousness of what had gone on, we took action, because we were outraged." Elton told the court that while he accepts being in the public eye, that does not mean forfeiting his right to privacy, stating that "deeply personal things which I have a right to deal with in private are fair game." John's husband, David Furnish, testified the previous day and told the court that a 2010 article included details from their son Zachary's birth certificate before they had received it themselves. Lawyers for ANL have maintained that the article was sourced "entirely legitimately." - Music-News.com, 2/6/26...... Fred Smith, bass player for the New Wave bands Television and an original member of Blondie, died on Feb. 5 after battling an unspecified "illness long and hard these last few years," his bandmates revealed. He was 77. Smith got his start as the original bassist for Angel and the Snake, which would later become Blondie, in 1974. He left the band the following year to join Television, replacing frontman Richard Hell. He stayed with Television as a core member until their split in 1978, playing on 1977's seminal hit "Marquee Moon" from their debut LP of the same name and 1978's Adventure. After the group's breakup, Smith featured on solo albums for bandmates Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, as well as for other artists including the Roches, Willie Nile, Peregrins and the Revelons. Smith was also part of Television's reunion in 1992, which coincided with the release of their third, self-titled album, and would join them onstage throughout the 2000s. In the Instagram post announcing news of Smith's death, Television member Jimmy Rip remembered the musician as "not only my bandmate for 46 years -- he was my true friend." Rip went on to say that Smith was "the guy you wanted around when road life got wearisome," adding, "His sense of humor, much like his musical voice, was dry, subtle, to the point, hilarious and always left you wanting a more." Rip said they had plans to play music by frontman Verlaine, who died in Jan. 2023, this year, but that it "wasn't meant to be." - NME, 2/7/26...... 
LaMonte McLemore, a co-founder of the '60s/'70s Grammy-winning soul/pop group The 5th Dimension, died of natural causes on Feb. 3 at his home in Las Vegas. Mr. McLemore, who suffered a stroke several years ago, was 90. Born Sept. 17, 1935, in St. Louis, Mo., Mr. McLemore enlisted in the Navy early in life and worked as an aerial photographer. Before setting his sights on dual careers as a music artist and as a professional entertainment and sports photographer for Jet magazine and other publications, the multi-faceted Mr. McLemore sought a baseball career in the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system. An author as well, Mr. McLemore co-authored the 2014 autobiography From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension: A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music with Robert-Allan Arno. A popular crossover fixture in the late '60s and early '70s music scene, The 5th Dimension formed in Los Angeles and was originally comprised of McLemore, Billy Davis Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo and Ron Townson (who died in 2001). Known for its signature silky harmonies and sophisticated fusion of R&B, soul and pop, the group cemented its success through hits such as "Up, Up and Away," "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)," "Wedding Bell Blues," "Stoned Soul Picnic" and "One Less Bell to Answer." During Mr. McLemore's tenure with The 5th Dimension, the group twice won record of the year Grammy Awards for "Up, Up and Away" and "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)," the latter of which spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs have since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. All told, the group received seven gold albums and six RIAA-certified platinum singles. Additional achievements include embarking on a State Department cultural tour in 1973 that brought American music behind the Iron Curtain and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. In remembering Mr. McLemore, the group's bass singer LaRue commented in a press release that Mr. McLemore's "cheerfulness and laughter often brought strength and refreshment to me in difficult times... We were more like brother and sister than singing partners." In a joint statement, McCoo and Davis Jr. said of Mr. McLemore, "All of us who knew and loved him will definitely miss his energy and wonderful sense of humor." Surrounded by family when he died, McLemore is survived by Mieko McLemore, his wife of 30 years, daughter Ciara, (adopted) son Darin, sister Joan and three grandchildren. A memorial service and celebration of life will be announced at a later date. - Billboard, 2/4/26.
In other Grammy-related news, Sharon Osbourne is calling the 2026 show's tribute to her late husband Ozzy Osbourne "a moment carved into musical history." "Last night was bigger than a performance," Sharon posted on Instagram on Feb. 2. "It was a moment carved into musical history. Reminding everyone that rock isn't nostalgia -- it's alive, evolving, and still the heartbeat of music." Her praise was for a performance during the In Memoriam section of the Grammys in which Post Malone and Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash led a group that also included Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, GNR bassist Duff McKagan and producer Andrew Watt , who was behind the boards for Osbourne's final two studio albums, 2020's Ordinary Man and 2022's Patient Number 9. The band thundered through the 1970 Black Sabbath anti-war song "War Pigs," and Sharon re-posted a shot from the performance that included footage of her getting emotional alongside the couple's adult children Jack and Kelly Osbourne. Sharon was also honored for her monumental impact on the music industry at Billboard's Power 100 event over the Grammys weekend, receiving the Visionary Award. Meanwhile, Sharon has revealed that she is "seriously thinking" about running for mayor of Birmingham, the UK home city of Ozzy, in a brief interview with Billboard while on the red carpet for this year's Grammys. Sharon was told by host Leila Cobo that she was getting praise for how well she spoke at one of the Grammy-related events ahead of the Feb. 1 ceremony. In response, Sharon thanked the host for her compliment and suggested that the skill may come in handy soon as she is "seriously thinking about running for mayor of Birmingham." Due to the quick pace of the interview, there was little time for Sharon to expand on why she wanted to run, or how far along she was into looking at the process. Sharon has previously said that she was thinking of getting involved in politics in Birmingham after learning that someone with a terrorism conviction was allegedly seeking a seat on Birmingham's City Council. "This has nothing to do with racism. I think I'm gonna move to Birmingham and put my name down for the ballot to be on the council. I'm serious," she said. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 2/3/26...... David Byrne has added fresh UK and Ireland shows to his "Who Is The Sky?" world tour. The former Talking Heads frontman will now be heading to Dublin (June 7), (July 18), Edinburgh (July 21), and Cardiff (July 26) alongside his already announced headline slot at Latitude Festival in Suffolk on July 24. Byrne toured Australia and New Zealand in January and is set for his first UK and European leg in 2026 across February and March, before heading to North America in the spring -- including slots at both Coachella Festival weekends. His European shows include a mix of headline gigs and festival slots, with the musician set to appear at the likes of Open'er Festival in Poland (July 1) and Bilbao BBK Live in Spain. Byrne is touring behind his his first solo album in over six years, also titled Who Is The Sky?. - NME, 2/3/26...... In other UK touring news, Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton have added more UK and European dates to their "Radio Soul!: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello" tour in June and July. Due to demand, eight dates have been added to bring the total to 13, including a new show at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on June 20 and others in cities including Brighton, Stockholm, Hamburg and Oslo. Costello first announced a five-date tour in December, taking in Birmingham, London, Portsmouth, Newcastle and the TW Classic festival in Werchter, Belgium. He's joined by his band The Imposters, as well as guitarist Sexton, best known for his time in Bob Dylan's band. Sexton joined Costello for the 2021 "Hello Again" tour and has continued to hit the road with him in the time since. Two of The Imposters, keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas, were members of his band The Attractions, which formed in 1977. As the tour's name suggests, the shows will see Costello concentrate on playing material from his earlier discography, including the 1977 debut album 
The years long legal feud between Linda Cummings Ramone, the widow of Johnny Ramone and the late Joey Ramone's brother Mickey Leigh (real name Mitchel Hyman) over the Ramones' legacy has finally reached a resolution. According to a Feb. 2 court filing from music manager Dave Frey, a former board member of Ramones Productions Inc. (RPI), a settlement in an estate dispute has been reached with Hyman, who was previously the other 50% owner of RPI, transferring his share to Linda Ramone per a binding term sheet agreement dated Nov. 18, 2025. Linda Ramone now owns 100% of the shares of RPI and has free rein to fully control RPI. Joey Ramone (born Jeffrey Hyman) and Johnny Ramone (John Cummings), who were not actual brothers, both died in the early 2000s. A 2005 shareholder agreement split the Ramones' legacy exactly 50-50 between each family, an arrangement that spurred years of bitter infighting between Cummings-Ramone and Leigh. - Billboard, 2/3/26...... As The Guess Who frontman Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman recently returned to the stage for the first time in decades, the other half of the band, Guess Who founding drummer Garry Peterson and founding bassist James Kale, has launched a new lawsuit. In a new complaint against performing rights management firm BMI, Peterson and Kale claim they suffered millions of dollars in losses when lead singer/songwriter Cummings terminated his entire performing rights agreement with BMI. Cummings owns the publishing rights to the band's biggest hits, including 
In a new interview with the UK paper Daily Mail, Queen's Brian May has said his band is ruling out a tour in the US anytime soon as America has become a "dangerous place." Queen last hit the road in North America in 2023, as part of their ambitious "Rhapsody Tour" with Adam Lambert. However, May now says that "America is a dangerous place at the moment, so you have to take that into account." Reflecting on how the US had changed since Queen first visited in their early days, May continued: "It's very sad because I feel like Queen grew up in America and we love it, but it's not what it was. Everyone is thinking twice about going there at the moment." The guitarist's comments come amid a troubling period in the US under the administration of Pres. Donald Trump. Many artists and figures from the entertainment world have spoken out recently, as protests continue against the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents, in particular, have triggered outrage across the States. ICE has described its highly controversial actions in Minnesota as "the largest mass deportation operation in American history." Celebrities who have condemned ICE and Pres. Trump include Neil Young, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Green Day, Moby, Duran Duran, Dave Matthews, Stranger Things star Joe Keery and Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthal. - NME, 1/30/26...... In related news, Bruce Springsteen's anti-ICE song "Streets of Minneapolis" has made a No. 1 sales debut on Billboard Digital Song Sales chart dated Feb. 7. The song, which can be streamed on 
The first trailer for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, dropped on Feb. 2 for the new movie that tracks the late King of Pop's growth from child singer to international superstar. "You're confident. You're strong. You're beautiful. You're the greatest of all time," we hear star Jaafar Jackson -- MJ's real-life nephew -- say in a confident pump-up speech to himself at the top of the two-minute preview. Director Antoine Fuqua (Stans, Bullet Train) then zooms out from the period just before Jackson's solo career went meteoric to footage of MJ at his moon-walking, stadium sell-out peak, with the singer's kin effortlessly pulling off the tricky dance moves and Jackson's signature vocal yelps. Fuqua then rewinds all the way back to the beginning, with imperious family patriarch Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo), explaining how things are, and are going to be, to his musically talented family around their Gary, In., dining room table. "Let me tell you somethin'," Joe Jackson says as MJ's 1979 "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" solo hit bubbles up and we see the singer and his brothers in the Jackson Five refining their soon-to-be-chart-topping act. "In this life, you're either a winner or a loser. Y'all want to work in a steel mill like me for the rest of your days?" The $155 million film, two years in the making and originally slated for an Oct. 2025 release, is due out in the US on Apr. 24. The trailer can be watched on 
The home security company Ring is aiming to reunite lost dogs with families in a new ad for the upcoming Super Bowl game on Feb. 7 soundtracked by a No. 1 '70s hit ballad, Harry Nilsson's 
Chuck Negron, a founding member and lead vocalist of Three Dog Night, died at his home in Studio City, Calif., on Feb. 2. He was 83. Mr. Negron died surrounded by family, according to a statement shared with Billboard. No immediate cause of death was announced, though the singer had been living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for decades and had recently battled heart failure. Born Charles Negron II on June 8, 1942, Mr. Negron grew up in the Bronx, where he sang in doo-wop groups before earning a basketball scholarship that brought him to Los Angeles. In 1967, he joined Danny Hutton and the late Cory Wells to form Three Dog Night, a vocal trio built around harmony-driven arrangements and carefully selected songs from outside writers -- a strategy that helped make the group one of the most commercially successful acts of the late 1960s and early '70s. Negron's unmistakable lead vocals powered many of the band's biggest hits, including 
Prolific actress Catherine O'Hara, known for her roles in Home Alone, Schitt's Creek and Best in Show, died on Jan. 30 following a brief illness. She was 71. Over a career that spanned more than 50 years, O'Hara left an indelible impression on audiences with her searing wit, subtle eccentricity and fearless pursuit of a good laugh. Born on Mar. 4, 1954, in Toronto, O'Hara's career in Hollywood began with the Canadian sketch comedy series Second City Television. That show earned the beloved actress her first PrimeTime Emmy Award, an accolade that she'd again win in 2020 for her performance in Schitt's Creek. O'Hara's first credited Hollywood movie is 1980's Nothing Personal, she then went on to star in 1980's Double Negative and 1983's Rock & Rule before playing the memorable role of Gail in Martin Scorsese's After Hours, which was released in 1985. Her stardom continued to rise after playing Delia Deetz in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, released in 1988. Just two years later, she starred as Kevin McCallister's mom, Kate McCallister, in Home Alone. She reprised this role again in the sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Following that, O'Hara voiced Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas and appeared in movies such as 1994's Wyatt Earp, 1996's Waiting for Huffman, 1997's Pippi Longstocking, 2000's Best in Show, and 2004's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, among many other titles. Her career had a major renaissance in her 60s when she starred as Moira Rose in the popular Schitt's Creek sitcom alongside Eugene Levy, Dan Levy and Annie Murphy. She recently played Patty Leigh in the first season of Seth Rogen's Hollywood sendup The Studio, and Gail Lynden in Season 2 of HBO's zombie apocalypse drama The Last of Us, both of which earned her 2025 Emmy nominations. Additionally, O'Hara reprised her Delia Deetz character in the Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and voiced a character in the award-winning The Wild Robot movie released in 2024. "Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more," her Home Alone costar Macaulay Culkin poignantly posted after her death. "I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say." - ComingSoon.net, 1/31/26.
As Minneapolis and other locations in America are struggling with the controversial arrest and deportation tactics of the US immigration agency ICE under Pres. Donald Trump's administration, Neil Young has declared he is done with the "fascist Trump regime" -- and all the companies he claims are financially backing it. On Jan. 29, the Canadian-American singer-songwriter took to his Neil Young Archives site to post a 
Deceased Seventies artists Ozzy Osbourne and Roberta Flack are among the musicians set to be honored at the 2026 Grammy Awards. In honor of late heavy metal pioneer and Black Sabbath frontman Osbourne, Post Malone will join forces with Guns N' Roses members Slash and Duff McKagan, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith for a performance. They will also be joined on stage by renowned producer Andrew WattThey will also be joined on stage by renowned producer Andrew Watt, who worked with the Prince Of Darkness on his last two solo albums: 2020's Ordinary Man and 2022's Patient Number 9. Osbourne died in his family home in Buckinghamshire following a heart attack last July, aged 76. Lauryn Hill will take to the stage to honor R&B/jazz star Flack, who died in Feb. 2025 after battling ALS for the past few years. The Recording Academy announced that there will be special tribute performances held for the late artists, which also include neo-soul icon D'Angelo, during the ceremony. Lifetime Achievement awards will be presented to Carlos Santana and Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin will also be honored with the Trustees Award. The 68th annual Grammys are set for Feb. 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET and run until 11:30 p.m. ET. Those without cable subscriptions can watch through services like YouTubeTV and FuboTV. - New Musical Express, 1/29/26...... In other Ozzy Osbourne-related news, Ozzy's widow Sharon Osbourne revealed in a recent interview that she is considering bringing OzzFest back, and it could return as soon as 2027. Speaking to Billboard, Sharon said that she had been "talking to [concert promoter] Live Nation" about having the live music event return. "It was something Ozzy was very passionate about: giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people," she said. "We really started metal festivals in this country. It was [replicated but] never done with the spirit of what ours was, because ours was a place for new talent. It was like summer camp for kids," she added. Sharon went on to say that while nothing had been set in stone yet, the festival could be launching as soon as 2027. However, the event would now be centering on multiple different music genres, rather than just rock and metal. Ozzy and Sharon began the hard rock and metal festival 30 years ago, with its inaugural edition taking place in Oct. 1996 and spanning two days. The following year it expanded into a full-blown tour rather than a one-time event, and then continued annually almost every year up until 2018 (although it reverted to a single-day event from 2008). - NME, 1/29/26...... 
Leo Sayer has announced plans for what will be his final full UK tour, confirming a major 23-date run for autumn 2026. The 
Legendary Jamaican musician Lowell "Sly" Dunbar, one-half of the prolific reggae songwriting/producing duo Sly & Robbie, reportedly died at his home in Kingston, Jamaica on Jan. 26. He was 73. Working with longtime partner bassist Robbie Shakespeare (who died in 2021), Dunbar was one half of the dynamic duo that provided the thrumming backbeat to reggae classics from the likes of Black Uhuru, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer, Gregory Isaacs and countless others. Born Lowell Fillmore Dunbar on May 10, 1952 in Kingston, Jamaica, Dunbar got his start playing in a group called the Yardbrooms at age 15, before moving on to the group Skin Flesh and Bones and his first recording session with Lee "Scratch" Perry and the Upsetters' on the 1969 single "Night Doctor." That same year he also played on Dave and Ansel Collins' Double Barrel album, with the title track hitting the top of the U.K. singles chart. His life and career would change forever when he met Shakespeare in 1972, with the pair who shared similar musical sensibilities ranging from homegrown Jamaican riddims to Motown and soul music developing a close relationship with Tosh, with whom they recorded five albums. Sly and Robbie appeared on late great Tosh's beloved 1977 LP Equal Rights, as well as 1978's Bush Doctor and 1983's Mama Africa, which became Tosh's highest-charting album in the U.S. when it hit No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The hard-working pair -- who are believed to have appeared on more than 200,000 tracks, including remixes and songs that sampled their work -- also had a long and fruitful working relationship with rock icon Dennis Brown, performing on more than a dozen albums by the "Money In My Pocket" singer and serving time in the Revolutionaries, the house band at Jamaica's legendary Channel One studio. Known as the Riddim Twins, the duo developed a number of signature grooves over their four-plus decade career, including the "rockers" rhythm, which helped them inject some energy into the popular 1970s and 80s "one drop" reggae rhythm. Working with Shakespeare, Dunbar carved a wide path through music, performing on a trio of Bob Dylan albums in the 1980s, as well as playing on albums by Joan Armatrading, Jackson Browne, The Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Grace Jones, Yoko Ono, Sinead O'Connor and Carly Simon, among many others. "As one half of Sly & Robbie, Sly helped shape the sound of reggae and Jamaican music for generations," read a statement from his family posted on TMZ.com. "His extraordinary talent, innovation, and lasting contributions will never be forgotten. Sly's music, spirit, and legacy touched people around the world, and we are deeply grateful for the love and support during this difficult time." - Billboard, 1/26/26.
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Appearing on the BBC's Eras program on Jan. 26, Phil Collins gave fans another health update as he continues to face a number of challenges, explaining that his issues are "an ongoing thing." Collins, who turns 75 on Jan. 30, spoke candidly about the level of treatment he requires on a daily basis to keep him going after a 2007 spinal injury left him with myriad health challenges. "I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication, as I should do," he said. "I've had challenges with my knee," he continued. "Everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me I can walk, albeit with assistance -- crutches or whatever." The "In the Air Tonight" singer's update comes about six months after a rep confirmed that the musician was in the hospital for an operation on his knee, shutting down rumors at the time that the Genesis icon was in hospice. Collins has been battling medical challenges for nearly two decades now as a result of his spinal injury, which caused nerve damage and drop-foot. Since 2015, he's used a cane to walk and has had difficulty standing for long periods, much less getting behind the drumset. "It's still kind of sinking in," he said in the Dec. 2024 documentary Drummer First. "I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock." But in his latest interview with BBC, Collins gave fans a flicker of hope. Noting that his recent knee surgeries and sobriety have him feeling "totally mobile and healthy," Collins said he's hoping to "have a fiddle about" in the studio soon to "see if there's more music." He added, "You've gotta start doing it to see if you can do it." - Billboard, 1/23/26...... After the surprise release of his 13th solo album BRITPOP on Jan. 16, British pop star Robbie Williams has topped The Beatles' all-time record for the most UK Number One albums. In Jan. 23, the UK Albums Chart confirmed that the 26-year-old pop sensation's latest album was his 16th chart-topper of his solo career, which puts him ahead of the Fab Four, who scored 15 UK Number One albums. "This is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable," Williams told BBC News. "I've always said my success has been the equivalent of stretching an elastic band from Stoke-on-Trent to the moon. Well, I reckon the elastic band just got longer, and now it's orbiting Venus." He added: "It's just sensational what has happened. I feel like the Forrest Gump of pop." Following Williams and The Beatles in the all-time list are The Rolling Stones (14), Taylor Swift (14), Elvis Presley (13), Madonna (12) and Bruce Springsteen (12). BRITPOP had been postponed from its original release date of Oct. 2025 to this February, however it was decided to release the album a few weeks earlier. Williams has sold a reported 80 million albums throughout his career to date, while The Beatles remain the best-selling act of all time with sales over an estimated 600 million. - NME, 1/23/26...... In other Beatles-related news, Ringo Starr's drummer son Zak Starkey has revealed that the notoriously quarrelsome Noel and Liam Gallagher brothers of alternative faves Oasis "never even argued once" while he sat behind the kit with the ban. Starkey, who was The Who's long term drummer until 2025, performed with Oasis from 2004-2008. During Starkey's tenure with the band Liam stormed offstage mid-way through "Champagne Supernova"' during the Heineken Jammin' Festival in Italy, in June 2005. Liam and Noel were also seen having having cross words in the band's 2007 documentary Lord Don't Slow Me Down during the "Don't Believe The Truth" world tour. Despite that, Starkey said they never argued in his company. "I played with them for five years, and all we did was laugh. They never even argued once. Not one time," he told the New York Post. "We toured for 140 shows. We made two great records. We rehearsed. We hung out all the time. Never one. Never one cross word in five years," he added, noting the brothers "never complained about anything, ever." Starkey had left the band before the bust up that led to their split in Paris in 2009, with Chris Sharrock taking up drumming duties. - NME, 1/21/26...... 
The Eagles continue to soar high into the 21st century as their 1976 hits collection 
The Beach Boys' long-shelved "Adult/Child" sessions are finally being released within the new boxset We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years. The release focuses on the late Brian Wilson's return to group recording in the mid-to-late '70s, with a newly remastered edition of their 1977 LP The Beach Boys Love You, along with material from the 15 Big Ones sessions, Love You, and the Wilson-produced Adult/Child recordings that never received a full release. Posting on Instagram, the band said: "Introducing 'We Gotta Groove,' our latest box set. The collection is based around Brian Wilson's return to the group projects, and includes a newly remastered version of 'The Beach Boys Love You,' as well as key tracks from the '15 Big Ones' sessions, 'Love You,' and the unreleased Brian Wilson-produced 'Adult/Child' sessions. The package also spotlights studio outtakes, demos, and alternate mixes. Our newsletter subscribers sold out the pre-order with their VIP entry on our official store, so don't miss out on this limited re-stock!" To preview the project, The Beach Boys have shared a previously unheard outtake from The Beach Boys Love You titled "We Gotta Groove (2025 Mix)" on 
Sixty-seven years after they first made the U.S. hit parade with the classic "Shout - Part 1," The Isley Brothers will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ronald Isley (age 84) and Ernie Isley (age 73) will accept the honor Jan. 28 at 11:30 a.m. PT at 7051 Hollywood Blvd. Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Publishing, and Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Terry Lewis are set to speak at the ceremony. Melvin Robert, entertainment anchor at L.A. station KTLA, is set to emcee. The event will be streamed live exclusively at WalkOfFame.com. The Isley Brothers' biggest hits include "It's Your Thing," "That Lady (Part 1)" and "Fight the Power Part 1," all of which made the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. They have also landed two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 -- 
Roger Waters is standing by insensitive comments he made about Ozzy Osbourne shortly after the heavy metal legend's death in July 2025. "He was all over the TV for hundreds of years with his idiocy and nonsense," Waters said at the time during an interview with The Independent Ink podcast. "I don't care about Black Sabbath, I never did, I have no interest in biting the heads off chickens or whatever they do. I couldn't care less." The comments drew sharp criticism from Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne, who took to social media to call out the Pink Floyd co-founder for being "pathetic and out of touch," adding: "My father always thought you were a c-nt -- thanks for proving him right," as well as Ozzy's widow Sharon Osbourne, who said "He has no charisma, he looks like Frankenstein... The guy is sick in the head, he is not relevant in today's world... Nobody likes him" during an episode of The Osbournes podcast. Now, in a new interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, Waters was asked about his remarks and whether he regretted saying them so soon after Osbourne's death. "Those comments, I'm not denying that I said them, came in the middle of a long interview," Waters admitted before defending them. "Do I have to like every rock group that ever was or people who bite the heads off bats?" Asked whether he would apologize to Sharon, Waters said that he would not. "I obviously had no idea that Sharon Osbourne would be watching a podcast," Waters replied. "Not that I have any time for Sharon Osbourne, she's a raging Zionist... and she's accused me of all kinds of things... because she's part of the Israeli lobby." As for the rest of the family, Waters said, "Listen, Jack... if he wants to have a chat, I'll have a chat with him. And I won't be nasty to him." Morgan's full interview with Waters can be streamed on 
Alice Cooper was the first interviewee on the critically acclaimed Rock & Roll High School podcast which launched its fifth season on Jan. 17. To open the season, host Pete Ganbarg sat down with the legendary shock-rocker for a wide-ranging interview that included such striking revelations as the creation of Cooper's quintessential teenage rebel track, 
Keith Richards has teamed up with Gibson Guitars to launch a Custom 1960 ES-355 electric guitar. The new collaboration between the Rolling Stones legend and the iconic guitar manufacturer features two models: the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector's Edition, Signed Guitar and Label -- of which only 50 are available at $29,999 -- and the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355, Signed Label -- which is released in a limited run of 100, priced at $19,999. Richards has a long history with the model, having first used one in 1969 during the recording sessions for Sticky Fingers and later in 1972 for Exile on Main St. He's also played his black 1960 model on every Rolling Stones tour since 1997. The new recreations are exact replicas of Richards' own instrument, created using "advanced 3D scanning, period-correct materials and construction techniques" and "hand ageing" to mirror the original, per a press release. "This is my standard-tuning six-string; this is the other side of my thing," Richards shared in an interview about the collaboration. "My six-string stuff has always been, you know, a great Gibson - that's where I feel the most comfortable. And also with the sound. Put it through just about any amp, and it will sound the way you want it, because this has so much more room for expression." Fans can view the new models at the Gibson Garage locations in Nashville and London, and view them all online at Gibson.com. A video featuring Richards introducing the new 1960 ES-355 models can be viewed on 
As Dolly Parton turned 80 years old on Jan. 19, the country music queen and 2022 
Fashion designer Valentino Garavani, known for his high-glamour gowns -- often in his trademark shade of "Valentino red" -- died at home in Rome on Jan. 19, his foundation announced. He was 93. "Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision," the foundation said in a statement posted on social media. Universally known by his first name, Mr. Valentino was adored by generations of royals, first ladies and movie stars, from Jackie Kennedy Onassis to Julia Roberts and Queen Rania of Jordan, who swore the designer always made them look and feel their best. "I know what women want," he once remarked. "They want to be beautiful." Mr. Valentino was never one for edginess or statement dressing, and made precious few fashion faux-pas throughout his nearly half-century-long career, which stretched from his early days in Rome in the 1960s through to his retirement in 2008. His fail-safe designs made him the king of the red carpet, the go-to man for A-listers' awards ceremony needs. His sumptuous gowns have graced countless Academy Awards, notably in 2001, when Juia Roberts wore a vintage black and white column to accept her best actress statue. Cate Blanchett also wore Valentino -- a one-shouldered number in butter-yellow silk -- when she won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2004. Mr. Valentino was also behind the long-sleeved lace dress Jacqueline Kennedy wore for her wedding to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1968. Kennedy and Mr. Valentino were close friends for decades, and for a spell the one-time U.S. first lady wore almost exclusively Valentino. He was also close to the late Princess Diana, who often donned his sumptuous gowns. Mr. Valentino, who retired in 2008, has been the subject of several retrospectives, including one at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, which is housed in a wing of Paris' Louvre Museum. He was also the subject of a hit 2008 documentary, Valentino: The Last Emperor, that chronicled the end of his career in fashion. His body will repose at the foundation's headquarters in Rome on Jan. 21 and 22. The funeral will be held on Jan. 23 at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome's Piazza della Repubblica. - Billboard, 1/19/26.
The so-called "secret daughter" of late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has died at the age of 48. Identified only as "B," the woman's existence first came to light in May 2025 in the Mercury biography Love, Freddie written by Lesley-Ann Jones. Jones claimed Freddie kept a close relationship with "B" until his death in 1991, and that he would visit her regularly and give her 17 volumes of detailed personal journals. On Jan. 15, "B''s husband Thomas told the UK outlet Daily Mail that his wife died "peacefully after a long battle with chordoma, a rare spinal cancer" and has left behind "two sons aged nine and seven." Thomas also said that "B" was "now with her beloved and loving father in the world of thoughts," and had her ashes scattered over the Alps. Lesley-Ann Jones also shared a statement following news of "B"'s death, telling The Indendent: "I am devastated by the loss of this woman who became my close friend, who had come to me with a selfless aim: to brush aside all those who have had free rein with Freddie's story for 32 years, to challenge their lies and their rewriting of his life, and to deliver the truth." Jones also alleges that the Queen songs "Don't Try So Hard" and "Bijou" were written about "B." When Love, Freddie was first released, it was believed that only Mercury's inner circle were aware of "B"'s existence. Mercury died in 1991, aged 45, of bronchial pneumonia caused by Aids. - New Musical Express, 1/15/26...... The Michael Jackson accuser Frank Cascio and his parents and siblings are protesting an effort by the Jackson estate to keep their claims behind closed doors. The family, who Jackson groomed, manipulated and molested them for decades -- from the late 1980s until his death in 2009 -- appeared in a Beverly Hills courtroom on Jan. 14 seeking to void a "purported settlement" with the estate that they describe as "an unlawful agreement to silence victims of childhood sexual abuse." Marty Singer, a lawyer for the estate, told the court that the Cascio family members signed an initial deal with the estate in Jan. 2020, then later re-negotiated it for "significantly more money upfront," and now are seeking to file a public lawsuit that would violate the arbitration and confidentiality clauses of the original pact. "We categorically dispute these claims," Singer told the court, referring to the claims Jackson subjected all five Cascio children to sexual abuse. "The reason this case is going forward is because there was an extortion demand of $213 million last summer." Mark Geragos, lawyer for the Cascios, told the court the family had felt coerced into signing the agreements. The rushed process was intended to, and did, in fact, take advantage of the Cascio siblings' shock and trauma upon realizing this had happened to all of them, unbeknownst to each other and contrary to what they had been told," Geragos wrote in a filing in Oct. 2025. Ironically, Geragos previously represented Jackson when the pop star was under criminal investigation for child molestation in 2003. The "Thriller" singer was charged and later acquitted at a trial in 2005. After hearing the Cascios' arguments, the judge declined to issue an immediate ruling on the estate's petition to force the family into confidential arbitration. - Music-News.com, 1/15/26...... 
Ten years after his passing, David Bowie is being remembered for a #163;10,116 donation toward a local hall car park in the quiet Warwickshire, UK village of Binley Woods. According to a report by the BBC, the unlikely connection began in 2014 when Norman Miller, then a member of the village hall committee, decided to write to Bowie with a bold request. Hoping to raise funds for a much-needed car park, Miller invited the "Thin White Duke" to perform a benefit concert at the humble village hall. While Bowie's son, filmmaker Duncan Jones, initially replied that his father was not taking on new work due to his health, Miller was undeterred. Over the next two years, he sent a steady stream of letters filled with family anecdotes, local football updates about the Coventry City "Sky Blues," and jokes. On Jan. 10, 2016 -- the day Bowie passed away -- Miller received an unexpected follow-up from Duncan. The family revealed that Miller's persistent correspondence had not been in vain; the letters and jokes had genuinely brightened David's final days. In a gesture of "marketing genius" and profound gratitude, the estate offered the village exactly £10,116 -- a figure reflecting the date of his death (10/1/16). "I went to the bank and showed them the letter," Miller told the BBC, admitting he originally feared it was a scam. "They said they'd opened an account with nothing in it, and then the money was transferred the day he died." Paul Salisbury chair of the parish council, confirmed the funds covered the crucial deposit for the construction. A decade later, the site remains affectionately known by locals as "the car park David Bowie paid for." Without that final gift, Salisbury notes, the project likely would have remained an unfinished jigsaw. It stands as a quirky, heartfelt testament to the power of a well-timed joke and the quiet generosity of the iconic "Thin White Duke." - Music-News.com, 1/12/26...... On Jan. 14 London's High Court began hearing a lawsuit brought against Sting by his former The Police bandmates claiming some $2 million in unpaid streaming royalties. Guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland are taking legal action against Sting (real name Gordon Sumner), arguing they are entitled to the added royalties. None of the band members was in court at the start of a two-day preliminary hearing. Sting is contesting the pair's claim that they are entitled to "in excess of two million US dollars" in so-called performance royalties of songs recorded as The Police, according to the court documents. None of the band members was in court at the start of a two-day preliminary hearing. The plaintiffs are relying on a nearly 50-year-old verbal agreement stipulating that each member of the group should receive 15% of the royalties generated by the other members' compositions. As the trio's composer of all the band's hits, from "Roxanne" to "King of Pain," Sting receives by far the largest share of the group's royalties. The original agreement acknowledged the, at times, crucial contributions of the other two members, such as Summers' guitar arpeggios on The Police's biggest hit, "Every Breath You Take." The verbal agreement reached in 1977 was later formalized through a written agreement in 1981. A further agreement reiterated, albeit vaguely, the terms in 1997, before the existence of streaming. The dispute concerns the classification of revenue generated from services such as Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music for the purpose of royalty distribution. But only mechanical royalties are included in the 2016 agreement, something Summers and Copeland consider contrary to the spirit of the original 1977 agreement. The pair are demanding their share of all streaming revenue. Representatives for Sting, who sold his catalogue to Universal in 2022 for a reported $250 million, have called the legal action an "illegitimate" attempt to reinterpret the agreement. - AFP, 1/14/26...... 
After the Beatles broke up in 1970, Paul McCartney released two successful solo albums, but then formed Wings as an attempt to get back into a band setting. Following a slightly rocky start, Wings went on to become a phenomenally successful unit during its 10-year run with such his as "Band on the Run," "My Love," "Jet" and "Live and Let Die," and scoring five No. 1 albums in the US before disbanding in 1981. Now a new Wings documentary from Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville, Man on the Run, has been released that chronicles Macca's journey in forming Wings with his wife Linda McCartney and features previously unseen and rare archival footage. In the 
ABBA's latest crowning achievement is scoring its first No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart with its 1992 greatest hits release, Gold: Greatest Hits, nearly 50 years after the group first topped a Billboard chart. Gold: Greatest Hits, which includes many of the quartet's most enduring hits -- among them "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia" and "Take a Chance on Me" -- is ABBA's first career No. 1 on the Dance Chart ranking. The collection leads the current chart with 15,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the Jan. 2-8 tracking week, according to Luminate. Beyond the dance charts, Gold: Greatest Hits has also been a mainstay on the all-format Billboard 200. The set has spent 411 weeks on the chart and counting -- it sits at No. 80 on the chart currently -- making it by far the longest-charting album of ABBA's catalog. The group's next longest-charted release, the earlier Greatest Hits, spent 61 weeks on the chart in 1976-79. Meanwhile in other chart action, Fleetwood Mac's 1975 track "Landslide" has debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 pop songs chart, debuting at No. 41 on the Jan. 17-dated chart. "Landslide," from Fleetwood Mac's 
NBC has announced it plans to revisit one of its iconic 1970s series with a reported new reboot now in development. The network has ordered a pilot for a new 
The "long, strange trip" of Bob Weir came to an end on Jan. 10 after the Grateful Dead guitarist/singer/songwriter died of an underlying lung condition after battling cancer. He was 78. "It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir. He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues," his family announded via his Instagram account. The statement went on, "For over 60 years, Bobby took to the road. A guitarist, vocalist, storyteller and founding member of the Grateful Dead, Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music." Diagnosed with cancer in July 2025, Weir began treatment weeks before returning to the stage for a three-night celebration of 60 years of music at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Calif. "Those performances, emotional, soulful, and full of light, were not farewells, but gifts," his family shared. "Another act of resilience. An artist choosing, even then, to keep going by his own design. There is no final curtain here, not really. Only the sense of someone setting off again. And so we send him off the way he sent so many of us on our way: with a farewell that isn't an ending, but a blessing. A reward for a life worth livin'." Weir's Dead & Company bandmate John Mayer, who formed the band with Weir in 2015, also paid tribute following his death, posting a black-and-white photo of the musician on Instagram on Jan. 11 and writing a short but poignant tribute. "Okay Bob. I'll do it your way. Fkn' A... Thanks for letting me ride alongside you. It sure was a pleasure (sic)," he wrote. "If you say it's not the end, then I'll believe you. I'll meet you in the music. Come find me anytime," he added. The original line-up of Dead & Company featured former Grateful Dead members Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, as well as Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. The band, which primarily performed Grateful Dead covers, went on several tours and even embarked on a Las Vegas residency. They last performed in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to celebrate the Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary in Aug. 2025, marking Weir's final live shows. Hart, longtime drummer for Grateful Dead and Dead & Company, also paid tribute to Weir, describing him as "a little brother to me for almost sixty years." "He was my first friend in the Grateful Dead. We lived together, played together, and made music together that ended up changing the world," he said in a Facebook post. "What was a lifetime of adventure boils down to something simple -- we were family and true to the music through it all... Still cannot believe he's gone. I miss you so much already, dear friend." Hart and Kreutzmann are now the last surviving original members of the Grateful Dead. Weir was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with his bandmates in 1994, and was a Kennedy Centre Honoree in 2024. He is survived by his wife, Natascha, and their two daughters. - Music-News.com, 1/11/26.