Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on December 12th, 2022

On Dec. 12 KISS announced their final ever UK gigs will take place in June and July of 2023, beginning in Plymouth on June 3 with a stadium show at Home Park and also visiting Birmingham (6/5), Newcastle (6/6), London (7/5) and Manchester (7/7) before wrapping in Glasgow on July 8. When first announcing their farewell tour in 2018, KISS bassist/co-vocalist Gene Simmons said that they were retiring out of "self-respect" and because of the "love" for their fans, although more recently he hinted at a significant extension to the farewell tour, promising that KISS would take their show to 100 more cities before retiring. "All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who've filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years," KISS said in announcing their farewell gigs. "This will be the ultimate celebration for those who've seen us and a last chance for those who haven't. KISS Army, we're saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we'll go out the same way we came in... Unapologetic and Unstoppable," they added. As well as the UK gigs, the band also plan to reschedule their Las Vegas residency that was cancelled late last year. - New Musical Express, 12/12/22...... On Dec. 9, Elton John announced he was leaving the Twitter platform over what he described as "misinformation." "All my life I've tried to use music to bring people together. Yet it saddens me to see how misinformation is now being used to divide our world," Elton said in his apparent last tweet. "I've decided to no longer use Twitter, given their recent change in policy which will allow misinformation to flourish unchecked," he added. Upon seeing Elton's farewell tweet, new Twitter owner Elon Musk responded on Twitter: "I love your music. Hope you come back. Is there any misinformation in particular that you're concerned about?" John's decision to leave Twitter follows a number of other stars who have done the same, including Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, Sara Bareilles, Jack White and many more. - Billboard, 12/9/22...... Meanwhile in other Elton-related news, Dolly Parton has said she's reached out to the Rocket Man in hope that he'll appear on her forthcoming rock covers album. In a new interview with Zoe Ball on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, Parton confirmed a cover of Elton's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"' for the album, and revealed that she has reached out to the singer to try and get him to appear on it. "I just recorded for my rock album and I did [Elton's] song, 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me'," Parton told Ball. "And I've sent out a message asking if he would sing with me on it and possibly play the piano." Dolly's rock 'n' roll album, due in 2023, has been confirmed to feature covers of songs by the likes of Prince, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Parton says she hopes to release the LP sometime in the fall of 2023. - NME, 12/10/22...... In a new interview with Uncut magazine, Neil Young said he's trying to "clean up" a "big mess" of unfinished records. "I got a lot of stuff to clean up," Young said. "I've got a big mess that I left behind. I've created a lot of unfinished records, unfinished this and that. I now have the time to deal with it, focus on it. But at the same time, anything new takes precedent. Always. Once I start thinking about something new, I drop the old stuff right away and do the new thing." Young dropped his 42nd album, World Record, on Nov. 18, less than a year after its predecessor, Barn. He's also brought out four historical live albums and finally unveiled Toast, his 2000 effort with Crazy Horse, in July. He also released an expanded edition of his 1972 classic Harvest to mark the landmark record's 50th anniversary earlier in December and has admitted he's trying to work on new music while also completing unfinished old work. "Time doesn't move at traditional speed where Neil is involved," says Young's World Record co-producer, Rick Rubin. "Some things seem to come out impossibly quickly. Other times, they live in obscurity for years until the inclination to release something appeals to Neil." - Music-News.com, 12/11/22...... Patti LaBelle was abruptly rushed off stage just a couple of songs into her Christmas concert in Milwaukee on Dec. 10 after a bomb threat forced authorities to evacuate the city's Riverside Theater. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that video from the concert shows what appears to be two security officers interrupting the 78-year-old LaBelle as she chats with an audience member. They rush her off stage. Shortly after, someone announced that the nearly full 2,500-seat theater had to be evacuated because of a bomb threat. Milwaukee Police Capt. Warren Allen Jr. said in a statement the next day that K9 units searched the theater and no explosive devices were discovered, so there was no threat to the public. LaBelle has yet to issue a statement about the evacuation on social media. The operator of the theater, Pabst Theater Group, said it would work with LaBelle to reschedule the show in the future. - Billboard, 12/11/22...... On Dec. 10 Roger Waters shared a new EP titled "The Lockdown Sessions" on Spotify.com featuring re-workings of some of his biggest hits. The 6-track collection sees Waters record new versions of songs from across his solo career and time with Pink Floyd, mostly laid down at home during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. It also features a 2022 version of "Comfortably Numb" that was shared in November. Our 'Us and Them Tour' lasted three years," Waters said in a statement about "The Lockdown Sessions." "At every gig we did an encore after the main show closed with 'Comfortably Numb'... the encore was always 'Mother'... I can't remember why I decided to start doing other songs? Anyway, at some point after the end of the tour... I started thinking, 'It could make an interesting album, all those encores... The Encores. 'Yeah, has a nice ring to it!'," he noted, later adding "We've tacked 'C. Numb' on the end of the collection, as an appropriate exclamation point in closing this circle of love." "Comfortably Numb 2022," described as a "darker" version of the 1979 track, was recorded during the recent North American leg of Waters' "This Is Not A Drill" tour. Meanwhile, Waters will continue his "farewell tour" of Europe and the UK into the summer of 2023, kicking off on Mar. 17 in Lisbon and hitting Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, France, Germany, and Czech Republic before wrapping with several dates in the UK. - NME, 12/10/22...... Led Zeppelin streamed their entire 2007 Celebration Day reunion concert on YouTube on Dec. 10 to celebrate its 15th anniversary. The legendary heavy metal band reunited on Dec. 10, 2007 at The O2 in London for seemingly their last gig ever. Held in tribute to late Atlantic Records music executive Ahmet Ertegun, the gig saw Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones joined by late original drummer John Bonham's son Jason Bonham. Across 2022, rare footage from early Led Zep gigs has been posted onto the internet by fans. Earlier in 2022, rare footage from one of the band's most iconic concerts -- held at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1970 -- was unearthed and uploaded to the internet. In September, footage from the band's gig at Los Angeles' Inglewood Forum in the same year restored and posted online. - NME, 12/10/22...... Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' latest archival release Live at the Fillmore 1997 has debuted in the top 10 across a range of Billboard charts (all dated Dec. 10) including Top Album Sales, where it bows at No. 3, Top Current Album Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Tastemaker Albums. It also launches in the top 40 of the all-genre Billboard Hot 200, arriving at No. 35 -- Petty's 21st top 40 album. Live at the Fillmore, 1997 -- which commemorates Petty's 20-show run at the historic theater in 1997 -- sold 16,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 1, according to Luminate. Live at the Fillmore was available in multiple configurations (with either 33 tracks on a standard edition or 58 tracks on an expanded version) that ranged in price from a basic $20 digital download album to a $550 uber deluxe collector's boxed set with six vinyl LPs. All versions of the album are tracked together for sales and charting purposes. - Billboard, 12/9/22...... Jimi Hendrix's sister Janie Hendrix detailed her brother's "very quiet, shy" life off stage at a recent Q&A event held in London on Nov. 17. The session took place 10 days before what would have been the iconic musician's 80th birthday and marked the release of a new live album, The Jimi Hendrix Experience Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969. During the Q&A, Janie spoke about Jimi's life when he wasn't on stage. "When he came home, he didn't have a guitar in his hand," she said. "He wanted to spend time with the family. We'd have these family forum discussions where we would all sit in a circle in the living room and we'd want to ask Jimi a ton of questions. He would call home all the time, but he wasn't always talking about what he was doing. He just really wanted to know what everyone else was doing because being on the road, he felt like he missed out on birthdays, Christmas holidays, and various events." She continued to say that Hendrix "loved to play Monopoly" and the family would stay up all night playing the board game, in which he wanted to use the shoe counter. "It wasn't like him running around the house yelling and screaming or acting crazy or breaking up things like you would do on stage," Janie added. "That wasn't him. He was very shy and quiet and just wanted to spend time and talk and listen. He was doing a lot of listening, more so than what we wanted because we wanted to hear from him. So that's kind of what his outside of music life was -- just very quiet, shy, soft-spoken." - NME, 12/9/22...... Mick Fleetwood's "wooden balls" featured on the cover of Fleetwood Mac's seminal 1977 album Rumours have sold for $128,000 during a Julien's Auctions sale on Dec. 3 and 4 in Beverly Hills. The balls were just one (or two, if you want to be precise) of 900 items from the band's archives put on the auction block. Fleetwood, the late Christine McVie and John McVie's belongings specifically were up for grabs, with the collection spanning used instruments, band memorabilia and nostalgic pieces of clothing. A portion of the auction's proceeds were donated to MusiCares, according to the event's webpage. The organization, run by the Recording Academy, provides health and human services to the music community. - Billboard, 12/9/22...... ABBA have reportedly chosen London as the location for their "ABBA Voyage" concert series to show their support for the UK post-Brexit. "There were a lot of companies leaving, there was a lot of uncertainty about the UK at the time and it was ABBA themselves that decided, 'No, we want to come in. They might be leaving, but we want to come in', because ABBA has been incredibly much-loved in the UK," the event's producer, Svana Gisla, told the UK paper The Daily Mirror. "They have all lived in London for a period of their lives, they love London very much and it very quickly just became the only option." The "revolutionary" ABBA Voyage series began in May at the purpose-built ABBA Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London. It sees digital versions of the Swedish pop icons perform a hits-filled set, backed by a 10-piece live band. All four members of ABBA -- Agnetha Flatskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad -- attended the opening night, marking their first public appearance together in 36 years. - NME, 12/8/22...... A new official video for The Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" has been shared on YouTube. The track is taken from the newly mixed and expanded special edition of the band's classic 1966 album Revolver, which was reissued in November. The animated video, which has been made by Trunk Animation and directed by Rok Predin, depicts the band as they travel the world. "Follow the band on tour, as they face an ever-changing backdrop of cities, hotels, roads and gigs, with only each other to rely on," said Trunk Animation's Richard Barnett in a statement about the video. "A magical dancer appears to each of them, representing inspiration and creative freedom." It follows previously released new videos for the "Revolver' tracks "Taxman" and "I'm Only Sleeping." The reissue of the album included new mixes of all 14 original tracks, overseen by Giles Martin, son of the original producer George. "It was... my dad's favourite song of Paul's and is one of Paul's favourite songs of his own," Giles said of the track. "Paul talks about an old song ['Anything Goes' by Cole Porter] as an influence for this one." The song was also covered in June 2022 by Elvis Costello, who played the song as a tribute on the occasion of Paul's 80th birthday. - NME, 12/7/22...... In other Beatles-related news, a porcelain toilet that once belonged to John Lennon has gone on display at the Liverpool Beatles Museum. The toilet, which once sat at Lennon and Yoko Ono's home in Berkshire, has a blue and white floral design, and can be viewed on the museum's Twitter page. Museum owner Roag Best, who is the brother of the Beatles' original drummer Pete Best, told BBC News: "The man contacted us, told us it was just sitting in his house gathering dust, and asked would we like to put it on display in the museum? We thought, 'Well, it's a bit quirky, it's not what we'd normally display but who's to say what you should and shouldn't display, so, come on, we'll give it a go'." He continued: "I think visitors to the museum are going to think, 'Are these guys mad?' But we like to do things outside the box so it fits in perfectly. It's a very, very fancy loo and it's possibly the most expensive loo in the country." The toilet came from Tittenhurst Park where Lennon lived with Yoko Ono from 1969 to 1971, and where the late Beatle composed his classic track "Imagine." Two toilets were sold at auction from the 71-acre home which was sold to Ringo Starr after Lennon and Ono moved to New York. Best said the other toilet was sold more recently for £15,000. - NME, 12/8/22...... Iggy Pop has broken the longevity record on Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with his latest single, "Frenzy." The lead single from Pop's upcoming album Every Loser, "Frenzy" debuts at No. 38 on the ranking dated Dec. 10. Pop's 31-year absence from Mainstream Rock Airplay breaks a record set earlier in 2022 by Jeff Beck. Beck had been away for 28 years, from his Seal collaboration "Manic Depression" in 1994 to his featured turn on Ozzy Osbourne's Patient Number 9 in 2022. "Frenzy" is Iggy's sixth Mainstream Rock Airplay appearance, dating to the chart's 1981 inception. He achieved his best with "Real Wild Child," which hit No. 27 in 1987. Every Loser is due as one of 2023's first album releases, on Jan. 6. - Billboard, 12/7/22...... Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe have announced US dates for their co-headlining 2023 World Tour, with Alice Cooper as a special guest for the series of dates. "After finally getting back on the road this past summer, we're beyond thrilled to bring this massive tour to a global audience including some special dates in America!," Def Leppard's Joe Elliott said in a statement. "We had an incredible time playing The Stadium Tour in North America this summer and we truly can't wait to take the show around the globe with The WORLD Tour in 2023," Mötley Crüe added in a joint statement. "Creheads, get ready because we have a few amazing U.S. dates set for you!" The U.S. dates get underway on Aug. 5 with a show at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y., and will make stops in Columbus, Ohio; Fargo, N.D.; Omaha, Neb.; and Tulsa, Okla. before concluding in El Paso, Texas, on Aug. 18 at the Sun Bowl Stadium. The new set of dates are tacked onto the end of the bands' previously announced global portion of The World Tour, which will kick off in February with a pair of dates in New Jersey before heading to Mexico, South America, Europe and the United Kingdom. - Billboard, 12/8/22...... Journey's new manager, Mike Kobayashi, confirmed on Dec. 6 that he was "just hired," taking over from player-managers Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain after a roller-coaster year. Although in 2022 Journey doubled the revenue from its previous headlining tour in 2017, the band ended 2022 with an internal squabble over an American Express card: Lead guitarist Schon sued keyboardist Cain in November for refusing to give Cain access to an account representing "millions in Journey funds"; Cain responded that Schon was "running up enormous personal charges" on the account. The lawsuit, pending in California Superior Court, is one of several legal disputes involving Cain and Schon, one of the band's founders, and other Journey members in recent years. In 2020, the two musicians sued drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory, accusing them of improperly trying to take control of the band name; Valory filed a counter-complaint, and the lawsuit ended with a 2021 settlement in which Smith and Valory left the band. Kobayashi is also the manager of Def Leppard. Although Journey hasn't had a new hit in decades, the band remains a top-tier touring act and occasionally scores high-profile synchs in television shows and movies. - Billboard, 12/7/22...... Rod Stewart's youngest son, 11-year-old Aiden Stewart, was rushed to the hospital on Dec. 9 after "going blue and unconscious" during a soccer game in Scotland. Stewart, 77, initially thought Aiden had a heart attack while playing for his Young Hoops Under-12s soccer team, however, he was later told Aiden suffered a panic attack. "He was going blue and was unconscious until he calmed down. It was scary, but it turned out to be a panic attack," Stewart told FourFourTwo magazine. "The lad wanted to do well, pulled on the Hoops in Scotland for his dad. Another boy fell backwards and banged his head -- he's still not back. In all of my days watching football, that's the only time two ambulances had been called." The Stewart family has been through a difficult period since the singer's two older brothers, Don and Bob, died within months of each other, while Stewart's eldest son Sean, 42, was hit by a truck in October and taken to the hospital. - Music-News.com, 12/9/22...... BMG Music announced on Dec. 7 that it has acquired the catalog of Peter Frampton The deal includes Frampton's publishing, songwriter, artist and session work revenue streams, as well as his neighboring rights, for the entirety of his career, including massive hits like "Baby I Love Your Way" and "Show Me the Way," as well as his work with Humble Pie. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The influential English rock guitarist and singer first signed to A&M Records in the early 1970s at the age of 19, with the label's co-founder, Jerry Moss, later commenting that "he had a cool face, he didn't mind working, and he had a great attitude." While his work as lead guitarist for Humble Pie gained him early popularity, his solo career under A&M was off to a fairly slow start. His first few records as Peter Frampton, while critically acclaimed, were far from recouping the amount A&M had already invested in him. But his career rapidly turned around with the release of the live album Frampton Comes Alive! which climbed to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 200 and stayed there for ten weeks in 1976. For the entirety of that year, the surprise hit record continued to stick to the top 10 of that chart. While the label anticipated the record might go gold if they were lucky, Frampton Comes Alive! surprised execs by ultimately hitting eight times platinum. Nearly 50 years later, its lauded as one of the greatest rock records of all time and cemented Frampton's talk box-effected guitar playing as his signature. In a statement, Frampton said he was "pleased to join the BMG family. "As an artist-first company, I trust BMG will care for my legacy and that my songs are in good hands," he said. - Billboard, 12/7/22...... Tina Turner's youngest son, Ronnie Turner whom she shared with late ex-husband Ike Turner died on Dec. 8 at age 62. TMZ.com was the first to report the news, stating that police received a call that he was not breathing and later arrived on the scene to revive him with CPR, but were unsuccessful. Following the news of the tragedy, Tina Turner took to Facebook to share a simple yet heartfelt message honoring her son's memory that read, "Ronnie, you left the world far too early. In sorrow I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son." Ronnie, full name Ronnie Rennelle Turner, was the youngest of four children that Tina Turner had with ex-husband and former collaborator Ike Turner. Born on Oct. 27, 1960, into a musical family, Ronnie assumed his parents' talents and played bass in Manufactured Funk with songwriter and musician Patrick Moten, as well as in his parents' bands. He married French singer Afida in 2007. While Ronnie's cause of death is currently unclear, he has had a history of health issues throughout the year, including cancer. Turner's eldest son Craig, whom Ike adopted once they married, died by suicide in 2018. - Billboard, 12/9/22...... Star Wars and Happy Days actor Gary Friedkin died on Dec. 9 from complications linked to Covid-19. He was 70. The 4 foot tall star, best known for playing an Ewok in Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, passed away with "family at his side" after a month-long battle in an intensive care unit at Hospice House in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown, in his native Ohio. Gary, survived by his brother and sister-in-law, graduated from Youngstown State University with a bachelor's degree in music before finding fame as an actor. He played Clarence in 1982 episodes of Happy Days and starred in Twilight Zone, with his final role as Shorty in the 2016 film Mother's Day, alongside Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson. He was also an active member of the Little People of America group -- described as a not-for-profit organization that provides "support and information to people of short stature and their families." - Bang! Showbiz, 12/9/22...... Jet Black, one of the co-founders and the original drummer in beloved British new wave/punk band The Stranglers has died at 84. "It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our dear friend, colleague and band elder statesman Jet Black," the band wrote in a statement on Twitter on Dec. 8. "Jet died peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Fond adieu, fly straight JB." In a lengthy tribute, the band said that Mr. Black (born Brian John Duffy on Aug. 26, 1938 in Essex, England) died on Dec. 6 of unspecified causes. "As the "elder statesmen' of the group, Jet was already a successful businessman in the Guildford area when The Stranglers formed in 1974," they wrote. "Jet owned a fleet of ice cream vans, one of which, as many fans will fondly remember, was used to tour the UK in the early years. Jet also owned an off licence, the upstairs apartment of which doubled as "Stranglers HQ' in the early days." The group credited Mr. Black with keeping the beat on 23 top 40 singles in the UK, as well as 19 top 40 albums on the official UK charts thanks to his jazz-influenced style on such beloved hits as "Golden Brown," "Patches" and "No More Heroes." Just years after forming, the band became a vital part of the UK punk and new wave scenes, making their bones supporting American punks such as the Ramones and Patti Smith on their UK tours. Mr. Black retired from touring and performing live with the Stranglers in 2015 due to complications from respiratory issues that had dogged him since childhood and which had caused him to take a series of health-related pauses from touring in the early and mid-200s. - Billboard, 12/9/22...... Actress/singer Georgia Holt, the seven times-married mother of Cher, died on Dec. 10 at the age of 96. "Mom is gone," Cher wrote on Twitter. No details of Ms. Holt's death were immediately available. Ms. Holt appeared briefly in such films as A Life of Her Own (1950), Grounds for Marriage (1951), Father's Little Dividend (1951) and Artists and Models (1955) and on TV shows like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and, as a "Jacques Marcel" model, on I Love Lucy (in the hilarious 1956 episode "Lucy Gets a Paris Gown"). Ms. Holt was offered a contract by Columbia Records, and in 1980 recorded an album, Honky Tonk Woman, backed by members of Elvis Presley's band. It included a duet with Cher, "I'm Just Your Yesterday"; covers of "Love Me Tender" and "Cryin' Time"; and original tunes written by Ms. Holt. "I know that a record company might want to sign me just because I'm Cher's mother," she told People magazine in 1978. "I'd like to have a career, but I'm not going to be a novelty or a flash in the pan. A lot of people say I can do it." However, the album was not released until spring 2013, shortly after the master tapes were rediscovered in Ms. Holt's garage. Cher took the tapes to her musical director, Paul Mirkovich of The Voice, and "he went in and took it all apart and put all new music in it," she told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. "Basically, we just kept Mom's voice and put everything else new on it." Also in 2013, mother and daughter appeared (with Cher's half-sister, actress Georganne La Piere) in the Mother's Day Lifetime documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher. Born Jackie Jean Crouch on June 9, 1926, in Kensett, Arkansas, Ms. Holt won several singing and beauty competitions and worked as a model as she made her way to Hollywood. She said that she was given a part in John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle (1950), but her agent called to say she was being replaced by Marilyn Monroe. Ms. Holt was married three times by the time she was 21, and recently had a relationship with former antiques dealer Craig Spencer. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/11/22.

The premiere episode of the new six-part biopic based on the lives of country music legends George Jones and Tammy Wynette has drawn huge ratings, with 3.3 million Live+Same Day linear viewers across Showtime, Paramount Network and CMT. Showtime calls the first episode of George & Tammy, which centers on Wynette's whirlwind romance with Jones while still married to songwriter Don Chapel, "the most-watched premiere in its nearly 50-year history." With Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain and Oscar-nominee Michael Shannon in the lead roles, the series chronicles the lives of one of country music's most well-known couples. Though Jones and Wynette were wed for only six years (1969-1975), they are inextricably linked in the canon of country music, known for both their own solo hits, as well as a string of hit duets including "We're Gonna Hold On," "(We're Not) The Jet Set," "Golden Ring" and "Two Story House." In a statement, Showtime/Paramount Media Networks CEO Chris McCarthy praised the "mesmerizing performances" of Chastain and Shannon as well as "the creative firepower of Abe Sylvia and our incredible partners at Freckle Films and 101 Studios, led by David Glasser." - Billboard, 12/6/22...... On Dec. 4 Neil Diamond came out of retirement to sing his iconic romantic ballad "Sweet Caroline" during the curtain call of "Beautiful Noise," a new Broadway musical about his life. Before the show debuted on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre, Diamond appeared on the balcony and was handed a microphone to sing "Sweet Caroline" with fans. Diamond announced his retirement from touring in 2018 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and made another rare appearance earlier in 2022 at a Boston Red Sox game to perform "Sweet Caroline." Announcing his retirement, a statement issued on his official website said that "the onset of the disease has made it difficult to travel and perform on a large scale basis but will allow Mr Diamond to continue his writing, recording and development of new projects." "It is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring. I have been so honoured to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years. My sincerest apologies to everyone who purchased tickets and were planning to come to the upcoming shows. I plan to remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time to come... This ride has been 'so good, so good, so good' thanks to you," Diamond said at the time. In March Diamond sold his entire songwriting and recording catalogue to Universal Music Publishing Group for an undisclosed amount. Footage of his most recent impromptu performance has been shared on Twitter. - New Musical Express, 12/7/22...... Not surprisingly, interest in Fleetwood Mac's back catalog has soared following the death of member Christine McVie on Nov. 30 at age 79. In the days since, the group's seminal 1977 album Rumours is surging, and is on track for a return to the Top 10 in the UK, according to the Official Charts Company. Rumours, which led the chart for a single week following its release, rises 28-9 on the midweek survey, a 200% uplift versus the same period the previous week, the OCC reports. Meanwhile, their hits collection 50 Years - Don't Stop jumped nine places to No. 14 after a weekend of sales. McVie -- who was behind many of the group's biggest hits including "Little Lies," "Don't Stop," "Everywhere" and "Songbird" -- died following a "short illness," her family explained. During her lifetime, she received a Gold Badge of Merit Award from the Ivors Academy, the Ivor Novello Award for lifetime achievement, and two Grammy Awards. She was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame for her work with Fleetwood Mac, which she joined in 1970. Meanwhile, a number of instruments and outfits belonging to McVie sold at auction over the first weekend of December. The auction coincidentally happened just days after McVie died at the age of 79. No cause of death was confirmed, though her family noted in a statement that her passing came "following a short illness." McVie had helped curate the items involved in the auction, which included the vintage maxi dress she wore on the back cover of 'Rumours', which sold for $56,250 (£46,000). Elsewhere, the auction included the Thea Porter-designed polka dot hippie dress she wore at the 1976 Rock Music Awards, two of her American Music Awards trophies, the Weltmeister LM-25-12 piano accordion she used for live performances, a touring Hammond B3 organ and a Leslie rotary speaker with microphones. The biggest items on sale were the wooden balls dangling from Mick Fleetwood's waist on the cover of Rumours, which ended up selling for $128,000 (£105,000). There were also several John McVie instruments, as well as Fleetwood's custom collapsible red top hat. A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Recording Academy's charitable arm, MusiCares. - Music-News.com/Billboard, 12/6/22...... Although at age 73 he's hardly a "spring chicken" himself, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons admitted he's "ageist" when it comes to 80-year-old Pres. Joe Biden capabilities as president. Simmons was appearing on Bill Maher's Club Random podcast when conversation turned to Simmons saying that he was pleased initially with former president Donald Trump's victory in 2016. "I knew the guy from before then. I didn't want Hillary [Clinton]. I thought, 'Oh, businessman that's coming in. He understands how to run things,'" Simmons said. When Maher told Simmons that was "the stupidest reason," Simmons responded: "I am sometimes stupid," adding that his initial impressions about Trump turned sour. "The person that I saw first coming into power is not the person I saw within a year or two of that," he said. Maher responded: "Also ridiculous. He's been the same douchebag for 50 years. What are you talking about?" Simmons then replied by referring to his changed opinion of Biden, whom he had a lot of hope for. "Look, I thought Biden was going to come in and be a major force," said Simmons. "You know, I've got some big reservations about the man. Not about his ethics and morality but about his physical ability to do all that." At that point Maher exclaimed: "Oh for f---'s sake, I would think you of all people, being 73, wouldn't want to be an ageist like that." Simmons responded: "I am an ageist, depending on the vibrancy and the mental alertness of what you've got. At a certain age you can't look at a person and not say, okay, you're X number of years old, now how sharp are you? You're talking about the most powerful person on the planet." The entire Club Random interview with Simmons can be seen on YouTube. - NME, 12/7/22...... Iggy Pop, who popularized "stage diving" as a young punk rocker in the early 1970s fronting The Stooges, has sworn he'll never stage dive again owing to now being "too rickety." Speaking about an upcoming gig at London's Crystal Palace Park dubbed "Dog Day Afternoon" in the summer of 2023, the 75-year-old Pop confirmed that he won't be launching himself from the stage. "I've left the proscenium a few times if the crowds were too dull just to whip 'em up, but mostly I didn't have to," he told New Musical Express. "I won't do the dives again, I've managed to survive it mostly and I'm too rickety for that now." Elsewhere in the interview, Iggy paid tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins by praising the "incredible style" and "colour" that Hawkins brought to his forthcoming album, Every Loser. "He drums up a storm on those tracks, and you can really hear it," Iggy said. "He has this sort of bubbling quality, it's really percolating." - NME, 12/6/22...... Aerosmith announced on Dec. 4 that the band's scheduled "Deuces Are Wild" Las Vegas residency show scheduled for the following evening would be cancelled due to frontman Steven Tyler's ongoing illness. "Unfortunately tomorrow's show, Monday December 5th, in Las Vegas has to be cancelled," read a Twitter statement from the band. "Steven Tyler said, 'On the advice of my doctor, I'm taking more time to rest... There is nowhere we'd rather be than on stage surrounded by the greatest fans in the world. We sincerely apologize." The band has yet to share any additional information on what is ailing Tyler, 74. Earlier this summer, Aerosmith cancelled some shows to allow Tyler to voluntarily enter a treatment program after the singer who has struggled with addiction issues in the past said he relapsed after using pain meds following foot surgery. - Billboard, 12/5/22...... '70s soul/R&B legend Gladys Knight was among those feted at the 45th iteration of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 6. A star-studded event attended by the likes of Pres. Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the event also honored Irish rockers U2, singer Amy Grant, actor George Clooney and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and conductor Tania Leon. Knight had performed for 2020 honoree Garth Brooks, who hosted this year's State Department dinner the preceding night where the honorees received their medallions, and he returned the courtesy by performing her hit "Midnight Train to Georgia," while schooling the audience on the song's country roots. Ariana DeBose talked about how she listened to Knight's music growing up in North Carolina before launching into "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." And a teary-eyed Patti LaBelle honored her "sister-friend" with stories of their personal and professional bond through six decades before launching into "That's What Friends Are For." Rapper LL Cool J also had high praise for one of his musical heroes: "Like stars in the night's sky, Gladys Knight illuminates everyone in her orbit. I once heard Gladys sing the ABCs and I thought I was in church." On the red carpet before the show, Knight was all smiles about getting to spend time with the current President. "I feel like he's my brother. We go way back, and he has such a tender heart," she said. The 2022 Kennedy Center Honors was taped and will air on Dec. 28 at 8:00 pm on CBS and stream on sister network Paramount+. - Billboard, 12/5/22...... A local artist in Ozzy Osbourne's hometown of Birmingham, UK has created a mural of the former Black Sabbath frontman at the city's Custard Factory venue. Robbie Jeffcott reportedly spent 15 hours drawing the heavy metal icon's portrait in November, and the mural has been garnering more attention since. When asked why he painted Osbourne, Jeffcott said: "I only really paint people I admire. He's just a living legend, probably the most well-known iconic musician to come from Birmingham. Having people walk past it and do little snaps to tag me on Instagram, it's good for me. I've only had good feedback from it." How Jeffcott created the mural can be seen in an Instagram video. - NME, 12/5/22...... In other shock-rocker news, Alice Cooper held his 20th annual Christmas pudding fundraiser concert at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. on Dec. 3. Cooper was joined on stage at the event by Sammy Hagar, Rob Zombie, Wayne Nelson and Wally Palmar, as well as his own family. "We are excited to be celebrating our 20th year with a stellar lineup of talent who dedicate their time and passion to help us raise funds for our Rock Teen Centers," the Coop said ahead of the concert. "We are grateful to everyone who continues to make this one of the finest shows in the Valley and promise another memorable evening of music and mayhem!" There are reports that the event raised over $1 million (£816,000) to benefit Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers in the US. Solid Rock provide "a landing place for all teens...[a] local sanctuary...provided to support an exciting and creative journey for teens," according to their website. Images from the evening have been shared on Instagram. - NME, 12/4/22...... December is the time of year when British artist Chris Barker creates his annual "Sgt. Pepper's" cover tribute to those celebrities we've lost in the past calendar year. For 2022, Barker has included the likes of late musicians Taylor Hawkins, Christine McVie, Olivia Newton-John, Meat Loaf, Aaron Carter, Leslie Jordan, Irene Cara, Loretta Lynn, Coolio, Jerry Lee Lewis as well as actors Sidney Poitier, Angela Lansbury, James Caan, Paul Sorvino, Julee Cruise, Anne Heche, William Hurt, Yvette Mimieux, Bob Saget and Leslie Jordan, as well as a mix of movie directors and sports and fashion figures. "I've been doing this since 2016. That was the year anyone who was nice or kind or creative or special decided it was time to leave before the bad stuff started," Barker says. "Or at least that's how it felt at the time. I've become a little bit desensitised to it over the years. I mean, I still try and keep the star's dignity and think of their loved ones and how it would make them feel to see it, but -- let's face it -- I make notes over the course of the year now rather than just waiting til November. It's a thing." Barker says that he noticed early on in 2022 that it was going to be an "exceptional year" of bold-faced losses, with his list so long that by mid-year he'd already surpassed the final total from year one. "It was almost enough to make me think maybe this isn't the right thing to do any more. But people really like it and they've grown to expect it," he says. Barker's 151-person collage and a corresponding numbered key can be checked out on Twitter. - Billboard, 12/2/22...... Appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Dec. 1, Cher said her new romance with 36-year-old rapper/music exec Alexander "AE" Edwards is "kind of ridiculous, on paper... But in real life, we get along great. He's fabulous. And I don't give men qualities that they don't deserve." The 76-year-old Cher added that Edwards is "very kind, very smart, he's very talented, and he's really funny," before adding, "And I think he's quite handsome." Clarkson then asked Cher if it's true that she's always thought older men were "intimidated" by her, to which the "Believe" singer replied that she "would've never had a date" if there weren't younger men in her life. "Older men just didn't like me all that much," Cher explained. "Do you know what I mean? I have had a couple boyfriends that were hovering around my age, but they just didn't like me for some reason. And maybe younger men don't care if you're funny or outrageous and want to do stupid things, and you have the strong personality. I'm not giving up my personality for anybody, okay?" Cher and Edwards met at Paris Fashion Week in September, and the two were later spotted holding hands. The rapper and music executive was previously linked to Amber Rose, with whom he shares three-year-old son Slash Electric. - Billboard, 12/2/22....... Rod Stewart has shared the sad news of the loss of a second brother, just two months after he lost another brother. "It's with great sadness that I announce the loss of my brother Bob last night, who joins my brother Don on the great football pitch in the sky, Sir Rod wrote on Instagram next to a candlelit photo with the words "Rest in Peace." "I've lost two of my best mates in the space of two months. RIP Don and Bob 'irreplaceable buddies' - Sir Rod Stewart." Stewart's oldest brother, Don, died in September, followed by Bob's death on Nov. 29. In late November, Stewart took over London's O2 arena for a pair of sold-out shows as part of his ongoing tour of the United Kingdom. Currently, he's in Scotland, where he's making stops at Glasgow's The OVO Hydro and PB&J Live in Aberdeen before heading to arenas in Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. Stewart is also slated to make tour stops in North America, Australia and New Zealand in 2023, while also taking over the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for a seven-date Las Vegas run in May. - Billboard, 12/2/22...... Janis Hunter Gaye, the second wife of Motown legend Marvin Gaye and the inspiration for several of his songs, died on Dec. 3 of an undisclosed cause at her home in Rhode Island, her family announced. She was 66. Hunter Gaye was introduced to the singer by producer Ed Townsend during a 1973 recording session at the Hitsville West studios in Los Angeles for his album Let's Get It On, which was released that year. Gaye at the time was married to Anna Gordy, the sister of Motown founder Berry Gordy; Hunter Gaye was 17, he was 34. Gaye wrote the song "Jan" for his future wife and recorded it for his 1974 album, Marvin Gaye Live!. His 1976 album, I Want You, has been described as "a romantic and erotic tribute" to Hunter. His 1977 disco single "Got to Give It Up," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, featured Hunter on background vocals. They were married that year. According to her family, Hunter Gaye put together the iconic outfit -- red watch cap, beaded denim shirt and silver red-laced platform boots-- that Gaye donned for his memorable 1974 concert performance at the Oakland Coliseum. The pair were married from 1977 until their 1981 divorce. Marvin died three years later after being shot by his father in Los Angeles. Hunter's memoir, After the Dance: My Life With Marvin Gaye, was published in 2015. Hunter Gaye was the daughter of singer-musician Slim Gaillard, known for hits including "Flat Foot Floogie (With a Floy Floy)." She also managed the career of her daughter, Nona Gaye, a singer and actress with movie credits including Ali, Crash and two Matrix films. Survivors also include son Frankie, sister Shawnn, brother Mark and grandson Nolan. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/6/22...... Jim Stewart, the founder of the iconic Memphis, Tenn. lable Stax Records that launched the careers of Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays and many others, died on Dec. 5 at the age of 92. Born July 29, 1930, in Middletown, Tenn., Mr. Stewart relocated to Memphis as a young man. He served for two years in the armed forces, then tried his hand at music. Playing in a band wasn't his strong suit, but Mr. Stewart would forge a home and career with music. An allrounder, he was a producer and engineer in the studio, a record label executive, a promotions man on the go, and, importantly, a team player. As a producer, he oversaw sessions for Carla Thomas' "Gee Whiz" (1961), Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Comin'" (1966) and Rufus Thomas' "Walking the Dog" (1963), and worked on such albums as Booker T. & The M.G.'s Green Onions (1962), Redding's Pain in My Heart and Albert King's Born Under a Bad Sign (1967). Stax Records (formerly Satellite) was founded in 1957 by sibling Stewart and Estelle Axton, and would go on to trigger the "Soul Explosion," a movement that rumbles on to this day. The "Soul Explosion" and the Stax philosophy "wasn't just about penetrating the market with as much music as possible, it was also about releasing the best music possible," wrote Billboard in 2019, as Stax celebrated a milestone anniversary. Among the many artists who bagged hits on Stax and its Volt subsidiary during the 1960s were Rufus and Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the MGs, Sam and Dave, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, and Redding. Mr. Stewart is survived by his wife Evelyn Stewart, sisters Estelle Axton and Mary Lucille McAlpin, three children. - Billboard, 12/5/22...... Bob McGrath, the Sing Along With Mitch tenor who portrayed the friendly music teacher Bob Johnson for more than four decades as an original cast member on Sesame Street, died on Dec. 4. He was 90. "Hello Facebook friends, the McGrath family has some sad news to share," McGrath's family posted on his Facebook page. "Our father Bob McGrath passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family." Born on a farm in Illinois, Mr. McGrath was one of the four non-Muppet cast members when Sesame Street debuted on public television stations of Nov. 10, 1969. With no acting experience, producers always told him to be himself. Over the years, he sang dozens of the show's signature tunes, including "Sing, Sing a Song" and "The People in Your Neighborhood," and shared many a scene with Oscar, the grouchy Muppet voiced by Caroll Spinney. Mr. McGrath and Oscar "were sort of like The Odd Couple," he told Karen Herman during a 2004 conversation for the TV Academy Foundation website The Interviews. "Oscar was always having a rotten day, and I'm 'Mr. Nice Guy.'" He remained with the legendary kids show until it was announced in July 2016 that he would not return for its 47th season, though he continued to represent Sesame Street at public events. In 1961, Mr. McGrath joined the new series Sing Along With Mitch in the 25-man chorus. The NBC program was headlined by Mitch Miller, a classical oboe player and top Columbia Records A&R executive who conducted an orchestra and chorus performing old-time songs. Viewers were presented with lyrics at the bottom of the TV screen so they could sing along, which made for a "great family experience," Mr. McGrath noted. Two years into the show, Mr. McGrath sang "Mother Machree" for a St. Patrick's Day telecast and was promoted to featured male soloist at double his salary. After Sing Along With Mitch concluded its four-year run in 1964, Miller and company performed at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas and then on a 30-date tour of Japan, where the program had aired on NHK television. After the tour ended, he returned to open the Latin Quarter and Copacabana nightclubs in Tokyo and would come back often during the next three years for concerts, albums, commercials and TV shows. Survivors include his wife, Ann, whom he married in 1958 -- she was a nursery school teacher at St. David's when they met -- three daughters and two sons, and eight grandchildren. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/4/22...... Saturday Night Fever star John Travolta has paid tribute on Instagram to his Look Who's Talking films co-star Kirstie Alley, who died on Dec. 5 at age 71. "Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I've ever had," Travolta said, along with a photo of Alley. "I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again," he added. Alley died of cancer "that was only recently discovered," her children True and Lillie Parker said in a post on Twitter. Alley also starred opposite Ted Danson as Rebecca Howe on Cheers, the beloved NBC sitcom about a Boston bar, from 1987 to 1993. She joined the show at the height of its popularity after the departure of original star Shelley Long. Alley would win an Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy series for the role in 1991. She would take a second Emmy for best lead actress in a miniseries or television movie in 1993 for playing the title role in the CBS TV movie David's Mother. She had her own sitcom on NBC, Veronica's Closet, from 1997 to 2000. In the 1989 comedy Look Who's Talking, which gave her a major career boost, she played the mother of a baby whose inner thoughts were voiced by Bruce Willis. She would also appear in the 1990 sequel Look Who's Talking Too. In recent years she appeared on several reality shows, including Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer. A native of Wichita, Kan., Alley attended Kansas State University before dropping out and moving to Los Angeles, where she was an interior designer. Alley was already involved in the Church of Scientology, and sought treatment for a cocaine addiction through its affiliated Narconon program, which she credited with her sobriety. Her first television appearances were as a game show contestant, on The Match Game in 1979 and Password in 1980. She made her film debut in 1982's Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. - Billboard, 12/5/22.