Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on April 6th, 2020

A group of about 30 middle-aged Pink Floyd fans in New Jersey defied local police on Apr. 4 by holding an impromptu "corona street party" and playing hits by the famous prog-rock band on a front lawn in Rumson. Two guitarists on a lawn reportedly started up the show, which assembled about 30 aging fans of the classic British rock band in the middle of the street. "Some even brought lawn chairs," the police department said in a good natured account of the incident on Facebook, even though they were treated with obscenities from the fans. "As the old saying goes, in the midst of all this chaos, the band still played on, that is until they were advised in the middle of the 1975 classic 'Wish you were here', that they must stop the show," the department posted. The department even included the iconic cover of the band's Dark Side of the Moon album in its initial social media report. In a subsequent Facebook post, the department said it is "following up with an investigation and charges are pending." - DailyMail.co.uk, 4/5/20...... James Taylor will serve as the "mega mentor" on Season 18 of the reality talent series The Voice, it was revealed on Apr. 6. Taylor will join coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Nick Jonas and Blake Shelton to mentor the artists remaining from the "Battle Rounds," and prepare each team for the Knockout Rounds, which will begin on Apr. 13 at 8 p.m. EST/PST. Taylor, who recently scored a Top 10 chart position with his latest album American Standard, will also help coach and rehearse with the four artists that were saved by their individual coaches during the Battle Rounds for the first-ever "Four-Way Knockout." - Billboard, 4/6/20...... Stevie Wonder is urging his fellow musicians to keep the legacy of late singer/songwriter Bill Withers alive by "recording one of his song on their projects." "Obviously, it's another heartbreak," Wonder told Billboard as he reflected on the death of Withers, who passed away on Mar. 30 of heart complications. "It seems like we're having them one after the other," referring to the recent deaths of such popular entertainers as Wallace Roney, Ellis Marsalis Jr., Alan Merrill, Adam Schlesinger and Joe Diffie, owing to the coronavirus. Wonder, who helped induct Withers into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, added that "we've got to show a lot of love to his wife and children and keep the legacy of what he left behind going ever strong... I think every artist at some point should record one of his songs on their projects. That's how you keep it going. He deserves that." - Billboard, 4/4/20...... Actress Rita Wilson will host a TV benefit special in honor of late country music star Kenny Rogers. CMT Giants Kenny Rogers: A Benefit For MusiCares will feature several of Rogers' friends and collaborators, including Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Rascal Flattsand Lady Antebellum. The special will premiere on U.S. cable network CMT on Apr. 8, with "Hip Hop Hooray (Remix)" available on Apr. 10. Rogers died on Mar. 20 at the age of 81, and Wilson says it's "an honor to be hosting CMT GIANTS Kenny Rogers and to share in an evening of Kenny's songs with so many iconic artists...[his] impact has been indelible." Wilson, 63, appears to be on the road to recovery after she and husband Tom Hanks tested positive for coronavirus after traveling to Australia in March. On Mar. 4, Wilson sang the National Anthem during NASCAR's iRacing Pro Invitational Series Race in a pre-recorded video. - Music-News.com, 4/6/20...... Elton John announced on Apr. 5 that he's launching a new $1 million emergency fund to protect those who have HIV during the COVID-19 epidemic. The fund has been made available by Elton's nonprofit Elton John Aids Foundation, and is currently open to applications. "Today, I m proud to announce that my Foundation @EJAF is launching a $1million COVID-19 Emergency Fund to make sure that our frontline partners can respond to the effects of COVID-19 on HIV care for the most marginalised communities around the world," John posted to Twitter on Apr. 4. "For almost 30 years my foundation has prioritised the most vulnerable people to HIV, to end the AIDS epidemic and we re committed to this during the COVID-19 crisis too," he added. Meanwhile, Elton is also among a number of high-profile music stars taking part in a video posted on Twitter in which celebrities thanked Britain's National Health Service (NHS) frontline workers for their efforts battling the coronavirus. Superstar celebrities including John, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Kate Winslet and Jude Law joined the leaders of NHS England to thank the people fighting to keep Covid-19 victims alive in hospitals and care facilities. Elton kicked off the lovefest by stating, "You are our heroes and we salute each and every one of you. Thank you." There were also videotaped messages from the likes of Daniel Craig, David Beckham, Kylie Minogue, Bill Nighy, Chris Martin, Ray Winstone, Kit Harington, Robbie Williams, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Boy George, Ricky Gervais, Michael Caine and Eddie Redmayne, who all shot their personal salutes from self-isolation as the pandemic continues. - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 4/5/20...... Singer/actress Marianne Faithfull, who famously dated Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger from 1966 to 1970 after scoring her first breakout hit with the Keith Richards and Andrew Loog Oldham composition "As Tears Go By" in 1964, is currently hospitalized with the COVID-19 disease. "Marianne is being treated for COVID-19 in hospital in London. She is stable and responding to treatment, we all wish her well and a full and speedy recovery," her manager, Francois Ravard, told Billboard on Apr. 5. Faithfull's friend, Penny Arcade, says Marianne is "not on a ventilator," but in an earlier post, revealed she had been in contact with Faithfull's ex-husband, John DunbarL, who told the singer "can barely speak." "She has withstood and survived so much in her life - including being Marianne Faithful (sic), that to be taken down by a virus would be such a tragedy," Arcade wrote. "I spoke to her last week and she was hiding out from the virus but she has caregivers..." Faithfull, who was also close with the Beatles and sang backing vocals on their 1966 classic "Yellow Submarine," later suffered from anorexia and drug addictions, and was homeless for a time. She released her 22nd studio album, Negative Capagility, in 2018. - WENN/Canoe.com, 4/5/20...... Meanwhile, the wife of legendary singer/songwriter John Prine, who has been in intensive care for several days after contracting COVID-19, posted a new update on his condition on Apr. 3. "This is John's 8th day in ICU. He is receiving excellent medical care and being treated with kindness and compassion by the entire team looking after him day and night. I cannot be with him which makes this nightmare all the more distressing," Prine's wife Fiona posted. Prine, 73, is currently on a ventilator, has pneumonia in both lungs, and "still needs quite a bit of help with his breathing. He has also developed "peripheral issues that are being treated with meds, including antibiotics," according to Fiona. - New Musical Express, 4/4/20...... In a new intervew with Britain's ITV News that has been shared on YouTube, Queen guitarist Brian May said he believes humanity will learn some great lessons from the coronavirus pandemic. "It's a very hard time for everyone," he said. "This is a tragedy. But there are things to be grateful for. There's a lot of people who are in terrible times, and we're gonna lose a lot of people. It might be me, since I'm an elderly and vulnerable person. But, you know, it's not all bad -- there are good things to look forward to, and this is only for now." May added that "there are joys to be found in isolation... people are getting very creative" and that "When we come out of this, I think there will be some great lessons we have learned. I hope we remember the lessons that we've learned -- that we can work from home, the cars can stop, the planes can stop, the air can get clear. I mean, suddenly we can all breathe again. That's gonna save countless lives. There's no animals being knocked down on the roads anymore, and our wildlife rescue is experiencing a tremendous difference." - New Musical Express, 4/4/20...... In an interview with Entertainment Tonight Live, Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne revealed that she and the Osbourne clan almost made a return to television in 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic it was put on hold. "This year actually, this is the closest we've ever come, but due to this pandemic, everything is on hold," she told ET Live. "Asked why now would be a good time for the rock 'n' roll family to return, Kelly said: "Jack's got kids, we're grown up. There's another generation of us and I think it's just a retrospective showing where we are now, versus where we [were]. I think people really want to see it." The original series, which starred Ozzy and wife Sharon Osbourne, and children Jack and Kelly, aired from 2002-2005 and paved the way for personality-driven reality TV shows. In related news, Sharon Osbourne recently revealed on her show The Talk that her 36-year-old eldest daughter, Aimee, went under the knife on Mar. 29 to remove her appendix and, although the surgery was a success and she's now recuperating, Sharon was devastated she couldn't be with her because the current coronavirus pandemic prevented her from being able to visit her in hospital. "We've been fine. I mean, you know compared to a lot of people, we're doing just fine. But yesterday, Aimee was taken into hospital. She had an emergency operation to remove her appendix. So, just the worst time to be in a hospital. She's fine, she's fine now, thank God. She's out of pain, and she's recuperating." - NME, 4/3/20...... On Apr. 1, David Bowie's son Duncan Jones used an April Fool's Day to trick fans into thinking an animated series about his late father was in the works. The filmmaker took to Twitter to seemingly confirm that Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, had developed a new Bowie TV programme. "Incredibly excited today to be able to announce the release of the FIRST EPISODE of the @aardman animation& BOWIE TV SERIES!," Jones wrote on Twitter before linking to a YouTube video. Upon clicking the URL, his followers were met with the classic "RickRoll'd clip." Jones also attached a mock-up of the would-be plasticine Starman, which reimagines Aardman's Wallace as Bowie's Ziggy Stardust moniker. "This is a very bad and mean joke because THIS WOULD BE PERFECT," said one follower. Another added: "You are literally the only person who could get away with this. You git!" - New Musical Express, 4/1/20...... Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry tells ES magazine that she kicked her old drug habit that included heroin addiction without going to rehab to get clean because she simply got tired with the effort it took to source the narcotics. "Drugs are a funny thing. The thing that drove me away from taking them was having to acquire them and what a drag that was," Harry says. "It was kind of a full-time occupation and a waste of time. It became unpleasant. Luckily for me I was able to handle the withdrawal," she added. These days Harry, 74, says she's much more health-conscious, working out twice a week and eating a diet of "mainly raw foods" but she thinks getting older is "horrible." Asked if she's happier now than she was in her 20s, she said: "There's [still] some dissatisfaction and hopelessness. It varies by the day." Debbie has never married but she is still "very much" active on the dating scene, though she's struggling to find the "really chemical" attraction she's looking for. Asked if she dates, she said: "Very much so. There are less men around for people my age, though. They're all married with children. What's wrong with them? I think what's going on, there's more extra-marital relationships and maybe that is the right way. I'm looking for something really chemical." - Music-News.com, 4/2/20...... Veteran Canadian actress/activist Shirley Douglas, the mother of actor Kiefer Sutherland and daughter of Canadian medicare founder Tommy Douglas, died from complications surrounding pneumonia. She was 86. Kiefer Sutherland announced his mother's death on Twitter on Apr. 5, saying she succumbed to complications surrounding pneumonia -- but not related to COVID-19 -- on Sunday morning. "My mother was an extraordinary woman who led an extraordinary life," said Sutherland. "Sadly she had been battling for her health for quite some time and we, as a family, knew this day was coming." A native of Weyburn, Sask., Ms. Douglas worked with famed directors including Stanley Kubrick (Lolita) and David Cronenberg (Dead Ringers), and won a Gemini Award for her performance in the 1999 TV film Shadow Lake. Her other screen credits included the film Nellie McClung, in which she played the title role of the famed Canadian activist. Other TV series in which she appeared included Street Legal, Road to Avonlea, Corner Gas, Degrassi: The Next Generation and Robson Arms. She also tirelessly supported a variety of causes throughout her life, including the civil rights movement, the Black Panthers and the fight to save public health care, pioneered by her politician father. In the '60s and '70s, while living in California, Ms. Douglas campaigned against the Vietnam War and protested for various politicial and social causes, and helped to establish a fundraising group called Friends of the Black Panthers. In 1965, Ms. Douglas married Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, with whom she had two children before they divorced -- twins Rachel, a production manager, and Kiefer, who became a film and TV star in his own right. Ms. Douglas also had another son, Thomas, from a previous marriage. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among the dignitaries offering condolences on the news of her passing. "Shirley Douglas was a tremendous talent, a tireless advocate, and a fearless activist who never stopped fighting for what she believed in," he wrote on Twitter. "Her passing is a true loss for our country." - Canadian Press/Canoe.com, 4/5/20.

Bill Withers, a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter who recorded a string of understated folk/soul hits in the '70s and '80, died on Mar. 30 in Los Angeles from heart complications. He was 81. Mr. Withers, somewhat of a late bloomer in the music scene, scored his first hit, "Ain't No Sunshine," at age 33, followed by other memorable classics including "Grandma's Hands," "Lean on Me," "Use Me," "Lovely Day" and "Just the Two of Us" with Grover Washington Jr. Born on the Fourth of July, 1938, in Slab Fork, W.V., Mr. Withers worked as a mechanic before moving to Los Angeles and taking a job in an aerospace factory. He wrote several demos which got no response and was considering giving up music until he met Memphis musician Booker T. Jones in 1970, who produced and played on Mr. Withers' debut LP on Sussex Records, Just As I Am, the following year using several members of Jones' Booker T. & the MGs as well as Stephen Stills. That album contained the Top 5 single "Ain't No Sunshine," which went gold in 1971 and was awarded a Grammy for Best R&B Song. Mr. Withers then made his performing debut in L.A. and released a followup single, "Grandma's Hands," which went to No. 42 pop/No. 18 R&B and has since been recorded by a number of singers. His 1972 album, Still Bill, was recorded with members of the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band and even more successful, containing the pop and R&B chart-topping "Lean on Me," "Use Me" (No. 2 pop & R&B), and "Kissing My Love" (No. 12 R&B). Mr. Withers released two more R&B chart hits, "Let Us Love" and "Friend of Mine," and recorded two more albums for Sussex before signing with Columbia Records in 1975, where he recorded six more albums with mixed success, although 1977's Menagerie became his second gold album and contained the No. 30 pop hit, "Lovely Day." Mr. Withers sang on The Crusaders' Rhapsody in Blue album, then on Grover Washington Jr.'s 1980 LP Winelight, which featured the No. 2 pop/No. 3 R&B "Just the Two of Us," one of that year's most popular singles. That song won a Best R&B Song Grammy in 1982, and he took home his third Grammy in the same category in 1988 for Club Nouveau's cover of "Lean on Me." After recording another single, "U.S.A.," he basically retired form recording until releasing 1985's Watching You Watching Me, although he continued to tour occasionally. Mr. Withers was a staunch proponent of creative freedom, and at one point destroyed the masters for an album in a standoff with Sussex Records. His legacy only flourished since his '70s and '80s heyday, with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Tupac Shakur and John Legend either covering or sampling his songs. In 1985, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Roots drummer Questlove, who noted Mr. Withers was "the closest thing black people have to a Bruce Springsteen." His other honors include a Songwriters Hall of Fame induction in 2005, ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award in 2006. In 2009, he was the focal point for the critically acclaimed documentary Still Bill. A 9-album box set, The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums, was released in 2012 and won a Grammy for Best Historical Recording. Mr. Withers was married twice, the first time to film and TV actress Denise Nicholas and his second wife, Marcia, who manages his publishing companies, and their two children, Todd and Kori. "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father," his family said in a statement to AP. "A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other." - Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock/Billboard, 4/2/20.