Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 3rd, 2018

Elton John's famous temper was on display at a Mar. 1 concert at The Colosseum at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas when he stormed off the stage after an overzealous fan kept touching him during his performance. As Elton was wrapping up his performance, he invited fans up to the stage for the set-closer "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting," and became increasingly upset with one particular fan who kept tapping him on the shoulder and asking for a high-five. After telling the fan to "f--- off" twice, the Rocket Man stood up from his piano and walked off the stage as his backing band continued to play in the background. Elton later returned to the stage to finish the song, but he also told fans that he would no longer be inviting anyone up on stage. "No more coming on stage on 'Saturday Night'," he announced. "You f---ed it up." John is currently in the middle of a long Las Vegas residency, playing regular gigs at The Colosseum at the famous Caesar's Palace. - New Musical Express, 3/3/18...... Appearing on CBS' late night gabfest The Late Late Show on Mar. 1, Robert Plant revealed he has a disdain for karaoke after being out-performed at a karoake bar in China about 20 years ago. The former Led Zeppelin frontman told host James Corden that he decided to sing an Elvis Presley song after also considering songs by ABBA and Aerosmith, but hilariously explained that "another bloke" had also settled on Elvis, and his rendition was much preferred by the Chinese audience, despite the fact that he was Taiwanese. Plant said he still doesn't fare well at karaoke to this day, and called it a "dastardly trick." Plant then treated Corden and the audience to a performance, with his own backing band, of "New World," a cut from his 2017 studio album Carry Fire. - Billboard, 3/2/18...... Speaking of Robert Plant, the "Stairway to Heaven" singer will be joining such rockers as Neil Young, Jack White, the Pretenders, Kings of Leon, Guy Clark Jr. and Third Eye Blind as headliners at the 2018 Arroyo Seco Weekend festival, set for June 23 and 24 in Pasadena, Calif. The event will feature three stages of music, in addition to specially curated menus from local restaurants around Pasadena. The inaugural Arroyo Seco Weekend last year was headlined by Mumford & Sons and the late Tom Petty. - Billboard, 3/1/18...... Previously-unread poems from Lou Reed will be published in a new book titled Do Angels Need Haircuts?, publisher Anthology Editions announced on Mar. 2. The poems were written during a six-month stint in 1970 when Reed left the Velvet Underground and returned to Long Island to to work for his father's accountancy firm. Only three of the 12 poems and short stories in the collection have been published before, and the book will be accompanied by recordings of Reed reciting the poems in 1971 at St Mark's Church in New York, where poet Allen Ginsberg is said to have been in the audience. The collection will feature an afterword by Reed's widow, Laurie Anderson, and introductions from Reed himself. - NME, 3/2/18...... Journey's 1988 Greatest Hits album has just joined an elite group -- becoming just the third album to spend 500 weeks on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. After debuting on the chart on Dec. 3, 1988, Journey's Greatest Hits peaked at No. 10 on Feb. 11, 1989. The album was a fairly consistent fixture on the chart until it departed the list after Oct. 27, 1990. The collection -- boasting classic Steve Perry-belted hits like "Open Arms" and "Don't Stop Believin'" -- returned to the list on Dec. 5, 2009, and continued to rack up its lengthy run. The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers holds the No. 2 position for longevity on the same chart with 510 weeks, and the all-time longevity champ, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, has accumulated a whopping 937 weeks so far. - Billboard, 3/1/18...... The UK's Record Store Day, which takes place on Apr. 21, will see three rare and unreleased David Bowie records released this year. Bowie's Welcome To The Blackout (Live London '78) album be released as a 3-LP set. It features recordings from Bowie's "Isolar II" tour performances at London's now-demolished Earls Court on June 30 and July 1, 1978. Also being released is the first full-length single of "Let's Dance," along with a live version on the B-side. Finally, Bowie Now -- a rare 1977 US only promotional-only LP, featuring tracks from Heroes and Low -- will get its first commercial release. In other Bowie vinyl news, Aladdin Sane is getting a vinyl reissue to commemorate its 45th anniversary on Apr. 20. Pressed onto silver vinyl, the record will only be available from "bricks and mortar" record shops, according to a press release. Also, Changestwobowie, the star's 1981 compilation album, will be released on vinyl on Apr. 13, with Changesonebowie being added to streaming services on that same day. - NME, 3/1/18...... In other Bowie news, the record-breaking Bowie career retrospective "David Bowie Is" will take its final bow at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City beginning on Mar. 2. The sprawling exhibit, which includes over 60 performance costumes, handwritten lyrics, and Bowie's own oil paintings, breaks new ground through its non-linear storytelling. Rather than a chronological walk-through of the music legend's life, the exhibit creates separate spheres for Bowie's creations, encapsulated by the cities, people and artists that shaped them. "I really think that if you go through the show you're going to feel a sense of being an explorer," Brooklyn Museum's Matthew Yokobosky said. After premiering at London's Victoria and Albert Museum in Mar. 2013, the exhibit went on tour for five years, and the Brooklyn Museum is hosting its last run. - Billboard, 3/1/18...... Cable TV's HBO channel has released a trailer for its upcoming Elvis Presley documentary, Elvis: The Searcher. The nearly three-and-a-half-hour-long, 2-part documentary (which will also get a soundtrack released through Sony/Legacy) features new interviews with scholars, stars like Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris and the late Tom Petty, and Elvis' ex-wife Priscilla Presley, who is responsible for the special's name. "Elvis was a searcher," she says in the documentary's trailer. "He said to me, 'I wanna be able to reach and feel what we all go through as human beings.'" Elvis: The Searcher debuts Apr. 14 at 8 P.M. on HBO. The Elvis: The Searcher soundtrack hits stores on Apr. 6 and features 18 Elvis Presley hits, live performances, and rare alternative versions of songs, tracking the progression from his early career to his greatest hits. - Spin.com, 2/28/18...... The Who's Roger Daltrey will be joining the Rock Legends Cruise, which is billed as "the largest rock festival at sea," when it next sets sail in 2019. For the water-bound rock concert's seventh run on Feb. 14-19, 2019, Daltrey will be be joining Buddy Guy, Dave Davies and Kansas as it departs from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and head to the Caribbean coast of Mexico's eastern Yucatn Peninsula, with a four-night itinerary that includes a lineup of more than 20 artists, 60 concerts, artist meet & greets, interviews, acoustic sets and more. Rock Legends Cruise takes place aboard the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, and is sponsored each year by the Native American Heritage Association, with money raised donated directly to in-need Native American families living on reservations in South Dakota and Wyoming. - Billboard, 3/1/18...... Joan Baez has just released her first album in nearly a decade, Whistle Down the Wind, along with news that upcoming tour of Europe and North America will be her last. Produced by Joe Henry and Baez's 25th studio album, Whistle Down the Wind features a mix of songs, some written expressly for Baez and some covers chosen by the artist. Baez, 77, has spent nearly six decades -- from her early days in the folk music scene in Boston to her recent appearance at Barclays Center when she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame -- performing for audiences all over the world. She's also been on the frontlines of the civil rights battle in Selma, Ala., the Occupy Wall Street protests, and the battle against the Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Asked if she has plans to get her voice heard in support of candidates or causes important to her in 2018, Baez says: "I'm not sure what I'll do. I'll do what I feel comfortable doing." - Billboard, 3/1/18...... In a new interview with Variety, Barbra Streisand discussed everything from her extensive film career to Harvey Weinstein to her elaborate home. But perhaps the most interesting piece of information from the interview was when the actress and director revealed that her dogs are clones. Of the two cloned puppies, Streisand said: "They have different personalities. I'm waiting for them to get older so I can see if they have her brown eyes and her seriousness." Her dogs Miss Scarlet and Miss Violet were cloned using cells from the mouth and stomach of her beloved previous dog Samantha, who died in 2017 at 14 years old. Miss Fanny, whose mom was named Funny Girl, was given to Streisand while she waited for her two clones. "I was so devastated by the loss of my dear Samantha, after 14 years together, that I just wanted to keep her with me in some way," Streisand told the New York Times. "It was easier to let Sammie go if I knew I could keep some part of her alive, something that came from her DNA," she added. - Billboard, 2/27/18...... Country music icon Dolly Parton has donated her 100 millionth book to needy children through her non-profit organization Imagination Library. Inspired by her father, who never learned to read or write, Parton began donating books to children in 1986, earning the nickname of "the book lady" by kids around the world. "I never thought about being the book lady, but that just goes to show you, you can't judge a book by its cover," Parton said at the Library of Congress on Feb. 27. Parton then read her newest book, Coat Of Many Colors, based on her 1971 single of the same name. Parton's Imagination Library donates books to families in need once a month, from their birth until they go to kindergarten. In other Dolly news, the singer's 1980 comedy 9 to 5 in which she co-starred with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin is perhaps the archetypal movie about sexual harassment, and now the movie is reportedly being remade for the #MeToo era. 20th Century Fox is said to be in the early stages of making a modern reboot of the film, which features the three ladies as secretaries getting revenge on their sexist boss (played by Dabney Coleman). The plot would, again, center around three young women facing sexism in the workplace, but would see the new trio turning to the characters from the original movie for help. Parton, Fonda and Tomlin are all said to be interested in signing on for the remake. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 2/28/18...... Speaking of the #MeToo movement, singer/songwriter Don McLean recently criticized #MeToo along with Time's UP in an interview with Kentucky radio station 91.9 WFPK. "There's a lot of disingenuousness around now. I think it was more sincere when we were dealing with our friends and buddies being killed in Vietnam," McLean said. "To have people in Hollywood all dressing in black as if they've suddenly discovered the casting couch after 60 years is a laugh," he added. Asked whether he would write a song about the topic, McLean replied: "If I wanted to. I can't really figure out what to say. I want to make sure that you write about things that are really gonna last. If you were going to write a political song, a topical song, I think a more important one would be about police brutality. That would be a more interesting topic than some of this other stuff." McLean was arrested on domestic violence charges in Jan. 2016, later saying that he was "not a villain" after pleading guilty to misdemeanor domestic assault and terrorizing. The charges were later dismissed after the "American Pie" singer met terms of his plea agreement. - NME, 3/1/18...... The estate of Prince announced on Feb. 27 that it has cut a new merchandising deal with the Minnesota Twins MLB team. The Twins will honor Minneapolis' favorite son and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with its second annual "Prince Night" during the upcoming 2018 season, and also features Prince and Twins logo merch, which will be available year-round and includes baseball caps marked with Prince's signature symbol as well as the Twins "TC" stamp. Last year's first-ever Prince Night featured a tribute video and the Twins players honored the "Purple Rain" star on field wearing purple sleeves and gloves during the evening's game. In addition, 10,000 fans were treated to purple umbrellas in memory of the icon's hit. Prince Night 2018 will take place on June 8 and the first 10,000 fans in attendance will be rewarded with an inflatable version of Prince's signature guitar, a "Special remembrance" video will also be played. - Billboard, 2/27/18...... Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards described himself as an "opinionated bastard" in a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, and expressed several of those opinions including wishing Taylor Swift's career well, "while it lasts." Richards went on to say he isn't a huge pop music fan: "I've just been around too long to be picking the bones out of kids," he said. "It wouldn't be fair of me and I've always been an opinionated bastard anyway. And I never did really like pop music -- even when I became pop music, I was listening to the blues and jazz and not interested in the hits." Richards' comments come after Swift performed with the Stones on stage in 2013, an experience that she said was the "best moment ever," and duetted with Stones frontman Mick Jagger during a stop in Nashville, Tenn. on her "1989" tour in 2015. Richards also apoligized to Mick Jagger for saying in the same interview that Mick should get a vasectomy. "Mick's a randy old bastard! It's time for the snip.... you can't be a father at that age. Those poor kids!" Richards later tweeted that "I deeply regret the comments I made about Mick in the WSJ which were completely out of line. I have of course apologised to him in person." - Billboard, 3/2/18...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley was ordered to pay $100,000 to her estranged husband Michael Lockwood on Feb. 28 by the judge in her divorce case. The ruling came after Presley's soon-to-be ex Lockwood alleged Presley has been lying about her assets, insisting she is making a lot more money than she claims. Lockwood had requested $450,000 to cover his legal bills, and the judge ordered Lisa Marie to pay the $100K within 30 days. Presley is also suing her ex-business manager, Barry Siegel, accusing him of mishandling her fortune and costing her millions. She is suing for breach of trust, negligence and constructive fraud. - WENN.com/TMZ.com, 2/28/18...... Warner Bros. Pictures announced on Mar. 2 that it will release a reboot of the '70s action/adventure series The Six Million Dollar Man starring Mark Wahlberg on May 31, 2019. Wahlberg will portray Steve Austin, a man who is saved by cutting-edged technology that turns him half machine following a horrible accident. In Dec. 2017, Warner Bros. announced it was looking to buy the adaptation of the 1970s TV series from the Weinstein Co., which has recently been sold to another group of investors after the Harvey Weinstein sexual harrassment scandal exploded. The '70s series, starring Lee Majors in the title role, ran from 1974 to 1978 and spun off another successful series, The Bionic Woman. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/2/18.

The Rolling Stones posted on all their social media accounts on Feb. 26 that they plan to hit the road in summer 2018 for an 11-date string of concerts across the U.K. and Europe. "The news you've all been waiting for! The Rolling Stones are bringing the No Filter tour to the UK and Ireland this summer, with some additional European shows!," the band posted, along with a teaser video that features their classics "Paint It Black" and "Satisfaction" and their 2013 release "Doom and Gloom." The U.K., which was passed over on the band's 2017 15-date No Filter tour of Europe, this time will get five shows by the rock legends (London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Twickenham), Germany two (Berlin and Stuttgart) and France, Czech Republic and Poland score one apiece. The tour will get underway on May 17 with a show at Dublin, Ireland's Croke Park. The Stones have yet to announce whether they intend to extend their trek into the Americas and beyond. - Billboard, 2/26/18...... Late Beatle George Harrison was publicly remembered on Twitter on Feb. 25th, what would have been his 75th birthday, by his former bandmate Sir Paul McCartney and Harrison's widow, Olivia Harrison. "Happy Birthday Georgie. Wonderful memories," McCartney tweeted along with a black and white photograph of the two of them together during the Beatlemania days, along with other photos. Olivia and the couple's son, Dhani Harrison, tweeted an invitation for fans to celebrate George's birthday by watching a video of Billy Preston and Eric Clapton performing the Harrison song "Isn't It a Pity" at the star-studded Concert for George in 2002. Another tweet from the same account also shared a video of "Blue Jay Way," a 1967 Beatles song written by Harrison. Harrison died of cancer in 2001 at the age of 58. - AP, 2/25/18...... Billy Joel has announced plans to perform for the fifth consecutive year at three U.S. stadium venues in 2018 -- Citizen's Business Bank Park in Philadelphia (July 27), Fenway Park in Boston (Aug. 10), and Wrigley Field in Chicago (Sept. 7). "No one's ever done that before, it's his own version of a stadium residency," Joel's longtime agent Dennis Arfa said on Feb. 25. "He gives an amazing performance. People want to hear him sing his legendary songs from a catalog that contain so many iconic hits." The Piano Man will also be visiting Europe this summer with a June 16 concert at Old Trafford Football Ground in Manchester, a June 23 show at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, and a June 30 show at Voksparkstadion. Two stateside stadium concerts -- Sept. 21 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and an Oct. 13 show at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. -- have also been announced. It has also been revealed that Joel has also sold his one-millionth ticket for Madison Square Garden, where he has performed 105 shows overall. - Billboard, 2/25/18...... A New York man says he kicked former Saturday Night Live cast member Chevy Chase in self-defense during a traffic dispute on Feb. 9 after the comedian climbed into a vehicle and tried to punch him during a profanity-laced traffic dispute. Chase told police he was cut off by another driver. Thinking his car might be damaged, he followed the car across the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. Both drivers pulled over in South Nyack. A truck passenger, Michael Landrio, tells the New York Post that his friend tried to make peace, but Chase got into their vehicle and tried to punch him. Landrio says that's when he kicked Chase, sending him flying. Landrio was charged with harassment, and Chase was not charged. Chase's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. - Canoe.com, 2/23/18...... Neil Young announced on Feb. 24 that his long anticipated live album of 1973 shows at L.A.'s Roxy Theatre, Tonight's the Night Live, will be released on standard vinyl, CD and digitally on Apr. 24. Also, a limited 2xLP pressing will be released as part of Record Store Day in the U.K. on Apr. 21 and will feature a print of Young and his band on stage at the Roxy. Preorders begin on Mar. 5. Young performed with band Santa Monica Flyers at the Roxy as the opening act between Sept. 20-22, 1973. The performance featured nine songs that would become part of Young's celebrated album Tonight's the Night. "We really knew the Tonight's The Night songs after playing them for a month [in the studio]," Young once recalled. "So we just played them again, the album, top to bottom, without the added songs, two sets a night, for a few days. We had a great time." - New Musical Express, 2/24/18...... Marc Hubbard, a North Carolina man who pleaded guilty in 2016 of defrauding the University of Hawaii of $200,000 by lying about being able to produce a Stevie Wonder fundraiser concert, is requesting that his plea be changed, however a prosecutor says that Hubbard could risk more jail time if he succeeds and is eventually convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Wallenstein argued during a hearing on Feb. 22 that a decision by Hubbard to plead not guilty could mean the end of his current sentencing deal, which called for him to have his Hawaii sentence served at the same time as a six-and-a-half year sentence he received for a similar conviction in Pennsylvania. Hubbard under the plea deal would likely be released after serving the Pennsylvania sentence, Wallenstein said, but faces an additional sentence of about six years without the deal. "I hope Mr. Hubbard sees the folly of what he's doing," Wallenstein said. Hubbard pleaded guilty in 2016 to wire fraud, saying he lied about his ability to secure Wonder for a concert. In 2012, the university paid a $200,000 deposit, began selling tickets and then learned neither Wonder nor his representatives had authorized a show. Thousands of tickets were refunded, embarrassing the school. A hearing has been set for March to discuss whether Hubbard will be allowed to withdraw his plea. - AP, 2/23/18...... Producer Quincy Jones, who recently raised eyebrows with several outlandish comments during recent interviews, has apologized for his remarks after reportedly receiving a "family intervention" from his six daughters about his comments. In an interview in GQ magazine, Jones slammed Taylor Swift's songwriting, Ray Charles' drug use, and accused Michael Jackson of "stealing" songs. In an interview with Vulture, Jones also mentioned dating Ivanka Trump, complimenting her legs, and called the Beatles "no-playing motherf-----s... the worst musicians in the world." Jones also alleged that Richard Pryor once had sex with Marlon Brando. "I'm sorry to anyone whom my words offended," Jones posted on Twitter on Feb. 22. "I am an imperfect human and I'm not afraid to say it. And I'm sorry and I'm not afraid to say it," he added. - Billboard, 2/22/18...... Three classic LP's by Isaac Hayes -- Hot Buttered Soul, Shaft, and Black Moses -- were released by the Concord Music imprint Craft Recordings on Feb. 23 in newly remastered vinyl editions. Each reissue comes complete with old-school style tip-on jackets, and the Black Moses package also features a replica of the original four-foot cross-shaped fold-out image of Hayes as the titular character. Hits and choice cuts in the albums include "Walk on By," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," the Oscar-winning "Theme from Shaft," "Do Your Thing," "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "Ike's Rap II/Help Me Love." Also arriving on Apr. 13 will be two remastered hits collections from Hayes' fellow R&B/soul icon, Barry White. Love's Theme: The Best of the 20th Century Records Singles is a single-CD compilation featuring 21 hits including title track "Love's Theme" and "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby." It will also be available as a double vinyl album featuring the bonus track "Satin Soul" by White's Love Unlimited Orchestra. Mercury Records/UMe has also announced plans to drop two other Barry White collections, the 3-CD, 46-track The Complete 20th Century Records Singles (1973-1979) and The 20th Century Records Singles (1973-1975), a box set of 10 seven-inch vinyl singles. - Billboard, 2/23/18...... Ozzy Osbourne and his clan's hit 2002-2005 series The Osbournes will be returning on Mar. 5 in the form of a podcast, it was revealed on Feb. 22. The weekly show, called The Osbournes Podcast, will debut on Mar. 5 -- marking the 16th anniversary of the popular series -- and run for 10 episodes. Speaking of their return, Ozzy's son Jack Osbourne said that the podcast was the closest thing to reviving the series. "There's been talk about bringing The Osbournes back, but it would never work," he said. "I thought, 'Well, this is probably the next best thing.'" Jack also revealed that the podcast will not disappoint fans which revelled in the honesty of the original MTV series. Guest appearances on the podcast will include singer Carnie Wilson, comedian Sheryl Underwood, and The Osbournes executive producer Greg Johnston. Some favorites from the TV show will also feature on the podcast, like Big Dave the nanny, and Melinda Varga. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/22/18...... The Devon Allman Project, a band fronted by Gregg Allman's son Devon Allman, has announced a tour of the U.K. this fall. With special guest Duane Betts, the son of Allmon Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts, the tour will visit Bristol (9/2), Bilston (9/3), London (9/4), Newcastle (9/6), and Leeds (9/7) before wrapping in Manchester on Sept. 8. Devon Allman also participated in an all-star tribute to his father Gregg and the late ABB member Butch Trucks at Peachfest festival, which featured Chuck Leavell, Jaimoe and Duane Betts, among others. - Noble PR, 2/26/18...... The 50th anniversary of Mister Rogers' legendary PBS children's show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is being celebrated in 2018 in the form of a documentary called Won't You Be My Neighbor that recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and will be released nationally in June. Also, a Mr. Rogers' tribute special airing on PBS, Mister Rogers: It's You I Like, has also been announced, along with a new feature film, You Are My Friend, which chronicles the friendship between Mister Rogers (played by Tom Hanks) and writer Tom Junod, who was assigned to cover the program for Esquire in 1998. Meanwhile, the United States Postal Service will issue a stamp in Mr. Rogers' honor on Mar. 23. Often backed by the show's musical director, legendary Pittsburgh area pianist Johnny Costa, the gentle and wise Mr. Rogers wrote over 289 songs over the course of the show's run and released a number of LPs, all of which sadly remain out of print. Although he succumbed to stomach cancer 15 years ago, on Feb. 27, 2003, his legacy continues to thrive and educate in the form of the animated spin-off of his "Neighborhood of Make Believe" segment, "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." - Billboard, 2/23/18...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley has reportedly filed a $100 million lawsuit against her former business manager, Barry Siegel, who she accuses of "reckless and negligent mismanagement" of her inheritance. According to reports, Presley is claiming that Siegel is responsible for the loss of the money she inherited from her famous father. Lisa Marie, a former wife of both Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage, says her cash reserves have been reduced to $14,000 (£10,000) due to poor investments. She also accuses Siegel of "self serving-ambition" and claims that he placed her assets "in risky ventures in hopes of attaining his own celebrity in the entertainment industry." Elvis left only a few million at the time of his death in 1977 but the fortune increased to $100 million by the time Lisa Marie inherited his estate when she turned 25 in 1993. Siegel has reportedly countersued in response to the claims and has accused Presley of having "uncontrollable spending habits," adding that his former client is "looking to blame others instead of taking responsibility for her actions." Lisa Marie's estranged husband with whom she is currently locked in a bitter divorce battle, Michael Lockwood, claims she is lying about her huge debts, and has filed a counter-claim disputing her money woes. - NME, 2/23/18...... Singer Barbara Ann Alston, formerly of the '60s girl group The Crystals, died in Charlotte, N.C., on Feb. 16 after contracting the flu. She was 74. Formed in 1961, The Crystals signed to Phil Spector's Philles Records, and released their debut single "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" later the same year. Alston sung the lead on that first release, as well as the two that followed it in 1962 -- "Uptown," and "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)." Of the latter, she later said it was "absolutely, positively, the one record that none of us liked." Phil Spector gave The Crystals name to Darlene Love after the commercial failure of "He Hit Me," but the band were later allowed to use it again in 1963. They split in 1968. - NME, 2/23/18...... Actress/singer/comedienne Nanette Fabray, best known to modern audiences as the mother of Bonnie Franklin's character on the CBS sitcom One Day at a Time, passed away on Feb. 23 at her home in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. She was 97. Born Ruby Nanette Bernadette Theresa Fabares in San Diego, Ms. Fabray was performing in vaudeville by the age of 4, and by the age of 19, she was doing bit parts in Hollywood movies and made her Broadway debut in the 1941 musical comedy "Let's Face It" opposite Danny Kaye. In 1949, Ms. Fabray won a Tony for best actress in a musical for "Love Life," and her most notable film appearance was with Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon (1953), considered to be one of MGM's best musicals. Ms. Fabray also played a major part in the evolution of television. During the 1940s, NBC hired her to work as a demonstration model for color television because her skin tone showed off the technology just right. During this time, Ms. Fabray was suffering from an undiagnosed hearing problem called otosclerosis that affected her ability to perform. She coped by learning sign language and wearing hearing aids, and also had four operations from 1955 to 1977 before her hearing was restored. Also during that time, Ms. Fabray appeared on many classic sitcoms and variety show, winning three Emmys in the 1950s for her work on Sid Caesar's Caesar's Hour variety show. She later became a popular guest on shows like The Love Boat, Maude and Murder, She Wrote. She played the mother of Ann Romano (Franklin) on One Day at a Time and the mother of Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. On the 1990s ABC sitcom Coach, Fabray portrayed the mom of a character played by Shelley Fabares, her real-life niece, and in 1987 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild. She is survived by her son, Dr. Jamie MacDougall, from her second marriage to screenwriter Ranald MacDougal, as well as Fabares and her husband, actor Mike Farrell. - The Huffington Post, 2/23/18.