In a new interview with the UK paper The Guardian, Art Garfunkel hinted that he is considering "leaving America" due to global warming and Pres. Donald Trump. "I don't like America's position at all," the legendary pop singer said. "I'm not aboard, and I'm thinking of leaving the country, frankly. It's real that the planet is getting warmer, that the water's rising, that so many people are starving," he added. Garfunkel continued: "When Donald Trump took over Venezuela, are those the new rules? Just take over a country and run it? It's shocking, and you think: how on earth are we gonna change the presidency?" His comments come eight months after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro in Caracas and brought him to the United States to face federal charges. But despite his pessimism he added: "Trump won't last forever. So we've got to hope." Garfunkel, 84, is gearing up for his 2026 "What a Wonderful World Tour" and is scheduled to play London's Royal Albert Hall in October. - New Musical Express, 9/6/26...... 
KISS has scored its highest-charted title on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart in more than a decade, as its new live album KISS Destroys Anaheim '76 debuts at No. 8 on the list dated Sept. 5. KISS Destroys Anaheim '76 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the group's Aug. 20, 1976 show at the Anaheim Stadium, where the band played to its largest audience at the time: 42,000. As part of KISS' "The Spirit of '76 Tour" (also known as the "Destroyer Tour"), the recording was newly mixed for its first official public release across an array of physical and digital formats. The album boasts recordings of KISS favorites like "Detroit Rock City," "Strutter," "Shout It Out Loud" and "Rock and Roll All Nite." The set has also debuted on an array of other Billboard charts: Indie Store Album Sales (No. 8), Vinyl Albums (No. 16), Top Hard Rock Albums (No. 12), Top Rock & Alternative Albums (No. 48) and the overall Billboard 200 (No. 173). On the latter, the set marks KISS' 37th chart entry. The archival project brings the band to its highest rank on the Top Album Sales tally since 2012, with the group's final studio album, Monster, debuted and peaked at No. 3 in Oct. 2012. - Billboard, 9/3/26...... Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has recalled his final conversation with Ozzy Osbourne, which took place the night before the Heavy Metal icon died. Appearing on the Loudwire Nights podcast, the guitarist reflected on the grief he'd experienced for his former bandmate. "He was really happy with it, that we could do it, you know," Iommi said of the historic 2025 "Back to the Beginning" charity concert. Iommi then went on to discuss his last chat with Osbourne. "In fact, I spoke to him the night before he passed," he remembered. "He said to me, 'I really feel tired and really worn out'. I said, 'Well, you're bound to really, it's been a lot of stress and pressure and stuff like that'. And the next thing, the next day, [he's] gone." The guitarist opened up about how he still struggles to believe that Osbourne is no longer around, saying: "It still feels like he's there." He admitted that he found some elements of the gig hard, because of the frontman's ill health. "It was difficult because seeing Ozzy sitting in a throne is not the way I see him," Iommi explained. "Always [when] we've been on stage, he's been running around, and he'd run up to Geezer [Butler] and pull a face jokingly and come over to me and pull a face or the drummer or whatever. We always had a little laugh on stage and enjoy when he'd run about." Iommi continued: "But at 'Back To The Beginning', of course, he's in a throne, and I couldn't see him, which felt very unusual. I stood back by Bill [Ward]. But it was a great moment, and I'm really glad we could get the opportunity to do it, because I mean, God, we didn't know he was going to go that quick. "But he did. There's memories that will remain there, from rehearsals to the whole thing I am glad that we could do that gig." - NME, 9/4/26...... 
London's Wembley Park has unveiled a 30 ft. anamorphic mural of Freddie Mercury across its Spanish Steps to celebrate what would have been the Queen frontman's 80th birthday on Sept. 5. Titled "I'm Mr. Mercury," the hand-sprayed vinyl artwork was created by British street artist Frank Styles. Applied across all 58 Spanish Steps -- which connect Wembley Stadium and OVO Arena Wembley -- the installation features a monochromatic portrait of Mercury set against graphic elements inspired by his life and passions. Designed as an anamorphic image, the complete portrait aligns when viewed from a marked yellow circle opposite the steps. Moving away from the specific viewpoint causes the artwork to resolve into abstract shapes and lines. The surrounding design includes koi carp, reflecting Mercury's love of Japanese culture and his London home's garden, alongside winged female figures referencing his Virgo star sign and the Queen crest he designed. Quotes and selected lyrics also trace up the steps toward Wembley Stadium. Commenting on the artwork, Queen's manager Jim Beach said: "Freddie was known to millions around the world as the frontman of Queen but off stage, he was a quiet and humble man, happy at home surrounded by the things he loved most. 'I'm Mr. Mercury' perfectly captures the beautiful complexity of Freddie." Artist Styles added: "As a trained graphic designer himself, Freddie was very aware and precise about the visual feel and so I have endeavoured to follow his ethos in the conscious creation of this mural." "I'm Mr. Mercury" is free to view and will remain on display through to Dec. 2026. - Music-News.com, 9/5/26...... Roger Daltrey has confirmed that Zak Starkey has rehearsed with The Who, ahead of a possible reunion tour just over a year after his departure from the group after the two had an "acrimonious" fallout after a gig in 2025. Speaking to LifeMinute.com, Daltrey said of the drummer: "He's not Keith Moon, but he's come very close." When asked directly if a reunion with Starkey was possible, Daltrey replied: "I don't know. We did a rehearsal recently, and Zak was the drummer. We love Zak, but sometimes the road doesn't like Zak. Sometimes it gets on top of him, and it becomes difficult." He continued: "He was drumming at the rehearsal, and we did the rehearsal to see if we can possibly do shows next year. Still hit the notes, still get the drive. Who music demands an incredible amount of drive, and without that, it would be Herman's Hermits without the Herman." The flare up between Starkey, Daltrey and Townshend started during a 2025 performance of "The Song Is Over" when Daltrey stopped and complained that he could not hear the key over the drums, and the band were subsequently reported to have fired Starkey following an "acrimonious" fallout. Starkey said he was "surprised and saddened" by the decision, maintaining that he did not believe there had been a problem with his performance. Days later, Townshend announced that Starkey was "not being asked to step down." However, in May The Who confirmed that the drummer had left the band again, stating that "the time has come for a change". Starkey disputed the suggestion that he had chosen to leave, claiming he had been asked to "lie" and say he had quit to pursue other projects. "I love The Who and would never have quit," he wrote at the time. In August, Starkey appeared to be playing with The Who again, with both he and Daltrey confirming that they had rehearsed together. - NME, 9/3/26...... 
Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen has been appointed a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in recognition of his contribution to the country of his birth and his remarkable career and influence on musicians around the globe. Van Halen was appointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw) on Sept. 1 in Nijmegen, the Dutch city where he and his brother Eddie spent a good chunk of their childhood. It's one of the country's highest civilian orders, given only to those who "make extraordinary contributions" to society. Van Halen, 73, was on hand for the ceremony at the Berchmanianum, the academy building of Radboud University, where mayor Hubert Bruls presented the royal honor and spoke of Van Halen's role in writing a "remarkable chapter in the history of rock music." Speaking on the sidelines, Van Halen remarked: "My cousin organized most of this. I'm very grateful. I think institutions like this are important in people's lives because it adds a dignity and a gravity to what we do. Whether it's actually deserved or not, that's another question. But we can live up to it. That's the whole thing, is you got to have something to live up to." Alex also signed Nijmegen's Book of the City, a tome reserved for distinguished visitors, inking his name in its pages alongside Bruce Springsteen and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. "Alex still feels a connection with Nijmegen," reads a statement from the city, "and Nijmegen in turn honors the band." Alex's band Van Halen was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. They scored five No. 1 albums on the Billboard chart and more than 20 hits on the Hot 100 songs chart, including the 1984 smash single "Jump," which logged five weeks at No. 1. - Billboard, 9/3/26...... Stevie Nicks' Fleetwood Mac classic "Landslide" will appear on the soundtrack of the upcoming movie Practical Magic 2. The news comes two days after Nicks and Olivia Rodrigo sang the song together at the latter's inaugural Daisy Chain Fields charity festival in Irvine, Calif. After Daisy Chain Fields, leading lady Sandra Bullock -- who stars opposite Nicole Kidman in the original Practical Magic and upcoming sequel -- reshared a video of Nicks and Rodrigo performing together and wrote, "Angel voices that are part of an upcoming film." It led to initial speculation that the two singer/songwriters were planning to team up on a collaborative song for the fantasy romance, rather than contribute separately. Nicks was one of three special guests who joined Rodrigo onstage at Daisy Chain Fields, alongside Sara McLachlan and Alanis Morissette. Practical Magic 2 hits theaters Sept. 10. - Billboard, 9/2/26...... Sean Ono Lennon and his longtime girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl announced the birth of their first child, a boy, on Sept. 1. The news came in an Instagram post from the couple in which they proudly cradled their bundle of joy between them with the caption, "@charlottekempmuhl and I have created a Human Bean! His name is Aurelius. Thank You!" Ono Lennon is wearing a black shirt, black sailor's cap and black eyeglasses, as Muhl stands beside him a flowing white top, with Aurelius splitting the difference as he sleeps in Ono Lennon's arms in a black and white striped onesie. The newborn is the first grandchild of Yoko Ono and late Beatles member John Lennon, who was murdered by shooter Mark David Chapman outside The Dakota apartment building in New York on Dec, 8, 1980 when Ono Lennon was just five years old. Ono Lennon, 50, shared several other snaps, including on in which he stares intently into the lens while snuggling with Aurelius, as well as one of his partner of nearly 20 years, 39-year-old Muhl. She is an American-born model and Ono Lennon's bandmate in their band The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. The couple got well-wishes from a number of musicians and actors, including drummer Zak Starkey, son Ringo Starr who wrote "Amazing," as well as actresses Liv Tyler and Ione Skye, Bijou Phillips and former Lennon/Ono publicist Elliot Mintz, who wrote, "there are some moments in life that are perfect. this is one of them." Earlier in 2026, Ono Lennon released the third studio album with his longtime collaborator, Primus' Les Claypool, The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy. - Billboard, 9/2/26...... 
David Byrne has written a song for a "scathing" new Elon Musk documentary, and the lyrics are reportedly only comprised of the billionaire's quotes. The new feature-length documentary is made by Alex Gibney, whose previous projects include Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief, The Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley, and the Oscar-winning Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room. Described as a "definitive and unvarnished examination" of the billionaire tycoon, Musk is set to open in cinemas on Oct. 16, and has already been criticized by Musk -- who described the 235-minute film as a "hit piece." Now, it has come to light that David Byrne has made a song especially for the documentary, and it will be comprised entirely of Elon Musk quotes. The former Talking Heads frontman wrote the song alongside composer Daniel Pemberton (Project Hail Mary), and it is titled "Let Me Sell You A Dream." "I asked for good quotes from the Martian and found more of them online," Byrne told Variety. "I'm sure he loves dropping these wild statements, and those became the lyrics. All his own words. No editorialising. Straight from the man's mouth to mine." - NME, 9/3/26...... Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has signed on as executive producer for the forthcoming documentary Freedom Theatre. Directed by Rishi Pelham, the film follows resistance fighter turned artist Ahmed Tobasi as he fights to keep a theatre open in the middle of the Jenin refugee camp in Palestine. Variety reports that the film took five years to shoot, and is intended for a tour of film festivals, heading to Venice this month to look for potential distribution partners. Pelham told the outlet: "I didn't intentionally set out to make this film. I kept returning to Jenin, to the theatre, to the camp, and over time the story insisted on being told. What drew me in was the tension between two worlds: the black-box rehearsal room, sealed and controllable, and the camp outside, alive, volatile, and impossible to contain. Slowly, these spaces began to bleed into one another." Roger Waters has been a longtime supporter of Palestine. In 2024, he urged followers on social media not to vote for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in the US election due to their respective stances on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. More recently, last July, he voiced his support for Palestine Action after the organisation was proscribed as a terrorist group under the Terrorism Act 2000. - NME, 9/2/26...... Gary Glitter has pleaded not guilty to eight charges of historical sexual offences in the UK against a girl aged between eight and 11. The disgraced singer and convicted child sex offender, whose real name is Paul Gadd, entered his pleas at Southwark Crown Court on Sept. 2. Appearing via video link from prison, the 82-year-old denied four charges of indecent assault of a girl under 13, two counts of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and two counts of indecency with a child under 13. Gadd replied that he was "absolutely not guilty" to two of the charges before repeating "not guilty" to the remaining six. All eight counts relate to the same complainant and the alleged incidents occurred between March 1978 and December 1981. Gadd has been accused of giving the girl chocolate and inviting her to his home in West London, where the offences are said to have taken place. Judge Tony Baumgartner remanded Gadd in custody and adjourned proceedings ahead of a three-week trial set to start in November 2027. Gadd rose to fame as Gary Glitter during the 1970s, releasing hits including "Rock And Roll (Parts One And Two)" and "I'm The Leader Of The Gang (I Am)." He is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2015 of sexual offences against three schoolgirls. - NME, 9/2/26...... 
Gloria Steinem, the celebrated author and activist who became the most visible symbol of the U.S. women's movement and remained a fierce and eloquent advocate for equality for six decades, died on Sept. 2 at her home in New York City, according to a post on her social media page. She was 92 and had recently completed a memoir, to be released this fall. "Gloria's greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard," the post said. "Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves." Ms. Steinem began her career as a journalist, notably reporting in 1963 on degrading conditions in Hugh Hefner's Playboy empire -- an undercover assignment she later came to regret. She credits a meeting six years later, where women spoke out in favor of abortion rights, with changing her career path. "That speak-out was the beginning of activism for me," Ms. Steinem, who had undergone a secret illegal abortion herself at age 22, told the AP in an email in 2022, reflecting on the reversal of Roe v. Wade. "Either our control over our own bodies is equal, regardless of sex or race, or we're not living in a democracy." Born on Mar. 25, 1934 in Toledo, Oh., Ms. Steinem was in her 30s when she joined the editorial board of New York magazine, and her writing became more political. In 1969, she went to cover an abortion rights hearing. She had never told anyone about her illegal abortion at 22, in London. That was the moment, she has said, that triggered her career as a women's rights activist. Ms. Steinem founded the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971 along with Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm and Bella Abzug. Time hardly slowed Ms. Steinem down; through her 80s, she was traveling the globe and speaking out on issues of importance to her. These included everything from genital mutilation to Korean reconciliation, but it was equality for women that took precedence. "Being a feminist means that you see the world as whole instead of half," she once said. "It shouldn't need a name, and one day it won't." As the years went on, Ms. Steinem's visibility endured. A few days after her 85th birthday, she was leading a women's "talking circle" at an off-Broadway play celebrating her life, where one by one, women in the audience -- many fighting tears -- rose to thank her and tell their own stories of discrimination. In 2020, her life was the subject of a feature film, The Glorias. On Jan. 21, 2017, when hundreds of thousands of women gathered in Washington in their pink "pussy hats" for the historic Women's March, it surprised nobody that the keynote speaker, and the most rousing, was Ms. Steinem. "We are linked," she told the crowd. "And this is a day that will change us forever because we are together." Ms. Steinem was remembered on social media by the likes of Madonna, Carole King, Bette Midler, Jennifer Lopez, Diane Warren and Miss Piggy. "Thank U for fighting for us Gloria. Fight in Power Forever," Diane Warren posted on Instagram. Carole King also reflected on the generations who will continue Steinem's work, sharing a photo of the activist in her younger years. "As we elders, our daughters, and our granddaughters continue the fight for power, equality, and respect, we hold you in our hearts with love and gratitude," the singer/songwriter wrote. "Rest in peace and power." Bette Midler paid tribute to Steinem's role in reshaping what women believed was possible, writing that she and the women who worked alongside her "lit the way for every woman with a dream." "We owe her so much," Midler added. "Thank you, Gloria, and bravo." - AP, 9/3/26.
Monday, September 7, 2026
Favorite Seventies Artists In The News
Friday, August 28, 2026
Favorite Seventies Artists In The News
Bruce Springsteen joined forces with the Asbury Park, N.J., band Bleachers at Shadow of the City Festival on Aug. 28. "There's nothin' like playing at home. There's nothing like being 16 years old and having to sell a certain amount of tickets so you can play inside the Pony, and it's just your cousins at the show," Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff told the crowd. "There's nothing like playing in the place you wrote the songs from. There's nothing like going through a lot, then being reunited with your people. It means the world, everybody. It means the world to be supported by you and my friends and my family." As Antonoff began playing a cover of Tom Waits' "Jersey Girl" (which was famously covered by Springsteen in 1985), the Boss walked out on stage to join him. They then launched into a rendition of "Chinatown," which has been shared on YouTube. Springsteen and Bleachers first collaborated in Dec. 2020, recoridng a stripped-back rendition of "Chinatown" on the roof of Electric Lady Studios in New York City. After that acoustic version, they performed it together once before its fully electric form in 2022. Springsteen's 2026 "Land Of Hope And Dreams" tour wrapped up in Philadelphia in May, a trek inspired by his objection to the administration of Pres. Donald Trump and ICE's killing of two citizens in Minnesota. Trump called on his supporters to boycott the "overpriced concerts," while Springsteen branded him a "President who can't handle the truth" at the first show. - New Musical Express, 8/31/26...... 
In related news, '70s/'80s hitmaker Christopher Cross delivered a lighthearted apology to Canadians at a recent concert in Toronto on Aug. 30, telling the audience that he's "sorry and embarrassed" that the U.S. president has embroiled the United States in a trade war with the Great White North. In between songs at RBC Amphitheatre, the "Sailing" singer took a moment to address the ongoing tensions between his home country and the one he was visiting. "I want to tell you how much we love your country and appreciate your country very much," Cross said on behalf of his band. "I'm just very sorry and embarrassed that we have an ahole for a president." Cross also asked the Canadians in the crowd not to "give up" on America. "We have an election coming up, and we're gonna do our best to fix it," he continued. "Then we'll be buying all your s--t again and you'll be buying all our s--t... we can be victims of corporate greed together." Then Cross said that was "enough preaching." "I'm sure you'll be reading in the paper where I've been ejected from my country, but that's OK. I wanted to say what I had to say," he added. The U.S. and Canada have been at odds since August, when trade negotiations between the two countries turned to the implementation of tariffs affecting the prices of a number of products. Cross's latest album, Take Me As I Am, was released in 2017. His two U.S. No. 1 hits include "Sailing" (1980) and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (1981). - Billboard, 9/1/26...... Rod Stewart's wife Penny Lancaster has assured his fans that he'll "come back stronger than ever" following his heart operation. Stewart, 81, was forced to cancel the remaining dates on his 2026 North American tour in August to recover from a routine coronary stent procedure. Sharing an update on his health, Lancaster told the Press Association that the "Maggie May" musician was "back at full speed in his day-to-day activities" and will eventually be strong enough to perform again. "I mean, he does not sit down, I can never find him, he's, you know, he's got his hobbies, I mean he's just been in the gym working out, but we were under strict instructions about the level of workout he could do, and it's a gradual, build him up, build him up, kind of thing," she said. "But he's going to come back stronger than ever, I found it hard enough as it was to slow him down so now he feels like he's got a new lease of life." Lancaster added that Stewart was "devastated" to cancel his tour dates and "can't wait to see his fans again" when he gets back out on the road next year. Lancaster, who has been married to the rocker since 2007, also pointed out that Stewart's high-energy performances are similar to "running a sprint." "I did have to explain to the doctor what Rod's performances are like, he doesn't just sit down on a stool or behind a piano, he runs around for nearly two hours with four different costume changes because he's sweating through everything," she stated. In addition to the last dates on his "One Last Time Tour," Stewart also had to cancel his Encore Shows residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. A stent is a small tube that acts like a scaffold to help keep a narrowed or blocked artery open, restoring blood flow. - Music-News.com, 1/9/26...... The estate of Prince released a funky, career-spanning 10-song vault collection called Timeless on Aug. 28 in memory of the 10th anniversary of the artist's death. The Estate -- which released the set in partnership with Legacy Recordings-- said it represents the first-ever Prince release to cover every major era of the singer's career, spanning recordings tracked when he was a Minneapolis teenager in 1977 through ones cut in 2016. Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose on Apr. 21, 2016 at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota. In addition to the album, the estate dropped an official video for "The Guilty Ones" on YouTube, featuring a compilation of live and music video footage spanning the singer's career. The Timeless album can also be streamed on Spotify.com. The release is part of a year-long commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Prince's death. - Billboard, 8/28/26...... 
Dolly Parton was laid to rest in a private family funeral in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 28, three days after her passing at age 80. The country legend was buried next to her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in 2025 at 82. Dolly's great niece, Lainey Parton confirmed details about the private ceremony in an Instagram post. "This is a really hard post for me to make. I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words," she wrote. The funeral for the singer who died following what was described as a brief battle with cancer was held at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville. While no further details about her funeral were provided, Parton's nephew, Brian Seaver, revealed in a video that his aunt had a special request for how she should be buried. "Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy," Seaver said. "He farmed the soil. She farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest." In a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Dolly said she wanted an old country-gospel hymn, "If We Never Meet Again" that was her father's favorite and played at his funeral, played at her funeral instead of one of her chart-topping hits. On Aug. 29, Doly was honored by her fellow country stars and peers at the Grand Ole Opry, where Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll, Kathy Mattea, Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle, Channing Wilson and Parton's niece, Jada Star took the stage at the Nashville institution that inducted Parton into its ranks in 1969. Writing on Instagram, the Opry said: "There are artists who make country music. And then there are artists who become part of its very heart. That's Dolly Parton." The Opry also dedicated its regularly scheduled Saturday night show to Parton. Other tributes include a two-day dual city "Dollyfest," set for Nashville, Tenn. and London, England, across two consecutive weekends in 2027. The event had originally been planned as a multi-artist event for January 2026 and was slated to feature Parton as both a performer and host. The fest will now transform into an international, two-day and double-weekend party to honor the multi-hyphenate singer, songwriter, entertainer, philanthropist, author and businesswoman. Specific dates and/or potential performers will be announced at a later date. The east Tennessee native is also set to be honored by the University of Tennessee football team with a commemorative helmet sticker that every Vols player will wear for the entire upcoming season, according to Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel. Huepel said the players' helmets will be adorned by an orange butterfly inscribed with the "Jolene" singer's "Dolly" signature. Also, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee confirmed on Aug. 28 that the Nashville airport will be renamed in honor of Dolly following a petition reaching over 160,000 signatures on a petition on Change.org. "Dolly Parton's extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state," he said. "At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state's favourite daughter and greet travellers with the enduring legacy of Dolly's music, generosity, faith, and kindness," he added. Meanwhile, Parton's musical catalog experienced a vault of 1,143% in official on-demand streams in the United States week over week following her Aug. 25 death, according to Luminate. In the Aug. 21-27 tracking period, Dollys's music was streamed 116.7 million times in the U.S., up from 9.4 million streams the previous week (Aug. 14-20). On Aug. 26, the day after her death, Parton was the most streamed artist in the U.S., with 54.3 million streams occurring that day; the next closest act, Drake, earned 41.9 million. Top streamed songs include "Jolene" (10.2 million streams), "I Will Always Love You" (6.5 million streams), "9 to 5" (9.5 million streams) and "Coat of Many Colors" (4.5 million streams). Along with Ultimate Dolly Parton on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, Parton appears with The Essential Dolly Parton (No. 85, 14,000 units). Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection joins both sets on Top Country Albums (No. 41, 9,000 units). Across the pond, Dolly is on track to claim her first-ever U.K. Number 1 single with "9 to 5," following an outpouring of love from fans following the country legend's death. Her other classics, including "Jolene" and "Islands in the Stream," are also dominating the upper reaches of the U.K.'s Official Chart forecast. - Billboard, 8/31/26...... 
The Who's Pete Townshend says he's "working on getting well" so he can play with his legendary band "in the future," after announcing he was pulling out of Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival due to ongoing health issues. Townshend, 81, has suffered damage to his left foot and is experiencing balance problems. Despite pushing hard to recover in time for the Sept. 26 and 27 event at the Moody Center in Austin, Tex., he says the long flight from the U.K. isn't sensible in his current condition. "I'm so sorry to say that due to damage to my left foot, and subsequent issues with my balance, I cannot commit to travel to appear at the upcoming Crossroads Festival in Austin," Townshend posted to X/Twitter. "I so desperately wanted to appear, and have battled to get in shape, and I am improving, but the long flights from London, and the jetlag on my return, would cause backtracking I really can't afford." Townshend has instead made a generous $50,000 donation to Clapton's Crossroads Center -- a drug treatment clinic near St Philip's, Antigua -- via his own charity, Double O, which supports addiction-recovery organizations. He continued: "I am making a $50,000 donation to the festival cause from my charity Double O, and one day I hope I can accept Eric's invitation to appear with him. He has now asked me several times. There has always been some issue, in this case it is my recovery from my knee replacement in February of 2025, and some complications." He closed by saying, "Meanwhile I will keep working on getting well so I can work with Roger [Daltrey] and The Who in future." The post was captioned: "We love you @PeteTownshend_, feel better and we are so appreciative of your donation (sic)." The Who played what was billed as their last ever shows in 2025. Meanwhile, it appears that The Who is re-hiring drummer Zak Starkey ahead of a possible European tour after an acromonious split between the two parties in 2025. "We had a rehearsal recently to make sure we can think about doing some shows in Europe," Starkey recently told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Roger Daltrey added that Starkey had been behind the kit and that "it sounded great." Starkey later shared a screenshot of the report on Instagram. "Nice one Rog x," he wrote. "Lookin forward to tearin it up with The Who again The rehearsal was great. I don't think we've ever rehearsed as tough as that usually we drink tea and talk about what time we're going home!" Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr, began playing with The Who in 1996 and remained their touring drummer for nearly three decades, but his position was suddenly thrown into doubt following the band's Teenage Cancer Trust shows at London's Royal Albert Hall in March last year. During "The Song Is Over," Daltrey stopped the performance and complained that he could not hear the key over the drums, and the band were subsequently reported to have fired Starkey following an "acrimonious" fallout. Starkey said he was "surprised and saddened" by the decision, maintaining that he did not believe there had been a problem with his performance. He had also recently recovered from a serious blood clot in his leg. Elsewhere, Roger Daltrey has said he believes social media is "destroying civilization." Daltrey, 82, blasted Gen Z and influencers for their dependence on social media and insisted "everybody's screaming" at each other online but no one is listening. According to DailyMail.com, he told the audience during a recent gig at Yaamava' Resort Casino in Los Angeles: "When you think about it, we've got this new world of social media which seems to be destroying civilization. I think. A platform for everybody to scream at each other, but nobody's f------ listening. "So, everybody's screaming. Oh, yeah. What's that all about? And how many friends have you really got when you look at 'Oh, I got all these likes'. That's just your ego. Let it go. Let it go. It's not worth it. So, when it comes to the end, and I'm getting close. Closer than you think. How many friends have you really got? We did a song once. How many friends have you really got? You can count them on one hand. Never a true word was written." Daltrey followed his rant about today's youth by playing his teen rebel anthem "My Generation." - Music-News.com/New Musical Express, 9/2/26...... 
R&B icon Gladys Knight has announced that she is "easing into fewer performances" to spend more time with her family. Knight, 82, recently posted on Instagram that "After much soul searching I've decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward. I'll be spending more time on projects with my husband and visiting with my grandbabies and am looking forward to this new era." Her decision comes after some performances that didn't hit her high standards. In August, Knight and Smokey Robinson performed at the Hollywood Bowl. While Robinson appeared to have not lost a step, Knight wasn't her typical self. "She relied heavily on her three back-up singers, who even took lead parts on occasion. She didn't introduce them, or any of her six musicians, or speak to the audience in any meaningful way beyond banalities like 'you're so beautiful.' She never mentioned Robinson," a reviewer for Billboard reported from the scene. Sadly, Knight "barely got through this show, and only by leaning heavily on her backup singers. Artists need to know when it's time to bow out gracefully." As the leader of Gladys Knight And The Pips, the legendary singer helped shape the sound of Motown in the 60's and 70's: "Midnight Train to Georgia" was a No. 1 hit and instant classic, but the soul act's run extended long after that 1973 hit. In recent years, Knight has been a regular on the awards circuit. She was saluted by the Recording Academy in 2024 with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the previous year received the National Medals of Arts, the United States' highest award given to artists and their patrons. Kennedy Center Honors came in 2022. Knight, along with her backing group, The Pips, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. - Billboard, 8/28/26...... David Byrne's latest international tour is coming to theaters, with the hometown concerts being shot on 70mm film by director Brady Corbet. Launching in Sept. 2025, Byrne's "Who Is The Sky?" tour travelled to four continents and over 150 shows, with 13 musicians creating what the press release described as a show that "blends visual art, storytelling, and music into one compelling live performance." The tour's multi-night stop at Baltimore's The Hippodrome has been captured by Corbet, and Byrne was quoted in a press release at being amazed by the results. "When Brady told me he wanted to shoot our show in 70 millimeter (70 millimeter!) I didn't realize what a difference it would make until I saw some frames he sent me," shared Byrne. "He was right, it really does capture the wide screen visual scope of the show. I've never seen anything like it." Brady Corbet is best known as the director of The Brutalist, winning Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for the epic drama as well as earning three Oscar nominations. He has also directed The Childhood of a Leader with Robert Pattinson and Vox Lux starring Natalie Portman. The film is currently in post-production, with distribution and release date yet to be announced. Byrne has previously worked with award-winning filmmakers before, such as Jonathan Demme on Talking Heads' seminal concert movie Stop Making Sense, as well as Spike Lee on the 2020 stage production "David Byrne's American Utopia." - NME, 8/28/26...... Cher has slammed her daughter-in-law Marieangela King-Allman, painting her as a fame seeker "on a quest for money." The "Believe" singer recently filed court documents arguing against King-Allman becoming guardian of her song, Elijah Blue Allman. Elijah, 50, is currently under a psychiatric hold at a New Hampshire psychiatric/correctional facility as he faces multiple criminal charges over two separate incidents -- one in which he broke into a house, and another in which he created a "disturbance" in the dining hall of a local private prep school. While Elijah and Marieangela are still technically married, Cher's legal team argued they were long estranged and that her daughter-in-law was merely seeking fame and fortune. "The New Hampshire State Hospital, and the rest of the family remain adamantly opposed to Mrs. King-Allman serving given her estrangement from Elijah," court documents filed by Cher's lawyer, Justin Gold, stated. "As evidenced by the previously pending divorce, her refusal and failure to assist Elijah and Kayti Pease while he was struggling before he was arrested in New Hampshire, and/or because the family believes that she is inserting herself back into the picture on a quest for money and/or a bit of fame." In the court filing, Cher claimed Marieangela had done nothing to assist Elijah in the aftermath of his arrests and hospitalisation. "Mr. Allman's condition was not unknown to her, as Kayti Pease had repeatedly and often requested that Mrs. King-Allman assist her in providing care for Mr. Allman," the filing said. "Mrs. King-Allman never lifted a finger to help, despite the fact that Mr. Allman was supposedly her spouse. Now that a conservatorship is pending, Mrs. King-Allman clearly sees a financial opportunity to control his income, and she has attempted to seize the opportunity created by his incarceration to try to reinsert herself back into his life." - Music-News.com, 9/1/26...... 
The celebrity gossip site TMZ.com is reporting that Lionel Richie checked himself into intensive care shortly after his performance in St. Louis on Aug. 29. The outlet reported the news of the Grammy winner's hospitalization amid his "Sing a Song All Night Long" tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. During the show, he had asked his team to bring him a chair while performing encore song, "All Night Long." The American Idol judge, 77, previously cut a concert short in St Paul, Minnesota, on 24 June after falling ill on stage. During that show, which was the first of his tour, Richie told the crowd he was feeling dizzy and performed "Dancing on the Ceiling" while seated, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. "When you're feeling dizzy, sit your ass down," he joked, before sitting down at a piano to perform "Three Times a Lady" and then taking an impromptu intermission. Richie postponed two shows in the aftermath of that incident, as his doctors advised he "rest and return to full health." The former The Commodores member and '80s/'90s superstar later assured fans he was "doing well" in an Instagram post. Thank you for every message, every kind word, and for all your love. I'm doing well, and I'm grateful for all of you," he shared. Richie is next scheduled to perform on Sept. 26 in San Francisco. - Music-News.com, 9/1/26...... The Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter have announced a raft of new dates for their forthcoming winter "50 Years Of Punk" tour. Earlier in 2026, they announced an arena tour marking five decades since punk's most momentous year, with 1976 seeing the original line-up play a series of legendary gigs in now mythic venues like The Marquee, The 100 Club, The Nashville and the El Paradiso strip club. A series of headline dates kicking off at Dublin's 3Arena on Dec. 7 along with further dates at Edinburgh's Corn Exchange (12/9), Glasgow's O2 Academy (12/10), and London's Brixton Academy (12/18) and Eventim Apollo (12/20) were initially announced. Now further dates at Leeds O2 Academy (12/4), Newcastle NX (12/5), Liverpool Olympia (12/12), Birmingham O2 Academy (12/14), Portsmouth Guildhall (12/15) and Bristol Prospect Building (12/16) have been added to the schedule. A flurry of incendiary shows came before they recorded 1977's seminal Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols were maybe best immortalized by their stop at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall. Widely considered some of the most influential shows of all time, the two shows at the Manchester venue are credited with inspiring musicians who'd go on to be in bands including Joy Division, The Smiths and The Fall. The band, reformed with Carter as vocalist in 2024 -- initially to raise funds for London's Bush Hall venue but have since played everywhere from Australia to Japan, making several stops at European festivals and playing a show at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust. - NME, 9/1/26.
Reaction to the sudden death of Dolly Parton on Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer continues to reverberate around the world days after the country music queen's passing. A petition advocating for the Nashville International Airport in her native Tennessee to be renamed Dolly Parton International Airport in honor of the singer has exploded on Change.org after it was originated by Nashville comedian Lydia Popvich in 2025. Popvich updated the pitch on Aug. 26, noting that it retained a key supporter in Tennessee State Sen. Todd Warner, who she said had pledged to introduce legislation to make the name change happen. In addition, Nashville City Council member Russ Bradford responded to the petition, writing, "I'm proud to sponsor a resolution asking the Metro Nashville Airport Authority to consider renaming BNA to Dolly Parton International Airport." Meanwhile, Parton's Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., announced that it would remain open after her passing. 
"Dolly's heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams," a statement on its website by park president Eugene Naughton said in part. "While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates." Parton has made frequent visits to the park over the years, including its 40th anniversary celebration in Mar. 2025, which took place less than two weeks after the death of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean. She was scheduled to appear at Dollywood a couple of weeks prior to her death to support the opening of its new NightFlight Expedition ride, but canceled due to then-unspecified health issues. Elsewhere, Dolly's Imagination Library program has been honored by the Library of Congress. The organization shared a tribute to the singer on Aug. 25, shortly after news of her dying at the age of 80 was shared earlier that day. "The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of @DollyParton, a music legend and titan of children's literacy," the federal establishment wrote on X. "Her Imagination Library program has earned multiple Library Literacy Awards and, in 2018, she visited us to donate its 100 millionth book to our collection and host a story time," the post continued, alongside a sweet photo of Parton reading a book to a group of enraptured children seated on the floor in front of her. Elsewhere, it has been revealed that the country music icon left behind a song more than a decade before her death that she specifically instructed would not be heard until her 100th birthday in 2046. At Dollywood's DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., sits a locked chestnut box containing a recording of an unreleased Parton song called "My Place in History." The song was written in 2015, the same year the resort opened, and Parton specifically arranged for it to be unveiled on what would have been her 100th birthday: Jan. 19, 2046. Inside the box is a CD containing the recording, along with a CD player so that future generations will be able to hear it, outwardly a Dolly time capsule. The country legend even acknowledged the uncertainty of leaving technology from 2015 to be opened decades later. "There's no telling what music is going to be by then," she wrote in her 2020 book, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. "Hopefully, it will play and the whole thing ain't rotted." Parton also joked that she hoped she would live long enough to hear the song herself when the box eventually opened. She was 69 when she wrote and recorded "My Place In History." Meanwhile, in the week before her death it was reported that Parton was exploring "avatar performances" as part of several new ways to perform for fans in the future. Now, her team have revealed the extent of her planning, saying in a new statement that the musician "worked up until the day she died." "She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy. Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come," says her longtime manager Danny Nozell. "As the leader of the team responsible for overseeing her legacy, we will ensure the many dreams she had yet to fulfil are brought to life. Many projects were in various stages of development, and we want to be transparent with her fans about this fact. If you see unreleased music, products, books, experiences, and campaigns launched through official Dolly Parton channels, you can have confidence in knowing that she placed her personal stamp on it." They then shared an overview of some of the active projects at the time of Parton's death, which include Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stops, Dolly Parton's SongTeller Hotel, Dolly Dolls, and a Dolly's Life Of Many Colors Museum opening in Nashville on Sept. 29. In the entertainment realm, a musical, "DOLLY: A True Original Musical On Broadway," is set to open on January 19 2027 -- what would have been Parton's 81st birthday -- while further details of a Dolly avatar show, a biopic, a docuseries and a scripted series will be revealed soon. Finally, Dolly's iconic 1973 track "Jolene" has topped Apple Music's U.S. songs chart a day after her death. "Jolene," released in Oct. 1973 before the album of the same name dropped the following year, was loosely inspired by a bank teller who flirted with her husband, Carl Dean, who died in Mar. 2025 at the age of 82. As well as the top country hit, several other songs by the country music icon made the top 10, including "I Will Always Love You," "9 to 5," and "Islands in the Stream." - Billboard/NME/Music-News.com, 8/26/26...... 
In a new interview with E! News, Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne promised that the forthcoming Ozzy biopic will be for the people, not "artsy, esoteric." "I have this mantra, and I always say it, when in meetings with my mom or doing anything with the family business. It's, 'give the fans what they want,'" said Jack. "That's our people, that's who we're catering for, that's what my dad wrote music for, that's what he toured for, it's why we did the shows we did. It's been a big theme." Jack revealed that the script for the film being developed by Sony Pictures and Polygram Entertainment in conjunction with the family is already finished and that the call is out for directors now for the project that has not yet announced a shooting schedule or potential release date. The good news is that the family already has someone in mind for the title role, but it's too early to reveal who that is. "I'm not allowed to say, but conversations have been had, and if it all works out, it's gonna be awesome," Jack said. An Ozzy biopic was first revealed by Osbourne's widow Sharon Osbourne in 2021 that would chronicle the couple's 45-year love affair. "Our relationship at times was often wild, insane and dangerous but it was our undying love that kept us together," Sharon said at the time. - Billboard, 8/27/26...... Barry Manilow announced on Aug. 26 that he's taking a break from his Las Vegas residency at the International Theater at Westgate that had been planned to kick off in late August, as well as six shows scheduled for September in order to rest and recuperate from his battle with stage 1 lung cancer. "Hi everybody - Barry here," he wrote in an Instagram post. "And I want you to be the first to know that we're going to take a quick break. We just finished a fantastic summer tour. 29 shows in 68 days. The shows were fantastic. The audiences were fantastic. And I sounded fantastic. But it seems that we were pushing a little too hard," he added. The decision came after Manilow, 83, postponed his planned 2026 arena tour and delayed his February residency shows in Vegas in the wake of surgery for lung cancer in December. He was slated to return to the stage at Westgate on Aug. 20, but that show was called off just before curtain, followed by the cancelation of last weekend's Friday and Saturday gigs due to reported "technical and vocal problems." The message ended with Manilow adding that new Westgate dates will be in September. Manilow had treatment for stage 1 lung cancer in December, including surgery to remove a cancerous spot from his left lung, which resulted in the singer pushing back his planned February Las Vegas residency dates, as well as his February, March and April arena shows on doctor's advice to rest. - Billboard, 8/26/26...... Ahead of a new expanded special edition of The Beatles' Rubber Soul set to drop on Oct. 2, an early "songwriting work tape" of one of the album's key tracks, "Day Tripper," has been shared on YouTube. "Day Tripper," recorded during the sessions for Rubber Soul in 1965, was first developed by John Lennon as a folk song, and later turned into the final rocking version with lead vocals by Paul McCartney a month later. The newly released recording shows the two working on it together -- and features audio of them laughing together and also noting the high level of sound being captured on tape. The finished version was later completed during an eight-hour studio session. With the new version of the album. It will be presented in new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes for the first time in over six decades, and come in a box-set alongside the original mono mix and the original Capitol US Album version (which did not include "Day Tripper"). Alongside the original tracklist -- which features fan-favorites including "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," "Nowhere Man," "Michelle" and "In My Life" -- there will also be "We Can Work It Out" and a selection of previously unreleased session recordings and home demos. - New Musical Express, 8/26/26...... 
Bruce Springsteen announced on Aug. 25 he is returning for another year of supporting veterans at the annual "Stand Up for Heroes" charity event, which in 2026 is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Boss will perform at the event which raises money for members of the military facing injury or illness, as well as their families, on Nov. 9 at Lincoln Center in New York City. The Resilient, a band that includes wounded U.S. combat veterans, is also on the bill along with Alex Warren, and the event will be hosted by comedian Jon Stewart. This year's benefit will take place three days into the 2026 New York Comedy Festival, which will run from Nov. 6 to Nov. 15. Springsteen has a nearly perfect attendance record at "Stand Up for Heroes," appearing at almost every one of the annual showcases since 2007. - Billboard, 8/25/26...... Eric Clapton and John Mayer have joined forces for a limited-edition guitar collection in aid of charity. On Aug. 26, Billboard's Guitar Center unveiled its 2026 exclusive Crossroads guitar collection, with limited-edition guitars across five models. The line-up was created in collaboration with Clapton and includes a new John Mayer x PRS Silver Sky. Mayer will debut the model onstage at this year's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Austin, Tex. Previous Clapton-exclusive guitars have been a hot commodity at Guitar Center, with the remake of the singer's 2006 "Blackie" flying off the shelves in just four hours, the fastest-selling guitar launch at that time. Almost two decades later, in 2025, the Gibson Custom Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul sold out in under 12 hours. The new collection is available at Guitar Store and at stores nationwide and online. Fans at the 2026 Crossroads Guitar Festival, which runs from Sept. 26-27, can also shop the collection at The Guitar Center Experience. - Billboard, 8/26/26...... On Aug. 22 ZZ Top returned to the stage for the first time following the death of longtime drummer Frank Beard. The band performed at Austin's Moody Theater, "one of Frank's favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him," according to a press statement. Following Beard's death at age 77 on Aug. 17, ZZ Top canceled two tour dates in Salt Lake City on Aug. 18 and Colorado Springs on Aug. 19. The band previously announced that it would resume its current "The Big One! Tour" with back-to-back shows this weekend at Austin City Limits. During the Aug. 22 show, drummer Michael Monahan stepped in behind the kit. Both Monahan and longtime drum tech John Douglas had been filling in for Beard as he dealt with health issues in recent years. ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons addressed his bandmate's death once during the performance, during the group's introductions after the first song, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. "I guess some of you probably know there's a new man in town," Gibbons said of Monahan. "In fact, it all started a little while back. [Bassist Elwood Francis] and I got an unexpected call from our dear Frank Beard, our dear drummer for 50 years. I've never heard him admit, he said, 'My bass drum foot's a little weak. Can you get my man [Monahan] to take over?' I said, 'Oh yeah, yeah, he's been doing pretty good.' Frank said, 'Yeah, that's what worries me.'" Gibbons then shifted his tone to a more upbeat one, telling the audience, "We're all here for a celebration, you know what's going on. So we're gonna have a good time." Footage of Gibbons introducing the band's new drummer can be viewed on Instagram. ZZ Top will remain on the road through October as part of the band's The Big One! Tour. The group will then travel to South America for additional shows in November. The band hasn't yet announced whether Monahan will remain behind the kit for those performances. - Billboard, 8/23/26...... Elton John has unveiled his family's annual summer playlist during the latest episode of his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music, featuring track selections curated alongside his husband David Furnish and their sons, Zachary and Elijah. The collection bridges generational tastes, pairing legacy artists with contemporary electronic and dance producers. Selections include Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Could You Be Loved," and Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down A Dream." Reflecting on Petty's catalog, John highlighted the 1989 album Full Moon Fever as one of the finest rock records ever produced. John clarified that the radio broadcast represents an abbreviated selection from a broader personal playlist used by the family throughout the season. The full episode of Rocket Hour is available to stream on demand via Apple Music and Apple Podcasts. - Music-News.com, 8/25/26...... Richard Lloyd, the guitarist in the acclaimed '70s New Wave band Television, has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer and is seeking financial help. The bile ducts are small tubes that connect different organs, including the liver and gall bladder and are part of the digestive system. Although bile duct cancer is treatable, in can be difficult to treat, which is what Richard is facing. Friends have rallied support through a newly launched GoFundMe fundraiser as Richard is unable to tour. Created by his Richard Lloyd Group bandmate Sean Seymour, the GoFundMe explains that the musician is dealing with "tumors in his liver, including one located dangerously close to a major blood vessel." Seymour says the tumour's position means doctors would struggle to carry out an operation without causing damage. Richard has already endured seven ICU admissions and repeated medical crises, including deadly sepsis twice, on top of liver and kidneys complications. All the money raised will help Richard and his wife Sheila better manage the financial pressure created by his illness, covering medical bills, everyday costs, and the impact of him being unable to work while Sheila provides full-time care. The goal is $80,000 (58,690), and they are already midway to the target. Television frontman Tom Verlaine died in 2023, aged 73, and the band has been inactive ever since. - Music-News.com, 8/25/26...... 
TV and movie actress Shelley Fabares, the star of classic sitcoms The Donna Reed Show and Coach and who appeared in three films with Elvis Presley, died on Aug. 22 in Los Angeles. She was 82. Born in Santa Monica, Calif., in January 1944, Ms. Fabares grew up around Hollywood. Her mother, Elsa, started her modeling career at a young age, which led to roles on TV. Ms. Fabares' aunt, Nanette Fabray, was a well-known Broadway star and film supporting player who also transitioned to TV roles. Among Ms. Fabares' early TV breaks was a two-episode stint on The Loretta Young Show in 1954. Her first major film credit came in a supporting role in the 1956 Rock Hudson drama Never Say Goodbye, for Universal International. She had a brief career as a singer during her time on The Donna Reed Show, notching a No.1 hit with her 1961 track "Johnny Angel." She parlayed her TV fame into a series of teen-centric B-movie romps including opposite Fabian in 1964's "Ride the Wild Surf," and she co-starred with Elvis Presley in 1965's Girl Happy, 1966's Spinout and 1967's Clambake. Some of her other TV credits include The Little People, Forever Fernwood, The Practice, Hello Larry, Highcliffe Manor, Fantasy Island, One Day at a Time and The Love Boat. She had a key role on one of the most lauded TV movies of the 1970s, ABC's Brian's Song, starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams in the true story of the friendship between two NFL players as one of them faces terminal cancer. Ms. Fabares played Joy Piccolo, the wife of Caan's Brian Piccolo. Ms. Fabares was briefly married to influential music and movie producer Lou Adler in the mid-1960s. In 1984, Ms. Fabares married actor Mike Farrell, known for his long run on the CBS comedy M*A*S*H. In the 1980s and '90s, Farrell and Ms. Fabares were active in numerous political and social causes, including protesting U.S. activities in Central America and supporting the anti-nuclear movement that took root in Southern California in the late 1970s. After Coach ended its run, Ms. Fabares had few film and TV credits as she battled health problems. In 2000, she went through a very public health crisis in which she needed -- and ultimately successfully received -- a liver transplant. Her experience of waiting nearly two years for a donor liver to become available helped raise public awareness for the acute need for organ donations. "We will miss her deeply -- not only as a celebrated performer, but as the loving and extraordinary person she was in our everyday lives," her family said in a statement. "We take comfort in knowing that Shelley's work and the memories she created with those who loved her will continue to live on," they added. - Variety, 8/23/26...... Jaye P. Morgan, one of the top female recording artists of the 1950s with seven top 40 pop hits in 1954-55 alone, including "That's All I Want From You," and who later became a frequent talk show guest and game show panelist -- infamously taking off her blouse on The Gong Show -- died on Aug. 24 of natural causes in Longview, Wash. She was 94. Her longtime attorney and friend, Mark Sendroff, said Ms. Morgan had been living with her nephew and niece, Duke Morgan Spencer and Peggy Sue Spencer. Ms. Morgan's biggest hit was 1954's "That's All I Want From You," which reached No. 3 on the Most Played by Jockeys chart and No. 5 on the Best Sellers in Stores list. In the Billboard Hot 100 era, she scored three hits: "Are You Lonesome Tonight" (No. 65 in 1959); "Miss You" (No. 78, 1959); and "I Walk the Line" (No. 66, 1960). Later, she would become a regular guest on The Tonight Show and make appearances with Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett and Mike Douglas as well as spots on The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. But it was her years hamming it up as a celebrity judge -- along with Jamie Farr and Rip Taylor -- on the chaotic The Gong Show starting in 1976 that cemented her fame. On the show, amateur performers tried out their acts, and when one of the judges couldn't stand it anymore, they smashed a gong, ending the proceedings. Whichever performer won the day's show received a check for the random amount of $516.32. On one episode, Eugene Patton -- the dancing stagehand performing as Gene Gene the Dancing Machine -- started his thing when Morgan opened her shirt to expose her breasts, helping bring an end to the show's run on NBC in 1978. "It paid good money, and it was great exposure. I really enjoyed it," she told the Los Angeles Times in 1992. "Jaye P. Morgan's devil-may-care ad libs on television game shows have probably made her more famous as a personality than as a singer," The New York Times wrote in 1984. "But the same kooky recklessness that inspires Miss Morgan's remarks is also a part of her musical sensibility." Her film credits include The All-American Boy with Jon Voight, Loose Shoes, The Gong Show Movie, Night Patrol and the 2002 Miramax release Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, directed by George Clooney. Married and divorced three times, Ms. Morgan is survived by a son, Paul Kane. - Associated Press, 8/26/26...... 
Acclaimed British actor, author, comedian and singer Tim Curry, best known for playing cross-dressing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the iconic 1975 cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died on Aug. 25 at his Toluca Lake, Los Angeles home of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 80. After gaining notice as part of the original cast of the British production of the musical Hair in 1968, Mr. Curry rose to international stardom in the role that would come to define his half-century career as the lascivious, lingerie-wearing Frank-N-Furter in the original stage production of "The Rocky Horror Show," a b-movie send-up that chronicles the misadventures of a naive couple who take refuge from a storm in the home of mad scientist Furter. Though he would go on to perform in dozens of other plays and movies, it was his role in Rocky Horror that made Curry an international star, with audiences transfixed by his show-stopping, bump-and-grind introductory number, "Sweet Transvestite," as well as the cabaret-like "I Can Make You a Man" and the emotional ballad "I'm Going Home," among others. He famously reprised the role in the musical film adaptation in 1975, with that movie becoming a staple of interactive midnight screenings in which fans dressed up as his character (and others), and came armed with props mimicking the action on screen. Born Timothy James Curry on Apr. 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire England, he showed musical talent early on, graduating with a degree in English and drama from the University of Birmingham in 1968. Following his breakout role in the "Rocky Horror" stage musical, Mr. Curry appeared in a string of stage plays and TV projects, including a lauded performance as William Shakespeare in the six-part 1978 British Will Shakespeare mini-series. His film career also took off, landing him roles in another cult classic, Times Square, as well as a scene-stealing turn as "Rooster" in the 1982 film adaptation of Annie. He scored another classic role in 1985 in the Ridley Scott fantasy film Legend as the Lord of Darkness and another that year as Wadsworth the butler in the film adaptation of the board game Clue. He earned a Best Lead Actor Tony nomination in 1980 for his titular role in "Amadeus" and spent much of the next two decades bouncing between Broadway and London's West End in a series of starring roles in "The Threepenny Opera," "The Art of Success," "My Favorite Year" (for which he earned his second Tony nomination) and as Scrooge in the 2001 musical "A Christmas Carol." After moving the U.S., Mr. Curry began a run of television roles, including his Emmy-nominated portrayal of Winston Newquay in the triple role on the 1983 anthology series Tales From the Crypt, as well as a return to horror as Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 miniseries Stephen King's It. In addition to his long list of stage, screen and television roles, Mr. Curry appeared on the Rocky Horror soundtrack -- which reached No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart in 1978 -- and released his debut album, a collection of mostly covers, on A&M Records in 1978, Read My Lips. His second LP, 1979's more rocking collection of originals, Fearless, reached No. 53 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the minor hit "I Do The Rock," which topped out at No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. His third album, 1981's Simplicity, peaked at No. 112 on the album chart. Mr. Curry was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2002 for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for his reading of A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning. Mr. Curry, who suffered a stroke in 2012 and spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair, released his memoir, Vagabond, in 2025. - Billboard, 8/26/26.
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Favorite Seventies Artists In The News
Singer/songwriter/actress/philanthropist/entrepreneur Dolly Parton, one of Country and Pop music's biggest and brightest icons, died in Nashville following a brief battle with cancer on Aug. 25. She was 80. The veteran entertainer had been mostly out of the public eye for the past year following a struggle with unspecified health issues that forced the "Jolene" singer-songwriter to curtail public appearances and postpone, then cancel her planned 2025 Las Vegas residency. Dolly's death came 17 months after the passing of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died on Mar. 3, 2025 at age 82. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared a message on Instagram after her passing. A cultural and commercial force, Dolly landed 49 albums in the top 10 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, the most of any female artist. She also scored more No. 1s on the Hot Country Songs chart for a woman artist, with a total of 25. Born on Jan. 19, 1946, to a poor family in Sevier County, Tenn., Dolly started recording at an early age, with her first single, "Puppy Love," appearing when she was only 13. At 18, she moved to Nashville, where she became a professional country songwriter, while also recording a few minor pop singles. In 1966, she married Dean, who kept a famously low profile for the rest of her career. She also maintained a close relationship with her childhood friend Judy Ogle, and the two remained inseparable throughout her life. In 1967, Dolly replaced Norma Jean as Porter Wagoner's co-host and duet partner on his syndicated TV show, and the duo would go on to place 20 duets on the country charts. After her first Hot Country Songs charting hit, "Dumb Blonde," in 1966, she had a number of songs that reached the 40s and 50s, until her breakthrough as a solo artist, a 1970 cover of Jimmie Rodgers' "Mule Skinner Blues," which reached No. 3. Over the next few years, her string of hits -- many of which she wrote, including "Coat of Many Colors" and "My Tennessee Mountain Home" -- established her persona: a passionate sentimentalist, shaped by the rural poverty of her childhood. She went on to release at least one Top Ten Country single every year through 1985. In 1971, she recorded her acclaimed Coat of Many Colors album, and 1973's heartbreaking true-live tale of romantic jealousy, "Jolene," went on to become her most-covered song and crossed over to the pop chart, giving her a taste of broader pop stardom. Also in 1974, she wrote and recorded "I Will Always Love You," a magnificent farewell to Wagoner, whose organization she was leaving. It was first a No. 1 country single for her, and again when she re-recorded it for the soundtrack of the movie comedy The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982. In 1992, Whitney Houston covered the song, and it went on to become one of the best selling singles in pop music history. Dolly famously turned down a request by Elvis Presley to record the song because his manager Col. Tom Parker insisted on Dolly giving up half of her publishing royalties. "That was one of the hardest things I ever had to do because I loved Elvis," she remembered in 2020. "I Will Always Love You" was also the closing theme of Dolly!, the syndicated variety show she hosted in 1976 and 1977. The series was a springboard for her concerted efforts to expand her audience: she had her first top 10 Billboard Hot 100 in 1978 with "Here You Come Again," and even hit the disco chart with 1978's "Baby I'm Burning." 
Her 1981 theme song from the movie 9 to 5 (in which she also starred) reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary chart, a feat she repeated with 1983's Kenny Rogers duet "Islands in the Stream," written for them by The Bee Gees. In total, she topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice and topped the Hot Country Songs chart 25 times. In 1986, she took over the Pigeon Forge, Tenn., theme park Silver Dollar City, and reopened it as Dollywood (with a replica of her childhood home). Trio, her 1987 collaboration with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, was a neo-traditionalist setting for the three singers' exquisite harmonies, and a platinum hit. After her appearance in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, Dolly returned her focus to recording country music, and rarely performed live for most of the '90s. In 1993, she recorded Honky Tonk Angels with fellow Country icons Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, and 1999's Trio II became another gold album of collaborations. In 1994, she published her memoir, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business. Dolly returned to the road in the 2000s, touring extensively in North America and Europe, and headlining at England's Glastonbury Festival in 2014. The 2015 TV movie Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors was based on her autobiographical 1971 rags-to-riches song. The same year, Dollywood's DreamMore Resort expanded her theme park. Her other movie credits include Rhinestone Cowboy with Sylvester Stallone and Steel Magonolias with Julia Roberts. Even into her seventies, Dolly's voice, persona and appearance remained remarkably close to what they'd been in the earliest years of her career, maintained by a penchant for plastic surgery. "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap," she would quip. In 2022, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on her first nomination, and the singer experienced a major resurgence late in her career a year later when Rockstar, largely a collection of rock covers, debuted at No. 3, her pinnacle on the all-genre chart. The album, which featured contributions from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sting, goddaughter Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Elton John and others, also debuted at No. 1 on Top Album Sales chart, providing her with her biggest sales week in the modern era. Though primarily lauded as a country artist, she made detours (with albums and/or songs) into such genres as Americana/folk, bluegrass, children's music, Christian, dance/electronic and pop. The Imagination Library, which provides books monthly to children from birth to age 5 and has donated over 150 million books to date, was one of her many philanthropic projects. In the early days of COVID, she also donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which helped fund the Moderna vaccine. In 2024, Dolly released the album Smoky Mountain DNA: Faith, Family and Fables, which featured the icon performing with members of her extended family, and the project hit No. 1 on Billboard's Bluegrass Albums chart. Countless artists posted tributes to the music and pop culture icon on social media, including Paul McCartney, who posted a thoughtful statement on Instagram, sharing a black-and-white photo of himself meeting Parton and Porter Wagoner at the Grand Ole Opry. "She was such a wonderful woman," the former Beatles member wrote. "She was so bubbly and full of life it is difficult to take in the news that she has passed. Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly." 
Elton John wrote on his Story page that he was "shocked and devastated" to hear that Dolly had died, calling her "a giant of an artist -- unique and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart." Beyoncé, who worked with Dolly on Cowboy Carter, thanked her for her "art," "heart," "generosity," "humor" and "entrepreneurship." "I'm honored that I had the privilege to work with you. I will treasure that forever," she posted on her official website. "Thank you for your profound impact on the world." Other accolades came from Sabrina Carpenter, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Strait, Jack White, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Stanley, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley and Barbra Streisand, who shared a photo of herself with Dolly on Instagram, writing "So sorry to hear about Dolly -- she was a true force of nature." At Dolly's request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family," according to a press release announcing her death. "Dolly's fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com." - Billboard, 8/25/26.
The sequel to the blockbuster Michael Jackson biopic Michael will address child abuse allegations against the late King of Pop "from his point of view", says his nephew Jafaar Jackson, the titular actor in the film. Michael, which has become the highest-grossing biopic ever made, followed the beginning of Jackson's career in the Jackson 5 up until the "Bad"world tour in the late 1980s. Michael notably didn't include any reference to the child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson, though the story was included in the initial screenplay. However, a clause in a legal settlement was discovered, which forbid the Jackson estate from mentioning one of the accusers, Jordan Chandler, meaning that the production spent $15 million on reshoots. The movie ultimately ended at a different point in Jackson's life, shifting the narrative tension onto his relationship with his father, Joe Jackson, played by Colman Domingo. Earlier in August, it was revealed that the sequel is officially set to start filming later in 2026, and now Jaafar has provided some insight into the potential plot. Speaking to GQ Middle East, Jafaar said it will depict the abuse allegations "from [Michael's] point of view." "I think the second film will give even more insight from his point of view, because at the end of the day, [the allegations] are always from someone else's," he said. "It's someone else's story. It's someone else's idea of what it is, and it's mainly driven by an agenda. And that's really the issue we've been having as a family -- not having Michael's voice being heard. I think that's very, very important, especially in the late years," he added. The article points out the screenplay is still in development and that Jafaar has no real say in its story, but is rather noting what he would like to see. After debuting to the largest-ever opening weekend for a biopic, it was confirmed in July that the movie had taken in $1.001 billion (£750 million) globally, making it the first of its genre to pass the milestone. - New Musical Express, 8/22/26...... 
Legendary British Invasion pop stars The Hollies have announced the end of their touring career after 63 years, bringing one of England's longest-running rock bands to a close. The news was confirmed in a statement on Aug. 20, which explained that guitarist Tony Hicks was stepping away from touring for health reasons. Drummer Bobby Elliott, the other long-running member still with the group, added that he was also retiring in solidarity with his bandmate. "After more than six decades, The Hollies' touring career will come to a close with immense gratitude to the fans who have supported them around the world," the statement read. Naming themselves after legendary '50s Rock & Roll star Buddy Holly, The Hollies were formed in Manchester in 1962 by childhood friends Allan Clarke and Graham Nash and joined by Hicks in 1963, the band made a successful for Parlophone Records at Abbey Road Studios, while Hicks' former bandmate in The Dolphin, Elliott, followed later in the year, with bassist Eric Haydock completing the classic line-up. The band became known for their distinctive three-part harmonies and became one of the defining bands of the British Invasion, with hits including "I'm Alive," "Bus Stop," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," "Stop Stop Stop," "The Air That I Breathe" and "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)," a No. 2 US hit in 1972. Nash left the group in Dec. 1968 and went on to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with Terry Sylvester replacing him in the band the following year. Clarke retired from the performing with the band in 2000. Hicks and Elliott remained in the band throughout, being joined in the last two decades by singer Peter Howarth, guitarist Steve Lauri, bassist Ray Stiles and keyboardist Ian Parker. Their most recent album was Then, Now, Always in 2009. The Hollies were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010, although Hicks and Elliott did not attend the ceremony as The Hollies had a previously booked concert that night. "He's Not Heavy, He's My Brother" became a UK Number One single on re-release in 1988, and The Hollies sold and estimated 60 million+ records worldwide across their career. NME, 8/21/26...... After losing a court battle against the UK paper The Daily Mail in which it was claimed the media outlet published stories after unlawfully obtaining information by hacking into their messages, tapping landlines or acquiring medical records, several high profile celebrities including Elton John and Prince Harry have been ordered to repay a £9.54 million ($13 million) legal bill. On Aug. 21 UK judge Mr. Justice Nicklin detailed the "conduct of the trial" in his ruling and criticized the case put forward by the claimants' legal team. In particular, he noted "the objective breadth and character of the case as advanced, the speculative and inferential foundation on which many serious allegations rested, the maintenance of serious allegations after the evidential position should have been reassessed, the way in which unpleaded or unsupported allegations were put at trial, the failure to withdraw serious allegations when they were no longer being pursued, and the cumulative effect of those matters." An initial payment of £9.54 million will be due by Aug. 28, and Nicklin said that was making an exception order to force the claimants to pay up to £34.5 million ($47 million) in costs incurred by the Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the Daily Mail's publisher, because of the way the case had been brought. John and their co-claimants have until Oct. 2 to attempt to launch an appeal. The interim payment will come ahead of future hearings to decide ANL's legal costs in full. - Billboard, 8/21/26...... Friends and family of Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris have given an update on the musician's recovery from what was described as a critical medical emergency earlier in August that resulted in doctors putting the 58-year-old in a medically induced coma. In a post on the Standing for John Paris Facebook page -- maintained by EW&F co-founder bassist Verdine White and several of Paris and his wife Kathy Merrick's friends -- the past week has featured "encouraging moments and new challenges." They recalled that Paris briefly woke up from his coma and then needed to be sedated again, before recently waking up again. "This time, there was encouraging progress," they wrote. "Over the next couple of days, his medical team monitored him closely. Unlike the first time he awakened, John's blood pressure remained stable and his breathing stayed strong, allowing doctors to continue evaluating his condition. While continuing to evaluate John's condition, doctors performed additional testing that gave them a much clearer understanding of what his body needs to continue healing." The post added it's been determined that Paris will need two more unspecified "major surgeries" as part of his recovery, which will require him to remain in the ICU longer than anticipated. EW&F was back on the tour two days after the postponed show, with former member Sonny Emory filling in for Paris, who joined the veteran band founded in 1969 in 2001; the San Francisco show has been rescheduled for Sept. 26. A GoFundMe has been started to help the family with medical expenses and to date it has raised more than $82,000 of its $90,000 goal. - Billboard, 8/21/26...... 
The Beatles' company Apple Corps Ltd have announced a new unique partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG) to handle the licensing and merchandising for the renowned band. Apple Corps, founded in 1968 by The Fab Four to handle their business interests, and UMG announced on Aug. 19 that they had reached a "holistic agreement" that will see the latter "take The Beatles' iconic story to fans across generations and around the world." The deal relates to digital and physical merchandising, licensing, and e-commerce surrounding the legendary band. Apple Corps' headquarters at 3 Savile Row will also be open to the public for the first time in 2027, with a fan experience that promises "seven floors of never-seen-before material from Apple Corps Ltd's extensive archives, rotating exhibitions, a fan store, and the recreation of the original studio where 'Let it Be' was recorded." Tom Greene, CEO of Apple Corps Ltd, said in a press release: "We are delighted to partner with UMG on a new global merchandising deal. There has never been a more exciting time to work on The Beatles as we look ahead to the 3 Saville Row fan experience in 2027, and our biopic movies in 2028. The Beatles message has never been more relevant or needed in the world today, and we look forward to delighting millions of fans with everything we have planned." The announcement comes ahead of director Sam Mendes' four-part Beatles biopic The Beatles -- A Four-Film Cinematic Event, due for simultaneous release in 2028. - NME, 8/20/26...... Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that he is once again fighting cancer. In an interview with El Salvadorian station YSKL, the 63-year-old musician discussed his philosophy for keeping a positive, hopeful attitude after revealing in 2013 that he was battle Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he said returned in 2015 and yet again recently. "There's only been one time that I felt it was gonna kill me," Campbell said of his diagnosis. "In the winter of 2023, I got really scared about what was happening and the pace at which it was happening. And I realized at that point that I had to do a donor transplant. It was my only hope to survive I did that in January of '25 . Unfortunately, it didn't stick. So the cancer has returned, and I'm continuing treatments to manage it." Campbell said he plans to try another transplant within the next few years with a different donor to see if that will stick, but in the meantime, he is going to keep performing with the band as well as his side project, the Last in Line, and racing rally cars, a lifelong obsession. "I love cars and I love driving," he said. "And as a child, I thought, 'If I don't play guitar for a living, I'm gonna be a race-car driver.' So I'm very, very, very fortunate and blessed that I get to do both." Campbell, who logged time in Ronnie James Dio's band, Dio, as well as Whitesnake and the British new wave metal band Sweet Savage, joined Def Leppard in 1992 following the death of founding guitarist Steve Clark. Def Leppard are slated to play the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla. on Oct. 15, followed by dates in Mexico and Central and South America in October and November. - Billboard, 8/21/26...... 
Footage has been unearthed from Jimi Hendrix's iconic 1969 Woodstock performance, which was filmed by a drama student who snuck onto the stage. Hendrix's now-legendary gig took place at Woodstock in Bethel, N.Y., in Aug. 1969, where the guitar icon took to the stage with his newly formed band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, a.k.a. Band of Gypsys. The set closed out the festival, and is now set to mark its 57th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a new film called Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock - A Second Look has been released, and it features rarely seen footage from the show. Some of that new material is recently unearthed footage from 22-year-old drama student Albert Goodman, who snuck onto the stage during the set and filmed some of it using two open-reel videotapes. Goodman hid behind a friend carrying a guitar to get access to the stage, and filmed it from behind percussionist Juma Sultan. He was assumed to be a member of the film crew who were hired to capture footage of the whole show, and his footage shows Hendrix standing just 15 feet in front of him. In the newly unearthed footage, Hendrix is seen playing "Purple Haze," "Voodoo Child," "Message To Love," and his improvised interpretation of "The Star-Spangled Banner," as well as rare footage of him playing "Hear My Train a Comin'." The latter song is available for streaming on YouTube. After storing the footage for three decades, Goodman then made it available to the late guitarist's family. It is now available to view in the new Live at Woodstock - A Second Look film, which premiered on YouTube on Aug. 18. - NME, 8/20/26...... Janie Bradford, the songwriter behind "Money (That's What I Want)" which was later covered by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, died at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles on Aug. 21, following an extended illness. She was 87. Born in Charleston, Mo. in 1939, Ms. Bradford later moved to Detroit, where her neighbor Jackie Wilson introduced her to Motown founder Berry Gordy. Ms. Wilson had already recorded a number of hits written by Gordy, including "Reet Petite" and "Lonely Teardrops." Ms. Bradford began working with Gordy in 1958, before the Motown label had even been officially founded, and as well as working as a secretary, she quickly became involved in the company's creative process. While Gordy was developing "Money (That's What I Want)" at the piano in 1958, Bradford helped to complete the song by contributing an additional verse. The finished composition was recorded by Barrett Strong and became Motown's first hit single. It later reached a wider audience thanks to a cover version by The Beatles on the closing track of their 1963 album With The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones also recording their own version on their first EP in 1964. Ms. Bradford went on to co-write several other hit songs, including "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" with Strong and Norman Whitfield. The Temptations first recorded the song in 1966, before Marvin Gaye scored a hit with it three years later. She also received writing credits on songs recorded by Mary Wells, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Diana Ross and The Marvelettes. After leaving Motown, Bradford founded the Heroes And Legends Awards, which established a scholarship fund in the 1990s. The awards honored figures from the music industry and supported young people pursuing careers in the performing arts. She was also inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall Of Fame earlier this year. Berry Gordy paid tribute to her in a statement, saying: "Janie was there with me from the very beginning, before there was even a Motown. Janie was smart, clever, witty and fun. She was also talented and determined. In those early days, everybody did what was needed to be done, and Janie was no exception. She became Motown's first receptionist, but her talents quickly took her far beyond the desk." She is survived by her husband Wardean Hobbs, her daughter Nicole Hobbs, her son Lance Finney and two grandsons. - NME, 8/22/26...... 
Ray Stevens is set to be honored with a star-studded concert at Nashville's Opry House on Nov. 9. "Don't Look, Ethel! A Salute to the Musical Genius of Ray Stevens" will be hosted by comedian Cledus T. Judd with performances from Ricky Skaggs, Ronnie Milsap, Jamey Johnson, Gretchen Wilson, Mark Chesnutt, The Gatlin Brothers, Lee Greenwood and many more. "I've always been so fond of the Nashville music community, and I'm truly honored that they would want to do this tribute," Stevens said in a statement. "All my life I've wanted to be successful in the music business and have people appreciate what I create. That's impossible without the fans. I'm so grateful for all of them!" In the 1960s, Stevens' slate of novelty hits such as "Gitarzan" and "Harry the Hairy Ape" earned him pop hits, while he also became an in-demand Nashville studio musician and songwriter, including playing trumpet during recording session for Elvis Presley and playing on Waylon Jennings' recording of "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line." Stevens also wrote and produced Dolly Parton's 1966 song "Busy Signal." By 1970, he had been called upon as a summer replacement for television host Andy Williams, and in preparing for the gig, he wrote the uplifting track "Everything Is Beautiful," which won a Grammy in 1971 for best contemporary vocal performance, male. The 1970s and 1980s saw Stevens continue to earn hits with novelty songs including "Mississippi Squirrel Revival," No. 1 Pop and Country smash "The Streak." The line "Don't Look, Ethel!,"( which is part of the name of this event, comes from this song) and "Shriner's Convention." In 1976, he won another Grammy, this time for a fiddle-dominated arrangement of the standard "Misty." He continued expanding his business ventures, opening the Ray Stevens Theatre in Branson, Mo., in the '90s, and in 2015, he launched the weekly music variety cable show Ray Stevens Nashville. Beyond his membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame, he's also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame, the Georgia Hall of Fame and has a star on the Music City Walk of Fame. - Billboard, 8/18/26...... Barbra Streisand has sent a sweet message to her friend Rosie O'Donnell after O'Donnell filled in for the vacationing Jimmy Kimmel for a week on the late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Streisand reached out with a short but incredibly sweet message on Instagram to celebrate the return to television of the comedian, who has recently relocated to Ireland. O'Donnell shared a screenshot via Instagram on Aug. 20, giving her audience a peek at the unexpected note. "Be still my heart she is a class act what a way to finish my week on Kimmel!!!" O'Donnell wrote alongside the screenshot, adding the hashtags "#love" and "#barbra." The two have shared a memorable history dating back to the comedian's days hosting The Rosie O'Donnell Show, when Streisand appeared as a guest. O'Donnell has previously spoken about how significant that interview was to her, making the singer's encouragement all the more special now. - Billboard, 8/20/26...... Former Queen bassist Barry Mitchell has died. The news was shared on Facebook by Greg Brooks, the band's official archivist. "Terribly sad news just received that early Queen bass player (circa 1970), Barry Mitchell, has passed away," the post read. "His anecdotes at the convention were fascinating and offered rare insight. He will be greatly missed." Mitchell was the second bassist in the band, joining after the departure of founding member Mike Grose. He stayed in the band between Aug. 1970 and Jan. 1971 -- two years before their breakthrough 1973 self-titled debut album -- and reportedly played the original bass lines on songs "Liar" and "Son And Daughter." He left the line-up as he "wasn't enthusiastic enough about their music", he revealed in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, looking back at his time playing live with Freddie Mercury & co. After leaving Queen, Mitchell went on to join the proto-punk band Tiger, who formed in the late '60s. He then made a comeback in the early '90s, playing as part of Jayne Raydio. Friends and fans have taken to social media to pay tribute to Mitchell following news of his death. "Farewell to a genuinely lovely man," wrote friend Mark Cotterill. "A pleasure to call him friend. He had time for everyone at the Queen conventions. He had some great stories to tell re his music career. A man who could make any hat look cool. RIP Barry." Another friend, Gary Taylor, shared on Facebook: "RIP Barry Mitchell, Queen's second bass player, who sadly passed away on August 17. He was a great guy, and a friend, and we had some very interesting chats over the years on the phone and in person." Born in London, Mitchell attended Claremont High School in Harrow in the mid 1960s, and went on to live in Northampton shortly before his death. Details about his death have yet to be publicly disclosed. - NME, 8/21/26...... 
Long-tenured ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard, a key part of one of the longest-lasting consistent band lineups in rock history, passed away at his ranch in Richmond, Tex., on Aug. 17. He was 77. A press release from longtime band publicist Bob Merlis confirmed his passing on Aug. 18, stating that Beard was "in hospice care when he passed away at his ranch in Richmond, TX with family members at his side." Born on June 11, 1949, in Frankton, Tex., Beard had served as stickman for the Texas blues-rock trio since 1969, when he made the jump from the more psychedelic-oriented local group American Blues to ZZ Top. At that point, the latter group consisted of Beard, singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Billy Ethridge. After Ethridge quit the band and was replaced by Dusty Hill, the band's power-trio lineup was locked in, and would not change for the next half-century. ZZ Top became national rock stars in the mid-'70s with the release of its breakthrough LP Tres Hombres, with Beard's explosive-but-swinging drumming playing a huge part in the band's sonic identity. While "La Grange," the album's breakout hit single and a future classic-rock radio staple, is perhaps best remembered for frontman Gibbons' limber guitar riffing and haw-haw-haw vocal sleaze, equally crucial was Beard's frisky stick-tapping on the song's intro and clipped gallop on its main groove. The trio found continued success throughout the late '70s and early '80s, hitting the Billboard Hot 100's top 40 with the horny rave-up "Tush" and the spiky Sam + Dave cover "I Thank You." During this time, Beard struggled with substance abuse, with the band going on hiatus in the late '70s as Beard dealt with his issues. He got clean in the early '80s, and shortly after, ZZ Top really went into mid-'80s commercial overdrive, thanks largely to the advent of MTV -- a format not often charitable to the AOR rockers of yesteryear, but one that ZZ Top embraced with particular lan, becoming music video icons as the mystical hairy dudes with the fuzzy guitars, the cool car and the hot chicks. 
(Ironically, Beard was the one member of the group to go clean-shaven; "Frank's beard is on his driver's license," quipped Gibbons.) ZZ Top's 1983 album Eliminator spawned a trio of MTV smashes ("Gimme All Your Lovin," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs") and would ultimately be certified diamond by the RIAA, becoming the group's biggest album. While Beard's drumming on the set was somewhat smoothed out by the group's increasingly processed, new wave-friendlier sound, he still helped provide the singles much-needed muscle and backbone under the shiny guitars and synths. (Beard also got married for the second time shortly before the album's release, with he and wife Debbie Meredith remaining together -- with twin sons Rory and Nico born in 1985 -- until his death.) The group released two albums in the 21st century, 2003's Mescalero and 2012's La Futura, and continued to tour with the same three-man lineup it had held since 1969, the longtime consistency of its lineup an extreme rarity among popular rock bands. In 2004, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2019, it was the subject of the Netflix documentary That Little Ol' Band From Texas. Sadly, the group was finally forced into lineup changes with the death of Hill in 2021, with longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis replacing him at live performances. Now, with Beard's death, Gibbons remains the lone living member from the group's classic lineup. The press release also stated that Beard's death "necessitates the cancellation of ZZ Top tour dates that had been scheduled for [Aug. 18] in Salt Lake City and [Aug. 19] in Colorado Springs," but that the band "will resume its current The Big One! Tour this weekend with two dates in at Austin City Limits, one of Frank's favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him." - Billboard, 8/18/26.