Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on June 26th, 2019

Although the Cher-based Broadway musical "The Cher Show" recently won Tony Awards for lead actress Stephanie J. Block and costume designer Bob Mackie, the bio-musical has fallen short of commercial expectations and is scheduled to play its final show on Aug. 18 at the Neil Simon Theatre, following a run of 34 previews and 296 regular performances. Produced by Cher, Flody Suarez and Jeffrey Seller, for whom it was the follow-up project to the smash show "Hamilton," "The Cher Show" opened Dec. 3 to mixed reviews and has been slipping at the box office after doing $1 million-plus a week in its first three months. The show stars Block, Teal Wicks and Broadway newcomer Micaela Diamond as Cher at three points in her life, with Jarrod Spector as Cher's first husband Sonny Bono. - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/26/19...... Alice Cooper is denying reports that he has a "death pact" with his longtime wife Sheryl Goddard after telling the U.K. paper The Mirror that they've agreed there is no way they can live without each other. Explaining the pact, he said: "We've made a pact -- there is no way of surviving without each other. I couldn't live without her. We always said there will never be a time when one of us will be mourning the other. She dances better now than she did in 1975. You would think people would want to get away from the wives but she is my best friend. And there is no way of surviving without each other." However, now Alice says what he really meant is that it's more of a "life pact" with his wife of 43 years instead. "What I was meaning was that because we're almost always together, at home and on the road, that if something did happen to either of us, we'd most likely be together at the time. But neither of us has a suicide pact. We have a life pact. And, besides, I'm booked through 2028, so..." Cooper, 71, first met Goddard, 61, in 1975 when she began dancing in his stage shows, and the couple have two daughters and one son together. He says they've "never cheated" on each other in their 43 years of marriage. Cooper is currently on tour with his "supergroup" side project, the Hollywood Vampires. - New Musical Express, 6/24/19...... After the animal rights organization PETA released some shocking footage of muscular dystrophy experiments on dogs at Texas A&M University, Paul McCartney is urging the university to end the mistreatment. In the experiments, golden retrievers are bred to have a crippling form of muscular dystrophy that leaves them struggling to walk, swallow and breathe. "The video footage of golden retrievers in your university's dog laboratory is heartbreaking," Sir Paul wrote in a letter on June 26, according to a PETA press release. "I have had dogs since I was a boy and loved them all dearly, including Martha, who was my companion for about 15 years and about whom I wrote the song 'Martha My Dear.' Please do the right thing by ending the suffering of dogs in TAMU's muscular dystrophy laboratory and switching to modern research methods instead." McCartney has been a longtime animal supporter, as a meat-free dieter who has teamed up with PETA multiple times in the past. - Billboard, 6/26/19...... In other Beatles-related news, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which handles the Fab Four's catalog, is hoping the music of the Beatles resonates with the listeners of today as the new Beatles-themed movie Yesterday opens in U.S. theaters on June 28. "Our goal is that the new generation understands it and other films [and] other bands want to use the Beatles' music," says Sony/ATV marketing exec Brian Monaco. "It's a pretty healthy business for the Beatles in general. So will it get bigger? We don't know, but there's a hope there." Sony/ATV cleared 17 Beatles song copyrights for the Danny Boyle-directed fantasy that imagines what would happen if a lone singer/songwriter, played by Himesh Patel, was the only person who knew the Beatles had existed and claimed the Fab Four's songs for his own. The number is the most Beatles songs Sony/ATV has ever licensed for a non-documentary, feature film. Yesterday includes only one master usage -- the Beatles recording of "Hey Jude" that plays over the end credits. The movie follows Sony/ATV licensing "Help" for a Google commercial this spring, as well as clearing several Beatles' tracks for Netflix's children's series Beat Bugs. Capitol Records, which controls the Beatles' masters, released the Yesterday soundtrack to the film June 21. - Billboard, 6/26/19...... '70s artists George Clinton and Gloria Gaynor are among the musicians receiving the National Museum of African American Music's Rhapsody & Rhythm Award on June 27 in Nashville, Tenn. "The Rhapsody & Rhythm honorees span the breadth of African-American music, representing disco, hip-hop and funk," said NMAAM President and CEO H. Beecher Hicks III in a release announcing the gala. "Their artistry is innovative and influential, carrying an impact that can still be felt today." Meanwhile, actor Samuel L. Jackson has reportedly been cast as George Clinton in an upcoming biopic of disco music pioneer and Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart. The film, entitled Spinning Gold, will see Jackson play funk legend Clinton, while D.L. Hughley rock out as Clinton's funk brother, bassist Bootsy Collins. The role of Bogart will be played by Broadway's Jeremy Jordan. Production is set to begin in Montreal on July 16. - Billboard/NME, 6/26/19...... On June 25 the estate of Michael Jackson released a statement on the tenth anniversary of the superstar entertainer's untimely death. "Ten years ago today, the world lost a gifted artist and extraordinary humanitarian," the statement begins. "The entire global community joined in grieving during a powerful and emotional memorial service witnessed by more people than had ever viewed a live event before. United in grief, the world wept not only at the loss of an artistic genius but at the void left by the loss of a father, son and brother," the statement continues. "A decade later, Michael Jackson is still with us, his influence embedded in dance, fashion, art and music of the moment. He is more important than ever. But the true measure of Michael was his giving to others which came in many forms." Jackson died June 25, 2009 of acute Propofol intoxication at age 50. At the time of his death, he had been prepping for his comeback concert residency "This Is It" at London's O2 Arena. Meanwhile, organizers of the controversial "Michael Jackson Is Innocent" campaign also commemorated the late music icon on the 10th anniversary of his death with billboards across Europe. Organizers have arranged for several electronic billboards to appear in London, Rotterdam and Dublin to commemorate the anniversary of Jackson's passing. They come from the same organizers at the website MJInnocent.com who in March purchased advertising space across London, including on buses and bus shelters, in the wake of the controversial documentary Leaving Neverland. that detailed allegations of child abuse against the star, allegations which have been denied by Jackson's family. - Billboard/NME, 6/25/19...... On June 25 Elton John shared footage of his 2019 Cannes Film Festival performance, along with the digitally remastered video for his 1983 hit "I'm Still Standing." The performance video was filmed at the Rocketman premiere afterparty, while the music video was shot 36 years earlier in the same spot: Carlton Beach, Cannes. The original footage for the "I'm Still Standing" promo was nearly lost after the director, Russell Mulcahy, fell off of a pier with his camera while filming. Re-scanned from the original negative and reconstructed entirely from scratch, "I'm Still Standing" is now visible in ultra-clear 4K. John's final tour, the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, concludes in 2020. Meanwhile, Elton is the latest recipient of France's highest award, the Legion of Honor. On June 21, John joined a call by French President Emmanuel Macron to fund AIDS research and treatment. John spoke alongside Macron before thousands of people packed into the presidential Elysee Palace courtyard for an event of the annual Fete de la Musique. John was clearly moved at receiving France's highest award, pinned on him by Macron in a private ceremony, attended by the singer's husband David Furnish and their two children, among some 20 people in his entourage present. The president saluted Elton as "an icon that knew how to set an example," the Elysee Palace said. "To receive this decoration the day of the Fete de la Musique makes it even more special," John said later in the palace courtyard. John performed in Paris the previous evening in what is billed as his farewell world tour. In still more Elton news, the singer will be among those contributing songs to the reboot of the movie The Lion King, which hits theaters in July. A brand new Elton track called "Never Too Late" will be included, while one song is still to be announced. The full Lion King soundtrack album is out digitally on July 11 and physically on July 19. - Billboard/AP, 6/25/19...... Van Morrison has announced details of his next UK shows for 2019 and 2020. Morrison will start his tour in October, in Bournemouth, Cardiff, Oxford and Nottingham, with a stop at Brighton in early December. He'll then pick things up on December 31 with three consecutive nights at Belfast's Stormont Hotel. The new dates will follow Morrison's two London shows at the Roundhouse on July 6 and 7 as part of Inversions Festival. He's also due to appear at London's Cadogan Hall for the Rock Island Line 65th anniversary concert on July 13. - New Musical Express, 6/26/19...... Black Sabbath have marked their 50th anniversary by opening a new exhibition in Birmingham that celebrates their hugely influential legacy. The "Home Of Metal: Black Sabbath at 50" exhibition opened on June 26 at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and it celebrates how the heavy metal legends band pioneered the genre before it spread across the globe. As well as featuring various items from the band's history -- donated by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward -- it also includes some of the biggest tributes from their fans across 50 years. Items on display include Osbourne's distinctive purple glasses alongside an outfit worn by utler during a concert at Birmingham's Town Hall which featured in the gatefold sleeve of their 1972 Vol 4 album. While Sabbath played their last gig in 2017, Ozzy Osbourne recently admitted he's hoping for one last gig with ousted drummer Bill Ward. New Musical Express, 6/26/19...... This November will see the release of a new coloring book authorized by the estate of Frank Zappa, The Frank Zappa Coloring Book. It's a brand-new collection of interactive illustrations based around the life and work of one of America's most unique musicians and will feature 72 new pieces of artwork ready for coloring, complete with references, in-jokes and Easter eggs for Zappa enthusiasts from the "Valley Girl" fan to the hardcore "G-Spot Tornado" aficionado. The book, by David Calcano and Lindsay Lee, is published by Fantoons and will hit stores on Nov. 5. - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/25/19...... A downsized Woodstock 50 festival could possibly be held at an upstate New York harness track and casino. Town of Vernon Supervisor Randy Watson tells the Poughkeepsie Journal that Woodstock 50 has applied for a permit to hold its concert Aug. 16-18 at Vernon Downs, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Syracuse. Watson says the proposed capacity was 45,000-50,000 people -- far smaller than the 150,000 planned for at the initial venue, Watkins Glen International. The owner of the track says his company is close to signing a letter of intent and could host up to 65,000 people, but without camping. The Woodstock 50 festival has faced a series of setbacks, including Watkins Glen pulling out earlier in June. - AP, 6/24/19...... Bruce Springsteen has scored his 20th top 10 album on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart with his newest release Western Stars, which debuted at No. 2 for the week ending June 20, according to Nielsen Music. Of the 66,000 equivalent album units earned, 62,000 were in album sales. Springsteen last hit the top 10 in 2016 with the retrospective compilation release Chapter and Verse, which debuted and peaked at No. 5. - Billboard, 6/23/19...... The Motown Museum in Detroit has announced it will host a weekend of events on Sept. 21-23 honoring the company's founder Berry Gordy Jr. with "Hitsville Honors: Celebrating Berry Gordy & 60 Years of Motown" at the city's Orchestra Hall. Members of the Temptations, the Four Tops, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and the Supremes' Mary Wilson are expected to attend, along with Ne-Yo and Detroit-based Big Sean and Kem. Tickets run $50-$1,000 and go on sale Aug. 1 through motownmuseum.org. - Billboard, 6/23/19...... The Rolling Stones kicked off their No Filter U.S. tour in Chicago on June 21, with frontman Mick Jagger showing no signs of slowing down after undergoing heart surgery to replace one of the valves in his heart earlier this spring. The 75-year old singer was a paragon of unbridled energy and enthusiasm throughout the uncharacteristically chilly Friday night performance. From the opening notes of "Street Fighting Man," Jagger proved across two hours and 20 different songs why he's considered by many to be the greatest frontman in the history of rock and roll. There was hardly a moment in the show where he wasn't flailing his arms, gyrating his hips, strutting or jogging up and down the lengthy catwalk and asking the crowd to give him more. "This is our 38th show in Chicago, and I still haven't eaten an Italian Beef," Jagger joked to the crowd about the Windy City's signature, grease-laden sandwich. The show included such deep album cuts as "Sad Sad Sad" from Steel Wheels (for the first time in almost 17 years) and "You Got Me Rocking" from Voodoo Lounge, which made it into the setlist thanks to an online fan vote. Both songs were a nice compliment to the expected classics like "Sympathy For The Devil," "Gimmer Shelter," "Start Me Up," "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women." The night ultimately ended like so many other Stones concerts have before this one with a loose -- but extremely enthusiastic -- rendition of the band's signature hit "Satisfaction," kissed off with an explosion of fireworks high into the Midwestern sky. - Billboard, 6/22/19...... Bob Seger closed a six-night run at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in suburban Detroit, as well as the latest leg of the tour, on June 21. Returning to the stage after his main set, Seger told the crowd at the venue that there was "a special guest" in the house. He then dedicated his 1975 song "Fine Memory" -- which he'd played for the first time ever just six days before in the same venue -- to former International Space Station commander Andrew Feustel, who was attending the concert with his wife, Indira. Seger told the crowd that "Fine Memory" reminded Feustel of his wife every time he blasted off on a new mission. Feustel's last ISS mission ended on Oct. 3. Seger and his Silver Bullet Band now take an extended break before returning to the road Sept. 12 in Rapid City, S.D. with 14 shows, a run scheduled to finish Oct. 19 in Chicago. - Billboard, 6/22/19...... Barry Manilow has gifted $100,000 worth of new band gear to a North Carolina high school in an area still recovering from Hurricane Florence. News outlets report the band at East Duplin High School couldn't afford new instruments and uniforms, so they entered a national contest by the Manilow Music Project for help. In a video of the announcement at a Las Vegas show on June 19, Manilow takes a pause from dancing and singing to crown East Duplin, N.C., as the winner. Manilow said he had been "bombarded" with video entries from high schools across the country saying why they think they deserved the funds before giving East Duplin the $100,000 for new instruments and uniforms. The school's band director says words can't describe his gratitude. - AP, 6/21/19...... Elvis Costello will be among the 35 stars included in the Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2020, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's Walk of Fame Selection Committee announced on June 21. Others in the musicians category to be honored include Billy Idol, Tanya Tucker, Alicia Keys and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. - ComingSoon.Net, 6/21/19...... Ambient music pioneer, former Roxy Music member, and producer Brian Eno has been honored with an asteroid named after him. On June 24, Eno was presented with the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication at the prestigious science festival, Starmus V. It was for his contribution to the popularization of science. In addition, a Southwest Research Institute astronomer named Marc Buie named a new asteroid after Eno. The asteroid was originally called '81948 (2000 OM69)' but is now titled called 'Eno' (rather than the musician's full name: Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno). Eno is marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing this July by reissuing his seminal Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks, and his new album, For All Mankind, is paired with the release for issue on July 19. - Billboard, 6/26/19...... Elliot Roberts, the longtime manager of Neil Young and former manager of Joni Mitchell, died on the morning of June 21 of undisclosed causes. He was 76. During his tenure Roberts also guided the careers of such enduring and influential artists as Stephen Stills, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Born Elliot Rabinowitz in 1943, Roberts was prominent in the rise of the Laurel Canyon music scene throughout the '60s and '70s. He managed Mitchell early in her career, when she was living in New York. The two moved to Los Angeles together in 1967 with her then-boyfriend, David Crosby. That same year, Roberts formed Lookout Management with agent David Geffen, and eventually created Asylum Records, which signed major artists like the Eagles. His most famous manager-client relationship was with Young, which began in 1969 and continued until Roberts' death. "My friend for over 50 years, Elliot Roberts, has passed away. We are all heartbroken, but want to share what a great human being Elliot has been," Neil Young wrote on June 22. Young went on to describe how, as the "greatest manager of all time," Roberts "guided me through every move" in his career and "protected my music with a fierceness before signing off with "See you at the gig, Elliot." - Billboard, 6/21/19...... Pop/country drummer Jerry Carrigan, who played on about 120 tracks by Elvis Presley and later toured with John Denver, died earlier in June in Chattanooga, Tenn., of an unknown illness. He was 75. The Alabama-born Carrigan was a member of the late Rick Hall's first rhythm section, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and played on Hall's first big hit out of FAME Recording Studios, Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On" [in 1961] and later on Jimmy Hughes' "Steal Away." After getting his start in Muscle Shoals, Carrigan moved to Nashville, where he became one of the top drummers there. Carrigan also played on hits by George Jones and Tammy Wynette and FAME Studios recordings of Tommy Roe, The Tams, Joe Tex and Sonny James. - AP, 6/26/19.

Facebook has reversed its ban on Led Zeppelin's 1973 classic LP Houses of the Holy album cover after the artwork, which depicts nude children ascending the rocks at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. It is speculated the cover was likely flagged by a Facebook moderator who was unfamiliar with the band and blocked the image for the fact that it aligns with Facebook's ban on gruesome imagery, paedophilia, and other illegal and obscene content. After a Change.org petition gathered nearly 1,000 signatures in favor of Facebook reinstating the image, the popular social media site has now lifted the ban. A spokesperson for the company commented, "As our community standards explain, we don't allow nude images of children on Facebook. But we know this a culturally significant image. Therefore, we're restoring the posts we removed." Facebook added that in the future it would now more carefully consider the newsworthiness or importance of the subject matter so as to avoid unnecessary bans in the future. - New Musical Express, 6/21/19...... The "Black Strat" Fender Stratocaster used by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour has broken the world record for any guitar sold at auction during a Christie's auction in New York City on June 21. Earlier in 2019, Gilmour announced that he'd be selling 120 of his iconic guitars to "give joy" to other people and in turn raise funds to help fight climate change. "These guitars have been very good to me," he said. "They're my friends. They have given me lots of music. I just think it's time that they went off and served someone else. I have had my time with them. And of course the money that they will raise will do an enormous amount of good in the world, and that is my intention." Gilmour's Black Strat, used on such tracks as "Comfortably Numb," "Money" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," among others, commanded $3,975,00. He also used it in his solo career, playing it on the albums About Face, On An Island, Rattle That Lock and his 1978 self-titled solo debut. Gilmour's entire guitar collection went for a total of $21.5 million. In a statement, Gilmour said: "The global climate crisis is the greatest challenge that humanity will ever face, and we are within a few years of the effects of global warming being irreversible... Either we choose to go on as a civilisation, or we don't. The choice really is that simple, and I hope that the sale of these guitars will help ClientEarth in their cause to use the law to bring about real change. We need a civilised world that goes on for all our grandchildren and beyond in which these guitars can be played and songs can be sung." All proceeds from the auction will be donated to ClientEarth. - New Musical Express, 6/21/19...... The Rolling Stones will return to the stage on June 21 at Chicago's Solder Field for the first time since postponing their North American tour because frontman Mick Jagger needed medical treatment. A second show at the venue is scheduled for June 25. In May, the band said their No Filter tour would feature classic hits such as "Sympathy For The Devil" and "Paint It Black." The tour was delayed after doctors told Jagger, 75, in late March he couldn't tour at the time. - AP, 6/21/19...... Ozzy Osbourne is among the artists featured in the new DreamWorks animated film Trolls World Tour. In addition to Ozzy, the film stars a plethora of famed vocalists, including Mary J. Blige, Justin Timberlake and Kelly Clarkson A trailer for the movie, which hits theaters in April 2020, has just been released. - BIllboard, 6/20/19...... In 1979, Bette Midler made her proper film debut in the Janis Joplin-inspired classic The Rose, and though she lost the Best Actress Oscar award to Sally Field (in Norma Rae), the diva has now been honored with a rose variety named in her honor. "I didn't win the Oscar for The Rose," Midler mused at a June 19 charity gala at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. "Of course, I never think about it. But I do want to say right now, there's no Norma Rae rose." The flower -- which is on display in the Botanical Garden's rose garden (and which will go on sale to the public in 2020 with proceeds going to the New York Restoration Project in perpetuity) is described as "robust, sharp and stands out in a crowd"....just like the beloved singer herself. Midler also entertained the audience that night with a rewrite of Lynn Anderson's 1970 hit "Rose Garden" and her own "The Rose" from The Rose soundtrack, before wrapping with "Everything's Coming Up Roses," which found Bette shimmying around the stage while the audience belted along to the Gypsy tune with gusto. The previous evening, Paul Simon was honored by the Poetry Association of America during a dinner benefit at the Botannical Garden. His acceptance came in three parts: He read work by two poets who died this year, Les Murray and W.S. Merwin; chatted briefly on stage with U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins about writing; and, to everyone's obvious pleasure, performed a few songs, including "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and "The Boxer." - Billboard/AP, 6/20/19...... On June 21 the estate of Prince released a never-before-seen video of the late pop/funk star's original demo recording of "Manic Monday." The clip of the track, which appears on Prince's recently-released Originals album, opens with the singer wearing tight black pants and a white tank top, doing a choreographed dance to his more baroque version of the song. "Manic Monday" would go on to become one of the '80s girl group The Bangles' most iconic hits. - Billboard, 6/21/19...... Crew members of the McDonalds restaurant in Lancashire, U.K. have finally met Fleetwood Mac after thousands of Facebook users joined a campaign calling for singer Stevie Nicks to work a shift at their restaurant. The event on Facebook by "Be Reet" called upon the legendary singer to head to the Fleetwood, Lancashire branch of the fast food chain, which is almost the namesake of her iconic band. While the petition prompted 20,000 signatures, it was the band who instead invited the Fleetwood McDonalds workers to attend their sold out show at Wembley Stadium on June 18. A photo taken backstage shows the crew hanging out with the likes of Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie and the rest of the band, before being given the chance to watch them from the side of the stage. "It was a fantastic evening seeing Fleetwood Mac live and to have the opportunity to share the experience with some of the Fleetwood team," said Nigel Dunnington, the franchisee of Fleetwood McDonald. "I'm still amazed the band got in touch -- we're lucky our restaurant shares a name with such an iconic band. After 'Fleetwood Macs' met Fleetwood Mac, the restaurant team left the stage wings and enjoyed a night of live entertainment. Needless to say, they "were lovin' it." Meanwhile, the band has teased a headline performance at the U.K.'s Glastonbury festival in 2020. The band dropped the hint during their Wembley gig, when Mick Fleetwood told the crowd that the band still "had a big field to play." Other Twitter accounts added that Fleetwood made reference to "a rained out festival in England next year." - New Musical Express, 6/19/19...... A previously unreleased version of late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's "Time Waits For No One" has been shared on YouTube. The song was originally recorded in 1985 after Mercury teamed up with '60s bandleader Dave Clark for the Time concept album, based on Clark's London musical of the same name. It was originally released in May 1986 as "Time" and saw Mercury's vocals being accompanied by renowned pianist Mike Moran. But Clark has now revisited the original essence of the track, after retrieving it from his tape archive in the spring of 2018. He stripped of backing vocals, and the new bare-bones version sees Mercury's powerful vocals featuring alongside Moran's new piano recording. Clark said of the original sessions: "We got on great... if I didn't like something I'd say, and vice versawe were both aiming for the same thing: to make something special." - New Musical Express, 6/20/19...... Carlos Santana has debuted at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums Chart for the week ending June 22 with his latest release, Africa Speaks. After selling 57,000 album units for the week ending June 13, Africa Speaks' starting sum represents the biggest week for any Latin album in 2019, and the largest since the charts began ranking albums by equivalent album units in late 2014. The Rick Rubin-produced album features vocals by Spanish singer Buika, who is also credited as one of the writers of the album, British singer Laura Mvula, as well as Cindy Blackman Santana, Santana's wife, on drums. "The incredible synergy between Buika, Cindy Blackman Santana, the magnificent Santana Band, Rick Rubin and Concord Records made this masterpiece of joy come to fruition," Santana said in a statement. "Now more than ever, this is the consciousness that the world needs... This music gives people hope and courage. We call it mystical medicine music for a twisted, crooked world." - Billboard, 6/19/19...... As they release their second album Riseon June 21, the "supergroup" Hollywood Vampires stopped by ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live on June 20 to promote the new LP. The band, led by Alice Cooper, Aerosmith's Joe Perry, and actor/musician Johnny Depp, rocked out to a cover of David Bowie's classic "Heroes." They also performed "I Want My Now," a selection from the new album, and two other songs including Jim Carroll Band's "People Who Died" and Johnny Thunders' "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory." - Billboard, 6/20/19...... Gloria Gaynor, who charted the classic "I Will Survive" to the top of the Billboard pop chart in 1979, has climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart for the week ending June 22 with her first faith-based set, Testimony. Gaynor recorded the 10-track Testimony in Nashville at RCA Studio A. It features such guests as Yolanda Adams (on "Talkin' 'Bout Jesus") and Bart Millard of MercyMe (on "He Won't Let Go"). "I Will Survive," which topped the charts for three weeks in 1979, won the only Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording at the 22nd annual ceremony in 1980. Amid a backlash against disco, the Academy renamed the award Best Dance Recording the following year. - Billboard, 6/19/19...... On June 18 Wayne Newton testified during a trial of one of two burgulars who allegedly raided his Las Vegas home in 2018. The longtime Vegas entertainer told a jury he fired a gunshot to scare away two burglars that he and his wife and daughter encountered fleeing their home. Newton, 77, emembered his wife, Kathleen Newton, yelling for him to shoot as one of the fleeing men stopped to pick up a duffel bag he dropped while hitting a family dog with a tire iron. He said the men disappeared through a hedge toward a wall on his large property in Las Vegas. The testimony came during trial for 22-year-old Weslie Martin, who prosecutors say was one of the burglars. - AP, 6/18/19...... Memorial services for Dr. John, who died on June 6 at age 77, have been scheduled for the third weekend in June. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival says memorial services for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, who was born Malcom "Mac" Rebennack Jr., are set for June 22 at the historic Orpheum Theater in downtown New Orleans. Public visitation starts at 7 a.m. and runs until 10:30 a.m. A service running from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Orpheum will be invitation-only but will be broadcast on WWOZ FM. There was no immediate word on any music and entertainment stars who might attend. That will be followed by a public "second line parade" that will begin at the theater. - AP, 6/18/19...... A joint hologram tour featuring Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison will kick off on Sept. 19 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. "Roy Orbison & Buddy Holly: The Rock 'N' Roll Dream Tour" will run for an additional 45 stops. The current slate of dates are scheduled to close out on Nov. 20 with a stop at Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. "Working on the original Roy Orbison hologram tour last year was something special and to be able to do it again and add someone like Buddy Holly into the mix is very exciting," director Eric Schaeffer said in a release. "This show will be a celebration that blends these men's similar styles into one unforgettable evening that audiences will remember for a long time to come." Accompanied by a live band and back-up singers, the multi-media holographic performance and remastered audio will feature the rock 'n' roll legends' greatest hits on stage. The artists have a combined 16 platinum records, 19 gold records, nearly two dozen Top 40 hits and 10 Grammy awards. The tour wraps on Nov. 20 at Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. - Billboard, 6/18/19...... Bruce Springsteen's latest album Western Stars is on track to top the album charts in the UK, according to the Official Chart Update. Western Stars is Springsteen's first album since 2012's U.K. chart-topping Wrecking Ball. If he reaches the top, it'll be the Boss's 11th No. 1 in the U.K. - Billboard, 6/18/19...... Paul McCartney was among the many musicians and celebrities celebrating Father's Day (June 16) on social media. "Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! pic.twitter.com/yRQdAzCnbB," Sir Paul posted. Other '70s musicians paying tribute on Father's Day included Gene Simmons, Steven Tyler, Carole King and Alice Cooper. - Billboard, 6/16/19...... Elton John has just announced additional U.K. dates for his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour," including Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds, and a sixth London show on Dec. 14, 2020. Speaking about the UK dates, John said: "The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour will take us to many places that have meant a lot to me over the last fifty years, but these UK shows will be incredibly special. The UK is home, and where my heart will always be. To celebrate some of the incredible moments we've shared with my British fans over the years will be wonderful. These homecoming shows will be very emotional, and a lot of fun." - NME, 6/17/19...... In a new interview with GuitarWorld magazine, Queen's Brian May praised the band's current frontman Adam Lambert, who took over from Bad Company/Free's Paul Rodgers in 2012 as the second Queen vocalist after the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991. While the American Idol runner-up's stint in Queen has faced questions from fans who compare his vocals of those of Mercury's, May insists that he's the perfect person to lead the band forward. "Adam can do all the stuff that Freddie did and more. It doesn't matter what you throw at Adam -- he can do it," May said. "He's a born exhibitionist. He's not Freddie, and he's not pretending to be him, but he has a parallel set of equipment." Hailing Lambert as a "born exhibitionist," May says that Lambert is a "born rock star and front man" and "we treat Adam exactly the same as we treated Freddie in almost every way." Meanwhile, Lambert has pushed back on rumours that their could be a sequel to the smash 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. "What would it be? A sequel? How would that work? It doesn't make sense to me but I haven't heard anything about it," he told NME. "But I somehow doubt that. Somehow I don't know what they would make the movie about." - NME, 6/19/19...... Jim Pike, co-founder and lead singer of The Lettermen pop vocal group, died of complications from Parkinson's Disease on June 9 at his home in Prescott, Ariz. He was 82. Mr. Pike and Bob Engemann, a college buddy from Brigham Young University, formed The Lettermen in Los Angeles in 1961 with fellow singer Tony Butala. The trio's lush vocal harmonies made the Grammy-nominated act one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1960s, and the group would place 19 more songs on the Billboard charts over the next 10 years. Two made the Top 10 -- 1962's "When I Fall in Love" and the Grammy-nominated 1968 medley "Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You." Their last hit was 1971's "Everything is Good About You." The Lettermen also earned Grammy nominations for Best New Artist of 1961 and for 1962's "A Song For Young Love." Through those years the group toured constantly, playing colleges across the country and other venues around the world. The constant touring wore out Mr. Pike's voice and he left the group in 1973, replaced by his youngest brother, Donny Pike. Gary Pike had replaced Engemann in 1967. After regaining his voice Mr. Pike formed a group called The Reunion with Engemann. The Lettermen, with Butala as the only remaining founding member, continues to tour. Engemann died in 2013. In addition to his brothers, Mr. Pike is survived by his sister, Candace Doyle, his wife Sue and his daughter, Kelly Pike. - Billboard, 6/19/19...... Fashion designer, artist, and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt died on the morning of June 17 in her Manhattan home. She was 95. Born in New York in 1924, Ms. Vanderbilt was the focus of media attention at an early age, dubbed "the poor little rich girl" amid an intense custody battle between her mother and her father's wealthy sister, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. As a fashion model, she appeared in such magazines as Vogue and Vanity Fair, and in 1954, she made her stage debut in a production of the romantic drama, The Swan. Later she produced fashion and textile designs that would earn her the 1969 Neiman Marcus Fashion Award, before opening the door to a line a line of ready-to-wear garments in the mid-1970s. Under her GV Ltd. brand, she'd go on to sell millions of pairs of jeans bearing her signature and trademark swan logo -- a nod to her first production as a thespian. An author of several books, including one on collage and another on interior design, Ms. Vanderbilt also a penned a history of her love life, It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir, in 2004. She was the mother of two sons, including CNN host Anderson Cooper, who released a statement after her passing: "Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms. She was a painter, a writer and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife, and friend. She was 95 years old, but ask anyone close to her, and they'd tell you: She was the youngest person they knew -- the coolest and most modern." - CNN.com, 6/17/19.