Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on January 11th, 2023

Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley, her actress daughter Riley Keough and ELVIS actor Austin Butler honored the late King of Rock and Roll at a pre-Golden Globes party on Jan. 8, what would have been Elvis's 88th birthday. Also in attendance was ELVIS director Baz Luhrmann, who led a sing-a-long of Elvis's signature song "Can't Help Falling in Love" as he stood by a cake along with Lisa Marie, Riley and Austin. The towering cake featured the words "happy birthday" and the film's logo. The event -- held at The Formosa Café in West Hollywood which was a favorite haunt of Elvis's -- marked a rare public appearance for Lisa Marie, whose only son, Benjamin, died by suicide in 2020 at the age of 27. ELVIS was nominated for three Golden Globe awards: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director and Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, with Butler taking home a Golden Globe for his category during the ceremony at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on Jan. 10. Presley died in 1977 at the age of 42. - Music-News.com, 1/9/23...... Grammy-winning singer Janis Ian will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Folk Music Awards in February, the Folk Alliance International announced on Jan. 9. Ian, 71, is a two-time Grammy winner -- in 1975 for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for her coming-of-age classic "At Seventeen" and the 2012 award for Best Spoken Word Album for Society's Child: My Autobiography. Ian received her 10th Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Folk Album for The Light at the End of the Line, and in 1967 she received for first Grammy nomination for Best Folk Performance for her self-titled debut LP. Ian is also nominated for Artist of the Year at the IFM awards. The Folk Alliance International bestows three Lifetime Achievement Awards each year -- living artist, legacy artist, and business/academic award. Ian is set to receive the award for a living artist. The organization, based in Kansas City, Mo., was founded in 1989 and today has more than 3,000 members. The 2023 IFM awards will take place in Kansas City on Feb. 1 -- the opening night of the Folk Alliance International's 35th annual conference. - Billboard, 1/9/23...... Seminal punk rocker Iggy Pop has opened up on his reluctance to accept a Lifetime Acheivement Grammy award from the Recording Academy in 2020. "The Grammys kept wanting to talk to me on the phone and I kept telling my manager: 'I don't want to talk to them. I hate those people. They want me to be an exhibit in their museum or something'," Pop recently told Classic Rock magazine. He continued: "Then when I finally spoke to the lady from the Grammys a couple of months later she said: 'We're giving you the Lifetime Achievement. Without you, there's no Lil Nas X and there's no Billie Eilish. According to her, 'You're a direct link to the artists that are at the top of our awards list this year.' So that's what one person had to say, and I'll take that for what it's worth." Pop released his 19th solo album, Every Loser, on Jan. 6. - New Musical Express, 1/9/23...... Journey guitarist Neal Schon revealed on Jan. 7 that former Journey frontman Steve Perry has withdrown the lawsuit against his ex-bandmates over the trademarks to 20 of the group's biggest songs. In Sept. 2022, Perry -- who exited Journey in 1998 after serving as its lead singer for a decade -- filed a lawsuit against Freedom JN LLC, the company headed by Schon and Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain and which holds the band's trademarks. The filing requested that the company be prevented from using the trademarks on any official apparel or merchandise. Included in the company's holdings were the trademarks to the Journey singles "Any Way You Want It," "Open Arms" and "Separate Ways," among many others. Perry's original lawsuit claimed that he, Schon and Cain had agreed to reach unanimous consent on any business decisions related to the trademarks, a condition which Perry claimed was not met at the time of filing. On Jan. 7, Schon took to Twitter to reveal that Perry has withdrawn his lawsuit. "No more lawsuit with Steve," Schon wrote in the accompanying caption. "Time to talk." The attached documents outline that Perry "filed a withdrawal of the lawsuit on January 4, 2023, and that he cannot relaunch the suit since it was "denied with prejudice." In another tweet, Schon also made reference to Cain, with whom he is in a separate legal battle around access to Journey's credit card and its records. That lawsuit was filed by Schon in October of 2022, and accuses Cain of refusing to give Schon access to the group's American Express card. Cain denied the accusation, saying the "lawsuit& has absolutely no merit and that "Neal has always had access to the credit card statements." Despite the in-fighting between the longtime bandmates, Journey are set to kick off their Freedom Tour on Jan. 27 in Oklahoma. It will see former Journey vocalist Gregg Rolie sharing the stage with his bandmates for the first time in 43 years. - NME, 1/9/23...... Country star Dolly Parton, Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry, and '80s hitmaker Cyndi Lauper are among the artists to have teamed up on a new song called "Gonna Be You," which is featured in the upcoming comedy film 80 For Brady starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Songwriter Diane Warren says she wanted her song to celebrate the deep friendship of the women in the movie, which is "inspired by the true story of four best friends living life to the fullest when they take a wild trip to the 2017 Super Bowl LI to see their hero Tom Brady play." Due to arrive on Jan. 20, the single also features contributions from Belinda Carlisle and Gloria Estefan. 80 For Brady is set to premiere in the US on Feb. 3 via Paramount Pictures, and a trailer for the film can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 1/6/23...... Paul McCartney's photographer/director daughter Mary McCartney has revealed her famous dad was "nearly run over" outside London's Abbey Road Studios as she was filming for her new documentary about the world-famous studio, If These Walls Could Sing. As Mary was attempting to recreate the Beatles' iconic cover for their 1969 album Abbey Road for the new documentary, she says Sir Paul was "nearly ran over on the zebra crossing... that was so funny. "As we were leaving [the studio], I said, 'I'll film you [on the crossing],' and he went over and this car totally didn't stop for him," the filmmaker told S Magazine. Fans still regularly visit the famous crossing in St John's Wood to recreate the Fab Four's iconic album cover, often to the frustration of London taxis and bus drivers. If These Walls Could Sing, now streaming in the UK on the Disney+ channel, charts the long history of the iconic studio, and includes interviews with McCartney and Ringo Starr, alongside Elton John, Nile Rodgers, Noel and Liam Gallagher, Roger Waters, Celeste, George Lucas and more. Mary says her dad was important in contributing key information for the film, including "[how] the character of the place has really worked its way onto quite a lot of the music there." - NME, 1/9/23...... In a new interview with the entertainment site Vulture.com, Robert Plant credits Phil Collins for helping him launch a solo career after Led Zeppelin split up. Plant, 74, says he "floundered" after the death of drummer John Bonham in Sept. 1980 which prompted the band to part ways, however the Genesis drummer/vocalist, who sat behind the kit for Plant's first solo album Pictures at Eleven, gave him support and motivation to move the project forward. "After John passed away and there was no Led Zeppelin, there had to be a way to go. I floundered around a lot because until I was 32, I was in some kind of wild and absurd adventure," Plant said. "I went through all that stuff ... I have a lot of songs under my belt, which I co-wrote with the members of Zeppelin. It was a lot to live up to. I had a lot of people who gave me support and strength around that time, so I suppose the first two albums were driven by great friends. Phil Collins especially was a driving force and had positive energy with the first record, Pictures at Eleven. It wasn't a difficult job to get together with other people, it was just whether or not we could cook it properly. With Phil, it wasn't so much advice as encouragement and consideration. He was taking no prisoners ...," Plant added. "He said, 'Anything I can do to help you to get back into fighting shape again, I'm here'. That was at the time when 'In the Air Tonight' came out. Yet he was still mixing and working with me while kicking off a particularly impressive and successful time. He's a great spirit, a good man." - Music-News.com, 1/6/23...... Actor Adam Rich, who charmed TV audiences as "America's little brother" on the hit family '70s series Eight is Enough, died on Jan. 7 at his home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. He was 54. His cause of death is under investigation but not considered to be suspicious, says Lt. Aimee Earl of the Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner Coroner's office. Rich had a limited acting career after starring at age 8 as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest of eight children, on the ABC hit dramedy that ran from from 1977-81. His public life after stardom was similar to that other child actors whose promising careers are later derailed by drugs and alcohol, and run-ins with the law, including a DUI arrest in 2002, an attempted pharmacy break in in Apr. 1991, and six months later allegedly stealing a drug-filled syringe at a hospital where he was being treated for a dislocated shoulder. Rich suffered from a type of depression that defied treatment and he had tried to erase the stigma of talking about mental illness, said publicist Danny Deraney. He unsuccessfully tried experimental cures over the years. Deraney said he and others close to Rich were worried in recent weeks when they couldn't reach him. Rich discussed his mental health on Twitter and noted in October that he'd been sober for seven years. He said he wasn't perfect -- referring to arrests, many stints in rehab, several overdoses and "countless detoxes (and) relapses" -- and urged his nearly 19,000 followers to never give up. His other acting credits include starring in the series Code Red from 1981-82 and voicing the character of Presto the Magician on Dungeons & Dragons from 1983-85. He reprised his best-known role in two Eight is Enough TV movie reunions. Betty Buckley, who played his stepmother on the show, said on Instagram that she was shocked to learn of his death Sunday and referred to Rich as a "light," her "young pal on set and friend ever since." - AP, 1/8/23...... "Hello, Wisconsin!" Premiering on Netflix on Jan. 19, That '90s Show continues the laugh-filled look back at years gone by that started with eight popular seasons of That '70s Show (1998-2006). The action now takes place in 1995, but the winning formula remains the same -- there's a new set of teens who'll be heading down to the basement that is still oddly smoky. And upstairs are two familiar faces: Red and Kitty (Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp), empty nesters who in the pilot welcome their granddaughter, Lela (Callie Haverda), into their home for the summer. Lela's arrival is courtesy of a visit from Red and Kitty's son, Eric (Topher Grace), and his wife, Donna (Laura Prepon). Not surprisingly, the live audience goes crazy over these original cast members' cameos (the first of several this season). "The lore of the old show carries forward in a nostalgic way," notes executive producer Gregg Mettler. "But Lela is a new character, and her coming-of-age story will feel fresh." - TV Guide, 1/16/23...... Newly available on the Paramount+ streaming channel, Sometimes When We Touch is an original docuseries in which such mellow '70s and '80s acts as The Carpenters, Air Supply, Captain & Tennille, Hall & Oates and more get their due as purveyors of the not-always-appreciated soft rock we still can't stop listening to. - TV Guide, 1/16/23...... Gordy Harmon, a founding member of the beloved R&B group The Whispers, died peacefully in his sleep of apparent natural causes on Jan. 5. He was 79. During Harmon's time in the group, The Whispers took over the R&B world with albums like Life and Breath, as well as 1972's The Whispers' Love Story, which climbed up to No. 34 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and featured Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charting singles "Can't Help But Love You" (No. 35)," "I Only Meant to Wet My Feet" (No. 27), "Your Love Is So Doggone Good" (No. 19) and "There's a Love for Everyone" (No. 31). Unfortunately, his time in The Whispers was cut short in 1973, when he suffered a larynx injury after a driving accident. He was replaced by Leaveil Degree. - Billboard, 1/9/23.

Interviewed by The New York Times, Iggy Pop revealed that he was once asked to join AC/DC following the untimely death of Bon Scott, but thought he didn't "fit the bill." "They had a manager many years ago, when I hadn't reformed The Stooges, I hadn't moved to England. And this guy said, 'Are you interested in joining AC/DC?' They were looking for a singer. I listened to their record. I thought, I can't fit that bill," Pop said. "I wasn't, like, 'Ugh, I don't like them. [The record] was quite well made. They do careful work, but I'm not what they needed," he added. Pop is promoting his latest album, Every Loser, which drops on Jan. 6 via Atlantic and Gold Tooth Records, the label of producer Andrew Watt. Iggy's 19th solo LP, it features contributions from Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Pop will be supporting Red Hot Chilli Peppers on select dates of their 2023 stadium tour will also be playing a UK summer headline show at Crystal Palace Park. - NME, 1/3/23...... The Eagles announced via Instagram on Jan. 5 that they're extending their Hotel California 2023 Tour, with the addition of six new shows. The iconic rockers have added shows in Knoxville, Tenn.; Jacksonville and Tampa, Fla.; Columbia, S.C.; Greensboro, N.C.; and Newark, N.J., to their tour which takes off Feb. 19 in Portland, Ore. and runs through Apr. 7 in Newark, N.J. The Eagles will also warm up for the tour proper with a concert in Lincoln, Calif., on Feb. 17. Their Hotel California tour finds the band playing their signature 1976 Hotel California album in its entirety, plus a selection of other Eagles hits. Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, who began playing with the Eagles in 2017, will once again be joining the group alongside Deacon Frey, son of late Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey, who died in 2016. Their Hotel California LP has been certified 26 times multiplatinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and won Grammys for its title track (Record of the Year), and Best Arrangement for Voices for "New Kid In Town." Formed in 1971 in Los Angeles, the Eagles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2016. - Billboard, 1/5/23...... A new updated list of "The Best 200 Singers of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine has drawn controversy on social media not so much for who was included, but who was left out, including Canadian singer Celine Dion. Aretha Franklin, who the magazine says "blew up worldwide with her 1967 hit 'Respect', claiming her throne as the greatest pop, rock, or soul singer ever," topped the list, followed by Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Billie Holliday, Mariah Carey, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Otis Redding and Al Green. Other notable entries include John Lennon (No. 12), Freddie Mercury (No. 14), and Elvis Presley (No. 17). Landing in the top 100 were Aaliyah, Etta James, Ariana Grande, Louis Armstrong, Sir Elton John, Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin. - Music-News.com, 1/3/23...... The Beatles' 1968 "White Album" track "Glass Onion" has received a streaming bump after some of its lyrics were included in the new Netflix smash Glass Onion - the latest Knives Out mystery which premiered on the platform on Dec. 23. There are some subtle clues to the plot of Glass Onion in the lyrics to "Glass Onion," which plays over the end credits of the film. Maybe listeners wanted to revisit "Glass Onion" after hearing it during the movie's finale to parse its lyrics and try to further unlock the puzzle box of a plot, or maybe they were simply reminded of what a great track "Glass Onion" is. Regardless, the song experienced a huge uptick in streams during the film's first week of wide availability -- as have some other '60s and '70s tracks used in director Rian Johnson's crowd-pleasing mystery. "Glass Onion experienced a 167% increase in weekly U.S. on-demand streams during the week of Dec. 23-29, according to Luminate, jumping to over 160,000 streams after earning a little over 60,000 the previous week. Meanwhile other songs used in Glass Onion, including David Bowie's "Star" and The Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody," have also received streaming bumps of 60% and 37%, respectively. - Billboard, 1/5/23...... Paul McCartney is among those paying tribute to trailblazing female TV journalist Barbara Walters,who died on Dec. 30 at the age of 93. McCartney, whose wife Nancy Shevell is cousins with Walters, tweeted that the two of them "enjoyed a deep loving relationship over many years and I was proud to share some of those special moments." "Barbara was an amazing woman who more than held her own in the early days of male-dominated television and went on to become a worldwide celebrity known for her many perceptive interviews with stars from every walk of life. We will miss her but always remember her with great fondness," Sir Paul added. - Billboard, 12/31/22...... Former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant has explained why he and the band said yes to using Led Zep's "Immigrant Song" in the 2003 Richard Linklater-directed film School of Rock. "Immigrant Song" was used in a section of the film where lead actor Jack Black's character, the ersatz school teacher Dewey Finn, is transporting his band of students following their successful entry into the Battle of The Bands. Black delivers an impassioned cover of the iconic song as he drives the students back to school, praising Summer (Miranda Cosgrove) for her idea of misrepresenting the students as terminally ill children in order to enter the fully booked event. "My response is: Why not? Our songs didn't come from Valhalla," Plant told the website Vulture.com. "It's not a preferred destination, either. I like the idea of taking the hammer to another time." Plant also praised Black, who he says "made a magnificent meal of it," and that despite being a "killer guitar riff", "Immigrant Song" is not an easy song for kids to play. "Everyone gets it, young and old. It's a great song," Plant explained. "Not only slightly ridiculous but ridiculous. Considering that we wrote it in midair leaving Iceland -- a fantastically inspiring gig and an adventure, beyond which there will be no books written. To give it to the kids is important. Send it up, send it down, and just keep sending it. Just dig it because there's no hierarchy." Led Zeppelin are famously choosy about the usage of their music in TV and film, making the song's inclusion in School of Rock particularly notable. The DVD and Blu-Ray editions of School of Rock also include a scene that was sent to the living members of Led Zeppelin -- Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones -- featuring Black asking the band for permission to use the song with crowd extras cheering along. In 2022, Plant said that reuniting his legendary heavy metal band wouldn't "satisfy my need to be stimulated." Led Zeppelin split up in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham, and have since reunited several times, most recently in 2007, but only for one-off gigs. At his solo shows, Plant often performs Zeppelin songs, however. - New Musical Express, 1/6/23...... In an almost-eight-minute "New Years" message on YouTube on Jan. 1, Black Sabbath guitarist Toni Iommi revealed that he is gearing up to write and record a new solo album. "It's been a good year for me, 2022, in parts anyway," Iommi said. "I've been writing and recording. I'm having a new studio built, which I'm really pleased about. Well, actually, the studio is built, and it's almost ready to go; I'm just waiting for some equipment. Because of the war [in Ukraine], it's sort of stopped some of the parts coming through. But we're almost there. In another couple of weeks, I think I'll be ready to go in and start work in there, which I'm really looking forward to -- writing another album." Iommi has also confirmed that Black Sabbath's Tony Martin-era albums of the 1980s and 1990s will be reissued in 2023. "Of course, we're gonna have the Tony Martin box set and Cozy Powell and Neil Murray," he explained. "And I'm looking forward to that, because a lot of people have asked about that, which is great. They wanted to see when it's coming out, when it's coming out. And we've done 'em in succession, really, with these albums. You can't just bring everything out together; it has to come out in [the right] times. So we've had all the original Sabbath stuff come out, box sets, and then we've got the Ronnie [James Dio] stuff. And then the next thing will be the Tony Martin and then my solo stuff." Iommi featured on Ozzy Osbourne's latest solo record Patient Number 9, which was released in Sept. 2021. In the summer of 2022, the pair reunited on-stage to perform Sabbath's classic single "Paranoid" at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Birmingham. - NME, 1/3/23...... In other Sabbath-related news, Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne is speaking out a day after her mother, Sharon Osbourne, announced that the 38-year-old has welcomed her first child, a baby boy, with Sid Wilson of the band Slipknot. "I am not ready to share him with the world," Kelly wrote via her Instagram Stories on Jan. 4. "It is no one's place but mine to share any information about my baby." Sharon confirmed in a Jan. 3 episode of Britain's The Talk that she and Ozzy are now grandparents to five children. She went on to reveal that the baby is named Sidney -- seemingly after his father -- and said that Kelly is doing "so great, so great" as a new mom and that she is "so proud of her." Kelly first announced that she and Wilson were expecting a bundle of joy back in May via an Instagram post, in which she shared ultrasound photos. Sharon, 70, has yet to respond to Kelly's Instagram Stories post. - Billboard, 1/4/23...... '70s artists Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson and Chic leader Nile Rodgers are among those tapped to receive 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Grammys' Recording Academy. It will mark the first time a pair -- Ann, 72 and Nancy, 68 -- who weren't known as an ongoing duo, have received a Lifetime Achievement Award (four formal duos have been honored -- The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, The Louvin Brothers and Sam & Dave). Heart has received four Grammy nods, divided evenly between pop and rock performance categories, but they have yet to win. The band, which scored No. 1 hits with "These Dreams" and "Alone," was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Rodgers, 70, received three Grammys at the 2014 ceremony, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016 and received the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's award for musical excellence in 2017. Rodgers won all three Grammys for his work with Daft Punk -- Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Get Lucky" and album of the year for Random Access Memories. With Chic, Rodgers landed two No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 -- "Le Freak," the top-selling single in the history of Atlantic Records, and "Good Times," which helped spark the advent of hip-hop. "Le Freak" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. Also set to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards on Feb. 4 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles are Nirvana, The Supremes and Slick Rick. - Billboard, 1/5/23...... Rod Stewart is about to be a grandfather for the second time after his daughter Ruby Stewart announced that she is expecting a baby boy with partner Jake Kalick in April. Taking to Instagram, Ruby shared a video from a recent gender reveal party in which her dad Rod had a key role. After opening up a piece of paper in front of the family, the 77-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer exclaimed, "It's a boy!" In addition, Ruby also posted an ultrasound of the foetus. "Out of all of the things that happened in 2022 you were by far the most beautiful... We can't wait to meet you... Baby boy Kalick coming in April," the 35-year-old wrote in the caption. "So happy for the two of you," commented Rod, while his daughter Kimberly Stewart posted, "Def has the Stewart nose." Rod has eight children from five relationships, and became a grandfather for the first time in 2011 when Kimberly welcomed a daughter named Delilah with actor Benicio del Toro. - Music-News.com, 1/4/23...... Appearing on Tamron Hall's syndicated daytime talk show on Jan. 3, Dionne Warwick revealed that she and Dolly Parton have recorded a gospel duet. "[Dolly] sent me a song that she wanted me to record, and I said, 'Okay, that sounds like a deal,'" Warwick recalled of how the collaboration came to be. "She's such a sweetheart, I know her. And then she sent me another song, the one that we're going to be doing as a duet." Warwick went on to note that the upcoming song is a gospel song titled "Peace Like a River" that Parton wrote. "I am very excited about this, I really am. I've done so many duets over the years, but this one's gonna be very special," Warwick said. Meanwhile, a new Dionne Warwick documentary, Don't Make Me Over, debuted on cable channel CNN on Jan. 1. The film unveils the story of her life and career from the days of working with Burt Bacharach and Hal David to the present. - Billboard, 1/3/23...... A rare live concert featuring brothers Brian Eno and Roger Eno is to premiere in cinemas across the UK on March 2. Live At The Acropolis was filmed at Athens' Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheatre in Aug. 2021, as part of the annual Epidaurus Festival. The concert included a backdrop of Brian Eno's images projected onto the walls of the amphitheatre, as Brian and Roger performed music from their 2020 album Mixing Colours. They were joined by Roger's daughter and Brian's niece, Cecily Eno, on vocals, ukulele and mandolin, Leo Abrahams on guitars and Peter Chilvers on keyboards. A clip announcing the concert premiere has been shared on YouTube. Meanwhile, a new documentary about Eno's life and career, Eno, was announced in 2022 by director Gary Hustwit. Hustwit described Eno as "the definitive career-spanning, multi-platform documentary about visionary musician and artist Brian Eno". A release date is yet to be announced, but the website states the film is "coming in 2023." - NME, 1/5/23...... In a new interview with BBC Radio 4, Cliff Richard says he's changed his mind about performing at the iconic Glastonbury Music Festival. Richard was once tipped to be a Glastonbury headliner in 2023, but says "when I saw a couple of shows with a couple of very famous people -- I shall not mention them -- to me their voices did not sound like the record. All you hear was the: 'Boom, boom' and everybody bouncing on the front row. So I decided I did not want to do that." Sir Cliff's latest offering "Christmas With Cliff" recently reached No. 2 in the final UK Christmas album charts, with Taylor Swift at No. 1. Richard, 82, will embark on a tour in Nov. 2023 called "The Blue Sapphire Tour 2023" with six nights in London, with other dates in Glasgow and Blackpool. - Music-News.com, 1/4/23...... Anita Pointer, one fourth of The Pointer Sisters who earned pop success and critical acclaim in the 1970s and 1980s, died on Dec. 31 of as yet undisclosed causes. She was 74. "While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace. She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long," her sister Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz and granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer said in the statement. Anita, Ruth, Bonnie and June Pointer, born the daughters of a minister, grew up singing in their father's church in Oakland, Calif. The group's 1973 self-titled debut album included the breakout hit, "Yes We Can Can." Known for hit songs including "I'm So Excited," "Slow Hand," "Neutron Dance" and "Jump (For My Love)," The Pionter Sisters gained a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. Their 1983 album, Break Out, went triple platinum and garnered two American Music Awards. The group won three Grammy Awards and had 13 U.S. top 20 hit songs between 1973 and 1985. The act also was the first African American group to perform on the Grand Ole Opry program and the first contemporary act to perform at the San Francisco Opera House. Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977, signing a solo deal with Motown Records but enjoying only modest success. "We were devastated," Anita Pointer said of the departure in 1990. "We did a show the night she left, but after that, we just stopped. We thought it wasn't going to work without Bonnie." The group, in various lineups including younger family members, continued recording through 1993. June Pointer died of cancer at the age of 52 in 2006. Anita Pointer's only daughter, Jada Pointer, died in 2003. - Billboard, 1/1/23...... Two stars of the the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet are suing Paramount Pictures for more than 500 million over a nude scene in the film shot when they were teens. Olivia Hussey, then 15 and now 71, and Leonard Whiting, then 16 now 72, filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud. Director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, initially told the two that they would wear flesh-coloured undergarments in the bedroom scene that comes late in the movie and was shot on the final days of filming, the suit alleges. But on the morning of the shoot, Zeffirelli told Whiting and Hussey that they would wear only body makeup, while still assuring them the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity, according to the suit. Yet they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge, in violation of California and federal laws against indecency and the exploitation of children, the suit says. Zeffirelli told them they must act in the nude "or the Picture would fail" and their careers would be hurt, the suit said. The actors "believed they had no choice but to act in the nude in body makeup as demanded." Whiting's bare buttocks and Hussey's bare breasts are briefly shown during the scene. The film, and its theme song, were major hits at the time, and has been shown to generations of high school students studying the famous William Shakespeare play since. The court filing says the Hussey and Whiting have suffered emotional damage and mental anguish for decades, and that each had careers that did not reflect the success of the movie. It says given that suffering and the revenue brought in by the film since its release, the actors are entitled to damages of more than $500 million. - AP, 1/3/23...... Former Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Fred White has died at age 67 of as yet undisclosed causes. The percussionist's brother and bandmate Verdine White shared the sad news through social media on Jan. 1. "Our family is saddened today with the loss of an amazing and talented family member. Our beloved brother Frederick Eugene 'Freddie' White," Verdine wrote on Instagram alongside photos of his brother. "He joins our brothers Maurice, Monte, and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels!," Verdine added. "He was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous! And we could always count on him to make a seemingly bad situation more light-hearted." Fred White was born on Jan. 13, 1955 in Chicago. He began drumming at the age of nine and later performed with Linda Ronstadt and Donny Hathaway before joining Earth, Wind & Fire in 1974. He was the fourth of the White brothers to perform in the Grammy-winning R&B band. White performed on some of Earth, Wind & Fire's most successful songs, including the No. 1 "Shining Star" in May 1975. He also scored top 10 hits with "Let's Groove," "September," "Sing a Song," "After the Love Has Gone," "Boogie Wonderland" and others. White left Earth, Wind & Fire in the mid-1980s, but he returned for the band's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2000. During his career, White also lent his drumming talents to recordings for the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, Deniece Williams, The Emotions, Ramsey Lewis, Jennifer Holliday and Diana Ross. Most recently, he collaborated with Ross on her 2021 album, Thank You. Fred was remembered on social media with a slew of responses from fellow musicians, including Questlove, Nile Rodgers and Lenny Kravitz. "Sending my love and deepest condolences to you and the family," Kravitz commented. "I was blessed to have been in his presence and blessed to have been influenced by him. A true king. Rest in power." - Billboard, 1/2/23.