Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on August 4th, 2024

Elton John celebrated 34 years of sobriety on July 31 with a post on Instagram. Sir Elton shared a picture of his Alcoholics Anonymous coin that featured the phrase, "To thine own self be true." The words "unity" "service" and "recovery" were embossed along the triangle while inside, the number "34" appeared in roman numerals. He captioned the image "34 years clean and sober. My life has never been better." John, who took a year off from work in 1990 to attend recovery after years of addiction issues, opened up about just how bad his addition was in his 2019 memoir, Me. Elton recalled the time he hijacked a Rolling Stones show while high on cocaine, as well as the moment he mistook Bob Dylan for his gardener while high -- describing him as "scruffy." In 2020, ahead of an online screening of his film biopic Rocketman, John said despite the debauched lifestyle of many musicians in '70s LA who regularly took cocaine to the point that few commented on it, his cocaine use was so extreme by comparison that it was "noticed" by many. John has spoken extensively about his addiction in the past. In 2019, the musician said he feared he wouldn't be able to perform sober after he took a year long break to have treatment for addiction. "After I finally surrendered and decided to seek treatment for my addiction, there came a point when I wondered if I would ever go back to work as Elton John again," he told in a Variety magazine "Recovery" issue. - New Musical Express, 8/2/24...... Three months after rescheduling the remaining dates of their "Peace Out" farewell tour, Aerosmith officially announced their retirement from touring with an Aug. 2 Instagram post amid frontman Steven Tyler's ongoing vocal cord injury. "It was 1970 when a spark of inspiration became Aerosmith. Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades. Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock 'n' roll history," the statement began. "It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives." The statement continued that Tyler "has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury," before adding, "We've seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision -- as a band of brothers -- to retire from the touring stage." The band then thanked their crew and team before concluding with a message to their fans. "A final thank you to you -- the best fans on planet Earth. Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You've made our dreams come true," they wrote, noting that all tickets purchased will be refunded. Tyler first revealed that he injured his voice in Sept/ 2023. "I'm heartbroken to say I have received strict doctor's orders not to sing for the next thirty days," he explained at the time. "I sustained vocal cord damage during Saturday's show that led to subsequent bleeding. Aerosmith, formed in 1970 by Tyler, guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton, were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. - Billboard, 8/2/24...... A rare collection of Michael Jackson's signed drawings was scheduled to be auctioned off in Los Angeles on Aug. 3. The 78 sketches made using wax pencils and pastels as well as watercolors include images of the singer in a Jedi-style robe, as well as drawings of chairs, Michelangelo's David, a number of U.S. presidents, Peter Pan, pop art icon Andy Warhol, Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II. "Get ready to own some of the most coveted pieces of art by one of the biggest music icons in the world," reads a description from auction house Kings Auctions. "These one of a kind pieces of art aren't just an investment, they are your chance to own a piece of music history." "He was influenced by many art genres, from classical and architectural to pop art and even formal portraiture. He also had a great fondness for London and British customs," the auction house added of the sketches, all of which are signed and some of which are double-sided. However, the Jackson estate is challenging the authenticity of the drawings. "The Estate of Michael Jackson does not accept that this artwork was created by Michael Jackson," a rep for the estate told Billboard. "Our representatives examined this artwork several years ago while it was being stored in a hangar at the Santa Monica airport, and the inspection only raised further concerns. We have made this clear to the auction house and others many times since. The Estate asked for evidence that these works were in fact created by Michael, and no sufficient evidence has ever been produced. Caveat emptor." The collection, including images Jackson sketched of shoes, doors, chairs, keys, bi-planes, the gates of his Neverland Ranch and flowers, can be browsed on Instagram. - Billboard, 8/1/24...... The never-ending legal feud between Journey members Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon has erupted once again, with Cain filing a new lawsuit against Schon over claims that his "exorbitant" spending is threatening to cripple the band's touring operations. In a complaint made public in Delaware court on July 30, Cain claimed that Schon's alleged spending -- including unilaterally chartering private jets and charging personal expenses to their shared American Express card -- has led to a "deadlock" that must be resolved. "The deadlock between the company's directors is now interfering with the company's ability to take even the most basic actions and is causing significant disruptions in the smooth operation of the company," Cain's lawyers write, adding that the problems "pose a severe threat of harm to the company and to Journey's storied history of musical greatness." Legal battles are nothing new for Schon and Cain, the two key remaining members of the iconic rock band that's still a big ticket seller decades after its "Don't Stop Believin'" heyday. In 2022, Schon sued Cain over allegations that his bandmate had unfairly blocked his access to the Amex account, "interfering" with the band's activities and delaying payments to crew members and vendors. A few months later, Cain countersued -- claiming he had placed those restrictions on the Amex to stop Schon from "misusing" the company card, including spending $400,000 in a single month. The new case largely rehashes those same disagreements over spending -- like Cain claiming that Schon has "spent up to $10,000 per night for hotel rooms for him and his wife" during their most recent tour. But in technical terms, the new case focuses narrowly on the governance of Freedom 2020 Inc., a Delaware-based corporate entity they created to operate Journey's touring. Since Cain and Schon each control exactly 50% of the company, the lawsuit says the two have reached an impasse that has spilled into other aspects of the band's operations, like managing their staffers. The lawsuit claims the strife between Cain and Schon has also led to other problems, including disagreements about whether to accept an advance from AEG for their most recent tour, the purchase of cancellation insurance and other problems. - Billboard, 8/2/24...... Ted Nugent has teamed up with his son Rocco Winchester Nugent on a new song about the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The mid-tempo track, "Who Shot Trump," featuring laconic vocals from Rocco -- who usually records under the name "rocco, moon" -- was recently uploaded to YouTube and finds the pair repeating a series of Trumpian talking points while warning "they f---ed up." Rocco goes on to describe watching Fox News that day and seeing Trump turn his head as the assailant's bullet nicked his ear during an outdoor rally in Butler, PA, suggesting that intended target Trump was "clearly touched by the hand of God." The FBI has determined that Trump was struck by a bullet, or a bullet fragment, that grazed his ear in the incident in which attendee Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed and a number of other attendees were wounded; Crooks was shot and killed by snipers shortly after he opened fire from a roof near the rally site. Nugent has long been a full-throated supporter of former one-term President Trump, who is currently in an increasingly tighter race with expected Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. The former Senator and San Francisco prosecutor stepped in two weeks ago when Pres. Joe Biden announced that he was dropping out of the race and endorsing his VP. - Billboard, 8/1/24...... A new Fleetwood Mac live album, Mirage Tour '82, will be released on Sept. 20 in 2xCD, 3xLP vinyl and digital formats. The set captures the magic of the band's iconic performances at The Forum in Los Angeles during their 1982 Mirage Tour. Some of the band's greatest hits, such as "Landslide," "Dreams," and "Don't Stop" are among the newly available live tracks. A live version of "Don't Stop" has been released for streaming ahead of the album launch. "In September 1982, Fleetwood Mac embarked on a 31-city U.S. tour in support of Mirage, the band's fourth consecutive multiplatinum album and third No. 1 in America," according to a press release. "Both shows at The Forum were recorded, and Mirage Tour '82 combines songs from both into a single concert experience." Mirage, the band's thirteenth studio album, was issued on June 18, 1982 and produced several hit singles, including "Hold Me," which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Chart. The release follows last year's Rumours: Live, which debuted at No. 4 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart dated Sept. 23, 2023. This marked Fleetwood Mac's highest chart debut since their studio album Say You Will opened at No. 2 in May 2003. Rumours: Live featured recordings from the band's Aug. 29, 1977, concert at The Forum during their Rumours Tour. - Billboard, 7/31/24...... A 100th birthday celebration in honor of former Pres. Jimmy Carter will take place on Sept. 17 in Atlanta headlined by an all-star group of musicians and celebrities. "Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song" will come ahead of the ailing former commander-in-chief's centenary on Oct. 1. Among the musical acts booked for the show are: the Allman Brothers Band's Chuck Leavell, D-Nice, Drive-By Truckers, Eric Church, GROUPLOVE, Maren Morris, the War and Treaty and The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus, along with expected appearances from former Atlanta Braves star Dale Murphy, rapper Killer Mike and actor Sean Penn. Organizers said other guests will be announced at a later date. The show at Atlanta's historic Fox Theatre will also celebrate Pres. Carter's tireless work advocating for human rights, public health and democracy around the world through the Carter Center. Pres. Carter, the nation's 39th President (1977-1981), has been in his Plains, GA home since Feb. 2023 receiving hospice care and was last seen publicly at his late wife former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's funeral in November. The Associated Press reported that Jason Carter said in a statement that his grandfather remains in good spirits and still enjoys watching his beloved Atlanta Braves on TV and listening to music. "Whether it was on his record players, on the campaign trail, or on the White House lawn, music has been and continues to be a source of joy, comfort and inspiration for my grandfather," Jason Carter said. The Fox Theatre's announcement of the event can be seen on X. - Billboard, 8/2/24...... On July 31 Elvis Presley's actress granddaughter Riley Keough announced a book tour in support of her late mother Lisa Marie Presley's upcoming memoir. The memoir, which was partially written by Presley and later finished by her daughter Keough upon request, is titled From Here to the Great Unknown and is due for release via Random House on Oct. 8. The finished product sees Keough tell her mother's story through Lisa Marie's own words via tape recordings, and Keough's own reflections of her relationship with her mother. Now, Keough has announced a book tour in support of the book. For the tour, she will also be joined by currently unnamed special guests at each of the tour stops. The tour will take place across six dates in October, with stops in New York City (10/9), Memphis's Graceland (10/12), St. Louis (10/13), Nashville (10/14), London, UK (10/15) and Los Angeles (10/20). Lisa Marie Presley, born in 1968, was the only child of Elvis and Priscilla and died of a small bowel obstruction at the age of 54 after an emergency admission to the hospital in Jan. 2023. She went on to pursue her own music career, within which she released three studio albums, namely To Whom It May Concern in 2003, Now What in 2004, and Storm And Grace in 2012. The former two albums peaked in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 album charts. - NME, 7/31/24...... U.S. House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries announced on Aug. 1 that a bronze statue of country icon Johnny Cash will become the first professional musician to take its place in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. The tribute to Cash will be unveiled during a ceremony in the Capitol's Emancipation Hall on Sept. 24. The eight-foot tall statue of a stern-looking Cash holding a Bible and a guitar was designed by sculptor Kevin Kresse, who says he "couldn't be happier with these choices for Arkansas... I'm also extremely proud to be a native son of Arkansas, getting this opportunity to sculpt an Arkansas icon for the nation's Capitol." Cash, born in Dyess, AR, will be enshrined alongside civil rights activist Daisy Bates, whose statue was put in place in May. With his signature rumbling baritone voice and songs of faith, murder, longing and love, Cash was a beloved country outlaw best known for such iconic tracks as "I Walk the Line," "Ring of Fire," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Man in Black" and "Daddy Sang Bass," and many others. Cash's enshrinement will place him in good company alongside such historic figures as Amelia Earhart, inventor Thomas Alva Edison, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Andrew Jackson, Hellen Keller, astronaut John Swigert, Jr., George Washington and many others. Johnson, Jeffries, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Cash's family are expected to attend the unveiling. Cash died in 2003 at age 71 due to respiratory failure tied to complications from diabetes. The announcement and a picture of the statue can be viewed on Instagram and X. - Billboard, 8/2/24...... Ozzy Osbourne has apologized to Britney Spears for mocking the pop singer's dance videos on the latest episode of his clan's The Osbournes podcast. The spat originally began in mid-July ago when Ozzy criticized Spears' dancing videos, saying on the podcast that he was, "fed up of seeing poor old Britney Spears [dancing] on YouTube every f---in' day. It's sad, very, very sad," with wife Sharon Osbourne adding, "poor little thing." At the time, Spears shot back with a terse Instagram post that has since been deleted, in which she said, "I'm gonna tell the Osbourne family who is the most boring family known to mankind to kindly f--k off!" After first replaying Ozzy's offensive comments, Ozzy offered up a less appeasing peace offer than offspring Jack Osbourne and Kelly. "Britney, I really owe you an apology," Ozzy said. "I'm so sorry for making that comment. However, it would be better if you didn't do the same f---ing dance every day! Change a few movements I love Britney Spears, but it's the same dance every day!" That comment drew a loud guffaw from Jack, while Kelly noted that she is a fan of Britney's dancing -- "Britney, never stop dancing, I love your dancing it makes you happy" -- while apologizing on behalf of the family if she felt offense, with Sharon adding "I like Britney a lot." The family also objected to Ozzy's claim that it was, literally, the same dance every day, with Kelly and Jack noting that sometimes "there's knives." Ozzy then leaned into a less strings-attached amends, adding, "I really do apologize. I love you and I think you're beautiful." Spears has long made a habit of posting dance videos from her home in which she does interpretive moves to her favorite songs. Ozzy's apology can be viewed on Instagram. - Billboard, 7/30/24...... In an interview with Britain's Mojo magazine, the L.A.-based pop duo Sparks says they "feel an obligation" to continue making high-quality music. Sparks, made up of brothers Ron and Russell Mael, have released 26 albums in a career spanning more than half a century but refuse to let the standard of their work diminish as they are always gaining new fans. "There are so many newer fans that have kind of come our way of late," Ron said. "We feel an obligation, which we always do, to keep the quality high. We're lovers of pop music, and we think it's a disservice to pop music to come out with stuff that isn't cool." Sparks are preparing to release another new album in 2025 and Ron explained that the band are going against convention by making their music more "aggressive" as they grow older. "I think that the assumption for a band that, say, has been around for as long and has made as many albums as we have -- I won't mention years - is that we would be introspective and mellow down a touch," says Ron, 78. "You know, the usual things where musicians try to come to grips with mortality and all those sorts of things. We're not like that. It still has a pretty high degree of aggression to it, I think." Russell, 75, added that the forthcoming album will be "consistent" with the "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" band's previous material. "I think it's consistent with the lyric universe that Sparks has always had, with some issues that are maybe not treated so much in normal pop music, or issues that are, treated in a way that's not clichéd," he said. - Music-News.com, 7/28/24.

After Republican Vice President candidate JD Vance's comments in a 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson that "We're effectively run in this country via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and choices that they've made" recently went viral on the internet and mainstream media, Bette Midler took to X on July 25 to playfully rally her fellow "childless cat ladies" of the world by sharing a photo of the iconic cat lover herself, Taylor Swift, on the cover of Time magazine with her beloved cat Benjamin Button lounging over her shoulder. "Giddyup and GO, #ChildlessCatLadies!" Midler wrote. Another celebrity to take a stand against Vance is Jennifer Aniston, who has been open with her struggles with fertility over the past few years. She aimed Vance's decision to vote in June to block legislation that would protect access to IVF. "I truly can't believe this is coming from a potential VP of the United States," the Friends actress wrote on her Instagram Stories. "All I can say is Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day. I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too." - Billboard, 7/25/24...... Billy Joel concluded his historic 10-year residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City with a sold-out show on July 25. To mark the occasion, The Tonight Show talk show host Jimmy Fallon joined the Piano Man to present him with a banner celebrating 150 shows at the New York venue. "Congratulations," Fallon said. "I love you. New York City loves you. The world loves you. You've given us all great memories of being here. And now we get to watch you get a memory. You're never going to forget this night here." Joel's two youngest daughters, Della, eight, and Remy, six, then took to the stage to join dad as he performed his 1978 hit "My Life." Joel was also joined on stage by Guns N' Roses star Axl Rose, with the duo performing renditions of Wings' "Live and Let Die" and AC/DC's "Highway to Hell." Fan video of the Rose and Joel performances has been shared on YouTube. Joel then continued with a number of hits including "Uptown Girl," "Only The Good Die Young," "Piano Man,""It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" and "We Didn't Start The Fire," before inviting Axl back on stage for the final song of the night, "You May Be Right," which segued into a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." Joel kicked off the MSG residency in Jan. 2014 and played at the venue once every month over the next decade. With his final show, he set a record for the arena by giving his 150th lifetime performance on its stage. Joel, 75, will travel to the U.K. in August to play a stadium show in Cardiff, Wales with Chris Isaak. He will then play a series of headlining shows in North America including Cleveland, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Las Vegas, sharing the bill with Rod Stewart or Sting. In February, he released his first new pop song in 17 years, "Turn the Lights Back On." - Music-News.com, 7/27/24...... In a new interview with the UK paper The Sun, Rod Stewart reflected on approaching his milestone 80th birthday next Jan. 10. "I'm aware my days are numbered but I've got no fear. We have all got to pass on at some point, so we are all in the same basket," he said. "I am going to be enjoying myself for these last few years as much as I can. I say few -- probably another 15. I can do that easy mate, easy," he added. "I'm not like I was in the '70s and '80s and I can't stay up all night, get drunk and go mad and still have a voice just like that. Nowadays I have to protect my voice before and after every show." In February it was reported that Stewart had sold his back catalogue for close to $100 million (£79.3million) to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists, who now owns his publishing catalogue, recorded music and a stake of Stewart's likeness and image rights. In a statement to the The Wall Street Journal, Stewart said of the deal: "Irving and I are a couple of old-timers and I believe we have a mutual respect and admiration for each other. My life's work is in safe hands with him." Meanwhile, Stewart was recently booed at a gig in Germany after he expressed his support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. - NME, 7/28/24...... Speaking to The Sunday Mirror, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason discussed the potential to forge a Pink Floyd reunion via artificial intelligence. "It would be fascinating to see what AI could do with new music. If you tried to run it as a sort of 'Where did Pink Floyd go after?'," Mason said. "The thing to do would be to have an AI situation where David [Gilmour] and Roger [Waters] become friends again," he continued, adding: "We could be like ABBA by the time we've finished with it." Mason also spoke of the feud between Waters and Gilmour, who declared Pink Floyd was over in 2015 by saying the band had "run its course," and Waters, expressing disappointment that it had overshadowed the band: "In a 55-year career, most of it was great fun. We were enormously privileged to be in a successful band and tour the world and hang out with really interesting people. It's a gold card to meet all sorts of your favourite sportsmen and actors." Mason, who currently plays some of Floyd's earlier music as Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets alongside Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp and bassist Guy Pratt, also reflected on continuing to perform Floyd songs. "The best thing about keeping the thing going is for our benefit," he said. "It makes sense to keep it going rather than shutting it down. I also enjoy it because the more time passes, the more you can look at it with a rosier glint." Gilmour has also discussed the possibility of an ABBA-style Floyd show, saying he would agree to it under "a series of very, very difficult and onerous conditions." "I thought the images of them were sort of OK, but they weren't ever going to convince me it was real," he once said of his experience watching ABBA's Voyage show. "If you're down the sort of mosh pit end of the thing and it's all going on, it's probably great. The best moment for me was when the live band played a song ['Does Your Mother Know'] on their own." When asked if a Pink Floyd hologram show would ever be a possibility, he answered: "If someone came up with all the money and all the brilliant ideas -- and then once we've agreed to a series of very, very difficult and onerous conditions -- I'd say, 'Yeah, OK.'" - New Musical Express, 7/28/24...... Actor Jeremy Allen White, star of the FX comedy-drama series The Bear and was tapped back in January to play Bruce Springsteen in an upcoming biopic, has apparently been texting with the Boss in the hopes of meeting him in London to prepare for his upcoming role. White revealed to Variety that he has "texted and emailed" Springsteen in the run up to the New Jersey rocker's July 27 show at London's Wembley Stadium. "I'm really excited to see him perform," White said, cheekily adding that Springsteen texts "like a boss." The film is reportedly set to explore the making of Springsteen's 1982 classic album Nebraska. Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Hostiles) will write and direct the film, which is based on Warren Zane's 2023 book, Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. In other Bruce news, Springsteen will be in Toronto, Canada, in early September during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival for the debut of longtime collaborator Thom Zimny's Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, a documentary that follows the singer-songwriter's latest world tour. He also recently took part in Mark Knopfler's star-studded charity re-recording of "Going Home," which also featured the likes of Brian May, Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood and many more. - NME/Canoe.com, 7/27/24...... Pete Townshend has released a new box set of live solo performances, Live in Concert 1985 - 2001, which assembles some of The Who guitarist's most memorable live shows away from the band in an expanded 14-CD box set and digital offering featuring seven long-out-of-print live albums. When the compilation landed at his door in late June, Townshend says he grew reflective thinking about his time away from The Who that has been an indelible part of music since their 1965 debut My Generation. "I needed a creative outlet outside of The Who. I needed to be a solo artist," Townshend said of his independent tours and seven solo studio albums -- 1972's Who Came First; 1977's Rough Mix; 1980's Empty Glass; 1982's All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes; 1985's White City: A Novel; 1989's The Iron Man and the 1993 concept album Psychoderelict. But listening back through the new anthology, Townshend says he's reminded how he's never felt at home onstage. "The weird thing about me, compared to most artists, is despite the fact that I look like I'm enjoying myself, I don't really feel that," he muses. "It's not that I don't feel good about performing, I just don't know who that guy is that's up there on the stage. He isn't me. As a creative, I'm happiest in a studio. I don't like touring. I don't like travelling. I like to be at home in my studio being creative on my own." Townshend, 79, said that his decision to really embrace an identity as a solo artist was inspired by the death of the band's original drummer Keith Moon in 1978. "Keith Moon's death came at a time where The Who were already struggling creatively. After Keith died, I think the logical thing for me would have been to end my tenure with The Who and choose a solo career," he said. "I thought it would be good to work with a different drummer, because Keith's style was very much decorative. It was not a rhythmic style and I'd been contained in a sense with The Who." - Canoe.com, 7/27/24...... German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk paid tribute to the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto with a cover of "Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence" on July 27 at the Fuji Rock Festival in the renowned composer's home country of Japan. "Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence" is taken from the 1983 war film of the same name, whose soundtrack was the first that Sakamoto created in his illustrious career. Indeed, his soundtrack has been credited as one of the key reasons the film went on to become a cult classic despite mixed reviews from critics. Sakamoto also starred in the film alongside David Bowie, which was based on the experiences of Sir Laurens van der Post, a prisoner of war in Java during World War II. Sakamoto died in March 2023 at the age of 71, having been diagnosed with cancer for the second time in a decade. Sakamoto was originally diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, which is now in remission, but shared details of a rectal cancer in 2021. A posthumous album, Opus, is set to be released on Aug. 9. Kraftwerk's version of "Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence" has been shared on X. - NME, 7/27/24...... Dick Asher, a music industry pioneer who served as president at PolyGram and Columbia Records and worked with some of music's biggest names, including Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi, died peacefully at his home in Boca Raton, Fla., on July 25. He was 92. Born in New York City in 1932, Mr. Asher began his professional journey after graduating from Tufts University and Cornell Law School. After serving in the Marine Corps, he joined CBS Records (now Sony Music) in the mid-1960s as vp of business affairs. Following Bob Dylan's near-fatal motorcycle accident in 1966, Mr. Asher famously traveled to Woodstock, N.Y., to negotiate the superstar's contract renewal. Mr. Asher left CBS to briefly work at Capitol Records but returned to the label in 1971 to work with Clive Davis at Columbia Records. He later served as deputy president of Columbia, where he played a crucial role in stabilizing the company's finances. In the 1980s, Mr. Asher stood up to the powerful network of independent promoters known as "The Network," who had monopolized radio airplay through payola and other questionable practices. To do this, he released Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" without their involvement, an episode recounted in the book Hit Men by Frederic Dannen. His resistance to The Network ultimately helped lead to Congressional hearings that exposed and dismantled the group's operations in the mid-1980s. Mr. Asher's tenure at Columbia ended in 1983 after conflicts with the company's president, Walter Yetnikoff. He subsequently joined Warner Communications and later became the president/CEO of PolyGram Records in 1985. During his time at PolyGram, the company released several blockbuster albums, including Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet and Def Leppard's Hysteria. He left PolyGram in 1990 following a contractual dispute and returned to law practice, providing consultancy services to various artists and companies. Later, Mr. Asher became an original director for Electronic Arts for more than two decades. In the 1990s, he moved to Florida and joined Florida Atlantic University as an affiliate professor of commercial music. He is survived by his wife, Sheila, a son, Jeffrey, and four grandchildren. - Billboard, 7/25/24...... During her set at Glasgow's OVO Hydro stadium on July 24, Stevie Nicks opened up about the health condition that had impacted her UK tour earlier in July and led to her postponing shows in Glasgow and Manchester, with her camp stating she had "sustained a leg injury" and required a "minor surgical procedure" as a result. "I don't know what happened," she told the audience. "I just got this weird infection, and it just went crazy." Nicks went on to say that she was staying at a "fabulous castle" in Scotland with some of her crew at the time, adding: "We get here days early because we want to be here for a few days." She continued: "I finally just looked at my assistant -- it was like two in the morning -- and I said, 'I think we need to go to emergency'. She looked at me and I said, 'I'm not kidding! I think we need to go to the hospital'. And so our butler -- this wonderful man -- throws us in his BMW Sedan, and off we sped through the night to a hospital." Nicks confirmed that she spent two days in hospital. "They let me go back to the castle, and we cancelled this show," she explained. "This whole tour I've been fighting what started here, and I would be damned if I wasn't coming back here." Fan shot footage of Nicks's speech can be viewed on YouTube. Before fulfilling her planned dates in Manchester and Glasgow, Nicks headlined BST Hyde Park in London where she was joined onstage by Harry Styles. The pair played an emotional joint rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" in tribute to Christine McVie on what would have been the late musician's birthday. They also performed "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" -- Nicks' 1981 collaboration with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. - NME, 7/25/24...... John Bennett, a veteran BBC Northern Ireland broadcaster, died peacefully on the evening of July 26, surrounded by his family. No cause of death has been given. Mr. Bennett's broadcasting career spanned almost 60 years. During that time, he became one of Northern Ireland's most famous radio personalities, presenting music, entertainment, sports and current affairs programmes for the BBC since 1965. In 1974, on New Year's Eve, he co-launched BBC Radio Ulster alongside Gloria Hunniford. Hunniford has shared a tribute to Mr. Bennett, calling him "A giant in broadcasting." "He was a truly gifted, gracious and generous man," she added. "His contribution to audiences in Northern Ireland and beyond is immeasurable." He was most celebrated for his work on The Sunday Club, which he presented for over 44 years. In Jan. 2023, Mr. Bennett was awarded an MBE for services to Television and Radio Broadcasting. Shortly after, he was inducted into the IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame. His citation said that he had "left an indelible mark on the broadcasting landscape." - NME, 7/29/24...... A Polish television journalist has been suspended by the Polish state broadcaster for reacting to an Olympic Games opening ceremony performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" by saying it was a "vision of communism." TVP, the Polish broadcaster, issued a statement that day saying that the journalist and sports commentator, Przemyslaw Babiarz, would not be allowed to comment on air anymore during this summer's Games. Lennon's song asks to imagine no heaven or hell, no countries, and no possessions. "This is a vision of communism, unfortunately," Babiarz said during the grand opening ceremony along the Seine River in Paris -- comments that immediately triggered controversy for those watching in Poland. TVP said in its statement announcing his suspension: "Mutual understanding, tolerance, reconciliation -- these are not only the basic ideas of the Olympics, they are also the foundation of the standards that guide the new Polish Television. There is no consent to violate them." State media has been an ideological battleground in Poland for years. It was used as a mouthpiece by the right-wing populists who governed Poland from 2015-23. However Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a centrist politician whose broad coalition took power in December, acted quickly to remove their control of the airwaves. Many Polish conservatives condemned the mixing of LGBTQ+ themes with a Last Supper tableau during the opening ceremony. - AP, 7/28/24...... It has been revealed that William L. Calley Jr., a junior Army officer who became the only person convicted in connection with the My Lai Massacre of 1968, died on Apr. 28 at a hospice center in Gainesville, Fla. He was 80. The Washington Post obtained a copy of his death certificate from the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County. The Post was alerted to the death, which was not previously reported, by Zachary Woodward, a recent Harvard Law School graduate who said he noticed Mr. Calley's death while looking through public records. Although he was once the country's most notorious Army officer, a symbol of military misconduct in a war that many considered immoral and unwinnable, Mr. Calley had lived in obscurity for decades, declining interviews while working as a jeweler in Columbus, Ga., not far from the military base where he was court-martialed and convicted in 1971. A junior-college dropout from South Florida, Mr. Calley found a home in a military that was desperately trying to replenish its lower ranks as the war escalated in Vietnam. Mr. Calley was quickly tapped to become a junior officer, with minimal vetting, and was soon promoted to second lieutenant, commanding a platoon in Charlie Company, a unit of the Army's Americal Division. The company sustained heavy losses in the early months of 1968, losing men to sniper fire, land mines and booby traps as the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong launched coordinated attacks in the Tet Offensive. On the morning of Mar. 16, 1968, the unit was airlifted by helicopter to Son My, a patchwork village of rice paddies, irrigation ditches and small settlements, including a hamlet known to U.S. soldiers as My Lai 4. Over the next few hours, Mr. Calley and other soldiers in Charlie Company shot and bayoneted women, children and elderly men, destroying the village while searching for Viet Cong guerrillas and sympathizers who were said to have been hiding in the area. Homes were burned, and some women and girls were gang-raped before being killed. An Army investigation later concluded that 347 men, women and children had been killed, including victims of another American unit, Bravo Company. A Vietnamese estimate placed the death toll at 504. For more than a year and a half, the details of the atrocity were hidden and covered up from the public. A report to headquarters initially characterized the attack as a significant victory, claiming that 128 "enemy" fighters had been killed. Gen. William C. Westmoreland, the top commander in Vietnam, praised American forces at My Lai for dealing a "heavy blow" to the Viet Cong. - The Washington Post, 7/28/24.