Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on Mar. 12th, 2016

Legendary prog rock keyboardist Keith Emerson of the British supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer was found dead at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., on Mar. 10 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 71. "We regret to announce that Keith Emerson died last night at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, aged 71," a post on ELP's official Facebook page stated. "We ask that the family's privacy and grief be respected." A native of Yorkshire, UK, Emerson enjoyed a musical career spanning 50 years and was widely acknowledged as one of the finest keyboardists of the early '70s prog rock era. Emerson, along with guitarist/singer Greg Lake drummer Carl Palmer formed ELP in London in 1970, and the trio released its first eponymous album in 1971, which peaked at No. 18 in the US and was certified gold the same year. ELP's six additional albums of the decade, including Pictures at an Exhibition, Trilogy, Brain Salad Surgery (considered by many fans to be their finest work), and the live set Welcome Back My Friends... To the Show That Never Ends, also acheived gold album status and continued to feature he group's instrumentally complicated yet sonically cohesive prog-rock mixing classical structures, improvisational jazz and electronics. After splitting up in 1979, the band recruited a new drummer, Cozy Powell, in 1986 and continued on as Emerson, Lake & Powell. In 1992, Carl Palmer rejoined the band and the original trio released two additional albums, Black Moon and The Return of the Manticore. Prior to his success with ELP, Keith Emerson played with British band The Nice, melding rock music with classical and jazz influences, and his keyboard contributions can also be heard on Rod Stewart's 1970 album, The Rod Stewart Album. Classically trained as a child, Emerson was known as one of the most technically proficient keyboard players of his generation. He started experimenting with the Moog synthesizer after hearing Wendy Carlos' landmark 1968 LP Switched-On Bach. His showmanship while performing on the Moog, Hammond organ or piano was one of the trio's defining elements. Emerson also released several solo albums, played in the '80s prog rock band 3, and scored several films including 1981's Nighthawks starring Sylvester Stallone. "I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music, Keith Emerson," Carl Palmer said on his website. "Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come. He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz. I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humor, compelling showmanship, and dedication to his musical craft. I am very lucky to have known him and to have made the music we did, together. Rest in peace, Keith." - Billboard/New Musical Express, 3/11/16.

Ted Nugent has weighed in on the popularity of controversial conservative Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump, calling the real estate developer and former reality show host a "glowing middle finger" to American politics, but adding that "nobody believes Trump is a conservative." In a brief interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Nugent said he is none too pleased with conservatives in the entertainment industry who won't stand up for their principles in liberal Hollywood. "I know [some of them support Trump] for a fact, but vowed to not 'out' them," Nugent said. "To balk at performing our we-the-people responsibilities to demand accountability from our elected employees is America's greatest sin. Pu----s." The Nuge, also known as a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, revealed he also supports Texas senator Ted Cruz in his bid for the White House, but Trump "is the only candidate to admit he carries -- i.e. keeps and bears -- a firearm." - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/11/16...... Graham Nash, who is set to release his first new solo album in 14 years, This Path Tonight, on Apr. 15 says it's a "very hopeful album" despite being at least partly inspired by his current divorce from his second wife, Susan. "That's why I started the album with 'Where are we going?,' because I don't know," says Nash. "I only know I'm on the right path. But I'm not a dark person. I'm trying to be as positive as possible, and even though it looks bleak and it looks like I don't know where I'm going, there's light at the end of the tunnel," he adds. Nash says that "Target," a track from the new album, was inspired by his relationship with his girlfriend Amy Grantham, a New York artist who shot This Path's Tonight's cover photo of the musician in Woodstock, the famous locale where Crosby, Stills and Nash performed in 1969. As for the future of CSN, Nash says there are no plans for the trio to continue on together. "Right now, I don't want anything to do with [David] Crosby at all. It's just that simple," he says. "In my world there will never, ever be a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young record and there will never be another Crosby, Stills & Nash record or show." After headlining the Bluesfest in Australia later in March, Nash will kick off a spring U.S. tour on Apr. 22 in Beverly Hills, Calif., then tour Europe in May and June. Meanwhile, the Graham Nash: Touching the Flame exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Oh., will be on display through the end of spring. - Billboard, 3/11/16...... A three-minute preview of the eight-part TV series Soundbreaking that recently deceased Beatles producer Sir George Martin was working on when he died on Mar. 8 is available for viewing on YouTube. Sir George and his son Giles Martin had spent the past five years working on the series, which chronicles the evolution of recording technologies. "Music is the only common thread and universal language that binds us together regardless of race, nationality, age or income," he said prior to his passing. "And, recorded music is how we experience it and what makes it accessible. Through the production of Soundbreaking, I was afforded the opportunity to tell the story of the creative process of so many of the artists I have worked with throughout my life." Soundbreaking will make its North American broadcast debut on PBS in Nov. 2016. Details will be unveiled at SXSW in Austin, Tex. on Mar. 14. - Billboard, 3/11/16...... In other Fab Four-related news, Paul McCartney has just announced six initial North American dates on his upcoming 2016 One on One tour. Kicking off on Apr. 13 in Fresno, Calif., the tour will also visit Portland, Ore. (4/15), Seattle (4/17), Vancouver, B.C. (4/19, 20), Little Rock, Ark. (4/30) and Sioux Falls, S.D. (5/2). In a press release, Sir Paul promised a newly redesigned set and "no shortage of surprises." His last North American tour, dubbed the "Out There" tour, wrapped in Oct. 2015. - NME, 3/9/16...... Saying she was "inspired" by Kim Kardashian's recent nude selfie that went viral on the Internet, Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon Osbourne has posted her own nude selfie on Twitter. "You inspired me!," Sharon tells Kardashian in the post with the same censor bars Kardashian used in her viral pic. - Billboard, 3/9/16...... Meanwhile, in an interview with Sharon Osbourne on her daytime show The Talk on Feb. 27, Elton John lamented the fate of Tower and his favorite L.A. bookstore, Book Soup on Sunset Boulevard. "I love record stores... and book stores," John told Osbourne. "If Book Soup, over the road, went as well, then I'd probably throw myself off a cliff." Later, the Book Soup store then acknowledged Sir Elton's endorsement with a message on a chalkboard in front of the store. "He comes in every other month and stocks up," says Book Soup's Rob Bieselin, who lettered the chalkboard and constructed a "shrine" to the rock star in one of the store's windows in gratitude for his business and support of West Hollywood charities. Bieselin added that Book Soup's celebrity-savvy customers usually leave John alone when he visits and peruses limited editions and the store's collection of vinyl LPs. "He just does his thing," Bieselin said. John also revealed on The Talk that Sharon Osbourne once stole his boyfriend, before she hooked up with Ozzy. "Years ago -- and I'm talking about years ago -- I would stay at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (in New York) with my boyfriend at the time, and he disappeared," Elton recalled. "He didn't come back to the room and I found out years and years later (he had been with Sharon)." Sharon quickly apologized and said, "It's not my fault! He was interested in my stamp collection!" Osbourne then said it was actually Elton she wanted, which prompted the openly-gay Rocket Man to respond, "Well, you got as much chance of that as Donald Trump winning the Democratic (presidential nomination)!" Meanwhile, Elton is also known as an avid collector of photography, and a collection of photographs from his private collection is set to be displayed at the Tate Modern art galleries in London as part of a new exhibition. The modernist photography show, titled "The Radical Eye," will feature more than 150 pieces from more than 60 artists, including Man Ray, Andre Kertesz and Berenice Abbott. In a statement, John described it as an "honor" for him and husband David Furnish to loan the images to the gallery. "It is a great honour for David and I to lend part of our collection to Tate Modern for this ground-breaking exhibition. The modernist era in photography is one of the key moments within the medium and collecting work from this period has brought me great joy over the last 25 years," he said. The Radical Eye: Modernist Photography from the Sir Elton John Collection opens on Nov. 10, 2016. - The Hollywood Reporter/NME, 3/10/16...... It has been revealed that David Bowie's teenage daughter Alexandria, 15, will inherit a $25 million windfall from her late dad when she reaches her 25th birthday. Alexandria is the child of Bowie and his former supermodel wife Inman, his wife of 24 years. She will also inherit his trendy apartment in Manhattan's trendy Soho district. Duncan Jones, Bowie's 44-year-old son with his first wife, actress Angela Barrett, will inherit his share of his dad's estate in the coming weeks. Bowie, who succumbed to a battle with cancer on Jan. 10 at age 69, also didn't forget about his loyal household staff members and assistants either, setting aside a few million dollars to make sure they were taken care of. - WENN.com, 3/9/16...... Former Rolling Stones member Bill Wyman has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to reps for the legendary bassist. "Bill has been diagnosed with prostate cancer," reads the statement. "He is undergoing treatment and is expected to make a full recovery as it was caught in the early stages. The Wyman family has asked for their privacy during this time." After leaving the Rolling Stones, Wyman has fronted his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. He was present at the recent wedding of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and model/actress Jerry Hall, the former girlfriend of Stones frontman Mick Jagger. Meanwhile, Mick Jagger was recently spotted in downtown Bogot, Columbia, strolling down the city streets, surrounded by security detail and with throngs of fans snapping pictures alongside. At one point along the way, Jagger stopped at an oblea stand, and using a series of hand signals, manages to purchase one and starts munching away. For the uninitiated, obleas are a Colombian delicacy, consisting of dulce de leche spread between two large, thin wafers. The Stones performed at Bogota's Campin Stadium on Mar. 10 as part of their "Amrica Latina Ol" tour. - Billboard, 3/10/16...... Elvis & Nixon, a comedy about the famous 1970 meeting between the King of Rock and Roll and US Pres. Richard Nixon at the White House in Washington, D.C., will debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, which runs from Apr. 13-24. Directed by Liza Johnson, Elvis & Nixon is produced by Amazon Studios and stars Michael Shannon as Presley and Kevin Spacey as Richard Nixon. - AP, 3/9/16...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson suggested the Canadian power trio's 2015 R40 Tour would be their final tour. "We had such a great time on the tour. And It was really nice to go through all the material reverse chronology, and I think our fans really enjoyed it. I think that no matter how long it would have been it would have been too short," Lifeson said, but added hope for the future. "Maybe next fall or something like that, we'll plan something," he said. "We took a year off before the last tour and we didn't discuss anything about the band or work, and everybody had a great time, and we came back from that." - Billboard, 3/9/16...... Patrisha McLean, the wife of folk rock singer/songwriter Don McLean, has filed for divorce in Maine, only weeks after Don McLean was arrested on domestic violence charges. A lawyer for Patrisha stated in the legal papers filed oN Mar. 10 cited "adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, and irreconcilable differences." McLean, a resident of Camden, Me., was arrested in January on charges including domestic violence assault. He has pleaded not guilty, and has been prohibited from having contact with his wife. The McLeans have been married for 30 years. - AP, 3/10/16...... AC/DC has rescheduled 10 tour dates on their Rock or Bust World Tour after doctors advised lead singer Brian Johnson to stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss. The Aussie rockers announced they were postponing a Mar. 8 concert in Atlanta, as well as stops in Washington, D.C., Detroit and Philadelphia leading up to April 4's planned show at New York City's Madison Square Garden. The band is expected to make up these canceled gigs later in the year, likely with a guest vocalist. Current ticket holders may hold onto their tickets for the rescheduled concerts, or receive a refund. The band had also been set to perform UK gigs in Manchester and London during June, although it is not currently known whether these shows will continue to go ahead with or without Johnson, who joined the band in 1980 after the death of singer Bon Scott. Original AC/DC vocalist Dave Evans has offered to fill in for Johnson during his absence. Evans, who briefly sang in the band during 1974, recently told The Sydney Morning Herald paper: "It would be nice to do one guest performance [with AC/DC]. [Former members] were all part of the band no matters what era they were from." - Billboard/NME, 3/7/16...... Despite recent revelations that former Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes won't be performing with the band during its upcoming induction of Deep Purple into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hughes says he still hopes to perform when the band is inducted during the ceremony on Apr. 8 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. "All I know is I'm getting the award," said Hughes, who played with the band for three studio albums between 1973-76. "There's a lot of gossip and innuendo about who's saying what. I'd love to play. I'd love to sing. And so would David," referring to David Coverdale, who was part of Deep Purple's "Mk. 3" (third iteration) and "Mk. 4" (fourth iteration) lineups with Hughes. Meanwhile, Hughes is gearing up for a solo tour that will kick off Aug. 9 in Annapolis, Md., a start that was delayed to allow him to recover from double knee replacement surgery during January. "The knees are doing incredible," he said. Hughes says he's also planning to record a solo album during June that he hopes to have out by fall. - Billboard, 3/7/16...... Carole King will play her first UK gig in 27 years this July when she will be among the headliners at the British Summer Time festival at London's Hyde Park. King, 74, will headline the July 8 show, with support coming from the Eagles' Don Henley and her daughter Louise Goffin. King will be performing her classic 1971 album Tapestry in its entirety, the first time she has ever done so at a concert. "I can't wait to perform Tapestry from beginning to end for the first time... in the heart of one of my favorite cities," King said. - NME, 3/8/16...... Robert Plant will be among the headliners at the UK's Meltdown Festival, which takes place at Southbank Centre in London from June 10-19. The former Led Zeppelin frontman will play the final day of the festival, which will raise funds to aid Britain's refugee crisis. - NME, 3/8/16...... Foreigner have confirmed they'll embark on a massive summer 2016 tour of Europe beginning with a concert at the London Palladium on June 7. Foreigner will then play dates Belgium's Graspop, Cologne's Tanzbrunnen, and Tel Aviv's Caesarea Amphitheatre, among several others. Opening for the band will be John Parr, known for his hits "St. Elmo's Fire," "Restless Heart" and "Naughty Naughty." - Noble PR, 3/10/16...... Actor/comedian Steve Martin will curate an exhibition at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts devoted to Canadian modernist Lawren Harris. Martin was on hand at the museum for a preview on Mar. 11, and discussed Harris' work the following day during the public opening of the show. "The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris" runs through June 12. - AP, 3/11/16...... Jon English, an Australian singer and actor known for his work in music, television and on the stage, died suddenly on Mar. 9 following complications from surgery. He was 66. English's roles include Judas Iscariot in Jesus Christ Superstar in the 1970s and later as the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. In February, English was hospitalized due to what was described as "unexpected ill health," and his unexpected death surprised many. - Billboard, 3/9/16.