Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on February 16th, 2020

Paul McCartney was among the celebs tweeting happy Valentine's Day wishes on Feb. 14. "Let's all have a loving #ValentinesDay! Love Paul," the former Beatle posted on his Twitter page alongside a cheeky picture of himself posing with a heart-shaped bouquet of red roses. - Billboard, 2/14/20...... Queen + Adam Lambert performed the same setlist from their 1985 Live Aid concert for the first time since that legendary performance during a massive Australian bushfire benefit concert at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 16. Queen noted earlier in a social media post that it was the current incarnation of Queen's first time performing the original 22-minute set "for the first time in its history." At the Fire Fight Australia benefit, Queen even broadcast footage of late frontman Freddie Mercury to replicate how Mercury encouraged the 1985 Live Aid audience at Wembley in an energetic singalong, only to light-heartedly tell them "F--- you" afterwards. Queen guitarist Brian May had previously described Fire Fight Australia as a benefit concert "a bit like Live Aid" when he initially revealed that Queen had been approached to play the event. Other artists performing at FFA included Alice Cooper, k.d. Lang and Michael Buble along with native Aussies Olivia Newton-John, Daryl Braithwaite, Hilltop Hoods, Icehouse and Amy Shark, among others. - NME, 2/16/20...... Elton John was forced to end a Feb. 16 concert in Auckland, New Zealand earlier than normal after he began to lose his voice and was escorted from the stage, performing the show despite being diagnosed with walking pneumonia earlier in the day. Before the end of the gig at Mount Smart Stadium, Elton was seen visibly crying on stage and later told fans on Instagram that despite his illness "...I was determined to give you the best show humanly possible. I played and sang my heart out, until my voice could sing no more." John, 72, concluded his apology with "I'm disappointed, deeply upset and sorry. I gave it all I had. Thank-you so much for your extraordinary support and all the love you showed me during tonight's performance. I am eternally grateful. Love, Elton xx." Elton's "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour began in 2018 and is set to end in 2021. In other Elton news, John was awarded a Best Book award at the 2020 New Musical Express Awards on Feb. 12 for his 2019 autobiography, Me, triumphing over books written by or about such artists as Debbie Harry, Prince, Brett Anderson and Tegan & Sara. - New Musical Express, 2/16/20...... Authorities in Atlanta, Ga. have revealed they are evaluating new evidence and considering opening a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 2006 of late Godfather of Soul James Brown. Paul Howard Jr. of the Fulton Co. D.A.'s office says on Feb. 12 prosecutors met with a woman named Jacque Hollander who said she had relevant evidence. Hollander reportedly told the DA that she believes Brown died under suspicious circumstances and was possibly murdered. She also was said to have handed over a bin containing some items relevant to the case that she had collected in the years since Brown's passing to the DA's office. "We told her that we would take the information, take the items, and we would review it," said DA spokesperson Chris Hopper. Hopper added that the DA said his office would also attempt to interview some individuals whose names Hollander provided them to determine whether there are facts to back up her assertions regarding Brown's death. The DA plans to make an evaluation in the next six months whether or not to move forward with any kind of official death investigation, according to Hopper. Brown's cause of death in 2006 at age 73 was listed on his death certificate as a heart attack and fluid in his lungs. - Billboard, 2/13/20...... Two years after being fired from Fleetwood Mac and a year after suffering a vocal cord injury which required emergency open heart surgery, Lindsey Buckingham announced on Feb. 11 that he's ready to hit the road again in 2020. Buckingham's trek will kick off at Reynolds Hall in Las Vegas on Apr. 25, also visiting Boulder, Co. (4/28), Kansas City, Mo. (4/30), St. Louis (5/1), Memphis (5/3), Atlanta (5/5), Knoxville, Tn. (5/6), Huntsville, Ala. (5/7), Wichita, Ks. (5/9), Oklahoma City, Ok. (5/10) and Tuscon, Ariz. (5/12) before wrapping at the Magnolia Performing Arts Center in El Cajon, Calif. on May 13. Buckingham, who had been forced to postpone some planned 2019 dates due to his medical issues, was kicked out of Fleetwood Mac in 2018 after more than four decades with the band after some differences with his former bandmate and girlfriend Stevie Nicks. He later settled a civil lawsuit against the band after he was cut from a run of concerts in North America which he said cost him millions in lost earnings. - Billboard, 2/12/20...... Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2019 inductees Def Leppard have announced a slate of 16 fall dates for their "20/20 Vision" tour that will immediately follow their summer stadium tour with Motley Crue, which has already sold more than 1.1 million tickets. With openers ZZ Top, the fall leg is set to launch on Sept. 21 at Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., and run through Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, Nebraska, Michigan and more before wrapping on Oct. 18 in Spokane, Wash. "What a year this is going to be!," Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott said in a release. "First, sold out stadiums, then we get to go on tour with the mighty ZZ Top! Having been an admirer of the band for a lifetime it's gonna be a real pleasure to finally do some shows together...maybe some of us will get to go for a spin with [ZZ Top front man] Billy [Gibbons] in one of those fancy cars..." Gibbons responded in his own statement: "We're excited about hitting the road with Def Leppard this fall; we've been fans of theirs since forever... Joe Elliott is always welcome to ride 'shotgun' with us and we won't even ask him to pay for the gas." - Billboard, 2/13/20...... Neil Young, Willie Nelson and Stephen Stills will be the headliners at the sixth annual Light Up The Blues benefit concert in Los Angeles, set for May 30 at the Greek Theatre. "With this year's stellar lineup -- and a meaningful venue in the Greek Theatre, our hometown favorite -- I am itching to get on stage with this crew and support the efforts of Autism Speaks. It's going to be another exciting and marvelous show!" said Stephen Stills in a release. Also on the bill for the show will be Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Lucius, Fantastic Negrito, Chris Stills and Oliver Stills. Actor/comedian Jack Black will serve as the concert's emcee, with additional special guests expected to appear. - Billboard, 2/12/20...... "Karn Evil 9," the almost 30-minute centerpiece of prog-rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery, is being turned into a science-fiction movie. The track, which takes up part of side 1 and all of side 2 of the album, is divided into four "impressions" and basically tells the story of a battle between humans and computers. The film will be executive produced by Radar Pictures, the group behind the hit Jumanji series, and written by Robopocalypse author Daniel H. Wilson, who'll adapt a screenplay based on the concept laid out by the ELP song. The movie will reportedly focus on "a society that has drained all its blood with a dependence on technology" and "explore the world controlled by a pervasive and dictatorial technocracy." The song's famous refrain -- "Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends / We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside" -- will most likely be represented by a carnival of exhibits that feature 20th-century "oddities," ranging from blades of grass to Dixieland music, that have been wiped out by technology, according to Radar's Ted Field."Our team at Radar looks forward to bringing this vision of where things may be headed to the big screen and beyond," Field said. While "Karn Evil 9"'s epic length prevented it from being released as a single, the second movement's rousing introduction and radio-ready melody made it a popular album track on FM radio for decades. The song's lyrics even inspired the title of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Top 5 1974 live album, Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends. No cast or release date has been announced so far. Drummer Carl Palmer is the only surviving member of the band; keyboardiest Keith Emerson died in March 2016, and vocalist/guitarist Greg Lake died in December of the same year. - Deadline.com, 2/13/20..... In an interview published in the March edition of Esquire magazine, former child star Macauly Culkin says that he never saw any abuse of children by his late friend and King of Pop Michael Jackson. "Look, I'm gonna begin with the line -- it's not a line, it's the truth: He never did anything to me," Culkin told the magazine. "I never saw him do anything. And especially at this flash point in time, I'd have no reason to hold anything back. The guy has passed on. If anything -- I'm not gonna say it would be stylish or anything like that, but right now is a good time to speak up. And if I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it. But no, I never saw anything; he never did anything." Culkin and Jackson spent a fair amount of time together in Culkin's youth, and Culkin also famously testified in defense of Jackson in 2005 when the singer was charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy who had cancer. Jackson was eventually acquitted. Culkin says the last time the two talked was in that courthouse during a recess and he was in the restroom when Jackson happened to enter. "We better not talk. I don't want to influence your testimony," Jackson said, according to Culkin, who added they then laughed at the moment. Culkin, 40, is the godfather of Jackson's daughter, Paris Jackson. The two talk often, he said, and have matching tattoos. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/11/20...... Aerosmith reunited with their estranged drummer Joey Kramer on Feb. 10 during a show at the group's "Deuces Are Wild" residency at Park Theater Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. Kramer, 69, sat in with the group after getting iced out of rehearsals and a performance by Aerosmith at the Grammy Awards show on in Los Angeles on Jan. 26. Kramer had been sidelined by the group amid an ongoing lawsuit he filed against them for breach of contract after he suffered an ankle injury in 2019 which caused him to miss most of Aerosmith's recent Vegas residency. It was Kramer's first gig with the band since a shoulder injury caused him to quit performing in April 2019, at which point he was replaced by his drum tech. Aerosmith has yet to post any comments on social media about the reunion, and Kramer's future with the band. - Billboard, 2/11/20...... A 1962 vintage amplifier that helped former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman clinch his audition for the iconic British rock band is among more than 1,000 items being auctioned by the musician from his more than 50-year career. "Collecting and archiving has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life and will undoubtedly be one of my legacies," the 83-year-old Wyman, who quit the band in 1993, said in a statement. "It feels like the right time to share my archive with the world. I hope people will get as much joy from my collections as I have," he added. One of the most interesting items in the May 29-31 auction conducted by Julian's in Beverly Hills, which also includes stage clothes and other Stones memorabilia, is the 1962 Vox AC30 amplifier that then 26-year-old Wyman brought to his audition for the Stones at a London pub in 1962. According to Wyman, band members Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were impressed with the amp. "They had horrible amps so they were very happy about that. I bought a round of drinks for everyone and offered cigarettes and of course they jumped immediately because they all smoked but couldn't afford them," Wyman recalled in a 2008 interview. The amp carries a pre-sale estimate of $80,000 - $100,000. Wyman, who now fronts his own band Rhythm Kings, is also selling off several of his other bass guitars, including a 1969 Fender Mustang bass that he played at concerts and on Stones recordings in 1969 and 1970 that is expected to sell for up to $500,000. A portion of the auction proceeds will go to the Macmillan Cancer Support, the British-based youth charity Prince's Trust and the Central Caribbean Marine Institute. Some of the items will go on public display at the Museum of Style Icons in Ireland from March 10-April 20, and in Beverly Hills immediately before the May auction. - Reuters, 2/13/20...... Newly released footage has emerged of Rod Stewart appearing to give a Nazi salute and assaulting a security guard in a New Year's Eve incident at Palm Beach's The Breakers hotel. The scuffle took place as Stewart, 74, was vacationing in Florida with his family and he and his entourage were said to be denied access to a private party outside of the resort's children's area. Sean Stewart -- Rod's son whom he shares with first wife Alana Hamilton -- was accused of shoving the guard after being told to back up, according to a police report. This was allegedly followed by Rod stepping toward the guard and throwing a punch, striking the guard "in his left ribcage area." Footage from the night has now emerged, which shows what appears to be Stewart striking the security guard and performing a Nazi salute. Stewart is set to launch a North American summer tour with openers Cheap Trick on July 1 in Cuyahoga Falls, Oh. - New Musical Express, 2/16/20...... Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder has proposed to his girlfriend Diane McInerny, who anchors the syndicated TV celebrity show Inside Edition. Felder, 72, proposed to McInerny, 48, during a sunset stroll in Malibu in January, according to People magazine. It was the same spot where Felder says he wrote music for the Eagles' iconic 1976 album, Hotel California. "Diane is beyond excited to be engaged to the love of her life," a source close to the couple told People. "Their friends and family are thrilled for their happiness." McInerney showed off her engagement ring in an Instagram post on Feb. 10 -- a custom design featuring a five-carat round brilliant cut diamond -- and following the proposal Felder reportedly whisked his bride to be away for a luxury vacation in Mexico. The marriage is a second one for both. Felder has four children with ex-wife Susan Pickersgill, from whom he split in 2000 after three decades of marriage. McInerny was previously married to criminal defense lawyer, Edward Palermo, with whom she has two daughters. The New York-born journalist has been at Inside Edition since 2003. - DailyMail.co.uk, 2/11/20...... Paul English, the longtime drummer for Willie Nelson's band Willie Nelson & Family, died on Feb. 11 in Dallas following a recent battle with pneumonia. He was 87. Mr. English had been a beloved member of Nelson's fand since the 1960s, first playing with the Grammy-winning country star in 1955 before becoming his full-time drummer in 1966. He was a member of Nelson's band until his death. The Vernon, Tex. native served as part of the inspiration behind Nelson's famous 1971 road song "Me & Paul." The nearly four-minute track includes Nelson lamenting of their troubled travels in Nashville, being "almost busted in Laredo, but for reasons that I'd rather not disclose," and a Milwaukee airport not allowing them on the plane. "They said we looked suspicious/ But I believe they like to pick on me and Paul," Nelson sings on the song. In addition to his role as a drummer, Mr. English sometimes served as Nelson's bodyguard, and also credited Nelson for saving his own life. "If I hadn't gone with Willie, I would be in the penitentiary or dead," Mr. English told Rolling Stone in 2014. "I was running girls and playing music at the same time." Mr. English was reportedly surrounded by friends and family at a hospital near his home as he died. - Billboard, 2/12/20.

As was hinted by the band on Instagram a week earlier, the Rolling Stones announced on Feb. 6 that they'll return to North America for a 15-city stadium tour starting May 8 in San Diego. The fourth leg of the band's No Filter Tour will also hit Vancouver, B.C. (5/12), Minneapolis (5/16), Nashville (5/20), Austin, Tex. (5/24), Dallas (5/29), Buffalo, N.Y. (6/6), Detroit (6/10), Louisville (6/14), Cleveland, Oh. (6/19), Pittsburgh (6/23), St. Louis (6/27), Charlotte (7/1) and Tampa, Fla. (7/5) before wrapping on July 9 in Atlanta. Meanwhile, in a new interview with New York radio station Q104.3, Stones guitarist Keith Richards revealed that he has finally given up his longtime smoking habit. Richards told host Jim Kerr that he has not touched a ciggie since October 2019. "Done that, been there," Richards replied when asked about his decision to quit smoking, which he first announced in 2019. "Quitting heroin is like hell, but it's a short hell. Cigarettes are just always there, and you've always done it. I just pick 'em up and light 'em up without thinking about it," Keef told Mojo magazine at the time. "Lately, in fact -- spread the news -- I've managed to cut it down by a substantial amount every day," he added. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 2/6/20...... Elton John became the second-oldest winner in the history of Oscar's best original song category when he and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin picked up the award during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 9 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. John and Taupin's rousing, life-affirming "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from the Elton biopic Rocketman was Elton's second Oscar win in that category, and Taupin's first. "Thank you to Bernie who has been a constant in my life, when I was screwed up, when I was normal, he's always been there for me," John said, after Taupin remarked, "Being here with this guy, I don't have words for it. This is justification for 53 years of just hammering it out and doing what we do." The win enabled John to set a new record as the songwriter with the longest span of wins in the best original song category -- 26 years. He took the 1994 award for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the original The Lion King. The old record for the longest span of best song winners was held by James Van Heusen, whose wins spanned 20 years--from "Swinging on a Star" (1944) through "Call Me Irresponsible" (1963). The 72-year-old superstar also becomes the second-oldest winner in the history of the category. The oldest is Gulzar, who was 74 when he won for writing the lyrics to "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Taupin, 69, becomes the third-oldest winner in the history of the category. Guests, including Heidi Klum, Diane Lane and Eric McCormack, were welcomed to the party with cocktails, followed by a gala dinner and viewing of the broadcast of the ceremony, after Elton took to the stage to share a few words. "What a night. It is so special to celebrate our Foundation's 28th annual Oscar Party with the Fab Five (cast members of Queer Eye) and Sam Fender and to top it off, another Oscar win!," Elton said. "But most importantly, tonight we have come together to raise urgently needed funds and awareness for the LGBT community at risk or living with HIV in the U.S. and around the world." - Billboard, 2/9/20...... In other Oscars news, Randy Newman performed his Toy Story 4 composition "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" during the ceremony, which was a best original song nominee. Performing at a Steinway piano in a black suit, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer offered a spirited version of the jaunty Toy Story contribution --- with puffs of cloud-like smoke occasionally getting in the way. It was the 13th Newman-written song to be nominated for an Academy Award -- including songs from all four Toy Story movies, with "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3 winning in 2010. Newman was also nominated for best original score for his work on the drama Marriage Story, while Toy Story 4 reigned victorious earlier in the evening for best animated feature. - Billboard, 2/9/20...... Heavy metal star and tattoo afficianado Ozzy Osbourne is asking fans to celebrate the Feb. 21 release of his highly anticipated new solo album Ordinary Man by sponsoring tattoo sales and Ordinary Man listening events at more than 50 cities globally on Feb. 20. Attendees can choose from a collection of Ozzy-inspired ink designs while they listen to Ordinary Man before anyone else. Participating cities include NYC, Paris, Athens, Las Vegas, London, Honolulu, Istanbul, Rome, Sydney and Toronto, among many other cities. On the actual day of release (Feb. 21), Ozzy will be hosting his first in-store appearance in a decade, which will take place at Amoeba Records in Hollywood, Calif. at 5 p.m. PST. In order to attend, fans must purchase Ordinary Man in-store at Amoeba on the day of release. There is a two-copy purchase limit per person. - Billboard, 2/6/20...... '70s artists and outspoken Pres. Donald Trump foils Cher and Bette Midler were among the celebs to criticize the recent acquittal of Pres. Trump on abuse of power and obstruction impeachment charges by the U.S. Senate on Feb. 4. "Run, #Mitt, RUN!!," Bette Midler posted on Twitter after Sen. Mitt Romney was the sole GOP senator to vote to convict the president on the abuse of power charge. She also praised House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for tearing up the Pres. Trump's speech following his State of the Union address on the evening of Feb. 4. "Last night? Too bad Nancy didn't tear that speech into little, teeny, tiny pieces and throw that blizzard of lies right back in his face!," the Divine Miss M posted. Cher went more directly at the president, saying that he is "the most vengeful illiterate, limp, imitation of a man ever." Star Wars movie actor Mark Hamill also weighed in, claiming that the outcome of the trial would have been different if the vote was secret, and praised Sen. Romney for putting "country over party." - DailyMailUK.com, 2/5/20...... Rod Stewart has been confirmed to close out the 2020 BRIT Awards show, which is set for Feb. 18 at the O2 Arena in London. "Happy to be asked to close out The BRITs on their 40th show celebrations," Sir Rod, 75, said in a statement. It will be the second time Stewart has performed at The BRITs, having first performed at the 1993 show where he also picked up an honorary award for outstanding contribution to music. It is not known if Stewart will receive an honorary award this year. It will be the 40th edition of the annual pop music awards sponsored by the British Phonographic Industry, with hot rising artists Billie Eilish and Lizzo also set to perform. The BRIT Awards 2020 will air live on Feb. 18 at 8:00 p.m. GMT, 3:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. PT. Viewers in the UK can watch on ITV and STV. International fans can watch via YouTube.com/BRITs. - Billboard, 2/20/20...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is set to make his first Saturday Night Live appearance in 31 years on Feb. 29. Byrne's appearance on SNL will come just two weeks after his acclaimed "American Utopia" show ends its five-month long residency on Broadway. Byrne last appeared on the venerable comedy show in 1989, performing two songs from his debut solo album Rei Mono. - New Musical Express, 2/8/20...... Collectors of newly released vinyl LPs are said to be in for a probable "vinylgeddon" after a plant in California -- one of only two in the world that manufactures the lacquers used for making vinyl master discs -- suffered massive damage during a fire on Feb. 7. "To all of [our] wonderful customers. It is with great sadness we report the Apollo Masters manufacturing and storage facility had a devastating fire and suffered catastrophic damage," a statement by company on its official website read the following day. "The best news is all of our employees are safe. We are uncertain of our future at this point and are evaluating options as we try to work through this difficult time. Thank you for all of the support over the years and the notes of encouragement and support we have received from you all." Luckily, no employees were injured in the fire, although several were present in the building when the fire broke out. The fire comes as a difficult blow to the booming vinyl record industry, as Billboard reported in January that 26% of all physical albums sold in the U.S. in 2019 were vinyl. - Billboard, 2/7/20...... Dead & Company have announced dates for a 17-date summer 2020 North American tour that will launch with two datesat Folsom Field in Boulder, Col. on July 10 and 11. The tour will also hit three other major league fields -- two-show stops at Chicago's Wrigley Field on July 24 and 25, and a tour closer at Boston's Fenway Park on Aug. 7 and 8. Other stops include Maryland Heights, Mo. (7/13), Noblesville, Ind. (7/15), Atlanta (7/18), Cincinatti (7/20), Clarkston, Mich. (7/22), Cuyahoga Falls, Oh. (7/27), E. Rutherford, N.J. (8/1), Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (8/3) and Bristow, Va. (8/5). The Grateful Dead spinoff band is currently led by original GD members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kruetzmann, along with Jeff Chimenti, Otiel Burbridge and John Mayer. - Billboard, 2/6/20...... Lyle Mays, a jazz keyboardist whose work, chiefly with the Pat Metheny Group, won nearly a dozen Grammy Awards, died pm Feb. 10 in Los Angeles. He was 66. Mays had a "long battle with a recurring illness," according to Pat Metheny's website. Mays joined the guitarist group Metheny in the 1970s, where he was a performer, composer and arranger. The group's endlessly innovative fusion style incorporated everything from rock and contemporary jazz to world music. Mays, who also was a sideman for such artists as Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Earth, Wind & Fire, also helped compose movie soundtrack music for several movies, including 1985's The Falcon and The Snowman. Pat Metheny praised Mays as "one of the greatest musicians I have ever known" and added "every moment we shared in music was special." - AP, 2/11/20...... Steven Cagan, a composer and conductor who worked with the likes of Bette Midler, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, died Feb. 1 in Los Angeles at age 77. Cagan scored numerous TV series and specials, including those starring Spinal Tap, Robert Klein, Michael Keaton and Rob Reiner. He also worked with such theatrical giants as Michael Bennett, Lester Wilson, Michael Peters, Bob Avian and Joe Layton. His original songs included "I Will Touch You," recorded by Olivia Newton-John in 1972; "Dinah! I've Got a Song," recorded by Dinah Shore for a 1979 Sesame Street album, and "Such A Morning" recorded by his sister-in-law Melissa Manchester for her 1978 album, Don't Cry Out Loud. - Billboard, 2/11/20...... Orson Bean, the witty actor and comedian, died on Feb. 7 in Los Angeles after being hit and killed by a car in a traffic accident, according to the L.A. County coroner's office. He was 91. According to a police report, Mr. Bean was walking in the Venice neighborhood when he was clipped by a vehicle and fell, with a second vehicle then striking him which was fatal. Mr. Bean enlivened such TV game shows as To Tell the Truth, appeared in the title role of "Mr. Bevis" in an episode of The Twilight Zone,, and played a crotchety merchant on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. He also appeared in a number of films, notably, Anatomy of a Murder and Being John Malkovich, and starred in several top Broadway productions, receiving a Tony nod for the 1962 Comden-Green musical "Subways Are for Sleeping." He continued working into his 80s, with guest roles on TV series such as Hot in Cleveland and Modern Family. Survivors include his third wife, actress Alley Mills, who played the mother on the TV series The Wonder Years. - AP, 2/8/20...... Actor Robert Conrad, the star of such TV series as Hawiian Eye, The Wild Wild West and Baa Baa Black Sheep, has passed away in Malibu, Calif., a member of his family confirmed to People magazine on Feb. 8. He was 84. The rough and tumble actor had toplined at least one TV series in the 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s, a rare feat of longevity for a TV star. Born Konrad Robert Falkowski in Chicago on Mar. 1, 1935, Mr. Conrad made his big screen debut in 1958, playing a pilot in Thundering Jets, and would go on to make credited appearances in some 15 additional films, notably the 1975 heist pic Murf the Surf and as John Dillinger in 1979's The Lady in Red. However he made a far bigger presence on the small screen after signing with Warner Bros. in 1959 to star in the Honolulu-set detective show Hawaiian Eye, which ran for four season. Mr. Conrad played the half-Hawaiian P.I. Tom Lopaka and guested as that character on three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip. He was perhaps best known as charming Secret Service agent James T. West in the 1965-69 series The Wild Wild West. An innovative bland of Western and sci-fi stories, the series also starred Ross Martin as West's partner Artemus Gordon as the pair rode a gadget-ridden personal train around the Old West, fighting supervillains in 19th century James Bond style. After the show, which wasd known for its well-choreographed fight sequences in which Conrad's West almost always outlasted a large number of foes, was canceled in 1969 for being too violent, Mr. Conrad starred in the telepic D.A.: Murder One, which led to a follow-up film and a brief 1971-72 series called The D.A. The actor played a spy in another short-lived series, ABC's Assignment Vienna, during the 1972-73 season. He had more success with NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep (later known as Black Sheep Squadron), which fictionalized the experiences of Second World War ace Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington (whom Conrad played) and the fighter squadron he led in the South Pacific. The series ran for two season from 1976-78 but has aired repeatedly in syndication and on outlets such as the History Channel. During the 1970s he was arguably most well known famous for a series of commercials for Eveready Batteries in which he dared viewers to "knock this battery off" his shoulder. In 2003, Mr. Conrad was convicted of DUI after a car accident that left him partially paralyzed and seriously injured the other driver. He was sentenced to six months of house arrest in a plea agreement. In later years he began hosting a show on CRN Digital Talk Radio in 2007. Mr. Conrad, who was married and divorced twice, the second time to actress LaVelda Fann, is survived by 8 children and at least 19 grandchildren. - Variety, 2/8/20.