Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on January 22nd, 2018

Tom Waits has announced he'll reissue his first 7 albums, including Closing Time (1973), Heart of Saturday Night (1974), Nighthawks at the Diner (1975), Small Change (1976), Foreign Affairs (1977), Blue Valentine (1978), and Heartattack & Vine (1980), on CD on Mar. 23, with vinyl versions also becoming available later in 2018. The 7 albums will also be available on streaming services on Mar. 9. - Billboard, 1/22/18...... Dana Petty, the widow of rock legend Tom Petty, revealed in a Facebook post on Jan. 19 that her late husband died on Oct. 2 of an accidental overdose due to a mixture of medications. Dana and the couple's daughter, Adria, posted that according to the Los Angeles County Coroner Tom's organs failed due to "mixed drug toxicity" which included oxycodone, Xanax, and Fentanyl, and that Petty was taking a number of medications due to a series of ailments, including a fractured (and then broken) hip, knee problems and emphysema. Dana and Adria said they hope Tom's death leads to a greater conversation about the country's tragic opioid crisis. "Many people who overdose begin with a legitimate injury or simply do not understand the potency and deadly nature of these medications," they posted. The mom and daughter also noted that "on the day he died he was informed his hip had graduated to a full on break and it is our feeling that the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his over use of medication." "Unfortunately Tom's body suffered from many serious ailments including emphysema, knee problems and most significantly a fractured hip... Despite this painful injury he insisted on keeping his commitment to his fans and he toured for 53 dates with a fractured hip and, as he did, it worsened to a more serious injury," they added, concluding with a positive note: "We now know for certain he went painlessly and beautifully exhausted after doing what he loved the most, for one last time, performing live with his unmatchable rock band for his loyal fans on the biggest tour of his 40 plus year career. He was extremely proud of that achievement in the days before he passed." - Billboard, 1/19/18...... Hall & Oates announced a on Jan. 22 they'll kick off a 37-city North American tour on May 1 in Sacramento, Calif., with the pop-rock band Train as the opener. Stops also include St. Paul, Minn. (5/16), Philadephia (5/26), Washington D.C. (6/11), New York City (6/14),Atlanta (6/20) and Grand Rapids, Mich. (7/15), before wrapping on Aug. 11 in Seattle. While both Daryl Hall and John Oates have released individual projects in recent years, the legendary Philly soul duo hasn't released a project together since their 2006 effort Home for Christmas. - Billboard, 1/22/18...... Yoko Ono was among the many female celebrities supporting the Women's March 2018, which took place across the U.S. on Jan. 20, one year after millions of people gathered to protest the inauguration of Pres. Donald Trump. In a tweet featuring photos of herself at the Women's March in New York City, Ono simply wrote: "PEACE IS POWER." This year's Women's March was spurred by the political climate as well as the innumerable recently surfaced accounts of men abusing women, and the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements that have resulted. - Billboard, 1/20/18...... In other Beatles-related news, Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson revealed that she "cried like a g--damn baby" after meeting Paul McCartney at an A-list Los Angeles party thrown by Sir Paul's daughter, fashion designer Stella McCartney, on Jan. 16. Paris said that Macca was "the love of my life" in a Teen Vogue interview last May, and the 19 year-old finally met McCartney at the party -- where he jammed with an all-star Beatles cover band -- and posted a pic with the rock icon captioned, "I cried like a g--damn baby." In the same interview Jackson revealed that she's already written a song she'd like McCartney to sing, adding "but it probs won't happen." - Billboard, 1/18/18...... Billy Joel announced on Jan. 22 that he'll play his record-breaking 100th career show at New York's Madison Square Garden on July 18. Joel was the first person to ever become a "music franchise" at the legendary Big Apple venue, as he began a residency in 2014, and has played a show every month since. His 100th career show will be his 54th consecutive show since the beginning of his stay, marking a record-setting music franchise at The Garden. Joel also announced plans to perform in Ireland, Germany, and the UK, all in between his June and July New York shows. - Billboard, 1/22/18...... In an interview with Louisville, Ky. radio station WFPK on Jan. 20, Robert Plant said he had "no idea" whether he and his former Led Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page would work together again. "It's not even within my countenance to imagine it, really," he said. When the interviewer noted that fans still hold the band "dear in their hearts," Plant responded: "Me too -- nobody more than me. But I don't want to do it a disservice either." Plant and Page last performed together in 2007 at a show at The O2 in London. Afterwards, the rest of Led Zeppelin, including bassit John Paul Jones and drummer Jason Bonham, were reportedly willing to tour and work on new material, but Plant was busy with other touring commitments. Jimmy Page recently revealed that since 2018 is the 50th anniversary of Led Zeppelin, "there's all manner of surprises coming out." - New Musical Express, 1/20/18...... Def Leppard and Journey have announced a co-headlining North American tour that will kick off on May 21 in Hartford, Conn. The ambitious 58-city tour will hit most major US cities and wrap on Oct. 6 in Los Angeles. The two bands also shared a co-headlining tour in the early 2000s. "We've toured together before and it was massive," said Def Leppard's Joe Elliott in a press release. This time it's going to be even bigger and better!" Journey's Jonathan Cain said "We are all anxious to share our sound with the world again and, along with Def Leppard, we are part of a world-class package to the rock stage that spans decades and represents a multi-platinum legacy." Meanwhile, Def Leppard are joining an esteemed list of formerly reluctant artists to abstain from streaming, announcing on Jan. 19 that its entire catalog is now available on all major streaming and download platforms. "It is with a mixture of relief and euphoria that we now see our entire catalog finally getting a digital release," said frontman Elliott. "Having embraced every other format with open arms, especially and more recently the reemergence of vinyl, we're now going to be available to everyone everywhere and honestly, it's as exciting as the original releases were." Def Leppard's dispute with their former label Mercury Records/UMG over licensing and compensation was at the core for the band's reluctance to make their earlier music available to stream or even download. - Billboard, 1/19/18...... Dead & Company have announced a 19-city summer tour to launch on May 30 in Mansfield, Mass. Featuring founding Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, as well as John Mayer and Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti, Dead & Company last toured in 2017. The 2018 tour will wrap with two dates in Boulder, Col., on July 13 and 14. - Billboard, 1/18/18...... The Eagles have announced they've settled their lawsuit with a Mexican hotel using the name of the band's famous song "Hotel California." A joint dismissal of the Eagles' lawsuit against the hotel in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, was filed on Jan. 17 with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The same day, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office accepted Hotel California Baja's request to permanently abandon its trademark application. "This matter has been settled by mutual agreement of the Parties," said Eagles' attorney Tom Jirgal in a statement. In the initial lawsuit filed in 2017, the Eagles argued that the hotel was trying to capitalize on its success. The Eagles' filing pointed out that the band has become synonymous with the song "Hotel California," and as the act's most popular album, Hotel California is the "essence of the band itself and, as such, all sorts of merchandise has been sold with the mark." The hotel's current owners, Debbie and John Stewart, bought the property in 2001, and denied their hotel was trying to mislead guests, arguing customers were unlikely to be confused. - Billboard, 1/18/18...... Country-pop legend Dolly Parton has collected two new Guinness World Records, for most decades with a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart (six) and most hits on the Hot Country Songs chart by a female artist (107). Parton, 71, said she was "humbled" and "blessed" when she received the Guinness certificates recognizing her newly-set records. "To receive these two Guinness World Records is so great," Dolly said on receiving her framed certificates. "Joining so many wonderful singers and songwriters who have been honored this way feels so special to me. You never know when you start out with your work how it's going to turn out, but to have these two world records makes me feel very humbled and blessed." - Billboard, 1/17/18...... Bassist Jim Rodford, who played with The Kinks and The Zombies and was also a founding member of the Zombies spin-off band Argent, died at his home in St. Albans, England, on Jan. 20. He was 76. Rodford was a cousin of Zombies and Argent member Rod Argent, who confirmed the news on the Zombies' Facebook page. "It is with deep sadness that I learned this morning that my dear cousin and lifelong friend, Jim Rodford, died this morning after a fall on the stairs," Argent wrote. "Jim was not only a magnificent bass player, but also from the first inextricably bound to the story of The Zombies. An enormous enabler for us," he continued. "To the end, Jim's life was dedicated to music. He was unfailingly committed to local music -- an ever present member of the local scene in St.Albans, where he had spent his whole life." - Billboard, 1/20/18.

The Beatles' iconic 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine is heading back to cinemas across the UK later in 2018 to celebrate 50 years since its initial release. Restored in glorious 4K animation, Yellow Submarine will be shown in Picturehouse Cinemas for one night only, on 8 July, to mark its 50th anniversary. "Bringing the film back for its 50th anniversary is great, both for those who loved it the first time around and for those new singing and dancing audiences who will be introduced to this classic music and animation," says Clare Binns of Picturehouse. "I look forward to the huge smiles on faces all across the UK and Ireland on 8 July -- as the Fab Four said, All You Need is Love!" In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney made an unannounced appearance at a Jan. 16 show by the occasional supergroup "Dr. Pepper's Jaded Hearts Club Band," which features Muse singer Matt Bellamy and drummer Dominick Howard and The Last Shadow Puppets singer Miles Kane, for a performance of the Fab Four's "Helter Skelter." "Just did Macca with Macca #walkinglegend," Bellamy posted on Instagram after the concert. - New Musical Express, 1/15/18...... Stephen Stills has recruited his former Crosby, Stills Nash & Young bandmate Neil Young for a 2018 edition of his Light Up The Blues concert to raise funds for Autism Speaks. Stills played the first Light Up The Blues concert in 2013, and aside from 2017, the concert has been held annually. In addition to Stills and Young the show, set for Los Angeles' Dolby Theater on Apr. 21, will also feature performances from the likes of Sheryl Crow, Burt Bacharach, Jack Black and Stills' former girlfriend Judy Collins, among others. Stills' dedication to the cause has its origins in his 21-year-old son Harry, who was diagnosed with autism shortly before his third birthday. Neil Young reportedly visited Stills at his home recently and convinced him to hold the event once more this year. All proceeds will go to Autism Speaks, the largest Autism non-profit in the world. - Billboard, 1/17/18...... Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson recently returned to Hawthorne High School in California -- where he graduated along with the rest of the original Beach Boys lineup -- to tour the school and receive an updated grade on an old piece of homework. Posting on his official Twitter account, Wilson said he submitted a composition for a music class in 1959 that received an F grade, and that composition wound up being "Surfin'," the Beach Boys' first hit. But that failing grade has now been changed to an A by the current school principal, Dr. Landesfeind. "[It] got an F, but it made a million dollars," according to Wilson's tweet. - Stereogum.com, 1/17/18...... Two years after his April 2016 death, a Prince tribute concert dubbed Prince: Live on the Big Screen has been announced for Apr. 21 at the Target Center in the late artist's hometown of Minneapolis, Minn. Featuring Prince's all-star band along with special guests, the event is described as featuring "newly remastered and never-before-released audio and video of Prince accompanied live on the Target Center stage by a super-group of musicians who performed alongside Prince throughout his legendary career." It will be part of a four-day Prince event known as Celebration 2018, which will honor the life and legacy of Prince from Apr. 19-22. - Billboard, 1/17/18...... The legendary funk outfit Parliament, fronted by George Clinton, has just released "I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me," its first new single in 28 years. In the song, which features rapper Scarface, Clinton plays a character named Dr. Feel Good, a medic offering a magical antidote: "more funk for your ass." Promoting the release, on Reddit.com, Clinton discussed a forthcoming Parliament album which he says will be called Medicaid Fraud Dog. "It's Parliament's turn," he said. - Billboard, 1/17/18...... To mark the 50th anniversary of his iconic concert performance at California's Folsom State Prison, a new Johnny Cash documentary has been announced by Imperative Entertainment in association with Jurassic World producer Frank Marshall. The documentary, directed by Thom Zimmy who has previously helmed projects on such rock stars as Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen, will have the full support of the Cash estate and will explore Cash's music and biography through the prison concert. "While the linear narrative of the Folsom Prison performances will anchor our film, each song in the set list will open a door into a nonlinear presentation of Cash's emotional, musical and personal development," said Zimny in a statement. Cash, who died in 2003, was also the subject of a 2005 biopic called Walk The Line that featured an Oscar-nominated performance by Joaquin Phoenix in the title role. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/15/18...... Former Police frontman Sting, famous for his reggae-flavored stylings, and Jamaican musician Shaggy have been collaborating on several "Caribbean-flavoured" tracks, and the pair debuted one of them, "Don't Make Me Wait," live at a charity concert in Jamaica on Jan. 6. The musicians performed as part of the Shaggy & Friends show that was held to benefit the Bustamante Hospital For Children in Kingston. According to a press release, the studio sessions happened late last year and resulted in music that reflects both Sting and Shaggy's "mutual love of Jamaica, its music, people and culture". The tracks are also described as being "island-influenced" and "Caribbean-flavoured." It is not clear whether the duo will release their work together as an album or EP, or a handful of standalone tracks. - New Musical Express, 1/11/18....... '70s artists Carole King and Doors drummer John Densmore are among a group of legacy artists who have submitted an amicus document in a case about pre-1972 sound recordings as the U.S. Congress prepares to debate legislation on the issue. The case against the streaming service Pandora was originally brought by Flo & Eddie, Inc., which owns the Turtles recordings, and is currently before the California Supreme Court. At stake is whether, and how, non-interactive streaming services like Pandora need to compensate performers and labels for their use of older recordings that are still covered by state law. The music industry has also been lobbying for a legislative answer to the question, and the recently introduced CLASSICS Act (Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service, & Important Contributions to Society Act) would require digital services to pay for the use of recordings made before 1972. On Jan. 26, the Friday before the Grammy Awards, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a "field hearing" in New York on this and other copyright issues, according to multiple sources. Also participating in the amicus brief are the estates of Jimi Hendrix, Hank Williams and Judy Garland, the Beatles' Apple Corps., and Grateful Dead Productions. - Billboard, 1/14/18...... A lawsuit brought by the estate of Michael Jackson over a documentary called Michael: The Last Photo Shoots will be moving to trial after U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty denied the executors' motion for summary judgment. Noval Williams Films in 2014 sued John Branca and John McClain, the executors of Jackson's estate, seeking a declaration that the documentary doesn't infringe the copyright in photos and video of the late King of Pop. Judge Crotty ruled on Jan. 12 that there are numerous factual disputes in the case -- including one over who actually owns video footage of Jackson taken during Vogue and Ebony photo shoots. Jackson's estate maintains that it is the owner of the footage because its original owner, Hasaun Muhammad, agreed that he wouldn't exploit it without Jackson's consent. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/12/18...... The estate of late The Partridge Family star David Cassidy is being sued over $120,000 in alleged unpaid legal bills. Law firm Rodier & Rodier claims Cassidy owes them $102,834 for legal services, and attorney Damaso W. Saavedra claims he is owed $19,006. The personal representative of Cassidy's estate is objecting to both claims and refusing to pay the creditors, giving Rodier & Rodier and Saavedra each 30 days to file an action on the claim against the estate. Cassidy left $150,000 worth of assets to his only son, Beau, 26, with his three half-siblings granted music memorabilia. His estranged daughter Katie was left out of the will. "It is my specific intent not to provide any benefits hereunder to Katherine Evelyn Cassidy," he wrote, but it's important to note that the will was drafted in 2004, and Katie, 31, had an up-and-down relationship with her father. Cassidy died of organ failure Nov. 21 at the age of 67. - MSN.com, 1/15/18...... Cindy Frey, the widow of late Eagles singer/songwriter/guitarist Glenn Frey, has filed a lawsuit against Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan over its treatment of the musician before his death in 2016 at the age of 67. Cindy is accusing the hospital and gastroenterologist Steven Itzkowitz of negligence that rendered her late husband "sick, sore, lame and disabled," causing him pain and mental anguish leading up to his death. In the suit, she claims the hospital and Itzkowitz failed to properly treat her husband's ulcerative colitis, diagnose and treat infection and advise of the risks and side effects from treatment. According to the complaint, Glenn Frey was under Itzkowitz's care from Oct. 19. 2015, to Nov. 2015. Frey died on Jan. 18, 2016, due to complications from acute ulcerative colitis, pneumonia and rheumatoid arthritis, and Eagles manager Irving Azoff later said that Frey's illnesses were partly caused by the medication he was taking for his rheumatoid arthritis. "The colitis and pneumonia were side effects from all the meds," Azoff said in an interview with The Wrap. "He died from complications of ulcer and colitis after being treated with drugs for his rheumatoid arthritis which he had for over 15 years." Cindy Frey's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. She had three children with her late husband and oversees his estate. - Billboard, 1/16/18...... TV creator and writer Hugh Wilson, who created the acclaimed sitcom WKRP In Cincinnati and directed and co-wrote the first Police Academy movie, has died at age 74. Wilson also created three other series: Frank's Place, starring WKRP's "Venus Flytrap" Tim Reid as an Ivy League professor who inherits a New Orleans restaurant; The Famous Teddy Z, with Jon Cryer as a Hollywood agent; and Easy Street, starring WKRP's Jennifer Marlowe, Loni Anderson, as a wealthy young widow. All lasted just one season. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/16/18...... Dan Gurney, an American racing legend who was the first driver to achieve wins in Formula One, NASCAR and IndyCar and one of the most revered and accomplished figures in motorsports history, died on Jan. 14 at age 86. Across the span of his lengthy racing career, the Hall of Fame driver won races in Formula One, Indy, NASCAR, Can-Am, Trans-Am, and more. Mr. Gurney was also responsible for aerodynamic advancements (the Gurney flap), pioneered closed faced helmets for racers, and penned the famous 1978 "white paper" arguing for an overhaul of American open-wheel racing. Following his retirement, Mr. Gurney gave his full attention to team ownership, and piloted AAR until 2011. His team won 78 total victories across the world of open-wheel and sports cars. Mr. Gurney also served in the Korean War as an Army artillery mechanic. He is survived by his wife Evi, and sons Justin, Alex, Jimmy, and Dan Jr. - Jalopnik.com, 1/14/18..... American gospel musician/pianist/composer Edwin Hawkins, one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound and probably best known for his arrangement of the 1968 hit "Oh Happy Day" by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, died on Jan. 15 at his home in Pleasanton, Calif., following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 74. Hawkins learned piano at an early age, and was the co-founder of the Northern California State Youth Choir of the Church of God in Christ, which included almost fifty members. This ensemble recorded its first album Let Us Go into the House of the Lord on the Century 70 custom label, hoping to sell 500 copies. "Oh Happy Day" was just one of the eight songs on the album, and the call-and-response hymn became very popular after radio stations in the bay area started playing it, becoming an international hit in 1969. Featuring the lead vocal of Dorothy Combs Morrison, the subsequently released single (on the newly created Pavilion label distributed by Buddah) rocketed to sales of over a million copies within two months. It crossed over to the pop charts making U.S. No. 4, UK No. 2, No. 2 on the Irish Singles Chart, and No. 1 on the German Singles Charts in 1969. Hawkins was awarded his first Grammy for his arrangement, and it was eventually covered by The Four Seasons on their 1970 album Half & Half. The following year the Hawkins singers backed Melanie on her top 10 hit "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)", and "Oh Happy Day" won a Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance. Hawkins also appeared in the 1992 movie Leap of Faith as a choir master for gospel songs. - AP, 1/15/18...... Actress Jean Porter, a starlet of the 1940s best known for her roles in Bathing Beauty and The Youngest Profession, died of natural causes in Canoga Park, Calif., on Jan. 14. She was 95. Ms. Porter also starred alongside legends including Mickey Rooney, Humphrey Bogart and Abbott and Costello in movies such as The Left Hand of God and Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble. She also replaced Shirley Temple in the 1946 Till the End of Time, where she met future husband Edward Dmytryk, one of the "Hollywood Ten" who were investigated by Congress for alleged anti-American activities. After leaving MGM, Ms. Porter appeared in several TV shows, including Sea Hunt and 77 Sunset Strip. She is survived by two daughters and her stepson. - New York Daily News, 1/14/18.