Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 1st, 2023

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.