Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on January 17th, 2024

Elton John says he's "on cloud nine" after becoming a member of the exclusive "EGOT club" -- the winner of at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in competition. On Jan. 15, the Rocket Man was awarded an outstanding variety special (live) Emmy for his Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodgers Stadium broadcast. "We won an Emmy and I am on cloud nine!! Receiving this recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication of everyone involved, and I am so deeply grateful," John wrote in an Instagram post featuring the special's poster and an image from his wild, piano-jumping 1970s heyday as an explanation for why he could not be there in person. "Whilst I am gutted that I couldn't be there to accept this award in person -- I recently underwent a knee operation, a gentle reminder, perhaps, of a lifetime spent jumping off pianos (see pic 2!) -- my heartfelt thanks go out to the @televisionacad and all those who took the time to vote. This award reflects the collective effort and creativity of an amazing team," he added. The statement went on to thank streamer Disney+, as well as his partner and one of the special's executive producers, David Furnish and others involved in the event. One of the special's executive producers, Gabe Turner, accepted the award on John's behalf at the ceremony, noting that the 76-year-old singer had recently undergone a knee operation. The Emmy made John the 19th performer to do a clean-sweep of the top entertainment awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Sir Elton is 76 years and nine months old, making him the second-oldest performer to complete the EGOT; English actor Sir John Gielgud was 87 years and four months when he completed the sweep in 1991. Ahead of the Emmy Awards, the Television Academy released a list of the 75 most impactful television moments on Jan. 15. Among the '70s artists represented on the list are Michael Jackson for his 1983 "Thriller" video, Elvis Presley and the Beatles for their respective performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, and Elton John's 1997 "Candle in the Wind" tribute to Princess Diana at her funeral. - Billboard, 1/17/24...... On Jan. 16 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band announced they'll launch a 31-city farewell tour on Mar. 21 in Bowling Green, Ky. Their "All the Good Times: The Farewell Tour" will mark the conclusion of multi-city runs that aided the band during the recording of their classic Will the Circle Be Unbroken series, which featured Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm and more. "'All the Good Times' perfectly describes our career," the band said in a press release. "Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience -- that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That's the very spirit we'll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We're really looking forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!" Hank Williams Jr. will be the group's special guest for the final show, on Sept. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. The group's first gig was 1966 in Southern California, with their breakthrough coming in 1970 with "Mr. Bojangles." In 1972, they released the first of three Will the Circle Be Unbroken records, working with pre-eminent names in bluegrass, country and folk. In 1984, the group's "Long Hard Road" reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, followed another chart-topper, "Modern Day Romance," in 1985 as well as 1987's "Fishin' in the Dark," which in recent years has been covered by artists including Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley. - Billboard, 1/16/24...... Robert Plant's latest project, Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian, has announced a UK tour set to launch on Mar. 13 at the Bristol Beacon. Further dates are scheduled for Ipswich Regent, London Palladium and the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells. Plant and co. are then set to visit Peterborough, Nottingham, Hastings, Liverpool, Sheffield and Blackburn later in March before resuming the tour in Harrogate on Apr. 30. From there, the group will make stop-offs in Stockton and Warwick in May ahead of gigs in Southend and Woking in July. Per a press release, the upcoming concerts will be "a rare opportunity to witness the collective's unique blend of folk, Americana, and blues." The former Led Zeppelin frontman formed Saving Grace in 2019. Its line-up is completed by Oli Jefferson (percussion), Tony Kelsey (mandolin, baritone, acoustic guitar) and Matt Worley (banjo, acoustic, baritone guitars, cuatro). Taylor McCall will open on the tour as a special guest support act. Plant's Saving Grace played a run of UK shows last November, and October saw Plant perform Led Zep's classic track "Stairway To Heaven" live for the first time since 2007 during a charity event. - New Musical Express, 1/16/24...... It has been revealed that the upcoming Linda Ronstadt biopic will be directed by five-time Oscar nominee David O. Russell. The film will star Selina Gomez in the titular role be produced by James Keach (who also produced the Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line and the Grammy-winning Ronstadt documentary The Sound of My Voice) along with Ronstadt's manager, John Boylan. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/14/24...... A baby grand piano owned by the late Christine McVie, a Fender Stratocaster guitar belonging to Joe Walsh, and a signed hardcover edition of Paul McCartney's two-volume The Lyrics: 1965 to Present are among the more than 75 unique collectibles that will be offered during this year's annual Grammy MusiCares Charity Relief Auction. The auction will take place live for the first time ever from the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles (and online) on Feb. 4. All auction proceeds will benefit the MusiCares program, which provides the music community with services in physical and mental health, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief. The 2024 Grammy Awards are set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 1/11/24...... The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael has been given an Apr. 18, 2025 release date. The Lionsgate project will be directed by Antoine Fuqua, with Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson playing the King of Pop in a film about the singer's remarkable life. Graham King, the seasoned producer behind the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, will be producing along with John Branca and John McClain, who are the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. John Logan, who penned Gladiator and The Aviator, wrote the script. According to Lionsgate, the film will cover all aspects of Jackson's life, though it is unclear how -- or even if -- it will address the many controversies involving the late music icon, given that the biopic is being made in conjunction with his estate, which has defended him against accusations of sexually abusing children. Those accusations were returned to the public discourse thanks to the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/11/24..... The Eagles played four shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on their "Long Goodbye Final Tour" on Jan. 5, 6, 12 and 13. "It's good to be back here at the Forum," band co-founder Don Henley told the audience. "We consider the Forum to be our home field. They've improved the place a lot since then. Remember all those ugly yellow and orange seats?" he said with a laugh, recalling the slightly different color scheme when the Lakers played at the Forum before moving to Staples Center in 1999. Throughout their 21-song set, the Eagles sprinkled in tributes to peers they've lost, including bandmates Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner. Frey passed away in 2016, and his son Deacon Frey, now 31, has been filling in for his late dad, alongside Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill, in the band since their Classic West performance at Dodger Stadium in 2017. Founding member Randy Meisner -- who left the band after 1976's Hotel California album -- died this past summer, so this is the band's first tour since. "We're going to dedicate this to the memory of Mr. Randy Meisner," Henley said to introduce "Take It to the Limit," which was the band's only single to feature the bassist on lead vocals and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976 and spent 23 weeks on the chart -- their longest-charting hit on the tally. "Sing it with him," Henley implored, as Gill took over on Meisner's sky-high vocals. The band also played Henley's 1984 solo hit "The Boys of Summer," dedicating it to their "dear friend," the late Jimmy Buffett, who died in Sept. 2023. Steely Dan served as the opening act, doing a robust 12-song set and remembering some friends of their own, with leader Donald Fagen making sure to shout out his band co-founder Walter Becker, who died in 2017. The Eagles will wrap their winter 2024 tour on Mar. 16 in Charlotte, N.C. - Billboard, 1/15/24...... Blondie have announced an extra show on their 2024 UK tour at Halifax Piece Hall this summer due to huge demand. The US new wave band's first outdoor show at the Halifax venue, taking place June 9 has sold out. They have now added a second on June 7, 2024 at the same venue. Debbie Harry and co. have also been announced for the very first Plymouth Summer Sessions, alongside Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Madness and Sting. This year they're also set to headline Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, Calif. with Duran Duran and Interpol. - NME, 1/15/24...... Paul McCartney's younger brother Mike McCartney has shared a health update after spending his 80th birthday in hospital. On Jan. 8, Mike shared a photo of himself on X/Twitter, aged 22, saying: "I'm now 80..can u believe! and haven't changed at all! You won't believe how I spent my 80th!" A week later, he then explained more on the same platform, telling followers: "I mentioned you wouldn't believe HOW I spent my 80th birthday didn't I? "The glorious celebrations were spent in our local hospital! The NHS nurses, doctors & staff were, as always magnificent. I'm now, thankfully out. Thanks to the NHS very much." In 2022, Mike McCartney backed plans to open up the pair's childhood home in Liverpool for unsigned artists to use as a base to write, perform and gain inspiration from. The Forthlin Sessions initiative will see artists chosen by Mike and local partners to write music at the same place where Paul and John Lennon forged their distinguished songwriting partnership. 20, Forthlin Road in Liverpool is where the pair wrote hits including "Saw Her Standing There" and "When I'm 64." The property is now owned by the National Trust. - NME, 1/15/24...... Bruce Springsteen is reportedly working on a film adaptation of the making of his bare-bones 1982 studio album Nebraska. Springsteen is said to be consulting about the possible film alongside director Scott Cooper, who is known for his films including Out of the Furnace, Black Mass and, most appropriately, Crazy Heart, about a washed-up country singer played by Jeff Bridges. One entertainment outlet, World of Reel, reports that the new film may be based on author Warren Zanes' book Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. The Boss's sixth album, Nebraska stands out in his catalogue due to the stripped back nature of the recordings. He was going through a dark psychological period, and had recorded a batch of songs as demos on a 4-track recorder, intending to re-record them with the E Street Band. Ultimately, the singer decided to release the demos as they were, and the album became a critically acclaimed and commercial smash. Springsteen, 74, fell ill with a then-undisclosed illness back in August that resulted in two cancelled Philadelphia shows. Three weeks later, all of Springsteen's September tour dates were postponed when it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. In early October, he rescheduled the affected US gigs and confirmed to fans that he'd be embarking on the tour between March and September 2024 instead. The first date of his 2024 UK/Ireland and European tour will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on May 5. - NME, 1/14/24...... '70s hitmaker Tony Orlando has announced his forthcoming tour will be his last and kick off with dates across three consecutive nights at South Point Casino in Las Vegas on Jan. 19-21; followed by shows at Niagara Falls, Ontario (2/27, 28); Des Plaines (3/2) and St. Charles, Ill. (3/3); Atlantic City, NJ (3/16); and Uncasville, Conn. (3/22). Orlando's final performance in Vegas should be an emotional one, wrapping 51 years as a headliner on the Strip. "Performing live shows for 63 years has been a "glorious dream-come-true run," the 79-year-old recounts. "And man oh man I will miss the audiences, friends, and fans who have stuck by me for these last sixty-three incredible years OMG I will miss them for sure! But now it's time to grow and turn a new page in my life. How exciting." Travel today is "grueling," he notes. "And then when you add the overhead the cost to travel with eight band members on the road and then you add five and six hours of delays or cancellations at airports. And not many non-stops, and then your connections end up being canceled." All of that, approaching the age of 80, "well this is not a smart or good match. So, it's time."It's "time for a new journey," he adds. Part of that trip involves the launch of Tony Orlando Productions and Explosive Film and Entertainment companies. "I also plan to pay more attention to writing a Broadway show," he adds, and "pitching my ideas for films and writing my next book. And maybe even managing the careers of some new and young talent." Orlando's '70s group, Tony Orlando & Dawn, charted three No. 1 singles from 1971-75 -- "Knock Three Times," "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" and "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)." Also, the act received a Grammy nod for best pop vocal performance by a duo, group or chorus for "Tie a Yellow Ribbon," which was also nominated for song of the year. Orlando says he will continue his broadcasting career with New York City's 77 WABC, but he's done with the rigors of the road. "I can still hit the ball," he quips. "I just can't run the bases." - Billboard, 1/16/24...... Smokey Robinson has responded to a viral TikTok highlighting his curiously-titled 2023 album, Gasms. On Jan. 13, the Motown veteran posted a response message to TikTok, clarifying the meaning behind the album's title. "Okay guys, I figured it's time for me to comment on the comments that I've been getting about calling my album 'Gasms'," began Robinson. " Gasms' is any good feeling you might have. Get your mind off of sex, because that's what you're connecting it to." He continued: 'Gasms' is not only a sexual word. It's a word that means 'whatever makes you happy. And people are saying, at my age, I shouldn't be talking about 'gasms' you know, I still have gasms! And I hope I always do. So I just wanted to kind of clear that up for you guys who are thinking or making negative comments about it, and all that." He ended his message by sharing a few words about the album's title track: "And for the title song of the album, 'Gasms', if you listen to it, you'll know that it's not something dirty or whatever you're trying to make it. Just listen to the song." The track's hook notably sees the former Miracles frontman repeatedly singing the word "gasms", crediting his "gasms" to an unspecified lover: "You give me gasms / Eyegasms / You're the one responsible for my gasms / Gasms." The album of the same name was released in Apr. 2023, marking the 83-year-old singer's first album of new material since 2009's Time Flies When You're Having Fun. - NME, 1/15/24...... A year after the legal battle over Prince's estate was finally settled, the music legend's heirs are now suddenly back in court again, fighting amongst each other over allegations that certain family members are trying to wrongfully seize control. The lawsuit, made public on Jan. 10 in Delaware court, amounts to a civil war among the members of Prince Legacy LLC, one of the two holding companies created to run the star's $156 million estate. (Primary Wave, which owns the other half of the estate, is not involved in the dispute.) The case was filed by L. Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer, two longtime Prince friends who serve as managers for Prince Legacy, over allegations that four of Prince's family members have been improperly trying to force them out of the company. They say such a move not only violates the group's operating agreement but would cause massive damage to efforts "to preserve and protect Prince's legacy." The lawsuit targets Prince's half-sisters Sharon Nelson and Norrine Nelson, as well as his niece Breanna Nelson and his nephew Allen Nelson. - Billboard, 1/11/24...... Patti Smith has made her first public appearance since her late 2023 hospitalization, to honor Lily Gladstone. In December, the punk poetess as forced to cancel a show in Bologna after a "sudden illness" prompted her to be rushed to the hospital. A few days later, it was reported that the singer was "in good health," with Smith taking to social media: "I am resting, as the doctor ordered, grateful to have had such care, though being painfully aware that many are not so fortunate." Nearly a month later, Smith has made her first public appearance to present Gladstone with the award for Best Actress at the National Board of Review Awards Gala. She won the honor with her performance in Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon, for which she also won a Golden Globe. Smith praised the film in her speech, saying: "It pierces the vein of human weakness, greed, cowardice, and betrayal. And what is more piercing than the face of Lily Gladstone as the camera captures the shifting tones of her interior process seamlessly embodying the courageous Mollie Burkhart?" "Within the fabric of the film, even off-screen, Lily is like the new moon that can be felt, but not seen," she continued. "She has always felt." - NME, 1/13/24...... Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley paid tribute to the couple's daughter Lisa Marie Presley on the first anniversary of her death, who died from an intestinal obstruction that constricted blood supply to her digestive tract at age 54 on Jan. 12, 2023. "Today is a very solemn day. It's been a year since your passing and not a day goes by where I don't think about and miss you. Rest in peace, Lisa. You are in the arms of your beloved father now. Only that& gives me comfort. Mom," Priscilla posted to X/Twitter on Jan. 12. Presley was born in 1968 as the only child to her parents Elvis and Priscilla, and was the sole heir to the Graceland estate, which she inherited in 1980. She went on to pursue her own music career, within which she released three studio albums in 2003, 2004, and 2012, the former two peaking in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 200 album charts. Her mother's tribute comes after it was revealed her daughter's memoir will be released later this year. - NME, 1/13/24...... Annie Nightingale, a pioneering DJ for BBC Radio 1, died on Jan. 11 at her home in London after a short illness, according to a statement shared by her family the following day. She was 83. Ms. Nightingale was the first female DJ on BBC Radio 1, where she started in 1970, ultimately becoming the station's longest serving DJ. In 2010, Ms. Nightingale entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest serving female radio presenter, a record she still holds. Her last broadcast was in late Dec. 2023. Born near London in 1940, Ms. Nightingale began her career as a journalist and television presenter, later launching a line of clothing shops. She first came on the BBC Radio 1 airwaves in Feb.1970. BBC Radio 1 reflected on Ms. Nightingale's career and her impact. "Annie was a world class DJ, broadcaster and journalist, and throughout her entire career was a champion of new music and new artists," Aled Haydn Jones, Head of BBC Radio 1, said in a statement posted to BBC Radio 1's Instagram account. "She was the first female DJ on Radio 1 and over her 50 years on the station was a pioneer for women in the industry and in dance music. We have lost a broadcasting legend and, thanks to Annie, things will never be the same." - Billboard, 1/12/24...... Soap opera actor Bill Hayes, who originated the role of Doug Williams on Days of Our Lives in 1970, has died at age 98. "It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved Bill Hayes," a rep for the television series told People magazine in a statement. "One of the longest-running characters on Days of Our Lives, Bill originated the role of 'Doug Williams' in 1970 and portrayed him continuously throughout his life." The rep added that Mr. Hayes and his real-life wife, Susan Seaforth (who played Doug's spouse Julie on the program), "remained the foundation of the Williams-Horton family spanning more than 50 years." Doug and Julie were immensely popular characters on the sudser and the couple's wedding, which took place on the series in 1976, was viewed by about 16 million viewers. Mr. Hayes is survived by Seaforth Hayes, their five children, 12 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. - Canoe.com, 1/15/24...... Sitcom actress Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie Norton on the television classic The Honeymooners, died on Jan. 13 at her home in New York City, according to multiple reports. She was 99 years old and in hospice care at the time of her death, which was from natural causes. Ms. Randolph played the wife of sewer worker Ed Norton, played by Art Carney. The couple were the best friends and neighbors of Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason), and Alice Kramden (Audrey Meadows). The Honeymooners debuted in 1951 as a sketch on DuPont Network's Calvacade of Stars. It later moved to The Jackie Gleason Show on CBS. The Honeymooners was not a breakout hit, finishing its lone season in 1955-56 at No. 19 in a three-network universe. But its "Classic 39" CBS episodes have lived on in syndication, reaching multiple new generations of fans. Ms. Randolph was the last surviving member of the main cast of The Honeymooners, which is still regarded as one of the classics of television. - Deadline.com, 1/14/24...... Leon Wildes, a prominent immigration lawyer best known for his landmark, yearslong fight in the 1970s to prevent John Lennon from being deported and enable the former Beatle to receive permanent residency in the U.S., died on Jan. 8 at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. He was 90. Mr. Wildes' son -- immigration attorney and Englewood, N.J. Mayor Michael Wildes -- said his father had been in failing health after a series of strokes. "Dad felt he effectively lived the American Dream for a kid from Olyphant PA and spent his life facilitating the same experience for scores more," said Michael Wildes, who is also the managing partner for the firm his father helped start, Wildes & Weinberg. "He was beloved by his family, was extraordinarily humble, and beloved by our Bar." Leon Wildes was a graduate of the New York University School of Law who co-founded Wildes & Weinberg in 1960 and, by the end of the decade, had gained enough stature to serve as president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. His name would become part of musical and political history after an old law school classmate, Alan Kahn, called in 1972 and told him that Lennon and Yoko Ono needed his help getting their visas extended. Mr. Wildes agreed to meet with the couple at the Manhattan offices of Apple Records, the label founded by the Beatles in the late 1960s. But he did have one embarrassing confession about Lennon and his artist wife. "I have no idea who these people are," he told Kahn, later saying he misheard their names as "Jack Lemmon and Yoko Moto." What Mr. Wildes initially thought would be a formality turned into one of the most dramatic legal struggles of the era. John and Yoko had moved from England to New York City, trying to track down Ono's daughter from a previous marriage, Kyoko Chan Cox, whom her ex-husband had abducted. The couple also were active in the New Left politics of the time, opposing the Vietnam War and backing efforts to defeat Pres. Richard Nixon in his bid for re-election. With the minimum voting age lowered from 21 to 18, Lennon's plans included a 1972 tour of the U.S. that would potentially attract millions of young people. As government files later revealed, some Nixon supporters feared that Lennon could damage Nixon politically. In a Feb. 1972 memo sent to Sen. Strom Thurmond, a South Carolina Republican and a member of a Senate subcommittee on internal security, aides recommended a "strategic countermeasure," terminating Lennon's visa. The government would also try to deport Ono, a Tokyo native, but she was granted permanent residency in 1973. Descended from European Jews, Mr. Wildes grew up in a small Pennsylvania community where he was often the only Jew in his class. He attended Yeshiva College as an undergraduate and became interested in immigration law after working with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in the late 1950s. Mr. Wildes published articles in the Cardozo Law Review among other journals and wrote a book on the Lennon case, John Lennon Vs. the USA, that was published in 2016. An opera fan when he was young, he would become fully vested in the Beatles universe, to the point of using "Imagine" as music when a caller to his office was placed on hold. He remained close to Yoko, appeared in the 2006 documentary The U.S. vs. John Lennon and even attended some Beatles conventions, among them the Chicago-based Fest for Beatles Fans. - Billboard, 1/13/24.

A memoir by Elvis and Priscilla Presley's late daughter Lisa Marie Presley was announced on Jan. 11 by publisher Random House. The memoir, due later in 2024, is still untitled and was produced in collaboration with Lisa Marie's actress daughter, Riley Keough. Described as a "raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir (that) will lift the veil on one of America's most storied families," the book was finished by Keough after Lisa Marie requested her help before she died on Jan. 12, 2023, at the age of 54. According to a press release, the Daisy Jones in Daisy Jones & The Six actress had listented to hours of tapes recorded by Lisa Marie in preparation for the book. "Few people had the opportunity to know who my mom really was, other than being Elvis's daughter," Keough, 34, said in a statement. "I was lucky to have had that opportunity and working on preparing her autobiography for publication has been a privilege, albeit a bittersweet one. I'm so excited to share my mom now, at her most vulnerable and most honest, and in doing so, I do hope that readers come to love my mom as much as I did." The memoir, due Oct. 15, will cover topics including "Lisa Marie's complicated relationship with her mother Priscilla," as well as "the shattering loss of her son, Riley's brother Benjamin Keough, to suicide." - Music-News.com, 1/11/24...... It has been confirmed that singer/actress Selena Gomez will portray Linda Ronstadt in an upcoming biopic about the "You're No Good" singer. According to Great Eastern Music, a music publisher founded by Ronstadt's manager John Boylan, Gomez is "attached to play Linda" and the "long-rumored Linda Ronstadt biopic is now up-and-running." According to an announcement on Great Eastern's "Projects" page, "the two recently spent a few hours at Linda's home discussing the project and getting to know each other." Ronstadt, 77, also appeared to confirm the news on her Instagram account, sharing screenshots of Variety and Rolling Stone's reports that the 32-year-old Gomez will be portraying her to her Instagram Stories. On her verified Facebook page, she also shared one of those reports, captioning it, "It all started with a simple dream," recalling her chart-topping 1977 album Simple Dreams. Fan speculation about Gomez's new role kicked off on Jan. 9 after Gomez shared a photo of Ronstadt's book Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir to her Instagram Stories. Ronstadt announced her retirement in 2011, citing her Parkinson's disease diagnosis, but later sharing that she actually has a brain disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy, which resembles Parkinson's. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2016. - Billboard, 1/10/24...... German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk have announced a nine-show residency in Los Angeles in May that will cover the group's decades-long catalog and mark their 50th anniversary. Each show will feature the band playing one of their classic albums, including Autobahn, 1975's Radio-Activity and 1977's Trans Europe Express. The final show will span five decades of the Kraftwerk repertoire. Hosted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the nine shows will take place between May 21-30 at downtown L.A.'s iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall, where the group also performed a celebrated residency in 2013. It will mark the first performances by the influential group, who were nto the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, in North America since a 2022 run of their 3-D show. - Billboard, 1/10/24...... Accepting a best motion picture Golden Globes award for the film Poor Things during the 2024 Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills on Jan. 7, director/producer Yorgos Lanthimos gave a shout-out to audience member Bruce Springsteen. "I just wanted to speak to Bruce Springsteen the whole night," Lanthimos said as he took the stage and grabbed the mic. "We have the same birthday -- the 23rd of September!" As Poor Things star Emma Stone and the rest of the cast and crew laughed behind him, the camera cut to The Boss, who was flashing a thumbs up from his table. Springsteen was a 2024 Golden Globe nominee for writing "Addicted to Romance" for She Came to Me, which was up for best original song, but lost to Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell's "What Was I Made For?" from the blockbuster Barbie film. Lanthimos went on to thank Searchlight Pictures for making the film, his cast and his crew ("Emma, she's the best," he said), but couldn't walk away without one more shout-out to The Boss: "Thank you, Bruce Springsteen, for making me grow up the way I did." - Billboard, 1/7/24...... The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that a stage adaptation of Prince's original 1984 film Purple Rain is under development, with a world premiere in the works. Forty years after the funk/pop icon unleashed his Purple Rain film and soundtrack album, the adaptation is set to feature a score by the late Prince, with a book by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who is currently enjoying the Broadway run of his acclaimed drama "Appropriate." Jacobs-Jenkins' book will be based on the original Purple Rain screenplay, which was written by Albert Magnoli (who also directed the original film) and William Blinn. The 1984 film version starred Prince as The Kid, a burgeoning Minneapolis rock musician who trudges his way through rival bands, fleeting romances, and a gritty home life. To date, the film has grossed nearly $70 million worldwide, and, in 1985, it won the Academy Award for best original song score. The accompanying soundtrack of the same name was also smash success, spending 24 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and spawning five Top 40 hits including the No. 1 "When Doves Cry." - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/8/24...... Appearing on the popular SiriusXM podcast Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson revealed his arthritis is "slowly getting worse," but he is now "used to it." Lifeson, 70, has suffered from psoriatic arthritis -- a form of arthritis with a skin rash -- for nearly 20 years, but says the medication he is on to deal with it has been "very effective" over the years. "I'm on two biologics, so sort of like a double whammy in dealing with it. And it's been very, very effective," Lifeson said. "Despite the side effects and all of that, it's been a really effective regimen for me, and it's really helped my hands. I have times where the inflammation has its own mind, and that's when you'll see me shaking my hands [while I am playing]. But it is what it is, and I can still get by, and I'm so used to it, I don't really even think about it that much anymore." He added that he's no longer "interested" in hitting the road with his guitar "after 40 years of touring." "I enjoyed it when we did it. There were lots of ups and downs," he noted. In June 2020, Lifeson admitted to a WFAN radio host that he hadn't felt "inspired or motivated" to play music since drummer Neil Peart's death aged 67, six months earlier in Jan. 2020."After Neil passed in January, I've played very little guitar. I don't feel inspired and motivated.... Every time I pick up a guitar, I just aimlessly kind of mess around with it and put it down after 10 minutes. Normally, I would pick up a guitar and I would play for a couple of hours without even being aware that I'm spending that much time. So I know it'll come back." - Music-News.com, 1/10/24...... During the latest episode of The Osbournes Podcast, Ozzy Osbourne shared that his recovery is going well, but it's going to "take time." Chatting with fellow musician Billy Morrison, Osbourne said that "I just came back from the doctor today and my blood clots are gone, everything's back to normal. I can bend my neck. I just gotta get my balance going now." Ozzy, 75, underwent his fourth and final spinal surgery in Sept. 2023 and is now focusing on managing his Parkinson's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2003. "I'm not seeing so many doctors anymore," Osbourne continued. "I'm just seeing the Parkinson's doctor but I'm not having surgery or anything. I had seven surgeries in five years." He added, "It's a slow recovery because I'm not as young as I used to be so recovery of anything is gonna take time." Osbourne had metal plates inserted into his neck after he suffered a fall in 2019. They were later removed as were causing him further pain. Osbourne and Corey Taylor of Slipknot, along with the likes of Billy Idol, Steve Vai members of Run-DMC and 4 Non Blondes, are set to appear on Billy Morrison's new album. It will be released on Apr. 19, with lead single "Drowning" coming on Feb. 23. - Music-News, 1/10/24...... Roger Daltrey announced on Jan. 8 that he'll close out the nearly quarter-century run of his Teenage Cancer Trust fundraising gigs in March with a week-long series of all-star shows benefitting the British charity dedicated to helping young people needing nursing care and support after diagnosis. Taking place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the shows will feature Daltrey's legendary band The Who taking the stage on Mar. 18 and 20 with an orchestra, with support from Squeeze. Noel Gallagher has been tapped to headline on Mar. 21 with support from Blossoms. There will also be an as-yet-unannounced lineup of stand-up comedians on Mar. 19, a Mar. 22 gig by Young Fathers and a Mar. 23 lineup featuring the Chemical Brothers and DJ Paul Holroyd. The final show -- dubbed "Ovation" -- on Mar. 24 will be a blow-out celebrating the 24 years of TCT shows featuring Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, The Stereophonics' Kelly Jones, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Paul Weller. Daltrey has been hosting and curating the fundraising shows since 2000, raising more than $40 million to date, which the organization said has paid for more than a million hours of specialist care from TCT nurses, or 13 TCT hospital care units. Daltrey has announced that beginning in 2025 the concert series will continue with a series of guest curators. - Billboard, 1/8/24...... In other Who-related news, Pete Townshend admitted in a new interview with Guitar.com that "all guitarists are intimidated" by the young guitarists who post videos of themselves shredding on social media. Townshend spoke of using the guitar as a technical tool when it comes to composing music. "I think one of the things that all guitarists of today are intimidated by is these young guys on Instagram that shred to hell and back, or to heaven and back, I should say, who started when they were six. But we are just our fingers." The veteran axman added that despite the "intimidation," he's happy that he has developed his own style rather than focusing on "flashy runs": "What I'm happy about is I can do two days of practice and learn some really flashy runs if I want to, though I'm still stuck with the old order, which is trying to make sure I don't let my fingers play a series of cliches." Meanwhile, the future of The Who remains unclear, as Townshend said that they have to "have a chat about what happens next" following the conclusion of their final orchestral tour date at the Sandringham Estate over the summer. "I think it's time for Roger and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next. Because Sandringham shouldn't feel like the end of anything but it feels like the end of an era," he said recently. - NME, 1/9/24...... American alternative rock band Wilco have shared a cover of David Bowie's classic track "Space Oddity" to celebrate what would have been the late star's 77th birthday on Jan. 8. The live recording of the cover, which can be viewed on YouTube, is the first taste of a new Wilco compilation album from a live performance on radio station Mountain Stage. "As a gratefully, if not begrudgingly, Earth-bound band, it's always an honor and a challenge to tackle any of David Bowie's space-soaring arrangements," Wilco said of their "Space Oddity" cover. Their new album, Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers, will be released in full on Apr. 19 via Oh Boy Records. It features four songs not on the seminal 1972 album, including a Chuck Berry cover, as well as contributions from Margo Price, John Prine, Jason Isbell and more. In other David Bowie-related news, a new "Ziggy Stardust"-era Bowie album is set to be released on Apr. 20 as part of this year's Record Store Day. Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth) is a collection of recordings from Trident Studios in 1971, and features the majority of songs that would go on to form the legendary 1972 The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars album. Artwork and a tracklist can be viewed on Bowie's Instagram page. "Wating In The Sky" is the latest in a host of Bowie rarities have been released for Record Store Day in recent years. - NME, 1/8/24...... Cher has shared the cuddly picture of herself with latest beau Alexander "AE" Edwards on X/Twitter. In the photo, she sits on Edwards' lap and embraces him, with one hand on his back and the other affectionately touching his chin. Cher, 77, first met Edwards, 37, at Paris Fashion Week in Sept. 2022. She opened up about their romance and its 40-year age gap on The Kelly Clarkson Show in Dec. 2022, noting, "On paper, it's kind of ridiculous. But in real life, we get along great. He's fabulous. And I don't give men qualities that they don't deserve." She added that Edwards is "very kind, very smart, he's very talented, and he's really funny, before adding, "And I think he's quite handsome." - Billboard, 1/6/24...... Tony Clarkin, the guitarist and founder of Birmingham UK hard rock band Magnum, died on Jan. 7. He was 77. Clarkin's passing was confirmed by a statement shared to the band's official Instagram account, which read: "On behalf of the family, it is with profound sadness that daughter Dionne is sharing the news of the passing of Tony Clarkin. Following a short illness, he died peacefully surrounded by his girls on Sunday 7th January 2024." Clarkin co-founded Magnum in 1972 alongside singer Bob Catley, and they were initially set to be the house band for the Rum Runner club in Birmingham. He served as the band's sole songwriter across all 22 of their albums -- including their commercial zenith starting from 1982's Chase The Dragon through to 1990's Goodnight LA -- and guitarist for over 50 years. His death came a few days ahead of the release of Magnum's 23rd LP Here Comes The Rain, which drops Jan. 12 via SPV/Steamhammer, and a week after the band's new single, "The Seventh Darkness," was released. - NME, 1/11/24...... James Kottak, a former drummer for the German hard rock group Scorpions, died on Jan. 9 in his birthplace of Louisville, Ky. of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 61. Joining the Scorpions in 1996, Kottak appeared on all of their albums from 1999's Eye II Eye to 2015's Return to Forever during his 20-year run with the band. He was kicked out of the band for alcoholism in 2016 and later replaced by Motörhead's Mikkey Dee, who remains in the line-up. Before joining the band, Kottak was an original member of Kingdom Come in the '80s. He rejoined the band a couple of years after he was dismissed from Scorpions and remained in the group up until his passing. Elsewhere, he had also toured with bands including Warrant and Dio, and also took on vocal duties for the '90s band Krunk. "Very sad news& our dear friend & Drummer for 20 yrs," reads a post on the Scorpions' X/Twitter page. "James Kottak has passed at the age of 61. James was a wonderful human being, a great musician & loving family man. He was our "Brother from another Mother" & will be truly missed. Rock'n Roll Forever. RIP James." - NME, 1/10/24.