Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 22nd, 2020

Country star Dolly Parton has shared a tearful message on Twitter following the death of her "true friend" and collaborator Kenny Rogers on Mar. 20 at the age of 81. "Well, I couldn't believe it this morning when I got up and turned on the TV, checking to see what the Coronavirus was doing," she says in the clip she shared on Saturday morning. "And they told me that my friend and singing partner, Kenny Rogers, had passed away. I know that we all know that Kenny is in a better place than we are today, but I'm pretty sure he's going to be talking to God some time today, if he ain't already, and he's going to be asking him to spread some light on a bunch of this darkness going on here." The pair first teamed up on 1983's smash (and Billboard Hot 100 No. 1) "Islands in the Stream," and proceeded to record several duets together, their last being 2013's "You Can't Make Old Friends." "I loved Kenny with all my heart," she continues. "And my heart is broken. A big ol' chunk of it has gone with him today. I think that I can speak for all his family, his friends and fans, when I say that I will always love you." Also remembering his good friend -- and fellow Texas native -- is Eagles co-founder Don Henley. In a statement provided to Billboard, Henley reflected on how Rogers was "a wise mentor to so many of us," and the impact he had on his own musical journey. "Fifty years ago, The Gambler took a gamble on me and my first band from small-town Texas, and his big-hearted support launched many careers, including mine," he wrote. "He also gave me some of the best career advice I ever got: 'You'd better be nice to the people you meet on the way up, because you're going to meet those same people on the way back down.'" Henley concluded that "He fought the good fight for as long as he could, but he was tired, and he was ready to make his exit. I'm just grateful that I got visit with him in the hospital, about six weeks ago, and convey my gratitude to him for all he did for me. RIP, my friend. Thanks for all the gladness you gave us." Before Henley rose to fame with the Eagles, he was in a band called Shiloh. Rogers not only signed the act (to Amos Records) shortly after meeting them in 1969, but produced its first album and brought them to Los Angeles, where Henley met Glenn Frey and his future bandmates. - Billboard, 3/21/2020...... In a newly published John Entwistle biography from rock journalists Paul Rees and Thomas Judd, the late The Who bassist recalls how the Beatles used to sing explicit lyrics live as their fans' deafening screams drowned them out during the heyday of Beatlemania. "It became apparent that The Beatles had figured that since the screaming couldn't be stopped and no one out front in the audience could possibly hear a thing, then they might as well have some fun," Entwistle is quoted in The Ox: The Last of the Great Rock Stars. "Soon, the four of us were crying with laughter at words they were singing and which only we were able to pick up on, 'It's been a hard day's c**k...' 'I wanna hold your c***...'," he added. The Who once opened for the Beatles in Blackpool in 1964. Meanwhile, surviving Who members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend have announced that their UK and Ireland tour will now take place in March 2021, after it was delayed by coronavirus. The Who were due to begin their latest arena tour on Mar. 16 at the Manchester Arena, including a special gig at London's Royal Albert Hall on Mar. 28 as part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust shows. The shows will now take place in March 2021, and original tickets will still be valid. - Music-News.com/NME, 3/20/20...... With his extremely nosy pup by his side, Neil Diamond performed a fireside digital sing-along of his 1969 hit "Sweet Caroline" to help comfort those concerned about the coronavirus pandemic on the evening of Mar. 21. "I know we're going through a rough time right now, but I love ya," the singer/songwriter said, as he shared the performance on Twitter. "I think, maybe if we sing together, well, we'll just feel a little bit better. Give it a try, okay?" Diamond then played "Sweet Caroline," giving its beloved lyrics a new twist encouraging safety precautions and social distancing. Instead of "hands, touching hands," Diamond sang "hands, washing hands," and "reaching out / Touching me, touching you" then became "reaching out / Don't touch me, I won't touch you." One refrain stayed the same, though: "Good times never seemed so good." - Billboard, 3/22/20...... Meanwhile, director Baz Luhrmann posted on Twitter on Mar. 20 that he plans on suspending production of his new Elvis Presley biopic indefinitely due to the global pandemic. "All going well, we have a passionate conviction to be back here on the Gold Coast, picking up where we left off as soon as the time is right," Luhrmann wrote. "In fact, we are not even taking our sets down, simply locking up the creative space over the next few days. We all agree that right now this is the right time for people all over the world, from all walks of life, to be at home, indoors, with their loved ones (washing our hands five times a day)," he added. Principal photography on the movie, which stars newcomer Austin Butler as Presley, Maggie Gyllenhaal as Presley's mother Gladys, and Tom Hanks as Presley's manager Col. Tom Parker, was due to start in late March. Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson posted on Instagram on Mar. 11 that they have tested positive for coronavirus and will remain "isolated for as long as public health and safety requires." - Billboard, 3/20/20...... In related news, Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot has led a star-studded rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" as coronavirus continues to spread across the globe. In a video posted to Instagram, Gadot began singing Lennon's seminal track, before the likes of Will Ferrell, Natalie Portman, Lynda Carter, Norah Jones, Jimmy Fallon, Maya Rudolph and Jamie Dornan joined in to lift spirits. Gadot explained that she had been in isolation for six days, and that the global spread of the disease had left her feeling "philosophical." She added that she was inspired by a viral video from Italy -- which remains in lockdown -- showing a man playing Imagine on his trumpet while his neighbors sang along from the safety of their homes. She captioned the video: "We are in this together, we will get through it together." Gadot's rendition of "Imagine" comes as radio stations across Europe including the BBC have joined forces to simultaneously to play Gerry & The Pacemakers's stirring 1963 song "You'll Never Walk Alone" in a show of solidarity against the virus. The song also was broadcast at the same time, 7:45 am GMT on Mar. 20, on hundreds of radio stations in countries across Europe including Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Latvia, Slovakia, Romania and Spain. - New Musical Express, 3/18/20...... Two classics from ZZ Top have reached the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart dated Mar. 21 following the release of a new ZZ Top documentary, ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas. The Texas trio's "La Grange" collected debuted at No. 12 with 1.4 million U.S. streams, up 16%, and sold 2,000 downloads, a boost of 85%, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Additionally, "Sharp Dressed Man" bowed on the same chart at No. 14, with 1.6 million streams, up 13%, and 1,000 sold, up 42%. The track hit No. 8 on the Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart and No. 56 on the Hot 100 in 1983. Originally premiered in a limited theater run in 2019 (the 50th anniversary of the band's founding), ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas received a home video and digital release on Feb. 28, including on Netflix. - Billboard, 3/19/20...... Posting on his own social media profiles on Mar. 18, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger says the band is "raring to get back on stage" when it's safe to do so. "To everyone who has got tickets to the No Filter Tour, I'm sorry the shows have to be postponed but staying healthy is everyone's priority right now," Sir Mick posted. "We are raring to get back on the stage and as soon as that's possible we will be there! Keep your eyes on RollingStones.com for the latest updates. Stay safe, Mick," he added. The legendary group were due to kick off the the US leg of the tour on May 8 at San Diego's SDCCU Stadium, and conclude at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 9. - Music-News.com, 3/18/20...... David Crosby has been keeping busy during the coronavirus outbreak by taking to social media to rate his fans' attemps at rolling a joint. Earlier in March, Crosby tweeted Jeffrey Guterman, telling him "Jeff & I need to show you how to roll a joint after Guterman posted a picture of one of his efforts." Following this, fans from all around the world responded by sending the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash legend pictures of their own creations and soon after, Crosby started to review the attempts. "Looks like a snake who swallowed a bowling ball, and "crumbled and puny," he tweeted to one fan. "Nice work, I would smoke that," he said to another. "It's a calling, Crosby later said of his online reviews system before adding: "I was born to do it." - New Musical Express, 3/19/20...... Also helping to keep his fans entertained during the coronavirus self-isolation is Bruce Springsteen, who shared his London Calling: Live In Hyde Park show in its entirety for free at bspringsteen.lnk on Mar. 17. "Stream 'London Calling: Live In Hyde Park' from the comfort of your own home, now on YouTube & Apple Music in its entirety for the 1st time!," the Boss wrote, before directing fans to a link to the show. The London Springsteen and the E Street Band gig took place on June 28, 2009 as part of the Hard Rock Calling festival at London's Hyde Park. A DVD of the gig was released the following year. - New Musical Express, 3/18/20...... Actor Stuart Whitman, whose Hollywood career spanned five decades, passed away on Mar. 16 in Montecito, Calif. He was 92. Known for his rugged roles and handsome charm, Mr. Whitman was famous for starring in several Westerns alongside John Wayne. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1962 for his leading role in The Mark, and on the small screen starred in the Cimarron Strip Western series as well as having roles on Knots Landing and Murder, She Wrote. Mr. Whitman had reportedly been in and out of the hospital lately due to skin cancer that seeped into his bloodstream. Mr. Whitman, who was married three times, is survived by his current wife, Julia Vadimovna Paradi, and five children from previous marriages. - PageSix.com, 3/17/20.

Country/pop superstar Kenny Rogers, who charted two pop No. 1's and 20 country chart toppers in the 1970s and 1980s, died of natural causes under the care of hospice in Georgia on Mar. 20. He was 81. "Kenny passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family," a representative for the singer said in a statement. Mr. Rogers, who earned three Grammys with a string of sleekly tailored hits with his appealing, sometimes gritty voice, was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Country Music Association the same year. Born in 1938 and raised in Houston, Mr. Rogers was the fourth of eight children in a poor family and as a teen would sometimes perform with another aspiring local musician, Mickey Gilley. While in high school, he formed a rockabilly group, the Scholars, who recorded for the local Carlton Records label. After a brief stint at the University of Houston, he played bass with the jazz groups of Bobby Doyle and Kirby Stone. After moving to Los Angeles in 1966, he joined the folk-pop unit the New Christy Minstrels, then he and three members (Mike Settle, Terry Williams and Thelma Camacho) founded the rock-leaning group The First Edition in 1967. That group charted two top-10 pop hits: "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" (No. 5, 1968), a version of Mickey Newbury's slice of pop psychedelia, and "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" (No. 6, No. 1 U.K., 1969), Mel Tillis' downbeat song about the faithless wife of a crippled Vietnam vet. As The First Edition's fortunes began to wane, Mr. Rogers signed a solo deal with United Artists Records in 1976 and had almost immediate success with "Lucille," about a barroom encounter with a disillusioned woman and her estranged husband. The number became Mr. Rogers' first No. 1 country hit and reached No. 5 on the national pop chart. It also scored Mr. Rogers his first Grammy, for best male country vocal performance. He notched five more No. 1 solo country singles by the end of the decade. The biggest of these were the Grammy-winning "The Gambler" (also No. 16 pop in 1978) and Mr. Rogers' biggest hit, the backwoods narrative "Coward of the County" (also No. 3 pop in 1979). They pushed the albums The Gambler and Kenny to No. 12 and No. 5, respectively, on the pop album charts. Each inspired a popular TV movie in which Mr. Rogers portrayed Brady Hawkes, protagonist of The Gambler, in a series of five telepics that ran through 1994. On the heels of a No. 1 greatest hits set in 1980, Mr. Rogers moved increasingly into pop terrain and focusing on romantic balladry, with "Lady" and "Islands in the Stream" (the latter one of many duets with frequent partner Dolly Parton) solidifying his standing as country's biggest crossover artist. As the "countrypolitan" style began to fall out of favor, "Make No Mistake, She's Mine," a duet with fellow country star Ronnie Milsap, became Mr. Rogers' next-to-last No. 1 country single in 1987. It also scored a Grammy for best country vocal duet performance. Mr. Rogers had sporadic releases on Capitol Nashville and Warner Bros. Nashville in the new millennium, but produced no major hits. However he maintained a busy touring schedule and increasingly turned his attention to various entrepreneurial enterprises, opening a chain of fast-food chicken outlets, Kenny Rogers Roasters, and a Sprint car manufacturing firm, Gamblers Chassis. In 2012, Mr. Rogers released a memoir, Luck or Something Like It, and announced his retirement in Sept. 2015, not long after a widely aired commercial for Geico insurance saw him reprising "The Gambler" for comedic effect. Married five times, Mr. Rogers is survived by his last wife Wanda and five children. Due to the national COVID-19 emergency, the family announced that it is planning a small private service at this time with a public memorial planned for a later date. - Variety.com, 3/21/20.