Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on February 28th, 2015

The first trailer for the new Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy with Paul Dano starring the Beach Boys leader has hit the Internet. John Cusack plays Wilson later in life, with Elizabeth Banks playing Wilson's wife Melinda Ledbetter, and Paul Giamatti as Dr. Eugene Landy, a scheming psychologist who pulled Wilson into his orbit during the '80s. According to the trailer, Love & Mercy will hit the big screen in June. In real life, Wilson is also working on a new album, No Pier Pressure, which is due in April. - Billboard, 2/26/15...... Aretha Franklin will be joining American Idol's live Motown-themed episodes in Detroit in early March as a guest menter, it was announced on Feb. 26. The shows, which will air on Mar 4 and 5, will have the cast whittled down to the top 16, performing at the Fillmore theater. The Queen of Soul will also perform on the show, having previously appeared on it via satellite during its season 12 finale. - Billboard, 2/26/15...... Led Zeppelin are on track to top the UK's Offical Album chart with their latest release, a deluxe reissue of their 1975 double-LP Physical Graffiti. Hitting stores on Feb. 23 to celebrate its 40th anniversary, Physical Graffiti has been remastered by Jimmy Page and features a bonus disc of seven previously unreleased tracks, which include rough mixes of the songs "In My Time Of Dying" and "Houses Of The Holy." Meanwhile in the US, Stevie Wonder has returned to the Top 40 of Billboard's Hot 200 albums chart following his Feb. 16 televised Grammy salute, Songs In the Key Of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute. The greatest hits set zoomed back onto the Hot 200 with 11,000 units (up 205 percent), and it sold nearly 7,000 copies for the week (up 260 percent). Wonder's last appearance on the Top 40 was in November 2005 with his last studio LP, A Time to Love. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 2/26/15...... In other Billboard chart action, it appears rapper Drake is on the verge of breaking a record set by the Beatles 51 years ago with the Fab Four placed 14 songs simultaniously on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. With his surprise album If You're Reading This It's Too Late, which debut at No. 1 for the week of Feb. 28, Drake has charted 14 songs simultaneously on the chart, equaling the 14 titles that the Beatles placed on the Hot 100 dated April 11, 1964. - Billboard, 2/27/15...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney will be headlining the 2015 Firefly Music Festival in its fourth consecutive year at Dover, Del.'s International Speedway on June 18-21. General Admission passes go on sale March 2 via Firefly's official site, fireflyfestival.com. Meanwhile, Sir Paul's childhood home in Liverpool has sold for £150,000 at auction in Liverpool. Paul moved to the three-bedroom terraced house on Western Avenue with his parents at age four in 1947, and the family lived there for six years. The house was purchased for £50,000 more than its guide price by an anonymous bidder during an auction at the historic Cavern Club, which played host to some early Beatles gigs. "We are delighted to have sold such an iconic piece of The Beatles' and Liverpool's history," Andrew Brown, manager of Countrywide Property Auctions, said. Paul Beesley, a Beatles guide, says the house is important in Beatle lore because "it's where Paul spent his formative schoolboy years... He was exposed to music from an early age and his dad had a jazz band... Paul's first instrument was the trumpet." - NME, 2/27/15...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, a George Harrison memorial tree has been planted in a Los Angeles park to replace one that was killed by a beetle infestation in 2014. A yew pine honoring the late Beatles guitarist was planted on Feb. 25 in Griffith Park on what would have been Harrison's 72nd birthday. It was placed near the Griffith Observatory and replaces a Canary Island pine that was planted in 2004. A plaque near the tree site says it honors "a great humanitarian who touched the world as an artist, a musician and gardener." Harrison died in 2001. - AP, 2/26/15...... Yoko Ono, who recently celebrated her 82nd birthday by releasing two 10-inch vinyl records called "Antony & Yoko" and "Yoko Ono & John Zorn," has posted a letter on her website imaginepeace.com asking critics to "let me be free" and "please don't create another old person." "At my age I should be in a certain way. Please don't stop me being the way I am," Ono wrote. "I don't want to be old and sick like many others of my age. Please don't create another old person... Go to a classical concert, if you want to hear a "trained" voice. What I escaped from when I was very, very young. I created my own niche. If I tried to present you classic music it won't be what I created," she added. Ono's birthday also saw the release of a new book by Bob Gruen and Judy Denberg called See Hear Yoko. It includes black and white photos of the singer, as well as 25 years' worth of interviews. - NME, 2/24/15...... A UK court sentenced '70s glam-rock singer Gary Glitter to 16 years in prison on Feb. 27 after he was convicted of sexually abusing three young girls in the 1970s. The 70-year-old Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, showed no response after the verdict was handed down. He had been found guilty earlier in February of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13. Glitter was arrested in October 2012 under Operation Yewtree, the national investigation British police launched in the wake of a child abuse scandal surrounding the late BBC entertainer Jimmy Savile. Glitter is best known for the hit "Rock & Roll (Part 2)," but he fell into disgrace after being convicted on child abuse charges in Vietnam. - AP, 2/27/15...... In related news, an investigation of veteran English pop singer Cliff Richard relating to claims of sexual assault has "increased significantly in size," a British lawmaker said on Feb. 25. In Aug. 2014, police questioned the 74-year-old Richard and searched one of his homes after receiving what they called "an allegation of a sexual nature." Richard, a fixture on the British pop scene since the late 1950s, has not been arrested or charged. He recorded hit singles in the pre-Beatles era and has been popular ever since, receiving a knighthood in 1995. Richard issued a statement on Feb. 25 calling the allegations "absurd and untrue." "I have never, in my life, assaulted anyone and I remain confident that the truth will prevail," he said, adding that he had cooperated fully with police. - AP, 2/25/15...... Veteran country music singer Charley Pride will launch his first UK tour in three years on Apr. 29 at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. Pride, one of the few African-American country musicians to experience massive-market commercial success in the country music industry and one of the few African-American singers to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, will also perform in London (5/2), Southend Cliffs (5/3), Birmingham (5/4) and Glasgow (5/6). - Noble PR, 2/25/15...... Classic Rock icons Whitesnake have announced they'll release their 12th studio album, The Purple Album, on May 19 via Fronteirs Music SRL. The Purple Album is a re-imagination of classic songs from frontman David Coverdale's time as the lead singer for Deep Purple's "Mark 3" and "Mark 4" studio albums. "It's a tribute. A homage. It's a huge thank you from me to Deep Purple for the opportunity I was given over 40 years ago," says Coverdale. "As I said to Richie [Blackmore], you guys set me on an incredible journey that continues today and I couldn't have asked for better teachers. The University of Deep Purple is an extraordinary, amazing school to learn from. We can't wait to play these songs in concert." Whitesnake will tour the US behind The Purple Album beginning on May 28 at the Quest Casino in Airway Heights, Wash. The will play 18 more American dates before wrapping on July 18 at the Star Plaza in Merrillville, Indiana. - Noble PR, 2/25/15...... Country musician and songwriter Bobby Emmons, who wrote hits for Waylon Jennings and George Strait and played on more than 100 chart hits as a session musician, died on Feb. 23 in a Nashville hospital, while being treated for an undisclosed illness. He was 72. The Mississippi-native was a mostly self-taught organ player and keyboardist who became a staple of the Memphis music scene and played on about 120 of chart hits between 1962 and 1972. Emmons' band's hit records included Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds," Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man," Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," Merrilee Rush's "Angel of the Morning," B.J. Thomas' "Hooked on a Feeling," Joe Tex's "I Gotcha," Bobby Womack's "Fly Me To The Moon," and many more. As a songwriter, he had a number of successful tunes to his credit as well, for acts including Waylon Jennings ("Luckenbach, Texas," "Women Do Know How to Carry On" and "Wurlitzer Prize") George Strait ("So Much Like My Dad"), Tanya Tucker ("Love Me Like You Used To") and B.J. Thomas ("Help Me Make It to My Rockin' Chair"). - Billboard, 2/27/15..... Actor Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as Mr. Spock in the Star Trek franchise, died at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles on Feb. 27. He was 83. Mr. Nimoy was a heavy smoker earlier in his life, and his wife said his death was due to end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The star had been open about his condition, and spoke publicly about it in 2014. "Just can't walk distances. Love my life, family, friends and followers," he wrote on Twitter a week after announcing his diagnosis. Mr. Nimoy portrayed Mr. Spock for 40 years, reprising the role in 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 2009's Star Trek and 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness. Aside from his work as Spock, Nimoy sat in the director's chair, helming 3 Men And A Baby and Star Trek films like The Search For Spock and The Voyage Home. He was also an accomplished voice actor, and can be heard in two episodes of The Simpsons, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Transformers: The Movie, The Pagemaster, and dozens of other projects, including video games. More recently, he had a recurring role on the series, Fringe, as William Bell. Mr. Nimoy also released five albums via Dot Records, one of which borrowed from his days as Spock: Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space. Mr. Nimoy had been hospitalized a few days before his death, and many of his former Star Trek co-stars, including George Takei, sent public well wishes. He had become active on Twitter in recent years, and wrote his last message on Feb. 23: "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" He is survived by his wife, two children from his first marriage to actress Sandra Zober, his stepson and grandchildren. - The Huffington Post, 2/27/15.

Cable news channel CNN announced on Feb. 22 it had picked up domestic broadcast rights to the recent Glen Campbell documentary, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me. CNN says it will premiere the film in June, with an encore in November. Directed by James Keach, I'll Be Me was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song for "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," which was performed during the Feb. 22 Oscars ceremony by Tim McGraw and won a Grammy earlier in February for best country song. "This partnership will guarantee that millions of people will have the opportunity to see our movie and understand just how important it is to both raise awareness -- and find an end -- to Alzheimer's disease," said I'll Be Me producer Trevor Albert. Campbell, 78, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's four years ago and recently admitted to a long-term care facility in Nashville, and now his wife Kim says his condition has declined. "He has lost most of his ability to communicate, but he can say short phrases like, 'I love you,'" Kim says. "He likes to strum on the guitar a bit, and he still prays -- He's got a heart of gratitude and a positive attitude... He's cheerful and content." - The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard, 2/22/15...... The heirs of '70s reggae legend Bob Marley have scored a victory in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in their lawsuit against merchandisers who they say are confusing consumers about who was endorsing Marley T-shirts. Marley's heirs are behind a company called Fifty-Six Hope Road Music, which controls Marley's likeness for licensing endeavors. In 2008, Fifty-Six sued A.V.E.L.A. and others for using Marley photographs in merchandise sold at Target, Walmart and other large retailers. The company was ordered to pay more than 750,000 in profits in 2011, and an additional $300,000 in damages for interfering with the official licensing of Marley merchandise as well as attorney's fees. - Billboard, 2/20/15...... Fleetwood Mac's On With the Show tour has topped the Billboard Hot Tours chart for the week of Feb. 11-17, with shows at three arenas in Michigan, Quebec and Connecticut bringing in $3.8 million in sales from the veteran rock band's 2015 winter trek. The tour will continue its North American schedule of more than 80 concerts through April 14, wrapping in the Los Angeles market at the Forum in Inglewood. Fleetwood Mac will follow that with a two-night stand at London's O2 Arena on May 27. - Billboard, 2/20/15...... Brian Wilson has unveiled a new video for a song called "The Right Time" from his forthcoming LP No Pier Pressure. The clip was filmed in-studio during the track's recording and includes the song's lyrics. Cofounding BB member Al Jardine handles lead vocals, and the song also features a guitar contribution from early band member David Marks. The 13-track album is due for release on Apr. 7. - New Musical Express, 2/22/15...... Hall & Oates will premiere a their new live DVD Recorded Live from Dublin on Feb. 19 with a one-night-only theatrical screening on Feb. 19, with a DVD and Blu-ray release following on Mar. 31. The show was recorded at Dublin's Olympia Theatre, and Hall says there was "something about the room that was at that time very magical to me and very special." Hall & Oates have six spread-out live dates on their calendar for 2015, starting Feb. 26 in Bethlehem, Pa. Theater locations and other details for the screening of Recorded Live from Dublin can be found at FathomEvents.com. - Billboard, 2/18/15...... Longtime jazz musician Clark Terry has died at the age of 94. A native of St. Louis, Mr. Terry rose to fame as a sideman for two legends of swing/big band music, first performing with Count Basie between 1948-1951 and then Duke Ellington from 1951-1959, holding the distinction of being one of few who played in both bands. He made an even bigger impact in the 1960s as the first-ever African-American staff musician at NBC, where he spent 12 years as a featured horn player in NBC's The Tonight Show band. He released more than 80 albums as a bandleader and hundreds more as a sideman to jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Clifford Brown, Milt Jackson and Quincy Jones. Mr. Terry, who was admitted into hospice care earlier in Febrary, also organized countless camps and clinics. "Teaching jazz allows me to play a part in making dreams come true for aspiring musicians," he posted on his website. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/22/15.