Diana Ross's Music Legacy Tour landed at New York City's iconic Radio City Music Hall on June 29 before a sold-out room of 6,000 fans. The Motown legend's voice remains as nuanced and expressive as ever, and as if to show off her undiminished pipes, she performed segments of several songs with minimal support from her band and no backing vocalists. The 79-year-old diva presented a glorious, soaring rendition of her No. 1 '70s hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and her former girl group The Supremes were well-served by four classics -- "Come See About Me," "Reflections," "You Can't Hurry Love" and "Love Child" -- early in the show. Noting that her current show was called The Music Legacy Tour because she was dusting off selections that don't often make her touring set list, Ross delivered not one, not two but three selections from her Lady Sings the Blues movie ("Fine and Mellow," "Don't Explain" and "God Bless the Child," the lattermost of which she rarely performs live), demonstrating exactly why her performance as jazz pioneer Billie Holiday received an Oscar nod. Ross will perform two more shows in the US before touring Europe, with her website promising "more dates to be added." - Billboard, 6/30/23...... 
Neil Young announced on June 30 that he'll finally release his legendary "lost" LP Chrome Dreams this summer. Originally set for release in 1977, the 12-track Chrome Dreams ended up being shelved and has never seen the light of day. The album will arrive via Reprise on Aug. 11 and presented in its original form. Four of its songs are originals, and many have never been included in any form. It includes such popular tracks as "Pocahontas," "Like a Hurricane," "Powderfinger" and "Look Out for My Love," and is the latest in a long line of new and archival releases from Young in recent years. Chrome Dreams will also sport cover art created by Rolling Stones guitarist and sometime artist Ronnie Wood in Dec. 1976. In 2022, Young released Toast, a previously shelved album he recorded with Crazy Horse back in 2001, as well as a 50th anniversary reissue of his classic 1972 LP Harvest. More recently, he released World Record, a new album with Crazy Horse, and his latest album was Barn, another effort with Crazy Horse. - New Musical Express, 7/1/23...... The estate of Joe Cocker has partnered with legendary manager Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group to "acquire, develop and expand the singer's "rich musical legacy to new generations," according to a press release. Cocker's output includes his cover of The Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends," his cover of Billy Preston's "You Are So Beautiful," and "Up Where We Belong," his duet with Jennifer Warnes that hit No. 1 on the pop charts in Nov. 1982 and also earned him a Grammy. - Billboard, 6/29/23...... Reservoir Media acquired the catalogs of four of the founding members of the R&B and pop vocal group The Spinners. The deal includes the master royalty income streams for Henry Fambrough as well as the estates of late Spinners members Billie Henderson, Pervis Jackson, and Bobbie Smith. Formed in 1954, the group earned a total of six Grammy nominations, 30 Billboard Hot 100 hits, and 40 placements on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, including six No. 1's. Their biggest hits include "It's a Shame," "I'll Be Around" and "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love." The group is slated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November. Meanwhile, Kool & the Gang's George Brown has sold a stake in his music publishing and writers share of his public performance royalties to Primary Wave, it was announced on June 28. The deal -- which includes classics like "Ladies Night," "Celebration," "Get Down on It," "Cherish," "Jungle Boogie," "Summer Madness" and more -- is in the multi-million dollar range, according to Primary Wave. The group broke through in 1973 with its fourth album, Wild and Peaceful, which contained hits like "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging." Pulling from funk, soul, R&B, disco and jazz influences, Kool & The Gang's work also played a defining role in the soundtracks for Rocky (1976) and Saturday Night Fever (1977). Kool & the Gang has received two Grammy awards, seven American Music Awards and was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The group also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while Brown -- along with bandmates Taylor and Robert and Ronald "Kool" Bell -- was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. - Billboard, 6/29/23...... 
10cc's Graham Gouldman has announced that 10cc will be reviving their Ultimate Greatest Hits Tour in spring 2024 after a sell-out tour in 2022. 10cc -- currently comprised of Graham, Rick Fenn, Paul Burgess, Keith Hayman and Iain Hornal -- will kick off the 18-city UK tour in Bristol on Mar. 7, including a highly anticipated return to London's Royal Albert Hall on Mar. 25. The 77-year-old Gouldman, now the remaining founding member of the art-rock group, said that "in our formative years, it was all about the songs, and it's the same for us now. We play them with love and energy, hit after hit after hit... we show no mercy." 10cc have sold over 15 million albums in the UK alone, and the group's extensive catalog includes the UK No. 1 hits "Rubber Bullets," "Dreadlock Holiday" and the dreamy 1975 single "I'm Not In Love" -- which was a global smash -- and classics such as "Donna," "Art For Art's Sake" and "Good Morning Judge." The band will then tour Europe in the autumn, including Holland, Belgium and Germany. - Music-News.com, 6/27/23...... Paul McCartney has joked that Bruce Springsteen habit of playing marathon concerts has "ruined it for everyone" as fans now expect three to four-hour gigs. Speaking to Conan O'Brien on the latter's Needs a Friend podcast, Sir Paul, 81, blamed Springsteen, 73, for starting the trend of performing mammoth sets that go on for hours, unlike in the legendary Liverpool group's 60s heyday when they barely played for an hour if fans were lucky. "Then [the 1960s], it was a lot of people on the bill because nobody did long, now people will do three or four hours. I blame Bruce Springsteen -- I've told him so, I said 'it's your fault man," the former Beatle said wryly. He added: "You can't now do an hour, we used to do a half hour. That was The Beatles thing -- half an hour and we got paid for it." In 2022, Macca celebrated his 80th birthday with a three-hour headline set at Glastonbury. Meanwhile, Springsteen is set to play the BST Hyde Park festival in London not once, but twice with The E Street Band on July 6 and July 8. - Music-News.com, 6/27/23...... The L.A.-based pop duo Sparks have told Big Issue magazine that they refuse to become a nostalgia act and refuse to "rely on [their] past." Comprising brothers Russell and Ron Mael, Sparks have released 76 singles to date and they have no plans on stopping making new tunes anytime soon. "At this point, we really feel more urgent than ever," Russell told the mag. "We're even more motivated to prove a point -- that you don't have to fall into that trap of relying on your past. What you're doing now has got to be compelling and modern and forward-thinking. And if it isn't, then there's no reason to even be doing it." Asked why they keep going, Ron said: "We always feel that what we're doing is something both musically strong and unlike a lot of other things that are going on at the time. We feel that our music and our presentation is interesting, but it's not trying to be quirky or oddball and all." Actress Cate Blanchett appears in Sparks' recent music video for their new album's title track, "The Girl Is Crying in Her Latter," and they explained they first met the Tar actress when she knocked on their dressing room door at the Cesar Awards last year to say she was a fan, an encounter they described as "mind-blowing." Russell recalled: "I thought, 'Maybe she's in the wrong dressing room or something.' But she just came to introduce herself and said that she was a fan of the band... It was pretty mindblowing to both of us." - Music-News.com, 6/23/23...... 
Bob Dylan covered the Grateful Dead's "Stella Blue" during a show in Barcelona, Spain on June 23. While it marked the first time the rock-folk icon performed the track originally taken from the GD's 1973 album Wake of the Flood, it continues a recent streak of Grateful Dead covers by the legendary singer-songwriter in 2023. In April, while touring Japan in support of latest album Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan debuted two GD covers at separate shows on the tour -- both songs taken from band's 1970 classic American Beauty. He covered "Truckin" during a show in Tokyo on Ap. 12, then played a rendition of "Brokedown Palace" during a gig in Nagoya on Apr. 18. Before 2023, Dylan had only covered four Grateful Dead songs live throughout his career: "Friend of the Devil," "West L.A. Fadeaway," "Alabama Getaway' and "Black Muddy River." The "Like a Rolling Stone" singer toured with the Grateful Dead in 1987, resulting in the live album Dylan & the Dead. Fan-shot footage of his "Stella Blue" performance can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 6/23/23...... Streams of Elton John songs have spiked 294 per cent after the Rocket Man's performances at the UK's Glastonbury festival on June 25. According to a new Spotify round-up of this year's Glastonbury tracks and artists, streams of John's songs increased 294 per cent in the UK in the hour after his career-spanning headline set on the Pyramid Stage. Other artists who also performed during the festival, including Guns N' Roses, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Rina Sawayama and Rick Astley, also saw selections from their catalogs increase dramatically after their Glasto appearances. Meanwhile, Elton has thanked his Glastonbury audience for making his final U.K. show one to remember. In an Instagram post on June 26, John shared photos from his headlining set on the festival's iconic Pyramid Stage the previous evening and thanked his fans for helping him go out with a bang. "Thank you, Glastonbury!" he wrote, with praying hands and heart emojis. "The energy last night was like nothing else, and I couldn't be more grateful to the crowd and the people watching at home for all your love and support. You will be in my heart and soul forever. UK, what a farewell. I love you #glastonbury," he added. - NME/Music-News.com, 6/26/23...... A huge mechanical bull that appeared at the 2022 Birmingham UK Commonwealth Games' opening ceremony has been named after Ozzy Osbourne. The name of the 33 foot (10 meter) tall sculpture was announcwed on June 22 after a public vote was revealed. The bull, now known as Ozzy, was originally meant to be dismantled, but after a public outcry it will now move to a permanent home at Birmingham New Street railway station. "I'm absolutely blown away," said the Black Sabbath frontman, who performed at the closing ceremony, to the BBC. "Thank you for all your votes. And Birmingham forever," he added. Ozzy also posted a pic of his namesake along with a thank you to fans on Twitter. The petition to save the sculpture received almost 10,000 signatures, and more than 28,000 votes were cast the rename the structure, which was originally called "Raging Bull." West Midlands mayor Andy Street said the public "couldn't have made a clearer choice." "Like people right across our region, I cannot wait to see Ozzy take pride of place in New Street Station in a triumphant homecoming this summer - proudly bearing the name of the Prince of Darkness himself," Street said in a statement. Osbourne announced his retirement from touring on Feb. 1, calling off his European and UK tour dates in the process. His retirement announcement came following a fall at his Los Angeles home which required neck surgery. - NME, 6/23/23...... 
During the boom time of classic rock in the 1970s, English design studio Hipgnosis was known for creating iconic album sleeves for the likes of Pink Floyd (The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here), Led Zeppelin (Houses of the Holy), T. Rex (Electric Warrior), and many more. Now Squaring the Circle, a new documentary that tells the story of how Aubrey "Po" Powell, Storm Thorgerson and later Peter Christopherson created some of the most influential artworks ever. Squaring, the first feature-length film directed by legendary photographer Anton Corbijn, will premiere at Sundance Film Festival on July 7, before being released in UK cinemas and on demand from July 14. "Growing up in the late '60s and '70s, I was obsessed with music and everything connected to it -- especially the album covers," said Corbijn. "The record sleeves were a huge part of my education and I really enjoyed making this film as it allowed me to revisit the things I loved from that time," he added. Squaring is made up of archive and new footage, along with brand new interviews with Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel, Graham Gouldman of 10cc, and Noel Gallagher of Oasis, among many others. What I love about vinyl is the artwork," said Gallagher in the film's trailer, which has been shared on YouTube. "It's the poor man's art collection," going on to explain how Hipgnosis' work has "stood the test of time." Tickets and more information can be found on the Dogwoof.com website. - NME, 6/29/23...... Bluegrass musician Bobby Osborne, who helped popularize the song "Rocky Top," died on the morning of June 27. He was 91. Mr. Osborne and his brother Sonny made up The Osborne Brothers, and their version of the song "Rocky Top" in 1967 became an official state song of Tennessee, his website said. Mr. Osborne was also a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. A native of Hyden, Kentucky, Mr. Osborne taught at the Hazard Community and Technical Colleges Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music in Leslie County for several years. In January, he received the Governors Awards in the Arts for his dedication to sharing Kentucky's rich history in the arts around the world. Hazard Community and Technical College President Jennifer Lindon said the school was deeply saddened to learn about Mr. Osborne's death. "He was a pioneer in the Bluegrass music industry and a champion for Eastern Kentucky," she said. - Billboard, 6/27/23...... Soap star Nicolas Coster, best known for playing Lionel Lockridge on the former NBC daytime soap Santa Barbara, passed away at a Florida hospital on June 26, his daughter Dinneen confirmed on social media. He was 89. Mr. Coster appeared on the hit show Santa Barbara until its cancellation in Jan. 1993, though he did have a hiatus of just over two years due to a lack of a storyline for his alter ego. Prolific right to the end, with his final appearances including Better Things, American Crime Story and Feds, Mr. Coster famously starred in an episode of Wonder Woman as the villain Silas Lockhart and played Haftel in Star Trek. His other major credits include Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, T. J. Hooker, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was once married to actress/model Candace Hilligoss, 87, with whom he had two children, before divorcing in 1981. The cause of death is not known at this time. - Bang Showbiz, 6/27/23...... 
Acclaimed and prolific actor Alan Arkin, who demonstrated his versatility in everything from farcical comedy to chilling drama as he received four Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar in 2007 for Little Miss Sunshine, died on June 29, according to his sons Adam, Mattthew and Anthony Arkin in a statement through his publicist. He was 89. A member of Chicago's famed Second City comedy troupe, Mr. Arkin was an immediate success in movies with the 1966 Cold War spoof The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming and peaked late in life with his win as Best Supporting Actor for the surprise 2006 hit Little Miss Sunshine. More than 40 years separated his first Oscar nomination, for The Russians are Coming from his nomination for playing a conniving Hollywood producer in the Oscar-winning Argo. In recent years, the actor starred opposite Michael Douglas in the Netflix comedy series The Kominsky Method, a role that earned him two Emmy nominations. In 1967's Wait Until Dark, the actor starred as a vicious drug dealer holds a blind woman (Audrey Hepburn) captive in her own apartment, believing a drug shipment is hidden there. He recalled in a 1998 interview how difficult it was to terrorize Hepburn's character. "Just awful," he said. "She was an exquisite lady, so being mean to her was hard. His rise continued in 1968 with The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, in which he played a sensitive man who could not hear or speak. His career as a character actor continued to blossom when Mike Nichols, a fellow Second City alumnus, cast him in the starring role as Yossarian, the victim of wartime red tape in 1970's Catch-22, based on Joseph Heller's million-selling novel. Through the years, Mr. Arkin turned up in such favorites as Edward Scissorhands, playing Johnny Depp's neighbor; and in the film version of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross as a dogged real estate salesman. Other recent credits included Going in Style, a 2017 remake featuring fellow Oscar winners Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, and The Kominsky Method. He played a Hollywood talent agent and friend of Douglas' character, a once-promising actor who ran an acting school after his career sputtered. He also was the voice of Wild Knuckles in the 2022 animated film Minions: The Rise of Gru. Born in New York City's borough of Brooklyn, he and his family, which included two younger brothers, moved to Los Angeles when he was 11. His parents found jobs as teachers, but were fired during the post-World War II Red Scare because they were Communists. "We were dirt poor so I couldn't afford to go to the movies often," he told the AP in 1998. "But I went whenever I could and focused in on movies, as they were more important than anything in my life." He studied acting at Los Angeles City College and married a fellow student, Jeremy Yaffe, and they had two sons, Adam and Matthew. After he and Yaffe divorced in 1961, Mr. Arkin married actress-writer Barbara Dana, and they had a son, Anthony. All three sons became actors, with Adam starring in the TV series Chicago Hope. Mr. Arkin was also once a member of the 1950s folk music group The Tarriers, which had a pair of hits in 1956 -- "Cindy, Oh Cindy" and "The Banana Boat Song," which later became a signature song for the late Harry Belafonte. "When I was a young actor people wanted to know if I wanted to be a serious actor or a funny one," Michael McKean tweeted in tribute to the late actor. 'I'd answer 'Which kind is Alan Arkin?' and that shut them up." - AP, 6/30/23.
On June 25 Patti LaBelle started off strong and confident with a rendition of Tina Turner's hit "The Best" in tribute to the late singer at the BET Awards 2023 at L.A.'s Microsoft Theater, but a few of the lyrics in the second verse escaped her. LaBelle started humming in the second half of the first verse, telling the audience during the live telecast, "Oh Lord... I can't see the words... I'm trying, y'all." Then like a pro, she launched into the chorus like nothing was wrong. According to one attendee who shared video from the moment of where the audience member was seated, LaBelle might not have been able to see the teleprompter because the section in front of it was standing, blocking the two-time Grammy winner's view. "Due to the crowd's enthusiasm, the teleprompter was obstructed, obscuring Ms. LaBelle's view of the lyrics," the BET Awards confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. "Nonetheless, we couldn't be more grateful to Ms. LaBelle for lending her incredible talent to this moment." Moments from LaBell's BET performance have been shared on The Hollywood Reporter's twitter page, and RNB_RADAR's twitter page. Turner died at age 83 in May. Her hit "The Best" peaked at No. 15 in Nov. 1989. - Billboard, 6/26/23...... 
Meanwhile in related news, Tina Turner is set to be honored at the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular in New York City. During the "Golden Mile" display element of the Macy's event, thousands of golden shells will create a cascade stretching across the East River to honor the "Private Dancer" singer. The 47th annual 4th of July event will also feature headliners including Ashanti, Bebe Rexha, Ja Rule, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, LL Cool J and The Roots. The Independence Day bash will take place between New York's East 26th and East 40th streets from 8:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time. In still more Tina Turner news, her son Ike Turner Jr. was arrested on crack cocaine possession charges on May 6 in Alvin, Tex. Officers with the Alvin Police Dept. pulled Ike Jr., 64, over at 12:09 am local time for "equipment violation," meaning one of the lights on his car was out, before discovering 1.7 grams of crack cocaine and 0.7 grams of methamphetamine in his possession. He was also charged with tampering with evidence for allegedly "trying to eat the drugs" before the officers could seize them from him. Ike Jr., who was adapted by Tina after she married Ike Turner in 1962, was sentenced to jail 18 days before his mother passed away at her home in Switzerland on May 24. He is currently being held at the Brazoria County Jail on $70,000 (£55,000) bail. UK fans can catch a 20-city "What's Love Got To Do With It - A Tina Turner Tribute" this summer beginning June 29. - Music-News.com, 6/25/23...... On June 21 Rod Stewart clarified rumors regarding his recent statement that he intended "to leave the rock 'n' roll stuff behind, for a while." In an Instagram post, Hot Rod told fans they can rest assured that he's not giving up the genre for good. "I. 'd like to clear up any confusion that I may have caused with my dear fans and the media. I shall never retire! I was put on this Earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good Lord lets me," Stewart explained. "I'll be playing the hits as advertised for the U.K., U.S., South America and Vegas and into 2024 but no retirement as such." He continued: "During recent interviews, I've mentioned my newest passion is big band/swing music and when we wrap this greatest hits tour, its something I'm very eager to share with you. I could never turn my back on the songs that I've written and sung over the last six decades. They are like my children. I created them and I love them. I'll always come back to them, just like I did after The Great American Songbook series, which I shall boastfully add, sold 26 million albums!" In the BBC interview, Stewart stated that he is working on a "swing album with Jools Holland" that will arrive sometime in 2024. "Everything has to come to an end sooner or later," the "Maggie May" singer told the outlet, likely prompting the retirement rumors. He concluded the optimistic message with a promise for what lies ahead: "I look forward to seeing you on the road with all the hits and I can't wait to introduce you to my swing album next year." - Billboard, 6/22/23...... Meanwhile, Paul McCartney is clarifying how Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used in what he describes as "the final Beatles song." "Can't say too much at this stage but to be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created," Sir Paul said in a June 22 tweet. "It's all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings - a process which has gone on for years. No one is more excited than us to be sharing something with you later in the year," McCartney continued in his post. "We hope you love it as much as we do." As he explained in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today that aired June 13, AI would be used to separate vocal tracks from background noise and instruments, not to create new material. McCartney said during the chat that he had been using AI to "extricate" late bandmate John Lennon's vocals from an old recording for use on the untitled track. It has been speculated that the project could be a recording of "Now and Then," a somber love song written by John in 1978. - Billboard, 6/22/23...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, the rock & roll memorabilia dealer Gotta Have Rock and Roll is auctioning one of the most significant pieces in both Beatles and music history -- the actual Beatles break-up contract. The typed two-page document signed by "Paul McCartney" and "R. Starkey", twice signed by "George Harrison" and "John Lennon"; "Apple Corps Limited, dated 29 December 1974," is now for sale, and the document can be viewed and bids can be entered on the gottahaverockandroll website. The auction for the contract which released each band member from their obligation to record as the group known as "The Beatles," with an estimated value of $500,000, is set to end on June 30. - Music-News.com, 6/25/23...... BMG Music has acquired Paul Simon royalty income and neighboring rights income to the full recorded Simon & Garfunkel catalog, including songs like "The Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson." The sale includes the Grammy winner and two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee's royalty income for all of S&G's recorded music as well as his neighboring rights income to that music as well. Apart from their successful singles, S&G is also revered for soundtracking Mike Nichols' 1967 hit film The Graduate. Featuring "The Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson," both songs went on to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Within the past year, BMG has also acquired more than 45 new catalogs from such major artists as Tina Turner, John Legend, Mötley Crüe, ZZ Top, Peter Frampton, Harry Nilsson and The Hollies. - Billboard, 6/22/23...... 
Legendary '70s artists Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees and Dionne Warwick are among the five artists chosen for this year's edition of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors awards. The 2023 ceremony will tape on Dec. 3, on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage in Washington, D.C., for broadcast later that month on CBS. In a statement, Gibb said the honor was "one of the most special moments in my life and something that I will always cherish," while Warwick -- who coincidentally scored a Top 10 1982 hit with the Gibb brothers-penned tune "Heartbreaker" -- said that "it's very exciting to be recognized for my contributions to the music industry for the past 60 years." Gloria Estefan, a 2017 Kennedy Center honoree, returns as host of the Kennedy Center Honors for the third time. The show will air on CBS for the 46th year and stream on Paramount+. Each year, honorees are confirmed by the executive committee of the Kennedy Center's board of trustees. The honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement. Other KCH honorees this year include actor/comedian Billy Crystal; soprano singer Rene Fleming; and singer/actress Queen Latifah. - Billboard, 6/22/23...... Rocky actor Sylvester Stallone recently told The Wall Street Journal that removing a Rocky statue that overlooks the pool by his recently sold Beverly Hills mansion was almost a dealbreaker for buyer Adele. When asked by the WSJ if he didn't want to take the statue of his famous underdog prizefigher franchise with him when he sold the home for Adele for $58 million in early 2022. "I did. But she said, 'That's a no deal. That's gonna blow the whole deal,'" Stallone explained. "She wanted the statue. I like what she's doing; she's making it gorgeous." The "Rolling in the Deep" singer paid $22 million less for the 3.47-acre property than Stallone's original asking price of $80 million. Stallone created the Rocky franchise, which began with a 1976 film co-written by and starring the actor. He most recently played the role of boxer Rocky Balboa in 2018's Creed II, which he also co-wrote. - Billboard, 6/21/23...... A24 Studios is producing a new movie about Priscilla Presley's love story with her King of Rock & Roll husband Elvis Presley, and shared a trailer for it on YouTube. Actress Cailee Spaeny, who stars as the titular character with Euphoria's Jacob Elrodi as The King, is shown meeting the icon for the first time, attending a party in Germany as he plays the piano for a cheering crowd, then sharing intimate moments with the singer taking Polaroid images after visiting Graceland. Scenes then flash of Priscilla and Elvis getting married and her pregnancy with their daughter Lisa Marie Presley after the musician's career fully takes off. The trailer concludes with Priscilla's mother asking, "Priscilla, what about boys at school? Must be some handsome ones." A younger Priscilla looks worriedly at her mother, and the trailer cuts to the actress and Elvis sharing a passionate kiss on their wedding day. Priscilla is the latest in a long, seemingly never-ending films about Presley's life, including 2022's Baz Lurhrmann-directed and critically acclaimed movie Elvis. Based on Priscilla and Sandra Harmon's book Elvis and Me, Priscilla is directed by Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring), and a release date is yet to be announced. - Billboard, 6/21/23...... 
Elton John performed a headlining set -- and what he has described as his "final UK performance" -- at Glastonbury 2023 on the evening of June 25, breaking viewing figures on the BBC as millions of viewers across the UK watched the simulcast. According to Overnights.tv, the set was watched by 7.3 million viewers across the BBC, three times that which saw Paul McCartney's headlining 2022 set and the most-viewed set on television in the festival's history. The Rocket Man's hit-packed set at Worthy Farm also brought one of the biggest crowds the festival's Pyramid Stage has ever seen. During the show, John was joined by Gabriels frontman Jacob Lusk, up-and-comer Stephen Sanchez, Rina Sawayama and The Killers' Brandon Flowers, though rumors prior to the rendition of "Tiny Dancer" included Britney Spears, who collaborated with Sir Elton on a remake of the song in 2022. In an Instagram post on June 26, Elton shared photos from his headlining set. "Thank you, Glastonbury!" he wrote, with praying hands and heart emojis. "The energy last night was like nothing else, and I couldn't be more grateful to the crowd and the people watching at home for all your love and support. You will be in my heart and soul forever. UK, what a farewell. I love you #glastonbury." VIP onlookers near the stage include Sir Paul McCartney, Kate Hudson, Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Rocket Man Elton biopic actor Taron Egerton. "There aren't really words to describe how good that was," Egerton said in his own Instagram post. "The Rocketman did it again." Meanwhile, Elton has announced a collectible, limited edition vinyl release of his Diamonds greatest hits collection. Diamonds (Pyramid Edition) features tracklisting personally selected by John which "reflects last night's historic [Glastonbury] setlist," according to a press release. It will feature highlights from Diamonds, his 2017 greatest hits collection, and pressed on coloured vinyl. The new release also includes a commemorative 1010 print. - New Musical Express, 6/26/23...... In more Elton news, John and his band have received a Billboard Boxscore award for making touring history. His "Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour" has grossed more than $887 million and sold 5.7 million tickets, with over 300 shows in 20 countries, becoming the top-grossing tour of all time, according to Billboard Boxscore. Also, Elton has become the highest-grossing solo artist and top ticket-selling solo artist ever, grossing nearly $2 billion and selling over 20 million tickets since Billboard Boxscore started tracking data 40 years ago. John and his band -- Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Matt Bissonette, John Mahon, Kim Bullard and Ray Cooper, along with his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin -- accepted the award during a ceremony in the garden of his expansive estate in Windsor, UK, on June 21. - Billboard, 6/21/23...... After Debbie Harry revealed that David Bowie once showed her his penis in her 2019 autobiography FACE IT, the Blondie frontwoman has defended Bowie in a new interview with London's The Sunday TImes. When asked whether some women may have felt uncomfortable by Bowie's forwardness by showing her his penis after he and Iggy Pop were presented with a free hit of cocaine by the "Call Me" singer, Harry responded: "I think you should rethink that. Most women would really die to be in that room ... You have to consider the context -- I was a consenting adult, shall we say. I believe that that is really the borderline." - NME, 6/21/23...... Veteran Black music exec Varnell Harris Johnson, who held senior executive roles at Capitol-EMI, Blue Note, Jive, Island, Elektra Records and more throughout his career in music and who was president of the Living Legends Foundation, died on June 21 of congestive heart failure. He was 76. Johnson has been credited for recruiting many Black executives, including several women, into key music industry positions. He had an ear for talent and had a hand in bringing Tina Turner over to Capitol Records as a solo artist, and brought the Isley Brothers with him from Elektra to Island. With his knowledge of how influential gospel music was to the community, he helped establish the gospel-focused Verity Records. As vice president of A&R at Capitol, he worked with artists including Turner, A Taste of Honey, Maze, George Clinton, Freddie Jackson, Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson, Roberta Flack and Ashford & Simpson. As VP of marketing and promotion at Jive Records beginning in 1992, he worked with R. Kelly, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS One and Aaliyah. He went on to run Junes Entertainment Inc., his own consulting firm, and most recently resided in New Jersey. He is survived by his wife Darlene, son Varnell, (nicknamed "June") and daughter Tracey. - Billboard, 6/24/23...... 
In an interview with Classic Rock magazine, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry said he would love to make a follow-up to Aerosmith's last studio album, 2012's Music From Another Dimension!, but he's not sure it's going to happen. Perry, 72, said it takes "a lot" to make a record and he and his bandmates aren't getting any younger. Perry, who is also a member of Alice Cooper's supergroup The Hollywood Vampires, admitted touring is more important at this stage in his career. He said: "I don't know. At this point, I want to tour as much as we can. I want to get out and play to the fans. That's really the focus right now, to get out and play live. If we get time to work on some new music, that would be great, but knowing [singer] Steven [Tyler] and knowing our age and what it takes to do an album... I don't know. I'm always playing, I'm always writing stuff, but at this stage, I can't say. I just want to get through this next tour and play live and give something back to the fans." But Perry says it's impossible to rule out another Aerosmith LP: "I don't know. At this point, I want to tour as much as we can. I want to get out and play to the fans. That's really the focus right now, to get out and play live. If we get time to work on some new music, that would be great, but knowing [singer] Steven [Tyler] and knowing our age and what it takes to do an album... I don't know. I'm always playing, I'm always writing stuff, but at this stage, I can't say. I just want to get through this next tour and play live and give something back to the fans." Aerosmith has announced they'll kick off their "Peace Out" farewell tour this September. - Music-News.com, 6/21/23...... Tony- and Grammy Award-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick, who with composer Jerry Bock made up one of the premier musical-theater songwriting duos of the 1950s and 1960s with shows such as "Fiddler on the Roof," "Fiorello!" and "The Apple Tree," died in his sleep on June 23 of natural causes in New York City. He was 99. Based on stories by Sholom Aleichem that were adapted into a libretto by Stein, "Fiddler" dealt with the experience of Eastern European Orthodox Jews in the Russian village of Anatevka in the year 1905. It starred Zero Mostel as Teyve, had an almost eight year run and offered the world such stunning songs as "Sunrise, Sunset," "If I Were a Rich Man" and "Matchmaker, Matchmaker." The most recent Broadway revival starred Danny Burstein as Tevye and earned a best revival Tony nomination. Mr. Harnick went on to collaborate with Michel Legrand on "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" in 1979 and a musical of A Christmas Carol in 1981; Mary Rodgers on a version of "Pinocchio" in 1973; Arnold Black on a musical of "The Phantom Tollbooth"; and Richard Rodgers on the score to "Rex" in 1976, a Broadway musical about Henry VIII. - Billboard, 6/24/23.
Speaking with BBC Radio One on June 20, Elton John has revealed that he's created a "brand new show" for his headlining set at the 2023 Glastonbury festival. "I'm starting with a song I haven't played for about 10 years, so we'll see how it goes," he began. "I've got the set list down, I've got rehearsal dates booked for the guest artists, so we just have to hope the weather will still be nice." He continued: "It's a different show to what people have been seeing. On [my] Farewell Yellow Brick Road [tour], there's quite a lot of deep cuts, it's not all hits, and you've got to keep people interested." Although pop/rock superstar didn't provide any details on who may be joining him on stage at the Glastonbury, some fans are already hoping that the line-up may be similar to that of his final US show at L.A.'s Dodger Stadium in 2022, when he was joined by an array of surprise guests including folk-rock singer Brandi Carlile and pop sensation Dua Lipa. Elton is set to take the stage on June 25 in the final night of the three-day festival at Worthy Farm in Glastonbury, UK, when he will perform on the Pyramid Stage as part of the Music Icon slot. The gig will also mark the final date of his mammoth Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which has spanned over 350 dates across the course of five years. In other Elton news, the singer has claimed that a response to UK television host Phillip Schofield's secret affair with a younger colleague was "totally homophobic." Schofield recently departed from his daytime show This Morning after he admitted to an "unwise but not illegal" relationship with a male runner. In the time since the affair came to light, the TV personality has faced immense scrutiny from numerous news outlets and the public. John told the Radio Times that he felt the reaction would be much different if Schofield was straight. "I feel that the Phillip Schofield thing has been totally homophobic," he said. "If it was a straight guy in a fling with a young woman, it wouldn't even make the papers." The 76-year-old music icon also claimed that hatred towards the LBGT+ community was rapidly expanding, and spreading around society "like a virus." - New Musical Express, 6/20/23...... Motown Records has revealed a new partnership with the virtual reality company Second Life and the music integration platform STYNGR for an immersive Motown venue for gamers in which the fabled label's music can be explored. Alvaro Velilla, senior VP for Motown's parent company Universal Music Group, describes the partnership as "unprecedented," one that provides Motown fans "with an unparalleled immersive experience." Visitors to the Motown hub can also nab so-called "Styngs," which enables Second Life participants to attach music snippets to their avatars, like a digital badge. Also, the new space is home to a dedicated Motown Records radio station, curated by Motown and STYNGR, with more experiences and music to roll out in the months ahead. STYNGR specializes in imports curated music from music companies, and has recently struck deals with Warner Music Group, Merlin and Luminate, among others. Founded in Detroit in 1959 by Berry Gordy, Jr., Motown is the home of such legendary acts as Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Martha & The Vandellas, The Four Tops and The Jackson 5. In related news, Capitol Records announced on on June 20 that it's bringing back Tamla Records, the precursor to the legendary Motown label, as a mainstream imprint specializing in positive R&B and hip-hop music. Founded 65 years ago by Berry Gordy Jr., Tamla's first release was the 1959 single "Come to Me" by gospel singer-turned-R&B artist Marv Johnson. Later renamed Motown, Tamla was also the home of icons Wonder, Gaye and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. - Billboard, 6/20/23...... 
As Barry Manilow reached his milestone 80th birthday on June 17, Billboard has compiled a list of the Brooklyn-born crooner's 25 hits on the Hot 100 Top 40, ranked from worst to best. No one but Barry's devout "Fanilows" probably remembers the last three singles on the list -- 1984's "Reed 'Em and Weep" (written by Jim Steinman and first recorded by Meat Loaf in 1981), "Some Kind of Friend" (the highest-charting Hot 100 hit for Manilow's friend and Arista labelmate Melissa Manchester in 1982), and "Oh Julie" (a rockabilly-infused song that wasn't even included in his 2005 2-CD hits collection). However on the other side of the list, 1978's "Even Now" was praised as "a sublime song [that] speaks to how someone's feelings for someone can last long after the relationship has ended," while 1977's 
Promoting his new candid memoir 
'70s political icon Daniel Ellsberg, a former military analyst and anti-war activist whose disclosure of the so-called Pentagon Papers revealed systemic US government deception about the Vietnam War, died of pancreatic cancer on June 16 at his home in Kensington, Calif., according to his family. He was 92. Considered "the patron saint of whistleblowers" for revealing to The New York Times in 1971 that the US knew the Vietnam war was "unwinnable," Mr. Ellsberg spent his life focused on peace and transparency, later co-founding the Freedom of the Press Foundation. In the late 1960s, Mr. Ellsberg was working as a defense analyst for the RAND Corporation when he became disillusioned with US involvement in Vietnam. As part of his work with RAND, Ellsberg had access to classified documents that demonstrated how the US government had systemically lied to the public about the war, and Ellsberg felt compelled to reveal the information. He first approached several US senators in hopes that they could enter the papers into public record, but when that wasn't successful, he leaked all 7,000 pages to the NYT, which published them in 1971. The documents revealed damning information against the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson administrations. While officials spoke optimistically about the war to the public and continued to send troops to Vietnam, they privately knew that the US was losing, with then-Defense Secretary Robert McNamara advising President Lyndon B. Johnson as early as 1967 that American escalation would not win the war and, by some accounts, advocating for withdrawal. Among other revelations, the report showed that President John F. Kennedy had approved the overthrowing of Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem -- whom he and other administrations had previously supported - in 1963, according to the Times. In an unprecedented move, the Richard Nixon administration barred the Times from continuing to publish pages of the report after the first few stories. Ellsberg then leaked the document to The Washington Post, which was also sued by the government. The Supreme Court eventually ruled in favor of the two publications, concluding that the government had not made the case for censorship, and full publication of the Pentagon Papers resumed. Mr. Ellsberg admitted to being the whistleblower and faced 115 years in prison after being charged as a spy under the Espionage Act. He was eventually freed after it was revealed that the Nixon administration wiretapped his conversations, resulting in a mistrial. Mr. Ellsberg announced his cancer diagnosis in March, saying at the time that doctors had given him three to six months to live and that he had decided not to undergo chemotherapy. "Daniel was a seeker of truth and a patriotic truth-teller, an antiwar activist, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, a dear friend to many, and an inspiration to countless more," his family said. "He will be dearly missed by all of us." A public memorial, his family said, will be planned in the coming months. - CNN, 6/16/23.
On June 15 Alice Cooper announced his forthcoming 22nd studio album will be named 
Norman Greenbaum's Top 5 1970 hit 
In a recent interview with the BBC Radio 4's Today talk show, Paul McCartney said that artificial intelligence has allowed him to create a "final" song by The Beatles -- which is set for release later this year. While Sir Paul did not explicitly mention which specific track he is now in the process of completing, it seems likely that the track will be one developed by Lennon back in 1978, titled "Now And Then." Macca reportedly received the demo from Lennon's widow Yoko Ono in 1994. It was featured on a cassette that John had made shortly before his death in 1980, and was titled "For Paul." Surviving members McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr contemplated releasing the song on their career-spanning Anthology series in 1995, although this idea was later scrapped. The Anthology series -- cleaned up by producer Jeff Lynne -- instead featured two other tracks from the cassette, "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love." Completed in 1995 and 1996, both songs were labelled as the band's first "new" material in a quarter of a century. The reason why "Now And Then" failed to make it into the project was due to the extensive work it would need. "The song had a chorus but is almost totally lacking in verses," Lynne once told the BBC. "We did the backing track, a rough go that we really didn't finish." In an interview with Q magazine, Paul also said that the song was withheld from the compilation albums because George disliked it and there were a variety of technical issues in the original recording. "It didn't have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it," he told the publication. "[But] George didn't like it. The Beatles being a democracy, we didn't do it." In recent years, Paul continued to discuss his desire to work on the track again -- particularly after the release of Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary, where dialogue editor Emile de la Rey used new technology to distinguish each member's voice and separate it from background noise. "So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles' record, it was a demo that John had [and] we were able to take John's voice and get it pure through this AI. Then we can mix the record, as you would normally do. So it gives you some sort of leeway." He added: "We just finished it up and it'll be released this year.... It's kind of scary but exciting, because it's the future. We'll just have to see where that leads." - NME, 6/13/23...... In other Beatles-related news, the upcoming biopic based on the band's early '60s manager Brian Epstein, Midas Man, has hired a new director to helm the film. The producers have reportedly hired Joe Stephenson (Doctor Jekyll to take over directorial duties from filmmaker Sara Sugarman (Vinyl) earlier in 2023. Sugarman is said to have left the project over creative differences and scheduling issues, according to sources close to the film. "When I was approached to take the helm of Midas Man, I didn't have to think twice," Stephenson told Deadline.com. "The last twelve weeks have been an epic journey and I can't thank my cast and crew enough. The Brian Epstein story has needed to be told for years and I'm honoured to finally bring it to the big screen." Epstein, the Beatles' manager from 1962 until his untimely death in 1967 at age 32, will be portrayed by UK actor Jacob Fortune-Lloyd. Midas Man has yet to receive a release date. - NME, 6/12/23...... 
The new Gloria Gaynor documentary Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Festival at Spring Studios on June 9 in New York City. Directed by Betsy Schechter, the film was screened to a buzzing audience of a few hundred film and music enthusiasts alike. The documentary is a sublime take on the 79-year-old artist's comeback journey working on a passion gospel project in tandem with the ebbs and flows of her historical career. Despite being an established name in music well into her seventies, Gaynor contends with enduring past freak accidents, ageism, abuse and pivoting music genres. The film and Gaynor share themes of owning who you are and love, maintaining perseverance and inclusivity, and breaking down barriers for other Black and female artists. After suffering a fall onstage performing in New York's Beacon Theatre in 1978, Gaynor recalls how she woke up one day suddenly unable to move and without a record deal. Luckily, Polydor Records reached out to her, seeking to have her re-record the insanely popular UK song "Substitute" as the A-side, and 
Appearing on CBS Sunday Morning on June 4, original 
Paul McCartney's new book of unseen Beatles photos, 
Joni Mitchell has announced the release of a new live album of her comeback live performance at Newport Folk Festival in July 2022. At Newport: Featuring the Joni Jam drops on July 28, and features Joni's 13-song "Joni Jam" that featured country singer Brandi Carlile on the tracks "Carey," "A Case of You" and "Big Yellow Tax." Meanwhile, on June 10, Mitchell gave her first headline performance in 23 years at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington state. The Canadian folk/rock legend recently opened up about her endeavours to re-learn the guitar in a recent interview with CBS Mornings, explaining that her ability to play guitar was one of the skills she lost following her aneurysm. "I'm learning. I'm looking at videos that are on the net, to see where to put my fingers," she said of her progress. "It's amazing... when you have an aneurysm, you don't know how to get into a chair. You don't know how to get out of bed. You have to learn all these things again. You're going back to infancy, almost." In 2022, Mitchell released the latest installment of her archival release series: a box-set of her albums issued on Asylum Records between 1972 and 1975. - NME, 6/10/23...... After the American Federation of Musicans' Local 802 union objected to David Byrne's planned usage of pre-recorded music in "Here Lies Love" Broadway musical in May, the former Talking Heads frontman has agreed that the production will go ahead with 12 musicians, all of whom are union members. "We are proud to announce that 'Here Lies Love' will have live music in the form of 12 musicians. Please see our statement on the agreement we've reached: pic.twitter.com/DTA52d5OWV," the union 
On June 10 Neil Young announced a West Coast US tour -- his first trek in four years -- during which he'll play songs rarely or never performed live before. Young's itinerary has 13 dates announced so far, including Los Angeles (7/1,2,4,5); Santa Barbara, Calif. (7/7); Paso Robles, Calif. (7/8); San Diego (7/11); Los Angeles (7/13); Berkeley, Calif. (7/15); Bend, Ore. (7/17); Ridgefield, Wash. (7/18); Auburn, Wash. (7/20); and Napa, Calif. (7/23). In a Zoom call with subscribers of his Neil Young Archives website on June 7, Young revealed he'll be playing around 15 songs that he has rarely or never played live before. "I don't want to come back and do the same songs again," he said. "I'll feel like I was on some sort of carnival ride. I'd rather be doing these others songs I haven't done.... I won't have to compare how I'm doing 'Heart of Gold' to [how I played it in] 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020.... They're not new songs. They're old songs. But I wake up with them in my head every morning." He added: "They are songs that apply to my life right now, and apply to everyone's lives in this era that we're in. Some of them were written 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago, but never really played live." - NME, 6/10/23...... Giles Martin, the music producer son of the late Beatles studio wizard George Martin, insists The Beatles "wouldn't have made" Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band without The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Giles, 53, has just worked his magic on a new mix of the seminal 1966 Pet Sounds album -- which featured the hit singles "God Only Knows" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" -- in Dolby Atmos, which is available to stream now. Martin heaped praise on BB principal Brian Wilson, 80, and insisted the Fab Four's 1967 masterpiece wouldn't sound like it does without taking influence from Pet Sounds. Recalling a conversation with his dad, Giles shared with MusicRadar.com: "I was with my dad on a plane once, and I just suddenly realised how awesome he was. I said to him 'Dad, what you did with The Beatles was kind of amazing, wasn't it' and he looked at me and said: 'not as amazing as Brian Wilson'. He explained to me that The Beatles always had him, and he had The Beatles. But Brian Wilson didn't have anyone, and he went and made this record. Without this record, The Beatles wouldn't have made Sgt Pepper." Giles adds thanks to Dolby Atmos technology, fans can hear instruments they never heard before on the original mix. Giles previously created Dolby Atmos mixes for a series of special Beatles releases, including 2022's acclaimed Revolver reissue. - Music-News.com, 6/8/23...... Concertgoers at the upcoming 2023 edition of the UK's legendary Glastonbury festival have been invited to take part in another record-breaking attempt to form the world's largest ever human "peace sign." This follows the last attempt in 2017 when around 15,000 people met at the festival to break the previous record, set by a crowd of 5,814 in New York in 2009. SJ Smallpage, who helped organize the 2017 record, said at the time: "I feel very humbled that people have joined together for something that represents everything that is good about Glastonbury, everything that is good about humanity." On June 7, a tweet from the festival's information page was posted that said: "A message to the world of Peace, Unity and Love. On Thursday June 22 at 11.30am in Kings Meadow, unite with us in the Green Fields to send out the message once again!" The likes of Blondie, Lizzo, Lana Del Ray and Wizkid are set to perform at the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset from June 23-25, with headline performances also coming from Guns N' Roses and Elton John, an experience he promised will be "wonderful." "I have played festivals, and have really enjoyed them," Sir Elton said recently. "But of course Glastonbury is the crme de la crme. To be honest with you, it's the first time I've been asked to play it. It's just come at the right time. I'm a great believer in serendipity and fate - this is the most wonderful way to sign off in England." - NME, 6/8/23...... 
KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has surprised many in the UK with his call for the restoration of power sharing in Northern Ireland. According to the BBC, Simmons appeared to argue that Stormont -- the Northern Ireland Assembly -- must be restored to look after people's needs, and that he hopes "everything gets back in order in Northern Ireland and the people's business should be done by their elected officials." His comments came as he was visiting Parliament as a guest of the Democratic Unionist Party MP Ian Paisley. "One of our crew happened I guess to know him or they discussed something, and I guess he was a big fan," Simmons told the BBC, revealing that the band's private jet was struggling to find a place to land in the UK for their tour before Paisley stepped in. Simmons later 
Brazilian bossa nova singer Astrud Gilberto, famous for her 1964 hit 
Billy Joel announced on June 1 that his epic, decade-long residency at New York's Madison Square Garden will come to an end in 2024 after 150 shows. The 74-year-old piano man was joined by New York Mayor Eric Adams for a press conference that revealed a final 10-show run by Joel at the famous venue will kick-off on Oct. 20 and wrap early next year. "There's only one thing that's more New York than Billy Joel -- and that's a Billy Joel concert at MSG," Mayor Adams said. "For more than 50 years, Billy's music has defined our city and brought us together. On behalf of 8.5 million New Yorkers, congratulations, Billy, on a historic run of sold-out shows at MSG, and thank you for a lifetime of bringing joy to us all." "If you google Billy Joel's house, they showed Madison Square Garden, which is kind of cool," Joel quipped during the presser. "I never found my bedroom though." Joel's MSG residency was announced nearly a decade ago, in Dec. 2013. After the first performance, in Jan. 2014, the singer went on to set MSG records: Most Lifetime Performances By Any Artist (136 shows) and Most Consecutive Performances (90 shows). Although he hasn't released an album of new material since 1993, in 2018 he told The New York Times that his touring business "is bigger now than it was at the height of my recording career." In 2006 he set the venue record for most consecutive performances by an artist with 12 gigs in a row, which was celebrated with a "Joel-12" banner getting raised to the building's rafters. Joel said the idea for the residency was born after he was recovering from hip surgery, and he decided to play one a month as long as fans kept showing up. And they did, with Joel breaking his own 12-show record within a year, then hitting his 100th lifetime gig in July 2018, prompting then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo to dub July 18, 2018 "Billy Joel Day." After that performance, he told The Times he didn't think he would keep the residency going long enough to play 200 shows. "I'm still exhausted from the other night, which didn't used to happen," Joel said. "I don't think I'll have the physical wherewithal to do it five years from now. If I can't do it as well I want to, I'll take myself out of the lineup... I love the game too much to not play it well," he added. Tickets for the final MSG shows will go on sale to the general public on June 9 and be available at the MSG box office the following day. - Billboard, 6/1/23...... Country singer Tanya Tucker made what is believed to be a first in the 97-year-old history of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on June 2 when she rode a horse onto the stage at the beginning of her set. Tucker, who had a country hit in 1973 with a version of 
On June 5 Brian Eno announced on 
Grammy-winning lyricist Cynthia Weil, who wrote dozens of indelible pop hits with husband Barry Mann over a six-decade career including such classics as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" for The Righteous Brothers and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" for The Animals, died on June 2 of undisclosed causes. She was 82. Ms. Weil and Barry Mann were one of the most formidable songwriting teams to set up residence at producer Don Kirshner's Aldon Music on 1650 Broadway in Manhattan in the 1960s, which housed fellow pop songwriting powerhouses such as Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Born on Oct. 18, 1940 in New York City, Ms. Weil studied ballet and piano as a child, but after graduating from Sarah Lawrence University with a theater major she scored a job working for composer Frank Loesser at 20 and soon met Mann, whom she married in 1961. After scoring their first hit that year with Tony Orlando's "Bless You," the pair became regular collaborators with "Wall of Sound" producer Phil Spector, with whom they worked on The Ronettes' "Walking in the Rain" and The Crystals' "He's Sure the Boy I Love." The couple landed their most enduring chart-topper in 1965 with the blue-eyed soul smash "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," a No. 1 hit produced by Spector that has been covered dozens of times and became "the most-played song on radio and TV in the 20th century," according to BMI. The 1970s brought collabs with rockers Blood Sweat & Tears ("So Long Dixie"), B.J. Thomas ("Here You Come Again ) and The Grass Roots ("Mamacita"), as their hot streak continued into the 1980s with Bill Medley's "Don't Know Much," which was a No. 2 hit for Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville in 1989, winning a Grammy in 1990 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Weil and Mann also wrote hits for the likes of Dionne Warwick, Bette Midler, The Pointer Sisters and Jeffrey Osborne, and as a solo composer composed hits for the Pointers ("He's So Shy"), Barry Manilow, Lionel Richie ("Running with the Night"), Peabo Bryson, Chaka Khan, Sheena Easton and Martina McBride. Ms. Weil received the Ahmet Ertegun Award at the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (which she shared with Mann), and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, and landed the first-ever National Academy of Songwriters Life Achievement Award (both with Mann), as well as the Songwriting Hall of Fame's highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award in 2011. Mann & Weil received a trustees award from the Recording Academy in 2015. "We lost the beautiful, brilliant lyricist Cynthia Weil Mann," Carole King said in a statement. "The four of us were close, caring friends despite our fierce competition to write the next hit for an artist with a #1 song.... May the legacy of lyrics by Cynthia Weil continue to speak to and for generations to come. Rest in peace with love and gratitude." Ms. Weil is survived by Mann, 84, and their daughter, Jenn. - Billboard, 6/2/23...... 
Actor Barry Newman, best known for his starring role in the 1971 action film