Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on September 8th, 2023

'70s pop/rock star Gary Wright, best known for his 1976 soft rock hits "Dream Weaver" and "Love is Alive," died on Sept. 4 at his Palos Verdes Estates home in California after battling Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia for the past six years. He was 80. Mr. Wright's son Justin Wright said he dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's six or seven years ago before also receiving a dementia diagnosis. "He managed it fairly well for a while. But a few years ago, he needed professional help and home-care nurses and eventually 24-hour care," Justin told Rolling Stone. Born on April 26, 1943 in Cresskill, N.J., Mr. Wright began his career as a child actor in shows that included Captain Video and His Video Rangers before joining the Broadway cast of "Fanny" in 1954. After briefly considering medical school, Mr. Wright moved to England in the late 1960s, where he co-founded the blues-rock band Spooky Tooth with four English musicians. After three albums with the band, Mr. Wright struck out on his own and releasing two solo albums on A&M Records, Extraction (1970) and Footprint (1971) before signing to Warner Bros. Records for what would be his breakthrough third solo effort. The Dream Weaver, released in the summer of 1975, peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 album charts in Apr. 1976, with the "yacht rock" classic title track peaking at No. 2 on the hit parade. At the time, Mr. Wright, who played the Hammond Organ, clavinet, Moog synthesizers, Fender Rhodes and several other keyboards on the album -- in addition to arranging and producing the collection -- boasted that it was "one of the first all-keyboard albums." It also featured drums from session veterans Jim Keltner and Sly and the Family Stone's Andy Newmark as well as guitar on "Power of Love" from Montrose axman Ronnie Montrose. The ethereal "Dream Weaver" became one of Mr. Wright's most beloved songs and a frequent go-to Hollywood soundtrack cut in films including Wayne's World (for which Mr. Wright re-recorded the song), Toy Story 3, Ice Age: Collision Course and The People vs. Larry Flynt, as well as the TV series Glee and Superstore. Mr. Wright also dipped his toe into film soundtrack composition for the movies Endangered Species (1982) and Fire and Ice (1986). Following the chart success of The Dream Weaver, Mr. Wright released a string of solo albums throughout the 1970s and early 1980s to diminishing sales, including 1977's The Light of Smiles (No. 172) and Touch and Gone (No. 117), 1979's Headin' Home (No. 147) and 1981's The Right Place (No. 79). In addition to "Dream Weaver" and that album's other silky pop hit, "Love Is Alive" (No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100), Mr. Wright's other singles chart successes included 1976's "Made to Love You" (No. 79), "Phantom Writer" (1977, No. 43), "Touch and Gone" (1978, No. 73) and 1981's "Really Wanna Know You" (No. 16). Mr. Wright also played keyboards on late Beatle George Harrison's 1970 solo triple-disc album All Things Must Pass -- cementing a friendship that lasted until Harrison's death in 2001 -- and sat in on sessions for album by everyone from B.B. King to Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson and Jerry Lee Lewis. He also performed with a reunited Spooky Tooth in the early 2000s, as well as with Starr's All-Starr Band and continued to release new music as recently as his final solo album, 2010's Connected. Over the years, Mr. Wright's compositions also found their way into a number of hip-hop songs, including samples of "Love Is Alive" on songs by Raekwon and 3rd Bass, Spooky Tooth's "The Mirror" on songs by Fivio Foreign and Atmosphere, "More Than a Heartache" (Nas) and "Heartbeat" (Jay-Z). In addition to son Justin, Mr. Wright is also survived by his wife Rose -- whom he married in 1985 -- and their daughter Dorian. Tributes from the music world have poured in, with "On and On" singer Stephen Bishop posting on X/Twitter of the "great sadness" he felt at Gary's passing and noting that he will "always cherish" the kindness shown to him by his fellow musician." - Billboard, 9/5/23.

On Sept. 8 Columbia/Legacy announced two new Barbra Streisand albums will be released in the weeks ahead of the Grammy-winning singer's new memoir, My Name is Barbra. Evergreens: Celebrating Six Decades on Columbia Records and Yentl: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will be released on CD an digitally on Oct. 27. Evergreens has been personally curated by Streisand, and none of its 22 songs have appeared on previous compilations. "[The songs] were chosen by Barbra to convey her emotional connection to these melodies and lyrics -- each holding a special place in her heart and memory," according to a press release. Yentl will feature 11 demo versions of songs written for the movie, recordings that Streisand made in her living room with the late, legendary composer Michael Legrand on piano as her only accompaniment. The original Yentl soundtrack was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Streisand's autobiography, My Name is Barbra, is due on Nov. 7. - Billboard, 9/8/23...... Bruce Springsteen posted to Instagram on Sept. 6 that he's postponing all his September concerts as he's treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease. "Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have postponed all performances currently scheduled for September 2023, beginning with tomorrow's show scheduled for the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY," the statement reads. "Mr. Springsteen is being treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease and the decision of his medical advisors is that he should postpone the remainder of his September shows." Springsteen and The E Street Band had nine dates scheduled in September, starting with a Sept. 7 show in Syracuse, N.Y., and wrapping Sept. 29 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Caused by an imbalance in the protective lining of the stomach, peptic ulcer disease symptoms include pain or discomfort in the upper part of your abdomen, feeling uncomfortably full after eating a meal, nausea and vomiting. - Billboard, 9/6/23...... Award-winning pop songwriter Diane Warren, who is also a devoted animal welfare activist, will receive the Sam Simon Award in honor of her animal activism on Oct. 14 at Last Chance for Animals' annual fundraising gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Beverly Hilton is also the site of the annual Golden Globes awards ceremony, where Warren has picked up two awards for best original song -- for "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from Burlesque (2010) and "Io's (Seen)" from The Life Ahead (2020). Her many other awards include a Grammy, a Primetime Emmy and an honorary Oscar. - Billboard, 9/6/23...... The Rolling Stones unveiled details of their new LP Hackney Diamonds during a presser in London on Sept. 6. Hackney Diamonds, the group's 24th studio album, will be released Oct. 20, and band principles Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood announced at an invite-only launch event at London's historic Hackney Empire theatre. Hosted by The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and streamed globally on YouTube, the press conference culminated in the premiere of the band's new single "Angry" -- a classic Stones-style rock tune built around a funky guitar riff, catchy chorus and Jagger's instantly recognizable yelped vocals -- and its accompanying video starring Emmy-nominated actress Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus, Euphoria), who was at the launch. The full press launch can be viewed on YouTube. Talking about the 12-track record, which features two songs the band recorded with late co-founding drummer Charlie Watts in 2019, Richards paid tribute to his former band mate, who died in 2021 aged 80. "Ever since Charlie's gone, it's been different. He's number four. Of course, he's missed, incredibly," said Richards. Richards said that Watts had personally recommended drummer Steve Jordan -- who toured with the band last year and plays on 10 tracks on Hackney Diamonds -- "way, way back" to replace him if ever "anything should happen to him." "So, it was kind of a natural progression. It would have been a lot harder without Charlie's blessing," Richards told Fallon. Two of Hackney Diamonds' tracks -- "Live By the Sword" and "Mess It Up" -- were recorded in 2019 and feature Watts on drums, it was revealed during the press conferrence. Asked how the album got its name, Richards said: "It got called 'Hackney Diamonds' because we were flinging ideas around for titles, and we went from 'Hit And Run' [to] 'Smash And Grab'. And somehow, between that, we came up with 'Hackney Diamonds' which is like a variation of both. Also, it's a London band." Fallon went on to ask whether 'Hackney Diamonds' was "a type of slang," to which Jagger replied: "Yeah, it's like when you get your windscreen broken on Saturday night in Hackney, and all the bits go on the street that's 'Hackney Diamonds'." According to a press release from the Rolling Stones' label Universal Music Group/Geffen, Hackney Diamonds was recorded in various locations around the world, including Los Angeles' Henson Recording Studios, London's Metropolis Studios and New York's Electric Lady Studios and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios. - Billboard, 9/6/23...... Diana Ross was on hand at the Sept. 4 stop of Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour in Los Angeles to help wish the singing sensation celebrate her 42nd birthday. The 79-year-old Motown legend first appeared onstage in front of 60,000 screaming fans during one of the Renaissance World Tour's regularly scheduled intermissions, which features Ross' 1976 smash "Love Hangover" as an interlude between songs. Usually, it's Bey's backup singers who perform the transition -- but this time, Ross herself was on hand to do the honors. Afterward, Beyoncé ran onstage to give the "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" vocalist a tearful hug. Then, encouraging fans to hold up their phone flashlights, Ross led the crowd at SoFi Stadium in singing "Happy Birthday" to the pop star. Among the 60,000 "Happy Birthday" singers were stars such as Adele, Justin Bieber, Lizzo, Katy Perry, Normani, Brandy, Chris Rock and Kim Kardashian. - Billboard, 9/5/23...... The prized Yamaha baby grand piano owned by Freddie Mercury on which he composed Queen's enduring hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" and several other classic hits sold for more than $2 million on Sept. 6 in an auction conducted by Sotheby's. Other items belonging to Mercury, who died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991 at 45, were also sold with some breaking records in their category. Mercury's hand-written lyrics to "Bohemian Rhapsody" fetched about £1.4 million ($1.7 million) and a gold Cartier brooch saying "Queen number 1" given to each band member by their manager after the song topped the charts, sold for £165,000 ($208,000). A Victorian-style silver snake bangle Mercury wore with an ivory satin catsuit in a video for the song -- long before the days of MTV -- set a record for the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of jewelry owned by a rock star, Sotheby's said. The bracelet went for £698,500 ($881,000) -- 100 times its estimated low price. The item broke a record set when John Lennon's leather and bead talisman sold for £295,000 ($368,000) in 2008, Sotheby's said. Other items that were treasured by fans were Mercury's draft lyrics to "Somebody to Love" (£241,000; $304,000), and "Don't Stop Me Now" and "We Are the Champions," which both fetched the same final prices: £317,500; $400,700. Mercury's close friend, Mary Austin, to whom he left his house and his possessions when he died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991 at 45, is liquidating all of the items left to her by the late rock star -- more than 1,400 items. A mere 59 items of that "clutter" sold for £12.2 million ($15.4 million), including a buyer's premium, that blew away estimates in the four-and-a-half hour auction. Bidders from 61 countries took part in person, online and by phone. - AP, 9/6/23...... In other Queen-related news, guitarist Brian May has told the UK tabloid The Daily Star that he believes by 2024 the entire structure of the industry will be "completely different" as artificial intelligence could mean that this year is the last one that the music scene will be "dominated" by human beings. "I think by this time next year the landscape will be completely different," May, 76, said. "We won't know which way is up. We won't know what's been created by Al and what's been created by humans. Everything is going to get very blurred and very confusing, and I think we might look back on 2023 as the last year when humans really dominated the music scene. I really think it could be that serious, and that doesn't fill me with joy. It makes me feel apprehensive." May went on to add that there is an "incredibly huge potential" for AI to do "evil" within the world and thinks it could ultimately lead to global domination and death if it becomes involved in the real of politics. "The potential for Al to cause evil is, obviously, incredibly huge -- not just in music but people can die if Al gets involved in politics and world domination for various nations," he stated. - Music-News.com, 9/5/23...... Veteran pop songstress Dionne Warwick has said she wants a word with "young man" Elon Musk following the changes he has made to Twitter (now known as X). Speaking to People, the 82-year-old Grammy-winner shared her annoyance with the radical stream of changes being implemented by the new owner, and said she'd like to meet with Musk to ask about his logic behind some of the changes. "I have yet to speak to that young man and I intend to because I am not quite sure what he's doing or if he knows what he's doing," Warwick told the magazine when asked about her thoughts on Musk. "So until that happens, I'll reserve my answer to that question." The decisions to change the app have included the removal of the verification stamp on accounts, which are now only issued to those willing to pay for a subscription, and the overhaul rebranding of the platform -- changing both the name and logo from "Twitter" to "X." Another controversial change, unveiled in August, was removing the "block" feature from X, leaving users forced to use the mute button instead. Also during the interview, Warwick said she had no interest in using artificial intelligence (AI) to duet with some of her late friends, which includes Michael Jackson. "No. I wouldn't," she said. A 19-date fall Dionne Warwick tour is set to launch on Oct. 20 in Kansas City, and run through Feb. 17, 2024. - New Musical Express, 9/6/23...... Speaking at press conference at the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of Sofia Coppola's new Priscilla Presley biopic Priscilla on Sept. 6, the ex-wife of Elvis Presley insisted that she "never had sex" with Elvis when the pair first met when she was 14 and Elvis was 24. Priscilla said Presley never took advantage of her, despite their age gap of 10 years when they first met. "It was very difficult for my parents to understand that Elvis would be so interested in me and why," she said. "And I really do think [it was] because I was more of a listener. Elvis would pour his heart out to me in every way in Germany: his fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother -- which he never, ever got over. And I was the person who really, really sat there to listen and to comfort him. That was really our connection." She continued: "Even though I was 14, I was actually a little bit older in life -- not in numbers. That was the attraction. People think, 'Oh, it was sex.' No, it wasn't. I never had sex with him. He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact I was only 14 years old. We were more in line in thought, and that was our relationship." The couple wed in 1967, separated in 1972 and divorced the following year. Priscilla is based on Priscilla's 1985 biography, Elvis And Me, and stars American actress Cailee Spaeny (Pacific Rim Uprising, Bad Times at the El Royale) as the titular character, while Jacob Elordi (The Kissing Booth, Euphoria) plays Elvis. It is set to premiere in the US on Nov. 3 and in the UK on Jan. 1. - NME, 9/6/23...... Ozzy Osbourne and the members of his clan are set to revive their The Osbournes podcast on Sept. 12, after a five-year hiatus. The second season is the follow-up to 2018's first season and will consist of 20 episodes and be available in video and audio formats. The family are set to discuss "everything from romance to true crime." Episodes are recorded at Ozzy and wife Sharon Osbourne's home. The series includes Ozzy's own individual episodes in which he will share the mic with longtime friend and musician Billy Morrison, about everything from food and his time in Black Sabbath to aliens. A teaser for the first episode has been shared on YouTube. The Osbournes previously appeared together in the hit TV show of the same name, which aired from 2002 to 2005. In July, Ozzy offered fans an update on his health after cancelling his headlining slot at the Power Trip festival later this year. "Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I'm just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed," he wrote in the statement. - NME 9/5/23...... The sequel to the famous 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, The Exorcist: Believer, has had its US release date moved to avoid competing with pop juggernaut Taylor Swift's new concert film Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour. Believer is the first of a planned trilogy and serves as a direct sequel to late director William Friedkin's original Exorcist film. The Blumhouse-produced film was originally set for release on Oct. 13, but will now premiere a week earlier on Oct. 6 in countries including the US. According to the film's IMDB entry, Believer will still release in UK cinemas on Oct. 13. There are varying release dates for Believer in countries around the world. In the sequel, Ellen Burstyn returns as Chris MacNeil, the mother of possessed child Reagan (originally portrayed by Linda Blair). The film is helmed by Halloween reboot director David Gordon Green. It follows two school friends "who find themselves possessed after disappearing for several days, before starting to display several horrifying symptoms that see them staring dead-eyed in the mirror and storming into church services." - NME, 9/4/23...... The actual loudspeakers and amplifiers used by The Beatles in the recording of such iconic LP's as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, "The White Album," and Abbey Road as well as Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon are up for auction with an opening bid of $250,000. The pair of speakers and amps were used in the recording of practically every Beatles album, and housed in E.M.I.'s legendary Abbey Road Studios. The are currently up for sale at the GottaHaveRockandRoll.com website through Sept. 22. Meanwhile, rare archive of material relating John Lennon and Yoko Ono's famous 1969 "Bed In For Peace" in Holland is also up for sale at the gottahaverockandroll site. The archive consists of various signed photographs and other ephemera, with the highlight being two questionnaires filled out by Lennon during the "Bed-In" at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel in Holland between Mar. 25-31, 1969. In the questionnaire Lennon asks simple questions, with one answer being, "I feel tired. I want peace. And Food." - Music-News.com, 9/6/23...... E. Elliot Goldman, the veteran record executive who served as Clive Davis' right-hand man at Arista Records, led BMG Music as president/CEO and served in senior roles with Warner and CBS Records across a decorated career in music, has died at the age of 88. Mr. Goldman joined CBS Records in the 1960s, rising to administrative VP. Later, he was hired as executive VP/GM at Davis' Arista Records at the very inception of the storied label in 1974. "Clive and I formed Arista Records in 1973," he told Billboard in 2015. "One of our first releases was from a gentleman you've probably heard of: Barry Manilow." Later, Mr. Goldman took on duties as senior VP at Warner Communications, and, in 1985, was named president and chief executive of RCA/Ariola International. When BMG parent Bertelsmann acquired RCA outright from the General Electric Company, the German media giant restructured the asset into three operating units; BMG Music, BMG Music International and Arista, all part of BMG. Mr. Goldman would guide BMG Music as president and CEO, departing in 1987. A graduate of Cornell, where he majored in political science, and of Columbia Law School, Mr. Goldman served on the board of directors of the RIAA, and on the board of directors and executive committee of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Foundation at its inception. Mr. Goldman also leveraged his considerable major label experience into consultancy work with a string independent and major record company clients throughout the 1990s. Clive Davis described him playing a substantial role in the history of Arista Records and as "a great family man and Jill, Ben and the Goldman children have my deepest sympathy for this irreplaceable loss." - Billboard, 9/6/23...... Former That 70's Show star Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Sept. 7 after being convicted on two of three forcible rape charges this past May. Masterson, who maintains his innocence, was accused of raping three women at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003, which was during the time he was on That '70s Show. The jury convicted him of raping two women in 2003, but could not reach a verdict on an allegation from Nov. 2001 involving a former girlfriend, though the jurors voted in favor of conviction. At the sentencing, the three women in the case told the judge that Masterson's crimes had ruined their lives, and asked the judge to give Masterson life behind bars. One of the victims called the actor "a true coward and heartless monster," while another said: "I still have to contend with what you did to me that night. That takes a life's worth of therapy to repair. Every time I think I'm okay, that rape comes back to me." The 47-year-old Masterson, who was dressed in a suit and had slicked-back hair with a full-grown beard, did not speak at his sentencing. Many of Masterson's Hollywood family members were in court to support him at his sentencing. His wife, actress/model Bijou Phillips, was crying at the courthouse. His siblings, The Walking Dead actress Alanna Masterson, Malcolm in the Middle actor Christopher Masterson and actor Jordan Masterson, were all seated in the courtroom together. "Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person's voice and choice," Judge Charlaine Olmedo said, as she sentenced Masterson in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. "Your actions 20 years ago were criminal, and that is why you are here," she added. Masterson was immediately remanded into custody and is reportedly under close observation at the local jail, due to his mental state. - Variety, 9/7/23.