Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on October 23rd, 2021

Paul McCartney has been confirmed as the presenter for the Foo Fighters' upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony set for Oct. 30 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse arena in Cleveland, Oh. Pop sensation Taylor Swift and actress Jennifer Hudson have been tapped to induct legendary singer/songwriter Carole King, with What's Love Got To Do With It? actress Angela Bassett inducting Tina Turner, and '80s hitmaker Lionel Ritchie inducting Clarence Avant. This year's inductees were announced back in May, with Todd Rundgren, The Go-Gos, Jay-Z, Gil Scott-Heron and Kraftwerk also set to be honored in what RRHOF chairman John Sykes has described as "the most diverse class in the history" of the awards. - New Musical Express, 10/19/21...... Speaking of Paul McCartney, the Beatles legend's new career-spanning biography, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present will hit stores on Nov. 2. On Oct. 18, Sir Paul shared an excerpt from the book in which he remembers the inspiration for one of his best-known Beatles songs, "Eleanor Rigby." Writing about his childhood in Liverpool, McCartney recalled doing chores for local residents during the Scouts' "Bob-a-job week," during which he met an old lady who would go on to inspire the song. "Eleanor Rigby is based on an old lady that I got on with very well," McCartney wrote in an extract published by The New Yorker. "I found out that she lived on her own, so I would go around there and just chat, which is sort of crazy if you think about me being some young Liverpool guy. Later, I would offer to go and get her shopping. She'd give me a list and I'd bring the stuff back, and we'd sit in her kitchen. I still vividly remember the kitchen, because she had a little crystal-radio set... So I would visit, and just hearing her stories enriched my soul and influenced the songs I would later write." The Lyrics will recount the musician's life through his earliest boyhood compositions, songs by the Beatles and Wings, and from his lengthy solo career. To accompany the release, the British Library has announced it will host a free display entitled "Paul McCartney: The Lyrics" between Nov. 5, 2021 and Mar. 13, 2022, while the musician himself will discuss the book live in conversation at the Royal Festival Hall on the opening day of the display. - NME, 10/18/21...... As a deluxe 40th anniversary edition of their 1981 album Tattoo You hit stores on Oct. 22, the Rolling Stones have shared a previously unreleased song from that album's sessions called "Come To the Ball" on YouTube. "Come to the Ball" was co-written by principal Stones songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and like the other Tattoo You songs was produced with Jimmy Miller, who also produced the classic Stones LP's Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main St. Other archived tracks featured on the new release include "Living In The Heart Of Love," the Jimmy Reed cover "Shame, Shame, Shame," the band's interpretation of Dobie Gray's 1973 hit "Drift Away," their cover of The Chi-Lites' "Trouble's A' Comin," and a reggae-tinged version of Tattoo You's first single, "Start Me Up." The 40th anniversary edition of Tattoo You also features a 26-track live album, Still Life: Wembley Stadium 1982, from the band's London show in June of that year on their Tattoo You tour. Currently on their "No Filter" US tour, the Stones will next visit Minneapolis (10/24), Tampa, Fla. (10/29), Dallas (11/2), Las Vegas (11/6), Atlanta (11/15) and Detroit (11/15) before wrapping in Austin, Tex. on Nov. 20. - New Musical Express, 10/22/21...... The '70s/'80s acclaimed UK band Gang of Four have announced a North American tour for 2022, with former Slint bassist David Pajo joining the band on guitar, replacing late band member Andy Gill who passed away in Feb. 2020. Set to kick off in Mar. 2022, the trek will be the first time the band has performed live since Gill's death. Gang Of Four's upcoming US tour will draw on material from their 1977-1981 box set of early material, which came out in Dec. 2020. The collection boasts a double LP of the "never officially released" Live at American Indian Center 1980 as well as remastered versions of Entertainment! (1979) and Solid Gold (1981). The full tour schedule can be viewed on their Twitter page. - NME, 10/19/21...... Variety magazine revealed on Oct. 21 that the epic rock 'n' roll love story of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne is being turned into a brand-new feature film from Sony Pictures. Polygram Entertainment is co-producing the as yet unnamed project, which reportedly will take on a biopic format that will follow the couple's nearly 40 years of marriage that fans got a peek of while starring on their MTV hit show The Osbournes from 2002-2005. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Lee Hall (Cats, Rocketman, Billy Elliot) is penning the project, with Sharon and children Jack and Aime Osbourne producing the film under their label Osbourne Media alongside Michele Anthony and David Blackman from Polygram Entertainment. Jack Osbourne most recently executive-produced The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, which premiered on the A+E network in 2020. Following the announcement, Sharon and Ozzy posted the news to their respective Instagram accounts. "And so it begins..... @sonypictures," Sharon captioned her Instagram post, adding a film camera emoji. - Billboard, 10/22/21...... Former Pres. Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen recently sat down with CBS News senior correspondent Anthony Mason for their first interview together to discuss their 8-part podcast "Renegades: Born in the USA," which launched in February and inspired their new book of the same name, which hits stores on Oct. 26. On Oct. 22, CBS published a clip from a forthcoming interview of the friends discussing the origins of their podcast-turned-book, which sees the pair talking about race issues, the state of the country and the influence their fathers had on their upbringing. In the clip, which will air on Oct. 24 on CBS's Sunday Morning show, Obama revealed that he and Springsteen often ran into each other at events, and their conversations would frequently stray to topics about their personal origins and what it means to be an American citizen. "We just ended up being in settings where we'd these long conversations and I thought, the things we're talking about -- what does it mean to be a man, what does it mean to be a American -- these were the things that were popping up over a meal, and I thought, 'You know what? This might be something that would be useful for folks to hear," Pres. Obama explained. "I initially though that he had gotten the wrong number when he called me. And I said, 'Okay, let me figure this out. I'm a guitar playing high school graduate from Freehold, New Jersey, and you want me to do what?'" Springsteen added. - Billboard, 10/22/21...... Elton John's latest studio album The Lockdown Sessions has been made available for free streaming in its entirety on Spotify.com. More than 20 artists feature on the new record, an unprecedented call-out across the Rocket Man's career, with a line-up that includes the likes of Stevie Wonder, Miley Cyrus, Stevie Nicks and the late Glenn Campbell. The album spans 16 tracks, including 10 new, unreleased numbers, with the rock icon dipping his toe in a little bit of everything, from pure pop nostalgia ("Cold Heart" with Dua Lipa & PNAU) to soul ("Finish Line" with Wonder) to hip-hop ("Always Love You" with Young Thug & Nicki Minaj) to Americana ("Simple Things" with Brandi Carlile). Meanwhile, Elton has revealed in a new interview with the UK paper The Guardian that he's still prone to "explosive" outbursts, despite trying to work on that for a long time. After rising to international fame in the 1970s, John became famous for his tantrums and eccentric antics, as well as battling alcohol and drug problems. Although he's now settled down with husband David Furnish, with whom he shares two sons, Elton says he still battles with his his old demons. "It's still in me, to explode at any moment. I've been trying to work on that for a long time and I've got a wonderful husband who knows how to get me out of that stuff," Elton told the paper. "I think it's an artistic thing -- artists can be so self-destructive sometimes, for no reason. I can have a day when everything in my whole life is going so well, and I get up and I feel like the world is against me. Why, I do not know," he added. The musician puts his mental struggles in part down to a difficult relationship with his parents, and is determined his own children -- Zachary, 10, and Elijah, eight -- will grow up in a loving, stable environment. "When they're bad, they lose their pocket money, or their electronic stuff for a week -- but they don't get punished physically or mentally," he added. "We talk it through with them. And they're very happy children. I was always afraid of my parents, and I didn't want my children to ever be afraid of me." John also recently confirmed that he and rising singer Ed Sheeran are working on a Christmas song together. - NME/Music-News.com, 10/22/21...... ABBA has shared a third song from their forthcoming Nov. 5 studio LP release Voyage. Titled "Just a Notion," the song is described as a "ridiculously happy" rollicking, feel-good tune that's a "treasure from the past," according to the band's own words. The song, which can be streamed on YouTube as well as Spotify.com, feels like peak 70's era ABBA, and for good reason: it was originally written and recorded in the summer of 1978 during the early sessions for ABBA's sixth studio album Voulez-Vous, but didn't make the final cut. ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus, in a social media post, says the song will "hopefully... cheer you up in these dark times!" "Just a Notion" follows two previous new ABBA songs -- "Don't Shut Me Down" and "I Still Have Faith in You" -- from Voyage that were previewed in September. Voyage is due out Nov. 5. The famous Swedish quartet will take their marks in spring 2022 for "ABBA Voyage," a virtual residency housed at a custom-built arena in east London. - Billboard, 10/22/21...... Sting and his son Joe Sumner recently performed The Police hit "Message in a Bottle" at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability gala. Sting and his son virtually performed at the annual benefit, which honored Jaden Smith and Amariyanna Copeny, aka "Little Miss Flint," for their "environmental justice advocacy and tireless efforts to provide clean, safe drinking water to vulnerable communities," according to a press release. "Me and my dad would love to support you by singing this song," Joe Sumner, 44, announced in a pre-recorded video filmed at a studio, where he and his father broke out into an acoustic rendition of the 1979 classic. "Message in a Bottle" was written by Sting and released as the lead single from The Police's 1979 sophomore album Reggatta de Blanc. It reached No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart and peaked at No. 74 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100. Sting and his son's performance of "Message in a Bottle" can be viewed on Billboard.com. - Billboard, 10/18/21...... In a new interview with the UK paper The Daily Mail, actress Susan Sarandon opened up about her final phone call with David Bowie before he passed away in 2016. Sarandon and Bowie, who co-starred together in the 1983 film The Hunger, had previously dated, though the Oscar-winning actress has now revealed that they went through "some things that needed to be said" in the months leading up to his death. "I was fortunate enough to be closer to him right before he died, the last couple of months," Sarandon said. "He did find me again. We talked to each other and said some things that needed to be said. I was so fortunate to be able to see him when he told me what was going on with him," she added. Sarandon said she last met with Bowie in person a month before he died at New York premiere of his musical "Lazarus," and revealed they subsequently spoke one more time -- though the Oscar-winning actress admitted she didn't have a clear memory of the phone call. "I wasn't sleeping so I took a pretty strong sleep aid," she revealed. "And I had this dream that David had called me and that we'd had this conversation. Then later I thought, 'Did he actually call me?' And I went to my phone and he had. But I have no recollection of what that conversation was. He died a week later. It's all so frustrating," Sarandon explained. The actress also praised Bowie's wife Iman, revealing they had been in touch: "I love his wife Iman, someone who was so equal in stature to him. That was clearly who he was destined to be with. And I've kept in touch with her." Bowie died in Jan. 2016 from liver cancer, just a few days after the release of his final album, Blackstar. - NME, 10/18/21...... Oscar-winning composer, lyricist, and songwriter Leslie Bricusse, best known for his work on two James Bond theme songs and the signature tune of 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, died on Oct. 19 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 90. Mr. Bricusse's son Adam Bricusse posted on Facebook that his father "passed away peacefully," and his death was also confirmed by actress Joan Collins, a friend, who said on Instagram that Bricusse "was one of the giant songwriters of our time." Born in the London suburb of Pinner in 1931, Mr. Bricusse studied at Cambridge University, where he was president of the Footlights performance club, a springboard for musical and comic talent. He began writing music for stage and screen in the 1950s, and enjoyed success over more than five decades. Mr. Bricusse wrote both music and lyrics, working alone and with collaborators. He wrote lyrics for the 007 theme songs "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice," with music by John Barry. With frequent collaborator Anthony Newley, Mr. Bricusse wrote the Academy Award-nominated score for 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, including the song "Pure Imagination," sung by Gene Wilder and now considered a classic. Another song from the movie, "The Candy Man," became a huge No. 1 hit for Sammy Davis Jr. in 1972. Mr. Bricusse and Newley also wrote 1960s stage musicals, including "Stop the World -- I want to Get Off" -- which included the Grammy Award-winning song "What Kind of Fool Am I?" and "The Roar of the Greasepaint -- The Smell of the Crowd." That show featured the song "Feeling Good," which became a signature tune for Nina Simone before being covered by many other artists over the following decades. Mr. Bricusse's other film work included the music for Doctor Doolittle, which won a best-song Oscar in 1968 for "Talk to the Animals." He worked as a lyricist with composers including Henry Mancini on Victor/Victoria -- which won him a second Academy Award, for best score, in 1983 -- and John Williams, on Superman, Home Alone and Hook. Mr. Bricusse is survived by his wife, Yvonne Romain, and their son. - AP, 10/20/21.

On Oct. 17, 1961, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards struck up a conversation for the first time on platform two of the train station in Dartford, Kent, England, and in 2015 a blue plaque commemorating the moment was unveiled. Now the two famous Rolling Stones have commemorated the famous meeting during a concert at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Oct. 17, 60 years to the day of their first meeting. Following the latest stop on their "No Filter" tour of North America, the Stones shared an image of a special guitar pick on Twitter which featured an image of the pair along with the words "17 October 1961-2021 -- 60 years on the same train." During the show, Jagger also responded to a recent jibe from Paul McCartney who recently told the New Yorker magazine: "I'm not sure I should say it, but they're a blues cover band, that's sort of what the Stones are. I think our net was cast a bit wider than theirs." Mick addressed Paul's comments by saying: "There's so many celebrities here tonight: Megan Fox is here, she's lovely. Leonardo DiCaprio. Lady Gaga. Kirk Douglas. Paul McCartney is here, he's going to help us -- he's going to join us in a blues cover later." Jagger's brief swipe at McCartney can be seen on Twitter. - New Musical Express, 10/18/21...... Neil Young announced on his Neil Young Archives website on Oct. 13 that he and his long-running power trio Crazy Horse are prepping a follow-up to their last collaboration, 2019's Colorado. Named Barn, the new album will be out Dec. 10 and according to Young "is very special." "It rocks. It rolls... I wish it was out now. It's got songs that are part of these times," Young wrote. Subscribers of the Archives site are getting a sneak preview of the of the opening track, "Song of the Seasons," which Young notes was recorded "high in the Rockies" on June 21 using the Le Mobile Recording Studio. Young added that the six-minute acoustic ballad "Seasons" is the oldest song on the record, written in Oct. 2020 it has more of a Young solo album vibe than the typical meandering, noisy Crazy Horse electric jam. Kicking off the 10-track LP, "Seasons" features Young on guitar, harmonica and vocals, Nils Lofgren on accordion and vocals, Billy Talbot on bass/vocals and Ralph Molina on drums/vocals, with lyrics that include: "Lookin' through this clear vinyl window/ At the city and its lights/ Masked people walkin' everywhere/ It's humanity in my sights." Young first hinted at Barn in June, when he posted that "we are so happy to be back in the barn, a barn built to replicate the 1850s barn that had collapsed in exactly the same place, high in the mountains of Colorado!" The singer/songwriter has been absent from touring during 2021 after referring to concerts as "super-spreader events" in the midst of the summer Delta variant surge. - Billboard, 10/14/21...... The Beatles officially joined the popular TikTok social platform on Oct. 16 allowing TikTok creators for the first time to soundtrack their videos with 36 of the Fab Four's most popular songs, including 12 from the upcoming The Beatles: Get Back film including "Get Back, "I've Got A Feeling" and "I Me Mine." Other Beatles tunes on the group's TikTok page include "Hey Jude," "Love Me Do," "The Long and Winding Road," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "Something," "Eleanor Rigby," "Day Tripper" and "Paperback Writer." The Beatles: Get Back rolls out over three days beginning Nov. 25, exclusively on Disney+, and an official trailer has just been shared on YouTube. The film is made up entirely of never-before-seen and restored footage, and will transport fans back to to the band's pivotal Jan. 1969 recording sessions, documenting the creative process and relationship between the band as they attempted to record 14 new songs in preparation for their first live concert in over two years. - NME, 10/16/21...... In related news, filmmaker Simon Weitzman has set up a crowdfunding page on Indiegogo.com to help get his Beatles film Here, There & Everywhere edited and released. The film, which explores the role fans and music devotees have played in keeping the band's music alive, features in-depth interviews with John Lennon's sister, Julia Baird, artist/musician Klaus Voormann, Liverpool Beatles Waterfront Statues sculptor Andrew Edwards, legendary Beatles "Mad Day Out" photographer Tom Murray, and more. "With hundreds of hours of material to work from, we are raising money to complete the edit, clear music, image and archive rights before creating a downloadable version of the film, limited edition DVDs, BlueRays and a host of very special and unique perks for our backers," Weitzman says. He adds he has already raised £30,423, with a target of £45,000. The fundraiser will be open until Oct. 28. - NME, 10/16/21...... London's Abbey Road Studios has announced details of its upcoming 90th anniversary celebrations. From Nov. 11-12, the studios which was made famous by such artists as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Adele, Oasis and Ed Sheeran will once again open their doors to artists, creatives and aspiring music industry professionals for a two-day event featuring Q&As, live performances, masterclasses and more. In August, the world-famous studios hosted an "Abbey Road: Open House" which gave visitors the opportunity to explore all three of the original recording rooms. Fans can enter a ballot to attend the free "Amplify" events and see the full line-up of events at abbeyroad.com/amplify. It was announced at the beginning of 2021 that a new Abbey Road Studios documentary was in development, with Paul McCartney's daughter Mary McCartney set to direct. - NME, 10/14/21...... On Oct. 18 it was announced that the 2021 Soul Train Awards ceremony will be taped at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem on Nov. 20, marking the first time the show has been based in New York in its 34-year history. The show has aired from venues in the Los Angeles area (1987-2007), Atlanta (2009-11) and Las Vegas (2012-19); the 2020 show was held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 show will salute the 50th anniversary of Soul Train television program, which debuted on Oct. 2, 1971, with host Don Cornelius. When the final episode aired in 2006, it was recognized as the longest running first-run, nationally syndicated program in American television history. The awards show, which launched in 1987, recognizes the best in soul, R&B and hip hop. "Don Cornelius' brilliant vision created a revolutionary show that became a cornerstone in American culture," said BET exec Connie Orlando in a statement that honored the show's iconic late host, who helmed the program from its founding until 1993. "Fifty years later, the Soul Train Awards continues to amplify his powerful message of love, peace and soul to a global audience. We are honored to be a part of the Soul Train legacy and partner with the national treasure that is the Apollo to celebrate Black excellence and culture," she added. Cornelius died by suicide in 2012 at age 75, but Soul Train's legacy lives on. BET acquired the brand in 2016. The 2021 Soul Train Awards premieres on Nov. 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on the BET and BET Her cable channels. - Billboard, 10/18/21...... Paul Simon celebrated his 80th birthday on Oct. 13 by announcing the release of a new audiobook. Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon, a reference to the pop music icon's song "The Boy in the Bubble," follows his life from his beginnings in Queens, N.Y. to his rise to fame. The project, a collaboration between Simon, author Malcolm Gladwell and journalist Bruce Headlam, includes new music and unreleased studio versions of Simon & Garfunkel classics, such as "The Sound of Silence" and "The Boxer." The trio recorded over 30 hours of audio over nine interview sessions. The final cut runs at five hours and has a star-studded cast of cameos, including Sting, Jeff Tweedy, Herbie Hancock and Rosanne Cash. "Over my career, I must have given hundreds of interviews on various projects, but speaking and collaborating with Malcolm on this was especially enjoyable," Simon said in a statement. Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon is set to be released on Nov. 16. - Music-News.com, 10/14/21...... Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has opened up about his private battle with prostate cancer in a new interview, casually mentioning the diagnosis while reassuring fans that he's now in remission. "I had my little cancer battle a year ago, which I got through and that's in remission now, thank God," said the 70-year-old Halford. "That happened while we were all locked down, so things happen for a reason as far as time sequence of events. I have nothing but gratitude to be at this point in my life, still doing what I love the most," he added. Halford went into further detail in a newly updated version of his 2020 memoir, Confess, wherein he points out that he first picked up on the symptoms of prostate cancer in 2017. "How did I feel? I felt a combination of shock, horror, and oddly, relief -- at least now I know!" the new chapter reads. "'Am I going to die?' It was all I could think of. I know blokes who've died of prostate cancer. 'No, you're not going to die, Rob,' said Dr. Ali." Halford first received treatment for his cancer last July, opting to have it removed through a prostatectomy - which he noted was successful - as opposed to radiation therapy. However, more cancer was discovered on his prostate bed earlier this year, leading Halford to receive radiation treatments throughout April and May of this year. Admitting that he "told hardly anyone [he] had cancer", Halford continued in the new chapter of Confess: "It's been a draining year, I can't deny it, but I'm delighted to have come through it. I feel like I've had the most thorough MOT that a Metal God can have." - NME, 10/18/21...... As his new memoir Unrequited Infatuations hit bookstores on Sept. 28, Stevie Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band has launched his own line of pre-rolled marijuana joints, bearing the name of his wellness brand Little Steven's Underground Apothecary. Van Zandt says his pot gear is part of a holistic approach to both heal, help and educate. "We need to help spread cannabis education, destigmatization, and stop unjust criminalization for a plant that not only does a lot of good, but has proven during COVID to be essential to people's well being and quality of life," Van Zandt said in a statement. Van Zandt adds his new pot line isn't intended to get you wasted, but instead "provide a powerful feeling of well-being and enriching your endocannabinoid system with high-CBD and low-THC flower... less of a stoned-high and more a full body balancing effect with uplifting pep." Van Zandt launched his Underground Apothecary line, which offers a range of holistic teas, lollipops, candles and now pre-rolls, during the Covid-19 pandemic The ready-made doobies are created with hand-grown craft cannabis, according to a statement, and, for now, they'll be exclusively carried at Canna Provisions (cannaprovisions.com) stores in Lee and Holyoke, Mass. More info can be found at littlesteven.com/cannabis. - Billboard, 10/13/21...... The estate of David Bowie announced on Instagram on Oct. 13 that the Jan. 8, 2022, 75th anniversary celebration of his birth will include two limited-time pop-up shop experiences in New York and London beginning Oct. 25 that will kick-off a year-long celebration of all things Bowie. The two curated experiential shops, one of which will open on the site of the earliest confirmed "Ziggy Stardust sighting" and the other in the London-born singer's adopted home town. Both will launch exactly 75 days before the bday anniversary and stay open through late January 2022. The London outlet at 14 Heddon Street is the location of the photo shoot for the iconic cover of Bowie's 1972 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars album, while the New York one at 150 Wooster St. is described as being just "steps away" from Bowie's longtime downtown neighborhood. Both will be offer dives into Bowie's sound and vision via immersive 360 Reality Audio and HD video screening rooms using Sony's spatial sound tech, and fans can also buy limited-edition releases of exclusive Bowie gear, collectibles and limited-run CD/LPs. More info can be found at bowie75.com. Meanwhile, two previously unreleased versions of Bowie's "Karma Man" and "Silly Boy Blue" have been shared on Spotify.com. The tracks are set to feature on the forthcoming David Bowie 5: Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001) and Toy box sets, which are due out on Nov. 26 and Jan. 7. - Billboard, 10/13/21...... A Grateful Dead T-shirt from 1967 has broken the record for T-shirt sales by fetching $17,640 (£12,833) during a Sotheby's auction on Oct. 16. The T-shirt comes from the collection of Dan Healy, an engineer who once worked for the Grateful Dead, and the Allan "Gut" Terk-designed shirt is said to be one of the earliest official T-shirts ever made for the group. Up until the auction, the all-time record was held by a Led Zeppelin T-shirt from a 1979 show at Knebworth, which was sold for $10,000 (£7,275) during an eBay auction in 2011. The Grateful Dead spin-off band Dead & Company's current US tour is due to end in October with a trio of sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. - NME, 10/17/21...... Speaking of Led Zeppelin, band founder Jimmy Page has said that it was a mistake to enlist Phil Collins to fill in on drums for Led Zep at the legendary 1985 Live Aid Concert. Speaking in a new interview with The London Times and The Sunday Times, Page admitted it was "not very clever" to reform the band, who had split in 1980 following the death of their drummer John Bonham. "The drummer couldn't get the beginning of 'Rock And Roll'," Page explained about Live Aid. "So we were in real trouble with that." He added that the newly reunited Led Zeppelin had less than two hours to rehearse for their three-song set, which included the classics "Whole Lotta Love" and "Stairway To Heaven." The band went on to reunite again in 2007 for a performance at The O2 Arena in London. Recalling how nervous he felt ahead of the concert, Page told The Times: "A lot more could go wrong. I didn't want to be the one making the mistake." Collins reflected on the disastrous Live Aid show during an interview in 2020, explaining: "If I could have walked off, I would have done, 'cause I wasn't needed and I felt like a spare part." - NME, 10/14/21...... Cher filed a lawsuit against the widow of her deceased first husband Sonny Bono in Los Angeles federal court on Oct. 13, alleging that she is withholding royalties generated from Sonny & Cher hits. Cher alleges that Bono's fourth wife and former Republican congresswoman Mary Bono is illegally withholding royalties from such big hits as "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On." Cher claims that she and her second husband Bono agreed to split revenue from their joint songs after they divorced in 1975, and her legal team is charging that Mary "has undone" Cher's ownership of those rights and royalties in recent years. She is seeking at least $1 million (£729,000) in damages. The Oscar-winning singer/actress married Sonny Bono in 1964 and they found fame in the mid-1960s as the performing duo Sonny & Cher, with music hits and popular variety TV shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Show. Following their professional split in 1977, they enjoyed success on their own -- Cher as a solo singer and movie star and Sonny as a politician. He was serving as a Republican congressman when he died in a skiing accident in 1998 and was succeeded by Mary. Neither Cher nor Mary has publicly commented on the legal action. - Music-News.com, 10/14/21...... Elton John has set a new UK charts record with his latest single, "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)." The track, which also features Dua Lipa, is taken from John's upcoming new collaborations album The Lockdown Sessions. As the Official Charts Company notes, "'Cold Heart''s entry into the UK top 10 singles chart last month -- where it currently sits at number two -- means that John has now scored a top 10 song in the UK in six different decades. "Cold Heart" is John's 33rd top 10 single in the UK, with the first coming in 1971 with 'Your Song' (which reached number seven). The feat means that John has now overtaken Elvis Presley, Cher, Cliff Richard, Michael Jackson and David Bowie, who have each racked up at least one top 10 single in five different decades. - NME, 10/14/21...... Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters announced on Oct. 13 that he has married for the fifth time -- to Kamilah Chavis -- by posting a series of pictures from their special day on all his social media platforms alongside the caption, "I'm so happy, finally a keeper." The photos show the 78-year-old Waters slipping a wedding band on Chavis' ring finger, the newlyweds exchanging a kiss, cutting a cake and posing with their dog. On Facebook, Waters added captions beside each of the snaps and these included "Mr & Mrs Chavis-Waters", "With this ring I thee wed" and "You may kiss the bride." Next to a photo of him beaming at the camera in his suit, he wrote, "A very happy man", and alongside a solo photo of Chavis in her wedding dress and holding a bouquet, he added, "A very beautiful bride." Waters was most recently married to actress and filmmaker Laurie Durning between 2012 and 2015. They got engaged in 2004. Waters' first three marriages were to his childhood sweetheart Judy Trim (1968-1975), British aristocrat Lady Carolyne Christie (1976-1992) and Priscilla Phillips (1993-2001). - Music-News.com, 10/14/21...... Ronnie Tutt, a touring and recording drummer for Elvis Presley from 1969 through Presley's death in 1977, died of as yet undisclosed causes on Oct. 16. He was 83. The Dallas-born Mr. Tutt was an original member of Presley's TCB Band, which was formed in 1969, and his daughter Terie Tutt confirmed her father's death in a Facebook post on Oct. 17, saying he had died at home surrounded by family. "It's with deep sadness that my family and I share the loss of our beloved dad," Terie wrote. "The Legendary Drummer, Ronnie Tutt, 'has left the building'," she added. On Oct. 16, Elvis Presley Enterprises also paid tribute to the late drummer on the official Graceland website and a post on Twitter. "All of us with Elvis Presley Enterprises were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ronnie Tutt. In addition to being a legendary drummer, he was a good friend to many of us here at Graceland," the message read. "We enjoyed each time he joined us here to celebrate Elvis Week, Elvis' Birthday and many other special occasions. Ronnie was an amazing ambassador to Elvis' legacy -- sharing his memories of working with Elvis with fans -- as well as bringing Elvis' music to arenas around the globe through later Elvis in Concert shows and performances," the statement added. As well as drumming for Presley in his 1968 comeback special, in the TCB Band and at his 1969 Las Vegas opening show and other residencies, Mr. Tutt also performed with the first line-up of the Jerry Garcia Band. The hard-working sticksman also went on to become a coveted touring and session musician, backing the likes of Neil Diamond, Gram Parsons, Elvis Costello and Johnny Cash. He also contributed to Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks' only studio album as a duo, Buckingham Nicks. Tributes to Mr. Tutt on social media include posts by The Oak Ridge Boys, who on Twitter called Mr. Tutt "one of the greatest drummers to have ever lived," while country singer Tanya Tucker added that he was "one of favorite touring drummers." Elvis impersonator Mark Goddard posted on Twitter that Mr. Tutt "is now backing Elvis in his heavenly band." "Ronnie was Elvis' drummer throughout the Vegas and concert years, his driving style and the way he accompanied every move and twitch by Elvis," Goddard added. - NME, 10/17/21.