Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on August 20th, 2023

On Aug. 19 Joni Mitchell announced the third volume of her ongoing archival project. Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) will be an 8-LP vinyl set featuring rarities, unheard tracks and more from three of the singer/songwriter's mid-'70s LP's: For the Roses (1972), Court and Spark (1974) and The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975). It will arrive on Oct. 6 and follow 2020's Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963 - 1967) and 2021's Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971). A new demo version of Mitchell's 1974 #7 hit "Help Me" which will appear on The Asylum Years has been shared on YouTube. In July, Mitchell released a live album of her surprise 2022 comeback gig at the Newport Folk Festival, Joni Mitchell at Newport. - New Musical Express, 8/19/23...... A three-judge panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal found on Aug. 18 that the lawsuits of two Michael Jackson sexual abuse accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, should not have been dismissed by a lower court, and that the men can validly claim that the two Jackson-owned corporations that were named as defendants in the cases had a responsibility to protect them. It's the second time the lawsuits -- brought by Robson in 2013 and Safechuck the following year -- have been brought back after dismissal. The two men became more widely known for telling their stories in the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. A judge who dismissed the suits in 2021 found that the corporations, MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc., could not be expected to function like "the Boy Scouts or a church where a child in their care could expect their protection." Jackson, who died in 2009, was the sole owner and only shareholder in the companies. Now the higher court judges have disagreed, writing that "a corporation that facilitates the sexual abuse of children by one of its employees is not excused from an affirmative duty to protect those children merely because it is solely owned by the perpetrator of the abuse." They added that "it would be perverse to find no duty based on the corporate defendant having only one shareholder. And so we reverse the judgments entered for the corporations." Jonathan Steinsapir, attorney for the Jackson estate, said they were "disappointed" in the ruling. Robson, now a 40-year-old choreographer, met Jackson when he was 5 years old. He went on to appear in three Jackson music videos. His lawsuit alleged that Jackson molested him over a seven-year period. Safechuck, now 45, said in his suit that he was 9 when he met Jackson while filming a Pepsi commercial. He said Jackson called him often and lavished him with gifts before moving on to sexually abusing him. - AP, 8/18/23...... Former Saturday Night Live cast member David Spade has recalled the time in Nov. 1991 when David Bowie was the musical guest on the show, and suggested that he himself play a receptionist that "stops you because he thinks they're better than you," rather than the celebrity who was never seen. "This [sketch] is so f---ing funny," Spade recalls Bowie telling him in a phone conversation at the time. "'This is exactly my life and these people I see.' And he goes, 'One tweak: Can I play the receptionist?'" Bowie added that it was "the funnier part" and that playing himself was "kind of boring" because "everyone's seen that." However, Spade turned down the request because he hoped it might become a recurring character. Spade also said he couldn't believe that he refused the legendary musician's suggestion, who came back with: "Well, what if the sketch never gets on [the show]?" But in the end, the sketch did not get picked up as a recurring one, and Spade recalled Bowie coming up to him at the end of the episode to say: "Hey, sorry man, I get what was going on and I shouldn't have been, like, a little chilly about it." - NME, 8/19/23...... Music from The Band's catalog has gained in streaming sales after the Aug. 9 death of band co-founder Robbie Robertson. The Band's catalog is paced by a No. 1 re-entry for classic song "The Weight" on Billboard's LyricFind U.S. and LyricFind Global tallies, which rank the fastest momentum-gaining tracks in lyric-search queries and usages in the U.S. and globally. According to LyricFind, 'The Weight" spiked by 1,878% in lyric usages and searches in the Aug. 4-10 tracking week. Globally, the count was up 1,846%. The Band songs "Chest Fever" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" appear at Nos. 6 and 9 on the U.S. survey, followed by Robertson solo tracks "Showdown at Big Sky" (No. 12) and "Somewhere Down the Crazy River" (No. 17). "Crazy Fever" (No. 15) and "Showdown at Big Sky" (No. 20) also made the Global list. The Band also racked up 4.7 million official on-demand streams in the U.S. Aug. 4-10, up 56% from 3 million the previous week (July 28-Aug. 3). The group also accrued 4,000 paid song downloads, up 815%, and moved 2,000 in album sales, a 278% surge. Robertson's solo material, meanwhile, earned 499,000 on-demand streams, a jump of 644%. - Billboard, 8/17/23...... In a new interview with People magazine, David Byrne said that he regrets the way Talking Heads split up, explaining that he was a "little tyrant" at the time. "As a younger person, I was not as pleasant to be around," Byrne says. " When I was working on some Talking Heads shows, I was more of a little tyrant. And then I learned to relax, and I also learned that collaborating with people, both sides get more if there's a good relationship instead of me telling everybody what to do. I think [the end] wasn't handled well. It was kind of ugly." The group, whose members have had a complicated relationship since their breakup in 1991, recently announced that they would be reuniting for a Q&A at the Toronto International Film Fest in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their legendary concert film, Stop Making Sense. The event will mark the band's first public appearance together in over 20 years. Talking Heads previously reunited in 1999 to promote the 15th-anniversary reissue of their film, and in 2002, they came together to perform four songs at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony which marked their only live performance since 1984. Earlier in 2023, Talking Heads honored Seymour Stein, the founder of their Sire Records label, after his passing at the age of 80. - NME, 8/17/23...... Elton John was spotted at a dinner party also attended by actor Kevin Spacey on Aug. 16, one month after giving testimony in the actor's sexual assault trial in the UK. In a video uploaded by a band named The Snugglers on Instagram, the pair are seen alongside John's husband David Furnish having dinner at restaurant La Petite Maison in Nice, France. On July 26, Spacey was cleared of nine sexual offence charges in London after a four-week trial, including seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity. Spacey was accused of the charges by four men, in incidents alleged to have taken place between 2001 and 2013. John and Furnish both provided evidence in the trial, where they shared recollections around a 2001 party hosted by them at the latter's home in Windsor. In testimony via video link, John said Spacey had attended the annual White Tie and Tiara Ball in 2001, but not any other year. One of Spacey's alleged victims claimed he was sexually assaulted by the actor on the way to the ball in 2002, which Spacey denied attending. In Furnish's testimony, he remembered Spacey attending the ball in 2001, saying "as an Oscar-winning actor, there was a lot of excitement he was at the ball." Ahead of the trial, Spacey denied all the charges and described the prosecution's case against him as "weak." Spacey will be featured in the upcoming thriller Control, where he provides the voice of the main antagonist, later in 2023. - NME, 8/18/23...... It was announced on Aug. 17 that Primary Wave Music has purchased the publishing rights of Styx member Dennis DeYoung, encompassing the majority of his compositions and master recordings. This includes Styx hits "Come Sail Away," "Babe," "Mr. Roboto," "Lady," "The Best of Times," and more. Primary Wave has recently also acquired entirely or an interest in the publishing and/or recording artist royalty income of members of such bands as Kool & The Gang, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doors, The Ramones and Huey Lewis and the News. - Billboard, 8/17/23...... The BMI music rights organization has announced it will present ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons with its Troubadour Award on Sept. 18, during a private reception at BMI's Nashville office. While Gibbons is also known as a premier guitarist and entertainer through his musical accomplishments with ZZ Top, this accolade honors his songwriting work, as a composer who has "made a profound impact on the creative community as their craft continues to set the pace for generations to follow," according to a press release. As the chief songwriter for ZZ Top, Gibbons' writing credits include "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs," "Cheap Sunglasses" and "La Grange," the lead single from the band's breakthrough album Tres Hombres, which garnered them mainstream success 50 years ago. "With a career spanning several decades, Billy has penned an array of timeless hits that have left an indelible mark on the music industry," Clay Bradley, BMI's vp of creative, Nashville, said in a statement. "His ability to craft lyrics that resonate with audiences across generations is a testament to his songwriting prowess and he is the epitome of what the BMI Troubadour Award represents." Previous Troubadour Award recipients have included John Hiatt, John Prine, Robert Earl Keen and Lucinda Williams. - Billboard, 8/16/23...... Stevie Nicks has said that after watching the new Amazon Prime series Daisy Jones & The Six, the new Amazon miniseries loosely based on Nicks and her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Lindsey Buckingham's tortured romance, she was not sold. But after giving it another chance, lead actress Riley Keough -- who stars as the titular Daisy in the show -- changed her mind, Nicks shared in an Aug. 15 post to her Instagram account. "Just finished watching @daisyjonesand6 for the 2nd time. In the beginning, it wasn't really my story, but Riley seamlessly, soon became my story. It brought back memories that made me feel like a ghost watching my own story," Nicks wrote, adding that "it was very emotional for me" and "I just wish [late Fleetwood Mac member] Christine [McVie] could have seen it. She would have loved it. Hopefully it will continue." Following the series premiere in March, Daisy Jones & The Six -- an entirely fictional band -- topped Billboard's Emerging Artists chart (dated March 18), while the act's debut album, Aurora, debuted at No. 1 on the Soundtracks chart. - Billboard, 8/16/23...... On Aug. 14 Smokey Robinson won a protracted legal battle with a former manager who claimed he was owed nearly $1 million in touring profits from the legendary Motown singer. Following a three-day trial that saw extended testimony from the "Tears of a Clown" singer himself, an eight-person federal jury found that Robinson did not owe those profits under a contract he signed with Eric Podwall, capping off more than six years of litigation over the soured partnership. Ahead of the verdict, Podwall had argued that Robinson agreed to pay 10% of all compensation, which included revenue from more than 100 concerts between 2013 and 2016. But Robinson argued back that the deal had only been intended to cover a small set of income, like film and television fees. In a statement, Robinson's lawyer Sasha Frid of Miller Barondess LLP called the verdict "a great result and victory for Smokey." Podwall first sued Robinson in 2016, claiming the music icon had signed a "binding written agreement" with him in 2012 for management services. He claimed Robinson had agreed to pay 10% of all compensation Robinson received for Robinson's services rendered or created during the term of the agreement. Podwall argued that he then guided Robinson through key business deals and more than 100 concerts, but that the star had later reneged on the deal. But during the three-day trial last week, Robinson and his lawyers told jurors that the agreement had not been intended to cover revenue from touring, with which Podwall had little involvement. Smokey himself took the witness stand on Aug. 11. - Billboard, 8/16/23...... Chic's Nile Rodgers is condemning a far-right political party in Switzerland known as the Swiss People's Party (SVP) for allegedly using a "sound-alike" version of the Sister Sledge hit "We Are Family," which Rodgers wrote and produced, for a political video. "I wrote 'We Are Family' to be the ultimate song about inclusion and diversity at all levels, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion or sexual orientation," Rodgers posted on his X (Twitter) account on Aug. 15. "I condemn its use by the SVP (Swiss People's Party) or anyone else not keeping with the values of the song and all decent people. The purpose of the song is to bring joy to all with no exclusions!," he added. Rodgers also said that music publishers who own an interest in the song including Hipgnosis Songs, Sony Music, and WarnerChappell "are all working to have the SVP cease and desist their use of the song." The SVP have yet to respond to Rodgers' claims. - NME, 8/16/23...... The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame inside Boston's Boch Center Wang Theatre has announced a new Bruce Springsteen will open on Sept. 13. "Bruce Springsteen: Portraits of an American Music Icon" will feature an intimate look at "The Boss" through the lens of close friends, photographers, and family members. Curated by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, the exhibit will include over 40 photographs from six notable Springsteen photographers: Danny Clinch, Ed Gallucci, Eric Meola, Ron Pownall, Barry Schneier, Pamela Springsteen and Frank Stefanko. The FARHOF museum also showcases instruments and items of historical significance from such artists as Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Josh White, Oscar Brand, and many more. Tour tickets are $25 for adults and $17 for children, and for more info visit www.farhof.org. - Music-News.com, 8/19/23...... In other Springsteen-related news, the rocker posted on his X (formerly known as Twitter) page that his concerts with the E Street Band at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on August 16 and 18 have been postponed due to illness. "We are working on rescheduling the dates so please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled shows," the post reads. This is the second time Springsteen has had to postpone shows on this tour. In March, he postponed and rescheduled three shows due to an unspecified illness. When asked to comment, Springsteen's reps referred to his X post. Initially announced in 2020 in support of his chart-topping Letter to You album, Springsteen and the band were forced to delay their tour twice because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2023 tour marks Springsteen's first major worldwide tour since his "The River Tour" six years ago. - Billboard, 8/16/23...... Michael Parkinson, a legendary British chat show host who championed countless musicians across his career on TV including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Tina Turner, David Bowie, George Michael, Robbie Williams and many more died on Aug. 16. He was 88. Parky, as he was affectionately known in his homeland, hosted a talk show that was a "must-see" staple on British TV, and while his predilection was for adult-leaning, often jazz-oriented performers, he also featured almost every big name in the pop music scene. Starting out as a print journalist, Mr. Parkinson became a producer at the commercial British TV channel Granada in the late 1960s. He became the archetypal chat show presenter via a weekly program for BBC1 which began in 1971 and ran on Saturday nights for 361 editions until 1982. His Parkinson show continued from 1998 until his retirement in Dec. 2007, with a star-studded finale which included such guests as David Beckham, Michael Caine, David Attenborough, Judi Dench, Billy Connolly and Cullum. Mr. Parkinson was saluted on numerous occasions for his work, and in 1998 became a Gold Badge recipient and 10 years later, was Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to broadcasting. Paying tribute on Instagram, Elton John described Mr. Parksinson as "a TV legend who was one of the greats... I loved his company and his incredible knowledge of cricket and Barnsley Football Club. A real icon who brought out the very best in his guests. Condolences and love to Mary and his family." - Billboard, 8/18/23...... Music industry giant Jerry Moss, who co-founded A&M Records with Herb Alpert and was ultimately inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, passed away at his home in Bel Air, Calif., on Aug. 16, according to a statement released by his family. He was 88. For more than 25 years, Alpert and Mr. Moss presided over one of the industry's most successful independent labels, releasing such blockbuster albums as Alpert's Whipped Cream & Other Delights, Carole King's Tapestry (on the A&M-distributed label Ode), and Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive!. A&M was also home to such major acts as Joe Cocker, The Carpenters, Cat Stevens, The Police, Janet Jackson, Soundgarden, Suzanne Vega, The Go-Gos and Sheryl Crow. Born in New York City and an English major at Brooklyn College, Mr. Moss had wanted to work in show business since waiting tables in his 20s and noticing that the entertainment industry patrons seemed to be having so much fun. After a six-month Army stint, he found work as a promoter for Coed Records and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he met and befriended Herb Alpert, a trumpeter, songwriter and entrepreneur. With an investment of $100 each, they formed Carnival Records and had a local hit with "Tell It to the Birds," an Alpert ballad released under the name of his son, Dore Alpert. After learning that another company was called Carnival, Alpert and Moss used the initials of their last names and renamed their business A&M, working out an office in Alpert's garage and designing the distinctive logo with the trumpet across the bottom. For several years they specialized in "easy listening" acts such as Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Brazilian artist Sergio Mendes and the folk-rock trio The Sandpipers. After attending the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, rock's first major festival, Mr. Moss began adding rock performers, including Cocker, Procol Harum, Free, Styx and Humble Pie. One of their biggest triumphs was Frampton Comes Alive! a live double album from 1976 that sold more than 6 million copies in its first year and transformed Frampton from mid-level performer to superstar. "Peter was a huge live star in markets like Detroit and San Francisco, so we made a suggestion that he make a live record," Moss told Rolling Stone in 2002. "What he was doing onstage wasn't like the records -- it was outrageously better. I remember being at the mix of Frampton Comes Alive! at Electric Lady studios, and I was so blown away I asked to make it a double album." A&M continued to expand their catalog through the 1970s and '80s, taking on The Police, Squeeze, Joe Jackson and other British New Wave artists, R&B musicians Janet Jackson and Barry White and country rockers .38 Special and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. By the late '80s, Alpert and Mr. Moss were operating out of a Hollywood lot where Charlie Chaplin once made movies, but they struggled to keep up with ever-higher recording contracts and sold A&M to Polygram for an estimated $500 million. They remained at the label, but clashed with Polygram's management and left in 1993; one of their last signings was a singer-musician from Kennett, Mo., named Sheryl Crow. (Alpert and Moss later sued Polygram for violating their contract's integrity clause and reached a $200 million settlement.) For a few years, Alpert and Mr. Moss ran Almo Records, where performers included Garbage, Imogen Heap and Gillian Welch. Several artists who worked with Mr. Moss have shared rememberances and tributes on social media, including Herb Alpert, Peter Frampton, Dionne Warwick, Sting, Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, Amy Grant and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mr. Moss' survivors include his second wife, Tina Morse, and three children. - Billboard, 8/16/23.

Twenty-five letters sent to George Harrison's mother Louise Harrison during the height of '60s Beatlemania from a young fan named Janet Gray are due to go under the hammer at the Liverpool Beatles Memorabilia Auction on Aug. 26. The pair are said to have had regular written correspondence between 1963 and 1966, and in one of the letters, Louise reavealed that she was "disgusted" at how audiences would scream throughout the Beatles' live shows. "I was disgusted at the way the so-called fans just screamed" at one of the Beatles' gigs in Manchester, Louise wrote. "Nobody with any sense would pay and queue for a ticket just to stand on a seat and scream and not hear one sound from the stage," she added. "I was really ashamed I was a female." The letter in question is expected to fetch £100-£150. Offering Gray some advice regarding her home life, Louise wrote: "I hope you will try and remember that your mum is your best friend, even if you don't see eye-to-eye on some issues. Thank God I get on fine with all my four children and they with each other." Per BeatlesStory.com, Louise and George's father Harold would "invite fans into their home and loved chatting to fans about their son's success." The late musician's mother -- who died in 1970, aged 59 -- is said to have replied to thousands of letters from Beatles fans around the world. In another letter dated Aug. 14, 1966, Louise expressed her concern for her famous son's health, mentioned a minor car crash he'd been involved in, and admitted to feeling overwhelmed by all the fan mail she had received. "I am hoping the boys will have a successful tour of America despite all the rumours we have heard," she wrote. More info on the upcoming auction can be found at BeatlesAuction.co.uk. - The BBC/New Musical Express, 8/15/23...... In other Beatles-related news, Dolly Parton shared her cover of "Let It Be" featuring Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mick Fleetwood and Peter Frampton on YouTube on Aug. 18. The country superstar's take on the Beatles classic is taken from her forthcoming 49th solo studio album, Rockstar, which will drop Nov. 17. Parton previously shared a cover of Queen's "We Are the Champions" from the new album. - NME, 8/15/23...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Alice Cooper has told the Ohio radio station QFM96 that he believes the Beatles would "absolutely" have reunited if John Lennon hadn't been murdered in 1980, a decade after the rock legends split acrimoniously. "Absolutely," Cooper said. "Here's the thing about them. When they were after each other's throats, when it came to the breakup and all that stuff, if anybody in the Vampires back in those days -- that was our drinking club -- if anybody said anything bad about Paul, John would take a swing at you, because that was his best friend. If anybody said anything about John to Paul, Paul would walk out of the room. He'd just walk out. Because you are not allowed to talk about their best friends. They were best friends no matter what was going on in the whole thing." Alice, 75, suggested Lennon wanted to make their music "more political" and that McCartney wasn't keen. He added: "One went one way, and one went the other. I think John wanted to be more political. Paul was not into that that much." The Coop's '70s L.A. drinking club, which also included the likes of Lennon, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson, shares a name with his current supergroup the Hollywood Vampires with Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, and more. Meanwhile, Cooper has released the third single from his new LP Road, which is set to drop on Aug. 25. Alice said of the song: "'Welcome to the Show' is just that: telling the audience here it is. The show is ready to go, and we are fully loaded. Here it comes!" Road is Alice's first new music since his 2021 LP Detroit Stories, for which he has reunited with longtime rock producer Bob Ezrin. He recently wrapped a summer tour with the Hollywood Vampires. Music-News.com, 8/15/23...... Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback, a new documentary that takes an in-depth look at the historical live-aired special dubbed the superstar's "comeback" performance on Dec. 3, 1968, premieres Aug. 15 on the Paramount+ streaming channel. Recorded before live studio audience in Burbank, Calif., the special was one of the most-watched programs of that year and marked a major turning point for the King of Rock 'n' Roll's career. In the new doc, fans can hear from the special's original director, Steve Binder, as well as interviews with Elvis experts, memories from Elvis' audience members and new versions of Elvis hits by musicians including Darius Rucker and Maffio. As a bonus, fans can see scenes that were cut from the original special. A trailer for the film has been shared on YouTube. Meanwhile, Elvis's Cherry Red Hagstrom Viking II Gibson guitar he played in his '68 comeback special has just been officially valued at $5 million, which would make it the world's most valuable guitar. With Elvis' evergreen appeal -- he remains a musical phenomenon 46 years after his untimely 1977 death and in the past year alone Baz Luhrmann's ELVIS biopic has been a critical and commercial smash hit -- that $5 million valuation may already be on the conservative side, and overtake the previous record by Kurt Cobain's 1959 Martin D-18E played by the Nirvana legend in the band's MTV Unplugged special - Billboard/Music-News.com, 8/14/23...... Bob Dylan has spoken out on the death of his "lifelong friend" Robbie Robertson, who died after an unspecified long illness on Aug. 9. "This is shocking news," Dylan said in a statement provided to Billboard. "Robbie was a lifelong friend. His passing leaves a vacancy in the world." Robertson, whom Dylan famously called a "mathematical guitar genius," played guitar with Dylan starting in the mid-1960s, after Dylan became aware of Levon and the Hawks, an early iteration of what became The Band. The Hawks backed Dylan for several months, with their efforts captured on 1998's The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966: The Royal Albert Hall Concert. Robertson also played on Dylan's legendary 1966 album Blonde on Blonde, and Dylan and The Band famously recorded in 1967 at Big Pink, the house several members of The Band rented in West Saugerties, N.Y. Robertson and Dylan continued to collaborate for decades, including The Band covering Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" on 1971's Cahoots album and touring together in 1974, as well as recording Dylan's No. 1 studio album Planet Waves together. Meanwhile, Bruce Springsteen dedicated his emotional 2020 ballad "I'll See You in My Dreams" from his 2020 album with the E Street Band, Letter to You, to Robertson during his 2023 North American tour kick-off at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Aug. 9. To my good friend Robbie Robertson," Springsteen said before the band kicked into the song. The sentimental track is an a tribute to a lost loved one in which Springsteen takes solace in a dream world reunion as he surrounds himself with the departed's books and records. Fan-shot footage of the performance can be viewed on Twitter. - Billboard, 8/11/23...... Stevie Nicks has shared a lengthy statement on how the recent wildfires that have devastated several areas near her home in Lahaina, Hawaii, have affected her and her neighbors. "As I am sure you have heard -- the island, Maui, where I own a house I have been staying at since the 80s -- and the small village, city, most magical place on earth, Lahaina, burned to the ground over the last few days," the Fleetwood Mac frontlady posted on Instagram on Aug. 12. "And to make the situation worse my young niece, her husband, and their little boy had just arrived for a very needed vacation before she started up her school year (on her way to becoming a psychologist) for 10 days. They had one and a half days of fun and then -- the fire started." She continued: "The power went out at 5:12am (Tuesday morning) but they had no idea why -- It was still out at noon, realising that many surrounding houses had also lost power. It was a mystery. My house is 15 to 20 minutes from Lahaina -- but still no one knew about the fire. We knew here in Houston, but there was no way to get Jessi (my niece) on the phone. The entire area of Lahaina and everything around it was down. But here in Houston we knew." She went on to say that the island "defined Fleetwood Mac": "This island, in so many ways, defines Fleetwood Mac and me and our families. Mick [Fleetwood] and I came here in 1978, went up to Kula to look at a huge, beautiful house and stood in front of it listening to the gentle magical wind. He said to me, 'I will live and die on this island.' I knew he was telling the truth. John [McVie] also lived here in Maui for a long time -- Christine [McVie] never lived here but visited many times." Fleetwood, 76, was in Los Angeles visiting family when the wildfire broke out and flew back immediately, bringing relief supplies with him. He has yet to visit the ruins of his restaurant, which was about to celebrate its 11th anniversary this week, in the historic coastal town of Lahaina. "What I can do and I'm doing is being an advocate to say 'pay attention to what is going on'... that's actually way more helpful than going down and crying in Lahaina... that will happen, I'm sure, but not now," Fleetwood stated. At least 93 people have died since the fires broke out. - NME/Music-News.com, 8/13/23...... Lionel Richie infuriated fans on Aug. 12 when he cancelled a sold-out concert at New York's Madison Square Garden an hour after the start time by blaming bad weather. Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire had been due to headline the show, however with fans already at the venue for a 7:30 p.m. start time the gig was cancelled -- with Richie stating his plane was unable to land in New York due to the rain. "Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I'm unable to make it to the show tonight," he tweeted at 8.31 p.m. He then announced the show would be moved to Monday, writing: "I'm so bummed. We are rescheduling the show to Monday Aug 14. Can't wait to perform for you all. Tickets for tonight's show are valid for the show on Monday." However, fans who'd come from out of town to see the star were still angered at being left out of pocket, or because they couldn't make the new date. Video from inside the arena showed fans booing, while others shared their unhappiness on social media. - Music-News.com, 8/14/23...... ABBA and Polar Music International AB have announced that an ABBA: The Movie - Fan Event will be coming to cinemas worldwide for two nights only on Sept. 17 and 19, transporting audiences to the disco era when the Swedish icons first ruled the charts and hearts of millions. Directed by the acclaimed Swedish director Lasse Hallström and starring Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA: The Movie captures the electrifying energy of the band's highly successful tour of Australia. The remastered film showcases the extraordinary footage and features electrifying renditions of ABBA's timeless hits, including chart-toppers such as "Dancing Queen," "SOS," "Name Of The Game" and "Waterloo." Tickets go on sale 16 August. Visit AbbaTheMovie.com for screening details and a full list of participating countries. - Music-News.com, 8/13/23...... Marvin Gaye's landmark 1973 album Let's Get It On is getting a 50th anniversary digital reissue with 18 never-before-released songs. Arriving Aug. 25 via Motown, the collection is comprised of 33 bonus tracks, and among the unreleased cuts are tracks recorded in 1974 for an album that never saw the light of day but was re-made in 1997 and became Vulnerable. The album's milestone will also be marked with a special event at the GRAMMY Museum on Aug. 23, featuring Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Jam and the biographer of the tome Divided Soul, David Ritz. Gaye was shot dead by his father in 1984, just a day before his 45th birthday. In 2021, Warner Bros. acquired the film rights for a Gaye biopic titled What's Going On. Allen Hughes will direct the film -- which is expected to have a budget of more than $80 million -- about the legendary soul singer, and he will produce the movie alongside Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine and Andrew Lazar. As well as showing how his music was a huge part of popular culture for decades, the film will also touch on the life of women who influenced his career, and his relationship with his father. It was initially revealed in 2018 that Dre was making a movie about Gaye, following a string of failed attempts by others to bring his life story to the big screen. - Music-News.com, 8/11/23...... Speaking of biopics, the trailer and key art for an upcoming Marc Bolan and T. Rex documentary, AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex have bee shared on YouTube. It tells the story of the Glam Rock leader and early punk champion and had its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. A BMG Production, the film was written and directed by Ethan Silverman with producer Bill Curbishley, and celebrates the late British rocker with a behind-the-scenes look at the tribute album of the same name released in 2020. The film includes some of the biggest names in music to include: U2, Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Ringo Starr, Nick Cave and Elton John, who celebrate Bolan's work in interviews and performance footage. These combine with archival footage to trace Bolan's life from his teenage years digging through Carnaby Street dustbins with David Bowie to his tragic death in 1977 at the age of 29. A one-night only preview event will be staged on Sept. 14, and the film will go into general release on Sept. 22. - Music-News.com, 8/11/23...... A new exhibition devoted to late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has launched at Sotheby's London. The extensive collection of items, including handwritten lyrics, personal Polaroid photos and costumes, can be viewed by Queen fans before going under the hammer by Sotheby's this September. Highlights of the "Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own" exhibit include the crown and cloak ensemble Mercury wore on "The Magic Tour" in 1986, his red kimono covered with fans, and his Yamaha grand piano on which he composed "We Are The Champions." The latter is expected to value at £2 million to £3 million. Other items in the collection include a handwritten draft of Queen's 1975 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody," Japanese vases, art by Salvador Dali, notebooks with guest lists and plans for dinner parties, Adidas high-top sneakers and outfits from throughout his stage career. Each of Sotheby's 15 galleries will be dedicated to a different aspect of Mercury's life, where visitors can walk through recreations of his bedroom, bar and dining room. In April, it was revealed that 1,400 items from Mercury's London home -- which had gone untouched for 30 years -- would be put up for auction by Sotheby's this September. The exhibition runs from Aug. 4 to Sept. 5 and is free to the public with no booking required. The items will then be sold across six auctions from September 6 onwards. More details can be found on the Sotheby's website. - NME, 8/11/23...... The artist and anarchist behind the Sex Pistols' iconic artwork in the 1970s, Jamie MacGregor Reid, died on Aug. 8. He was 76 years old. In a touching ode, the John Marchant Gallery announced the sad news of his death on Aug. 9. "We sadly announce the passing of Jamie MacGregor Reid January 16, 1947 - August 8, 2023; artist, iconoclast, anarchist, punk, hippie, rebel and romantic. Jamie leaves behind a beloved daughter, Rowan; a granddaughter, Rose; and an enormous legacy. Universal Majesty, Verity, Love, Infinite." The punk visual artist -- who was best known for "Dcollage," the opposite of a collage -- created the ransom-note style newspaper cutting lettering that he famously used on the cover of the Pistols' 1977 song "God Save The Queen," depicting a young Queen Elizabeth II with the track's title slapped across the royal's eyes and mouth. The iconic artwork was based on Cecil Beaton's photograph of the late monarch. John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) & Co. re-released their classic hit in time for the sovereign's Platinum Jubilee last June. The song, originally released in 1977 during The Queen's Silver Jubilee, was banned by the BBC and most radio stations but reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Charts. It is widely believed that the song was deliberately kept from the No. 1 spot on the charts due to its anti-royal stance. Reid created the lettering style for the cover artwork while designing the Suburban Press, a radical political magazine he ran for five years. It was also used on the classic Pistols album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols and the singles "Anarchy in the UK," "Pretty Vacant" and "Holidays in the Sun." - Music-News.com, 8/10/23...... Janis Joplin and The Kinks will be among the 2023 inductees for London's Music Walk of Fame during red carpet ceremonies set for Sept. 4-9. UB40, Kiss FM founder Gordon Mac, Paul "Trouble" Anderson, The Sugarhill Gang, Eddy Grant, Buzzcocks, Billy Bragg, Shalamar and Harvey Goldsmith are also among the 11 music icons to be inducted. Janis Joplin's siblings Laura and Michael Joplin said: "It is a really special moment to see our sister being recognized by the Music Walk Of Fame. Janis's music resonated with a generation hungry for authenticity. Her legacy is a reminder that vulnerability can be a source of strength, and her voice continues to inspire countless others to embrace their true selves. At moments like this, it's a pleasure to see her legacy being honored in this way." The Music Walk of Fame is also set to welcome the new annual Camden Music Festival, a free event that will see parts of Camden High Street play host to an entire day of live entertainment and music on Sept. 9. Previous inductees include The Who, Madness, Soul II Soul, Amy Winehouse and David Bowie. For The Music Walk of Fame's schedule head to themusicwalkoffame.com. - Music-News.com, 8/10/23...... Actress Suzanne Somers, 76, revealed in a July 31 Instagram post that her breast cancer has returned. First diagnosed in 2000, the Three's Company star wrote, "I know how to put on my battle gear and I'm a fighter." - People, 8/21/23...... Clarence Avant, whose decades of trailblazing work as an artist manager, mentor, executive and record label owner earned him the title of 'Godfather of Black Music," died on Aug. 13 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 92. "Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come," his family said in a statement. "The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss." As a New York-based manager early on in his career, the Greensboro, N.C. native worked with Sarah Vaughan, Freddie Hubbard, Little Willie John, Jimmy Smith and producer Creed Taylor, among others. He discovered and signed '70s hitmaker Bill Withers, whose breakthrough single, "Ain't No Sunshine," won the Grammy Award for best R&B song. In the '70s, Mr. Avant founded KAGB-FM (Avant Garde Broadcasting), one of the first Black-owned radio stations in the U.S. He also launched two record companies, Sussex and Tabu, cultivating rosters that included Withers, Dennis Coffey, the S.O.S. Band, Wadsworth Mansion, The Gallery and The Presidents, among others. He ran his own companies, Interior Music Group and Avant Garde Music, until they were sold in 2018 to Universal Music Group. Involved in the social, political and sporting arenas, his relationships range from the presidential (Bill Clinton, Barack Obama) to the entrepreneurial (Oprah Winfrey) to the boxing ring (Muhammad Ali, for whom he secured a variety special on ABC). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 and in 2019, was honored by the Recording Academy with the Grammy Salute to Industry Icons award. Talent mogul Irving Azoff weighed in on the loss of Mr. Avant on Aug. 14. "We have lost the godfather," he said in a statement. 'The business would look nothing like this if it weren't for Clarence. He had the biggest heart of any of us despite him trying to hide it! What a great man." - Billboard, 8/14/23...... Broadway lyricist, director and writer Tom Jones, who created "The Fantasticks," the longest-running musical in history, died on Aug. 11 at his home in Sharon, Conn. He was 95. "The Fantasticks," based on an obscure play by Edmond Rostand, doesn't necessarily have the makings of a hit. The set is just a platform with poles, a curtain and a wooden box. The tale, a mock version of Romeo and Juliet, concerns a young girl and boy, secretly brought together by their fathers, and an assortment of odd characters. For nearly 42 years the show chugged along at the 153-seat Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village, finally closing in 2002 after 17,162 performances -- a victim both of a destroyed downtown after 9/11 and a new post-terrorism, edgy mood. Its best known song, "Try To Remember," has been recorded by hundreds of artists over the decades, including Ed Ames, Harry Belafonte, Barbra Streisand and Placido Domingo. "Soon It's Gonna Rain" and "They Were You" are also among the musical's most recognized songs. Mr. Jones is survived by two sons, Michael and Sam. "Such a good guy. I truly adored him," wrote Broadway veteran Danny Burstein on Facebook. - Billboard, 8/13/23.