Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on April 6th, 2017

In a new interview with People magazine, Barry Manilow opened up about his secret marriage to his manager Garry Kief in 2014 which forced him to come out as gay in 2015, but he has since remained quiet about his sexuality and marriage. Manilow, interviewed at his Palm Springs home, told the magazine that when the pair met in 1978, "I knew that this was it," adding, "I was one of the lucky ones. I was pretty lonely before that." Despite being in love with Kief, who serves as Manilow's manager and acts as President of Barry Manilow Productions, Manilow admitted that he was concerned about how fans would react upon finding out that he was gay. "I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything," Manilow said. But the 73-year-old singer was pleased that the reaction was opposite: "When they found out that Garry and I were together, they were so happy. The reaction was so beautiful -- strangers commenting, 'Great for you!' I'm just so grateful for it." Manilow is promoting his upcoming LP of New York-centric songs, Manilow will release his latest studio album, This Is My Town: Songs of New York, which is due on Apr. 21. - Billboard/People, 4/5/17...... Bob Dylan finally accepted the Nobel Prize for literature in person during a private event in Stockholm, Sweden on Apr. 1. Wearing a black hoodie and brown boots, the rock legend accepted the award in an event with no media present that "went very well indeed" according to a member of the Swedish Academy. Dylan, the first songwriter to receive the Nobel Prize for literature, later headed to the Stockholm Waterfront venue where he performed live. Dylan was named the recipient of the award in 2016, but missed the official prize-giving ceremony in December due to "previous commitments," and Patti Smith performed at the event in his place. A condition of receiving the 8m kroner (£727,000) prize money that accompanies the honor is giving a lecture, and the singer has until June to deliver his speech or forfeit the money. It is expected that he will give a taped version of his planned talk in the next few months. - New Musical Express, 1/1/17...... The Beatles' Apple Corps. officially announced on Apr. 5 that the band's classic 1967 album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band will be getting a special anniversary reissue on May 26 in several CD and vinyl packages to feature new audio mixes of the album and a special super deluxe six-disc set full of unreleased outtakes. Fans will be able to choose from four separate offerings, including a newly remixed single disc of the original album, a two-LP vinyl set with the album and a second disc of collected outtakes in the same order as the album and a two-disc CD version with a second disc of complete early takes from the album in the same sequence plus outtakes of "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever," the two-sided single released before the album. The six-CD deluxe set will be housed in a box and include the original remixed album, two discs of outtakes in chronological order of their first recording date and a CD of the original mono mixes of the album. "It's crazy to think that 50 years later we are looking back on this project with such fondness and a little bit of amazement at how four guys, a great producer and his engineers could make such a lasting piece of art," says Paul McCartney in the introduction to the book in the deluxe set. The album won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and was selected in 2003 by the Library of Congress for its National Recording Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Additionally, for Record Store Day on Apr. 22, the Beatles said today they will release a limited edition vinyl single of "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever." - Billboard/NME, 4/5/17...... In other Beatles news, George Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison and their son Dhani Harrison recently hosted a 74th birthday tribute to George at Los Angeles' Subliminal Gallery. The event also marked the launch of a new "extended edition" of Harrison's 1980 classic memoir I Me Mine with new lyrics, writings and photos, which was published on Feb. 21, as well as a new 13-album Harrison vinyl box set, The Vinyl Collection. "The book is as complete as we could make it," Olivia says. "I've been trying to do it for three or four years." Olivia added that she recently discovered a lost George song called "Hey Ringo" in a piano bench in an envelope. "They think it was from around 1970 or 1971. "I'm going to get it framed and give it to him because it's really sweet... Ringo was totally surprised and really happy. What a gift to have all these years later." - Billboard, 4/3/17...... Penning a tribute to late rock 'n' roll pioneer Chuck Berry for Rolling Stone magazine, Keith Richards recalled an incident when Berry punched him in the eye after Richards, "out of professional interest," took Berry's guitar out of its case and began playing it in the dressing room after a New York Berry concert. "Chuck walked in and gave me this wallop to the frickin' left eye," Richards said. "But I realized I was in the wrong. If I walked into my dressing room and saw somebody fiddling with my ax, it would be perfectly all right to sock 'em, you know? I just got caught." Richards also described the late musician as "the granddaddy of us all" and "incredibly versatile." - NME/Rolling Stone, 4/3/17...... A rep for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced on Apr. 5 that David Letterman will be filling in for Neil Young when Pearl Jam is inducted into the Rock Hall on Apr. 7 during a ceremony at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The statement said that "an illness" prevented Young from inducting the iconic alternative band, and that the retired The Late Show host, on whose show Pearl Jam performed seven times, would be handling the duties instead. The RRHOF induction ceremony will be taped and broadcast on cable channel HBO Apr. 29 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. A special exhibit dedicated to the 2017 class will open at the Rock Hall in Cleveland Mar. 31. - RollingStone.com, 4/5/17...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne attended a rally at New York's City Hall on Apr. 3 to protest Pres. Donald Trump's proposed elimination of publicly funded arts organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. "This is a political move -- it really doesn't amount to much money... it's a tiny part of the federal budget," Byrne has posted on his website. "The amount of federal funding is $741 million, which sounds like a lot, but is less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the United States' annual federal spending..." The musician also noted a recent study finding that non-profit arts generate $135.2 billion in economic activity in the US. "Why in the world would one want to walk away from such an incredible investment?," he asked. - Billboard/Stereogum, 4/4/17...... Nancy Wilson of Heart says her new side project Roadcase Royale is a "really cool new band for me." "With Liv Warfield at the front and center, there's a whole different rock power that is refreshingly different than Heart; It's still got the rock ethic but there's a flavor of the R&B that comes through Liv, the way she sings, and her power's just flattening," Nancy says. "She wanted to rock and I love the R&B world -- we said, 'We should get together,' and with most people, that never happens. But we followed up on it and it's really exciting." Roadcase Royale is also considering touring this summer -- including possible opening slots on major tours -- with a repertoire that will also include Heart favorites and at least one Prince song. Wilson is also looking forward to her first ever Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp gig during the June 29-July 2 session in Hollywood. "I'll be there to advise people to be careful with their aspirations and just help them have some fun with it," she says. - Billboard, 4/4/17...... Speaking with the BBC after being named as "Record Store Day Legend" ahead of this year's Record Store Day on Apr. 22, Elton John insisted that vinyl "sounds better" than CDs and streaming. "It does sound better. I know people say it doesn't, but it does," said Sir Elton, adding: "I've been around long enough to know. I've been in so many studios, I've made so many records. It just sounds better." To coincide with the 10th Record Store Day, John will release a new vinyl version of his 17-11-10 live album. "It's probably one of the best live albums of all time. I'm never one to say good things about myself, but it is pretty fabulous," he said. - New Musical Express, 4/6/17...... Memorabilia dealer Moments in Time has just put up for sale a Bruce Springsteen collection of 300 items, including original lyrics, clothing, guitars, and more. Billed as the "Ultimate Springsteen Collection," the seller of the memorabilia accumulated the goods over an 11-year period of time that began after he first purchased the 1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible in which Springsteen wrote "Born to Run" (which is not included in the sale). He then began collecting fervently, building his own personal museum of The Boss items and contributing pieces to exhibits at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some of the items included in this set for sale are Springsteen's 4F card excusing him from service in the Vietnam War, different drafts of "Born to Run" lyrics, and the original flannel shirt Springsteen wore on the cover of his The River album. "It's extraordinary that one person could assemble such a truly unbelievable collection," said Gary Zimet of Moments in Time. The price for all the items is fixed at $7.5 million, but Zimet said he would consider selling pieces individually. - Billboard, 4/3/17...... Michael Jackson's eldest son Prince Jackson has reportedly paid tribute to his late dad with an impressive tattoo adorning the lower half of his leg. The tattoo depicts Michael -- who passed away in 2009, at the age of 50 -- in one of his signature dance poses, legs crossed and hands (one wearing his white glove) high in the air. Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson also has tattoos inspired by her father, including his Dangerous artwork, as well as "Queen of My Heart" inked in her father's handwriting. - Billboard, 4/1/17...... Lonnie Brooks, a Chicago blues man known for his intense guitar solos and raspy but strong voice, died on Apr. 1 at age 83. Mr. Brooks' relationship with his adopted hometown was cemented by his hit recording of Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago." He recorded a number of albums for Chicago-based Alligator Records' "Living Chicago Blues" series including classics such as "Bayou Lightning," "Hot Shot," and "Lone Star Shootout." He also appeared in Dan Aykroyd's film Blues Brothers 2000. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel described Mr. Brooks as a blues legend "with a towering talent and soulful style that won him legions of fans across the country and around the world." - AP, 4/3/17.

More than 1,000 pieces from Bob Dylan's one-secret 6,000-piece archive were made available to scholars at the Gilcrease Museum's Helmerich Center for American Research in Tulsa, Okla., on Mar. 29. The pieces include thousands of hours of studio sessions, film reels and caches of unpublished lyrics that span Dylan's six-decade career. The opening of the center, which also houses a collection devoted to major Dylan influence Woody Guthrie, comes a year after the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the University of Tulsa acquired the collection for an estimated $15 million to $20 million. The public will get a glimpse of some of the material when the Bob Dylan Center opens in downtown Tulsa's Brady Arts District in about two years. In other Dylan news, it was announced on Mar. 29 that Dylan will physically accept his Nobel Prize for Literature during the first weekend of April when he arrives in Sweden to perform at a pair of Stockholm dates. "The Swedish Academy is very much looking forward to the weekend and will show up at one of the performances. Please note that no Nobel Lecture will be held. The Academy has reason to believe that a taped version will be sent at a later point," Swedish Academy secretary Sara Danius wrote. She added that only Dylan and members of the Academy will attend, "all according to Dylan's wishes." In December, Dylan informally accepted the award, submitting a speech assuring that he was "honored to be receiving such a prestigious prize" and that for him to "join the names on such a list [of Nobel Prize recipients] is truly beyond words." - The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard, 3/29/17...... With the 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony set for Apr. 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain has told a Dayton, Oh. newspaper that Journey vocalist Steve Perry will attend the gala as Journey is inducted into the rock hall, however it's doubtful that he will perform with the band. "That's all I know, unless something changes," Cain said. Instead, Cain said replacement lead vocalist Arnel Pineda will "represent very well, like he always does" during Journey's performance. - Billboard/Stereogum.com, 3/31/17...... Barry Manilow has been tapped to receive the prestigious BMI Icon Award during the upcoming 65th annual BMI Pop Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on May 9. "Barry Manilow is a visionary whose exceptional body of work has shaped the course of popular music for over five decades," said BMI exec Barbara Cane in a statement. Previous BMI Icon Award honorees include Sting, Stevie Nicks, Paul Simon, Carole King, John Fogerty, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Brian Wilson and Dolly Parton, among others. Manilow will release his latest studio album, This Is My Town: Songs of New York, on Apr. 21. - Billboard, 3/31/17...... Aerosmith is set to perform at the final night of the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament on Apr. 2 in Phoenix, Ariz. The three days of music coinciding with college basketball's Final Four will also include Keith Urban, The Chainsmokers, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis , leading up to Aerosmith's set. Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry says he and bandmates Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer will give fans a good taste of what to expect when Aerosmith sets out on its U.S. tour this summer, including some songs "that were last on our set list 10, 20 years ago." - Billboard, 3/30/17...... A New York City condo formerly owned by David Bowie and his wife Inman has been put on the market for $6.5 million. Bowie and Iman lived there from 1991 to 2002, when they sold the property for $1.7 million, leaving Bowie's Yamaha piano behind. Besides the piano, the 1877-square foot condo in Manhattan's Essex House boasts a limestone foyer, a walnut-paneled office, a newly renovated kitchen, and views overlooking Central Park. - Billboard/Forbes, 3/29/17...... The recording console used to record Pink Floyd's 1972 classic The Dark Side of the Moon sold at auction for $1,807,500 during a sale conducted by Bonhams Auction House on Mar. 28. The 40-channel EMI TG12345 MK IV was custom-built by EMI engineers for the legendary Abbey Road Studios, and according to the Bonhams, it has also been used by Paul McCartney and Wings, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Kate Bush and the Cure. - Billboard, 3/28/17...... Joni Mitchell made a rare public appearance at Elton John's 70th birthday party at Los Angeles' The Hammer Museum on Mar. 25. Mitchell was pictured arriving in a wheelchair at the star-studded bash and appeared to be in good spirits, reportedly getting out of the chair to make the short walk to her waiting car when leaving Elton's party. Mitchell, 73, has rarely appeared in public since she was rushed to hospital after collapsing at her home in March, 2015, but is now reportedly well on the road to recovery. She also attended a star-studded pre-Grammys party in February. - WENN.com, 3/27/17...... Speaking of Elton John, it has been revealed that the rock icon is developing an animated version of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" with the musical's songwriters, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. STX Entertainment chairman Adam Fogelson announced the project on Mar. 28 at CinemaCon, the annual gathering of theater owners and exhibitors. The musical, which Rice and Webber created in the late 1960s, is based on the "coat of many colors" story from the Book of Genesis. - AP, 3/29/17...... It was announced on Mar. 29 that a public funeral for Chuck Berry will take place in his hometown of St. Louis on Apr. 9. Public viewing will run from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at The Pageant, a well-known concert venue down the street from the club Blueberry Hill, where Berry held a nearly two decade-long residency that ended in 2014. Joe Edwards, The Pageant's owner and longtime Berry friend, says that Berry will lie in repose in an open casket, giving fans their last glimpse of the music legend. The public viewing will be followed by a private service for the late songwriter's family and friends. Berry passed away at his home near St. Louis on Mar. 18 at age 90. - AP/Spin.com, 3/29/17...... Paul McCartney has responded to Sony/ATV's suggestion that he brought an "unripe" lawsuit seeking confirmation he'll reclaim rights to Beatles songs in 2018. In a letter to the judge on Mar. 29, McCartney's lawyer Michael Jacobs writes, "Delay would not simplify the parties' dispute, but it would prejudice McCartney. As long as Sony/ATV refuses to disavow any right to sue for breach of contract, McCartney has a cloud over the title to his works, which devalues his rights." McCartney sued Sony/ATV in January and looked for assurance that under 304(c) of the U.S. Copyright Act, he has the ability to grab back rights to works by serving a notice of termination. The legendary former Beatle expects to do so in 2018, but he's worried, due to a case involving a Sony affiliate over in the U.K. There, an English court ruled that Duran Duran's contractual promise to not transfer its interest in copyrights foreclosed the band's ability to terminate a grant of rights. The British justice believes it isn't necessary to heed an aspect of American copyright law that states that termination of a grant "may be effected notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary." - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/29/17...... After releasing his latest single, "I Saved a Bird Today," in early March, Peter Frampton has just released an acoustic video performance of the song shot in his studio, and a behind-the-scenes video where he explains the full story of how he saved a bird that flew into a window at his house in Nashville, Tenn. "This is how the song sounded as we were writing it," Frampton says. "So much fun to play and I love that's it a true story about caring and compassion, which we need more of today." Frampton kicked off a spring U.S. tour on Mar. 13 in Fort Lauderdale that will run through Apr. 12 in Rutland, Vermont. Three days later, he'll launch a co-headlining tour with fellow Classic Rock legend Steve Miller on June 15 in Holmdel, N.J., that will run through Aug. 13 in Murphy's, Calif. - Billboard, 3/29/17...... The Who's Roger Daltrey told the U.K. music site New Musical Express that even a "dead dog" could have beaten Hillary Clinton in the last U.S. presidential election. Daltrey said that Donald Trump "really didn't win" the election because Democrats "threw it away." Daltrey also said he's in favor of the U.K. leaving the European union, and when the dust settles from the Brexit move, "I think that it'll be seen that it's the right thing for this country to have done." Daltrey added that he'll "probably hand his Teenage Cancer Trust gigs over to Noel Gallegher" in a few years. 2017 marks the 17th anniversary of Teenage Cancer Trust gigs being held at London's Royal Albert Hall in aid of the charity. "I'd like to do 20 years and that'd be enough for me," Daltrey said "I'll probably hand it over to Noel or someone. One of the younger mob." The Teenage Cancer Trust's run of gigs include Paul Weller on Mar. 31, The Who (play Tommy) on Apr. 1, and the Pet Shop Boys on Apr. 2. - AP/NME, 3/30/17...... Speaking of Donald Trump, John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) of the Sex Pistols has defended the controversial U.S. president in a new interview with Virgin Radio, calling him, among other things, a "joy to behold" and a "possible friend." Lydon also said the media was "trying to smear the bloke as a racist, and that's completely not true." "America now has a new president and whether you like him or not you have to support him or you will destroy the country. You got to make things work," he said. - Spin.com, 3/28/17...... Recordings by such famous '70s acts as David Bowie, Don McLean, Talking Heads and the Eagles were added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress on Mar. 29. Each year, the Librarian of Congress picks 25 titles that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" and at least 10 years old. The 2017 additions include Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, McLean's "American Pie," Talking Heads' Remain in Light, and the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975). Judy Collins' "Amazing Grace," Barbra Streisand's "People" and Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" were also among the 25 recordings added. - Billboard, 3/29/17...... Donna Betts, the wife of former Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts, was arrested after an altercation at her property in Sarasota County, Fla., on Mar. 28. Betts, 62, was accused of pointing her rifle at teenage members of the Sarasota Crew rowing team. Their practice facility at Bay Preserve sits adjacent to the Betts home. She was charged with 18 counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. According to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Betts is alleged to have threatened the team's members and coaches. Footage captured on a phone supports the case, and the 911 caller claims she then threw her weapon into the water. A judge ordered the woman, who has a history of disputes between herself the rowing team, released on a $180,000 bond on the condition she did not use alcohol or drugs or access the backyard of her property. She has also been prohibited from possessing firearms. - New Musical Express, 3/30/17...... Sammy Hagar has recruited Mick Fleetwood, Dave Grohl and Bob Weir for the 2017 edition of his annual Acoustic-4-A-Cure Benefit, set for May 15 in San Francisco. Also performing will be Pat Benatar, ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder, guitarists Vic Johnson and Steve Vai, and Sarah McLachlan. The all-star acoustic jam session hopes to raise $100,000 for pediatric cancer research at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Hagar created the event three years ago with Metallica's James Hetfield after meeting Dr. Jean Nakamura, a physician and leading scientist searching for a cure to pediatric brain cancer. Hagar says Acoustic-4-A-Cure is inspired by Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit concert at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., as well as Hagar's support of charities in both California and Maui, where he lives part-time.- Billboard, 3/29/17...... Clem Curtis, the former lead vocalist of the 1960s soul group The Foundations, died on Mar. 27 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 76. The Trinidad-born Curtis joined The Foundations in 1967, singing on the multi-racial soul group's breakout hit "Baby Now That I've Found You," which topped the singles charts in the U.K. and reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the States. Curtis fronted further Foundations singles in "Back on My Feet Again" (also a Hot 100 hit) and "Any Old Time (You're Lonely and Sad)" in 1968. He was no longer in the group, however, when the band released its biggest hit, "Build Me Up Buttercup," in 1968. Colin Young provided lead vocals for that song, which rose to No. 3 on the Billboard charts in America. Curtis would rejoin The Foundations in the mid-'70s, though by then, the group had fractured to the point where multiple members were leading their own iterations of the band. - Billboard, 3/28/17...... Screenwriter Allan Weiss, who worked on the scripts for six Elvis Presley movies including 1961's Blue Hawaii, 1962's Girls! Girls! Girls!, 1963's Fun in Acapulco, 1964's Roustabout, 1966's Paradise, Hawaiian Style and 1967's Easy Come, Easy Go died on Mar. 23 at a nursing facility in Mission Viejo, Calif. He was 90. Mr. Weiss, an associate of renowned producer Hal B. Wallis, once noted that to write a screenplay for an Elvis movie, "You had to make room for 12 songs, and they had to be integrated." He and Anthony Lawrence's script for Roustabout was nominated for a WGA award for best movie musical that year, losing out to Mary Poppins. Mr. Weiss received credit for just one other screenplay during his career -- for The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), the Henry Hathaway-directed film that starred John Wayne and Dean Martin. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/27/17.