Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 7th, 2025

Cher rocked an Elvis outfit in drag as she performed at the ninth annual LOVE ROCKS NYC benefit concert at New York's Beacon Theatre on Mar. 6. The concert, which supports the God's Love We Deliver charity (this year, the proceeds also benefit Los Angeles' Project Angel Food in response to the devastating wildfires), featured musical performances by everyone from Cher to Beck to Alicia Keys to Bill Murray (yes, really). All-time legend that she is, Cher went beyond the stage to support the nonprofit before the show even started. Two days prior to the concert, she stopped by the God's Love We Deliver kitchen in NYC to personally thank the volunteers and staff for their hard work in cooking and delivering medically tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves. During her performance, Cher covered Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis," with her distinct, resonant vocals gave the soft-rock smash a punch. After a costume change, she followed it with a full-throated, thematically appropriate "Song for the Lonely" and wrapped with "Believe." Other '70s artists performing that evening included Mavis Staples and Michael McDonald, who dueted on The Staple Singers' chart-topping classic "I'll Take You There," and a Roberta Flack tribute was performed by 17-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys. - Billboard, 3/7/25...... As Jethro Tull released Curious Ruminant, its third album in three years and its 24th studio album, in late January, frontman Ian Anderson says he took a new approach to songwriting on the LP and it's one of his most personal collection of songs ever. "My points of view and my feelings are expressed much more than they would normally be in most of the lyrics I've written in my life," Anderson, 77, told BANG Showbiz. "There's a lot more I/me pronouns than usual. Usually it's he/she/it. This one's a kind of an I/me album. And yet, ironically, it's very much a band album, it's not a solo album," he adds. "Interim Sleep," the final track, is perhaps his most personal effort on the album, as it diverts from the expected with a spoken word entry. Based on a poem he wrote a few years ago "for somebody bereaved," the song is delivered in a spoken-word format because Anderson says it "seemed more appropriate to the subject material than a melody would be." He explained: "I needed something a bit quieter on the end of the album. With that in mind, I decided it would be a spoken word piece that would be rather intimate, and I based it on that poem I had written." He continued: "In that poem, I was talking from beyond to the person, saying, 'Hey, cheer up', and giving some positive thoughts about death not being final. We will be together in another life." Anderson -- who is the only constant member of Jethro Tull -- and his current band head out on their European tour in April with shows scheduled until December. Ticket information can be found at JethroTull.com. - Music-News.com, 3/7/25...... Former Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers member Benmont Tench has just released The Melancholy Season, his first solo album in 11 years. The keyboardist says that a heavy work load with both Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch kept him busy during the interim. Also a nearly decade-long battle with oral cancer (which included jaw reconstruction during 2023), Petty's death in 2017, and the birth of his first daughter, Catherine, shortly after that -- not to mention the pandemic -- also contributed to the gap between works. "I made a better record because I didn't make it right away," explains Tench, 71, also an A-list session player who filled time after Petty's passing playing for the likes of Ringo Starr, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Chris Stapleton. Tench says he thinks using fewer instruments and be just as effective as the "Wall of Sound" technique employed by Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. "That's what we did on this record; there were some songs we cut with more (instrumentation) and pulled them back to make (the songs) better." Tench previewed The Melancholy Season during a solo residency at a New York nightclub in February, and he has West Coast club dates on Mar. 12 and Mar. 19 in Los Angeles, also hitting Ojai, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Grass Valley, Calif., and Sonoma, Calif., in April. - Billboard, 3/7/25...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Stephen Stills opened up about how his sobriety journey is benefitting the next stage in his career. Stills, 80, has been completely sober for the past three years, and says his sobriety "gets me back to the kid I was before this madness started, pretty affable and friendly." "Things were so special at the beginning of my career before I sold a single record. But when you add poison into that mix I'm just glad I have my original personality back," he adds. Stills has been performing a number of one-off gigs in recent years, since retiring from the road in 2018. Earlier in 2025, he took the stage at the L.A.'s Kia Forum alongside Dawes, Mike Campbell and his former bandmate Graham Nash for the star-studded FireAid benefit concert. The "Love the One You're With" singer also revealed that he's working on a memoir, though he admits he's "going one word at a time" and looking through old newspaper articles to help him remember life events. "I've looked at the issues from my birthdays throughout the years," he says. "That's been very helpful since it puts you in that timeframe and suddenly your memories opens up." Stills is also participating in singer-songwriter Judy Collins' 85th birthday celebration at New York's Town Hall on March 8. - Billboard, 3/4/25...... Heart's Ann Wilson has been performing in a wheelchair on Heart's "Royal Flush" tour because she suffered a nasty fall five days before her tour kicked off. Wilson, 74, postponed Heart's 2024 tour last summer after being diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and undergoing surgery, but she has since completed treatment and revealed her current health woes are down to a recent tumble. During a recent episode of her After Dinner Thinks With Ann Wilson podcast, she explained: "I think some people thought that I was in a wheelchair because of cancer, which I just kicked its ass and I'm nice and clear now. It's not about cancer. It's about me being a klutz and missing a step and falling into a parking lot and busting my elbow in three places and then having to have it pinned back together with screws and all that kind of stuff." She went on to add: "In other ways, I'm perfectly fine. It's just I don't have the use of my left arm right now. So it's hard to navigate when you just have one hand and your other whole arm is in a sling. And you don't have the same balance. So I had to get used to that. And singing on stage, I really think that the pain level is still way too high for me to take it out of the sling so I chose to sit because then I can just concentrate on singing and not on keeping my balance and having somebody out there catching me when I reel to the side." Heart kicked off its current tour in Las Vegas on Feb. 28 and they will continue performing across North America this spring and summer until they wrap with a set at The Great Allentown Fair in Allentown, Penn. on Aug. 27. - Music-News.com, 3/7/25...... On Mar. 5 Pink Floyd released the trailer for the newly restored version of their concert film Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII on YouTube. The new 4K restoration of the classic 1972 film is set to be released in cinemas and on IMAX worldwide from Apr. 24. A press release states: "Pink Floyd At Pompeii pre-dates the release of 'The Dark Side Of The Moon'. The film documents what Pink Floyd did before they became giants of the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic -- where their music remains celebrated to this day." - NME, 3/5/25...... On Mar. 3 Neil Young announced plans on his Neil Young Archives website to give his Ukrainian fans a free concert during his upcoming European tour. "Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts will open the upcoming Love Earth Tour of Europe in UKRAINE with a Free Concert for all!" Young wrote. "We are currently in talks and will make the announcement of details here at NYA." As the "Rockin in the Free World" singer's post indicates, specifics are yet to be detailed, though Feb. 24 saw the announcement of European and North American tour dates for Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts. The tour currently begins in Rttvik, Sweden on June 18, meaning the as-yet unannounced Ukrainian show will ostensibly occur in the immediate lead-up. It will also be the rocker's debut appearance in the country. The timing of Young's Ukrainian show announcement seems rather pertinent given the outpouring of global support received by Ukranian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his meeting with U.S. Pres. Donald Trump on Feb. 28. The highly-contentious meeting resulted in widespread criticism of Trump, and took place only days after Young himself focused on the President in a post titled "Leader of the Free World No More." "Under 47's leadership, the US has lost its standing," Young wrote. "Loyalists will never be stronger than Patriots, and Patriots are in the majority here in the USA. Our Patriots will take to the streets to peacefully demonstrate. There will be a moment of truth in our country and we will show the world who we really are. The USA will again be the leader of the Free World." Young has also shared the first trailer for his forthcoming documentary Coastal on YouTube. The project was shot and directed by filmmaker and Young's wife Daryl Hannah, and will be screened in cinemas for one night only worldwide on April 17. - Billboard, 3/3/25...... In related news, Rod Stewart has also weighed in on the clash between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stressing that "we must keep supporting the Ukrainians." On the day after the contentious meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy ttended a summit of European leaders in London the following day, and now Stewart has posted an image on his Instagram Stories of Starmer and Zelenskyy shaking hands in Downing Street. "Proud to be British," he wrote. "Well done Starmer in welcoming Zelensky to the number 10." Underneath the image, he added: "We must keep supporting the Ukrainians." Meanwhile, the 80-year-old "Maggie May" singer has become a grandfather for the fourth time after his son Liam, 30, and his wife Nicole Artukovich welcomed a daughter into the world on Mar. 2. The newborn is the second child for hockey player Liam and Nicole, who already have a 21-month-old son named Louie. The baby shares her name with Rod's mother, Elsie Gilbart, who died in 1996 at the age of 91. - NME, 3/6/25...... Paul McCartney is giving a little help to his late friend Joe Cocker as the "blue-eyed soul" singer is a contender for the class of 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sir Paul has written a letter to the Rock Hall -- an international voting panel composed of more than a thousand artists, historians and music industry professionals -- suggesting that Cocker be chosen for induction. "Joe was a great man and a fine singer whose unique style made for some fantastic performances," McCartney wrote of the "Woman to Woman" singer in the letter obtained by Billboard. "He sang one of our songs 'With a Little Help From My Friends,' a version produced by Denny Cordell which was very imaginative." Macca continued: "All the people on the panel will be aware of the great contribution Joe made to the history of Rock and Roll. And whilst he may not have ever lobbied to be in the Hall of Fame, I know he would be extremely happy and grateful to find himself where he deserves to be amongst such illustrious company." The Beatles legend sweetly signed the note, "Paul (McCartney)." McCartney is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoree, as he was inducted in 1988 as a member of The Beatles and in 1999 as a solo artist. Cocker, who died in 2014, is a first-time nominee. He's up for the Rock Hall's Class of 2025 alongside 13 other musical greats, including Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Man, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and The White Stripes. Cocker, who died from lung cancer in 2014 at the age of 70, has been eligible since 1989, and is currently sitting in the top seven selections of the online fan vote that's being conducted by the Rock Hall. Fan voting is being conducted via vote.rockhall.com until Apr.21. Voters can vote once per day and choose up to seven of the 14 nominated acts. The Class of 2025 will be revealed in late April, and this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles in the fall. - Billboard, 3/3/25...... On Mar. 4 Eric Clapton announced details of a six-city run of 2025 US tour dates which will kick off on Sept. 8 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. From there he'll head over to Cleveland for a stop at the Rocket Arena on Sept. 11 and then to Philadelphia for a show at the Wells Fargo Center on Sept. 13. Other shows include gigs at the TD Garden in Boston on Sept. 16 and Madison Square Garden in New York on Sept. 19. The tour wraps up the following night with a final stop at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville on the 20th. Slowhand is touring behind his recently released studio album, Meanwhile, and contained the singles "One Woman" and "The Call. It also saw guest contributions from Van Morrison, Bradley Walker, Judith Hill, Daniel Santiago, Simon Climie and the late Jeff Beck. The US tour dates will follow Clapton's upcoming UK leg of live shows set for this spring, which kick off in Nottingham in May 18. In other Clapton news, it was recently announced that MTV would be sharing a new feature-length special around the artist, titled Eric Clapton Unplugged: Over 30 Years Later. - New Musical Express, 3/4/25...... Carl Dean, a Nashville businessman and beloved husband of Dolly Parton for nearly 60 years, died on Mar. 3 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 82 years old. The news of his death was announced via Parton's Instagram page, along with a statement from the country superstar. "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," the statement reads. "Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy." The statement ends with requests for privacy from the family. Mr. Dean and Parton met outside a laundromat in Nashville as young adults, the same day Parton arrived in Music City at 18 years old to pursue her dreams of a music career (at that point, Parton had released a handful of non-charting singles). Parton and Dean wed on May 30, 1966 in Ringgold, Georgia. They renewed their vows in Nashville on their 50th anniversary in 2016. Mr. Dean has famously been averse to the spotlight, and only rarely do photographs of the couple emerge. At various times during her career, she has even had to debunk rumors that her husband doesn't exist. In a message posted to her Instagram on Mar. 6, Dolly wrote in part, "He is in God's arms now, and I am okay with that," before quoting her own 1982 classic hit: "I will always love you." Parton also released a heartbreakingly beautiful tribute song to Mr. Dean, "If You Hadn't Been There," on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 3/3/25...... Trailblazing "Godfather of Soul" James Brown has placed a new song on a Billboard chart for the first time since 1993 as "Bad," his co-billed collaboration with rapper 310babii, has reached No. 37 on the music industry outlet's Rhythmic Airplay chart dated Mar. 8. The new single samples Brown's "The Boss" from his 1973 album, Black Caesar. For Brown, who died in 2006 at age 73, "Bad" is the legend's maiden appearance on the Rhythmic Airplay chart, which launched in Oct. 1992. It's his first new recording on any Billboard songs chart since 1993's "Can't Get Any Harder," which netted a No. 76 high on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Some of his best-known recordings, including "I Got You (I Feel Good)," "Living in America" and "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto" banked time on digital song sales or other charts in recent years due to commercial syncs or holiday-fueled consumption. From 1958-1986, Brown accumulated his 91 Billboard Hot 100 hits, with a No. 3 career high through "I Got You (I Feel Good)" in 1965. Thanks to his storied career, Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's inaugural 1986 class alongside legends such as Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. The official video of 310babii & James Brown's "Bad" can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 3/6/25...... Mick Jagger made a surprise appearance at the 97th annual Academy Awards in L.A. on Mar. 2 to present the Best Original Song Oscar. "You're so kind. I'm greatly honored to be invited to give this award," said the Rolling Stones frontman. "Much as I love doing it, I wasn't the first choice. The producers really wanted Bob Dylan to do this. But Bob Dylan won't do it because he said the best songs in a movie this year were in A Complete Unknown," Jagger joked before adopting a pretty fair Dylan impersonation. "Bob said, 'You should find somebody younger.'" Jagger laughed. "Hey, I'm younger than Bob Dylan!" (For the record: Dylan is 83, Jagger is a sprightly 81.) After it was a revealed that the Emilia Prez song "El Mal" had nabbed the trophy, Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard took the stage, with Camille nodding to Jagger's presence by singing out a bit of the "woo-woo" portion of the Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil." A Complete Unknown, the Dylan biopic, went 0-8 on the night, making it the night's biggest shutout. This marked the second time in three years that a biopic about a top-tier music legend has been shut out. Two years ago, Elvis went 0-8 on the night. In both cases, stars who were thought to have a good chance at winning Best Actor went home empty-handed. Austin Butler was nominated for playing Elvis Presley; Timothée Chalamet for playing Dylan. Meanwhile Elton John, who was nominated for best original song for co-writing "Never Too Late" from the documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, also went home Oscarless, marking the first time the Rocket Man was snubbed on a night he was nominated. (He won in 1995 for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King and in 2020 for "[I'm Gonna] Love Me Again" from Rocketman.) Just over an hour after the Oscars came to a close, John's annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party was preparing for its hotly anticipated performance from the Grammy-winning artist Chappell Roan. Following an introduction and thank you from Sir Elton himself, Roan kicked off her hour-long set with the rousing "Femininomenon" followed by "Naked in Manhattan." Prior to dueting on Roan's hit "Pink Pony Club," the pair performed a stunning rendition of John's Hot 100 No. 1 "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with John on the ivories. And earlier, Roan had tucked in another ode to the legend with an incredible cover of his touching top 10 track, "Your Song." - Billboard, 3/2/25...... In other Elton John news, the superstar is speaking out against the Donald Trump administration's proposed cuts to USAID. The Trump administration announced plans on Thursday (Feb. 27) to eliminate more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development's foreign aid contracts, as well as $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance worldwide, according to the Associated Press. USAID has been the world's largest single aid provider for decades. "The U.S. Administration's abrupt decision to cut over 90% of USAID contracts could have devastating effects on the HIV response," John wrote on Instagram on Mar. 1, alongside an official statement from his Elton John AIDS Foundation. "We are working with our 90+ partners to ensure they can continue to provide lifesaving services and are launching The Rocket Response Fund to help cover immediate gaps in essential care." John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 to fund research aimed at eradicating HIV and AIDS. Over the past three decades, the organization has grown into one of the world's largest independent AIDS charity organizations. Meanwhile, on Mar. 5 Elton and Brandi Carlile shared "Swing for the Fences," the latest single from their upcoming album, on Spotify.com. The new track marks the latest preview of the duo's forthcoming collaborative album Who Believes In Angels?, which was announced in February, along with the title track as the lead single. - Billboard, 3/2/25...... Dan Fogelberg's breakthrough 1974 second album Souvenirs will be introduced to a new generation on May 30 with a digital remastered version and special vinyl reissue to celebrate the album's 50th anniversary. The Joe Walsh-produced album, originally released in Oct. 1974, was Fogelberg's first album to reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA. The upbeat, philosophical single, "Part of the Plan," reached No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and was also an Adult Contemporary chart hit, peaking at No. 22. The digital version will include four bonus tracks via Sony's Legacy Recordings, including previously unreleased tune, "I Know a Thief," a delicate, yet intense song that will be available on all streamers today. Also included on the digital release, which will be available for streaming in full on Apr. 4, are three other bonus tracks: early versions of "As the Raven Flies" and "Illinois" and the original demo of "There's a Place in the World for a Gambler." Sony found the recordings in their vaults as work began on the reissues. The 180-gram audiophile vinyl LP version will be limited to 3,000 numbered copies, and will ship on May 30. The Chris Bellman-remastered edition includes a 16-page booklet featuring previously unseen photographs by Henry Diltz, as well as liner notes from Charles L. Granata and exclusive interviews with many involved in the album's creation, including Fogelberg's friend and manager Irving Azoff, producer/engineer Bill Szymczyk and bassist Kenny Passarelli and Gerry Beckley of America. Impex Records/Sony Music will release both projects in conjunction with Azoff's Iconic Artists Group (IAG), which oversees Fogelberg's legacy in partnership with his estate. Azoff and Fogelberg, who died in 2007 from cancer, dropped out of the University of Illinois together in the early 1970s to come to Los Angeles, moving into a one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood from which Azoff oversaw Fogelberg's nascent career. "When Dan made the first record [1972's Full Moon], that was kind of the post-Neil Young After the Gold Rush era. He was inspired by a lot of the production on those records," Azoff says. "But he wanted to go more electric on the second album. We are always looking for a new generation of fans and I think his music will identify with younger people. There seems to be room now for sensitive lyrically relevant music. We are just happy to try to put his work in front of fans new and old," Azoff adds. - Billboard, 3/4/25...... American jazz and funk musician Roy Ayers, known as the "Godfather of Neo Soul," has passed away at the age of 84. News of Mr. Ayers' passing was confirmed on Mar. 5, with a statement shared via his official Facebook page. Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Mr. Ayers performed music throughout high school thanks to a church choir and local bands and launched his musical career in earnest in 1962, serving as a sideman for saxophonist Curtis Amy and cool jazz outfit The Jack Wilson Quartet, releasing his debut solo album West Coast Vibes in 1963. By 1970, Mr. Ayers had formed his own group under the name Roy Ayers Ubiquity, and in 1973 he found wider fame after soundtracking the blaxploitation film Coffy, starring Pam Grier. Roy Ayers Ubiquity experienced years of chart success in the latter half of the decade, starting with 1975's Mystic Voyage, which hit No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and 1976's Everybody Loves the Sunshine, which reached No. 10 on the same chart, and No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The title track to the latter record would become one of Mr. Ayers' best-known compositions, going on to be sampled by artists such as Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Common, and covered by the likes of D'Angelo, Jamie Cullum and Robert Glasper. It also cemented his status as one of the more prominent figures in the neo-soul scene, with the likes of Pharrell Williams citing Mr. Ayers as one of his most influential artists. His biggest chart success came by way of 1980's No Stranger to Love, which reached No. 22 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Mr. Ayers would continue composing and performing into the 21st century, working with the likes of Erykah Badu, Tyler the Creator, Kerri Chandler, and more. He is survived by his wife Argerie, and their two children Mtume and Ayana Ayers. - Billboard, 3/5/25...... Joey Molland, the guitarist and last surviving member of the Beatlesque '70s rock band Badfinger, passed away on Mar. 1 while surrounded by his longtime partner, Mary, his two sons and other family members, according to a post on Badfinger's Facebook page. He was 77. While a cause of death was not specified, Molland had faced ongoing health challenges in recent years, including a recent battle with pneumonia. "Thank you, Joey for keeping the band's music alive for so long and for being a friend to us all," the Facebook post read. The Welsh band Badfinger, originally known as The Iveys, was one of the first acts signed by The Beatles' Apple Records. Molland joined the group in 1969, after the recording of their debut album, Magic Christian Music, which featured the Paul McCartney-written hit "Come and Get It." The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1970. Molland's first album with Badfinger was 1971's No Dice, co-produced by Beatles road manager Mal Evans. The set featured two of the band's most iconic tracks: "No Matter What" and "Without You." The latter became a No. 1 hit after being covered by Harry Nilsson, with Mariah Carey also covering the tune later. Badfinger's main lineup of Molland (guitarist), Pete Ham (singer/guitarist), Tom Evans (bassist) and Mike Gibbins (drummer) recorded five albums together through 1974, producing hit singles like "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue" from 1972's Straight Up, both co-produced by George Harrison. "Baby Blue" was notably featured in the closing scene of the final episode of the TV series Breaking Bad in 2013. After the death of Ham, who died by suicide in 1975, Molland and Evans (minus Gibbins) reunited to revive Badfinger, with the guitarist taking on a larger role in songwriting and vocals for the albums Airwaves (1979) and Say No More (1981). Outside of his work with Badfinger, Molland contributed to Harrison's epic All Things Must Pass and The Concert for Bangladesh albums, and played guitar on John Lennon's 1971 classic "Jealous Guy" and Imagine's "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier." Throughout his career, Molland recorded music both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Natural Gas. In the early 1980s, he formed his own version of Badfinger, known as Joey Molland's Badfinger, and continued to tour with the act until the summer of 2024. Molland was the last surviving member of Badfinger's core lineup, following the deaths of Ham, Evans (who also died by suicide in 1983) and Gibbins, who passed away from a brain aneurysm in 2005. - Billboard, 3/2/25.

Interviewed by the London Sunday Times, Daryl Hall insisted he'll never work with his former Hall & Oates partner John Oates again. "That ship has gone to the bottom of the ocean. I've had a lot of surprises in my life, disappointments, betrayals, so I'm kind of used to it...," Hall said. "I've been involved with some pretty shady characters over the years. That's where the problems start." In 2023, Hall sued his former musical partner to stop him from selling their stake in their publishing company, Whole Oats Enterprises -- a move he branded "the ultimate partnership betrayal" -- and while he can't talk about the ongoing legal proceedings, the "Rich Girl" hitmaker admitted things have gone too far for them to reunite. Hall, 78, also admitted he feels frustrated that his prolific songwriting in Hall & Oates -- who sold 60 million records -- has largely gone unrecognized. He said: "The songs with his lead vocal are the songs he wrote, and all the other ones, which is about 90 per cent, are the ones I wrote... It was very frustrating." Since Hall and Oates went their separate ways, Hall has worked with former Eurythmics star-turned-producer Dave Stewart on several projects and insists their partnership is far more "meaningful" than the one he had with John. "[Dave is] a whirlwind. Witty and amusing, for sure. Also manic. He never stops," Hall said. In May, Hall is set to head out on the road with Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook and, despite his advancing years, he still loves performing live. "[Playing live] is the way that music is supposed to be communicated, and it's unforgiving. What you do is what people hear." - Music-News.com, 3/2/25...... Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes are revisiting their 1999 collaboration with an expanded edition of Live at the Greek, and they've just shared a fresh taste from it on YouTube -- a newly unearthed live recording of Zeppelin's "The Lemon Song." Originally recorded during a soundcheck, this take on the Led Zeppelin II classic captures the raw chemistry between Page and the Crowes as they breathed new life into Led Zepp's bluesy, groove-heavy material. It's one of several unreleased tracks included in the expanded reissue, which drops Mar. 14. "I'm really looking forward to the soon-to-be-available release of Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes material from concerts in 1999," Page said in a statement. "The new mixes capture the collaboration of those historic encounters and provide the full explosive passion and exciting energy of those alchemical moments." - Billboard 2/25/25...... The Rolling Stones producer Andrew Watt has defended the legendary British band winning Best Rock Album at the most recent Grammys for their 2023 LP Hackney Diamonds. The Stones beat out the likes of Green Day, IDLES, Fontaines D.C and Jack White with their comeback album, their first full-length for 18 years and their first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts. However, some claimed their win was the result of their rich musical legacy as opposed to the quality of the album itself, and as such felt the other artists nominated were "robbed." Now Watt, who produced the album, has argued that the songwriting still made the Stones worthy of the Grammy. "They are in their 80s, They're 82 and 83 years-old. Tell me another band ever in history that has made a latter-day album that good in their 80s, with that level of songwriting, that level of performance?" Watt said in an interview with Rolling Stone's Music Now podcast. Watt accepted the award on the band's behalf during the ceremony. "Talked to Mick [Jagger] yesterday and he just wanted to say a big thank you to the Academy from the entire band. For a little boy that grew up playing guitar, it was one of the most amazing experiences to be around those musicians," he said at the time. Meanwhile, Watt has revealed that Ozzy Osbourne is back in the gym in preparation for the upcoming final Black Sabbath gig in Birmingham, UK on July 5. "He's OK. It's just his body is not doing what he wants it to do all the time," Watt explained. "But I talked to him a couple days ago, and he's, like, starting to get in the gym again a little bit by little, get himself ready for this last concert." - New Musical Express, 2/28/25...... On Feb. 28 Neil Young announced he'll be headlining a July 11 at the UK's annual BST Hyde Park festival in London, where he will be joined by "Peace Train" singer Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Van Morrison, with more support acts to be announced later. The gig will be Young's first at BST Hyde Park since a 2019 co-headlining gig there with Bob Dylan. Young's show will join a growing roster of 2025 BST Hyde Park headliners, which also include Jeff Lynne's ELO and such rising artists as Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan. The addition of the Hyde Park show expands Young's burgeoning 2025 "Love Earth" tour roster, which is slated to kick off in Europe on June 18 at Dalhalla in Rttvik, Sweden before moving to North America on Aug. 8 with a show in Charlotte, N.C. - Billboard, 2/28/25...... The ever inscrutable Bob Dylan has inexplicably posted a 2016 video of an in-store performance by Machine Gun Kelly at the Park Ave. CDs record store in Orlando, FL. While Dylan has posted some on-brand messages lately, including a tribute to his friend and late The Band member Garth Hudson in January following the death of The Band's longtime keyboardist, the MGK love is in keeping with his out-of-left-field online activity. Earlier in 2025, the 83-year-old folk rock legend joined TikTok just days before what was slated to be a ban of the app, posting a kind of career retrospective clip, followed by a half dozen other archival videos. Perhaps we'll never know why the rock bard feels such love for MGK, but both Kelly and his good pal, singer/producer Mod Sun, were beyond pumped at the unexpected shout-out. "You having a phone is so rad," Kelly wrote in the comments on the post, with Mod Sun adding, "This is my favorite thing that's ever happened on the internet. What does it all mean? Who knows? But in the immortal words of Dylan: "don't criticize what you can't understand." - Billboard, 2/27/25...... Pink Floyd's beloved 1972 concert film, Pink Floyd at Pompeii -- MCMLXXII -- will return to movie theaters worldwide beginning on Apr. 24. The film directed by Adrian Maben, will also be screened on IMAX in a digitally remastered, 4K version taken from the original 35mm footage, with enhanced audio that has been newly mixed by Steven Wilson, representing what a press release said is the "definitive version of this pioneering film." "Since 1994, I have searched for the elusive film rushes of Pink Floyd At Pompeii, so the recent discovery of the 1972 original 35mm cut negative was a very special moment," said Lana Topham, Floyd's director of restoration in a statement. "The newly restored version presents the first full 90-minute cut, combining the 60-minute source edit of the performance with the additional Abbey Road Studios documentary segments filmed shortly after." The movie's re-release will be accompanied by a Legacy Recordings release of the live album on Blu-ray and CD, digital audio and for the first time in Dolby Atmos and on vinyl on May 2, featuring performances of the songs "Careful With That Axe, Eugene," "Something Else," "Syncopated Pandemonium," "Storm Signals" and "Echoes -- Part II," among others. - Billboard, 2/26/25...... Nick Simmons and Evan Stanley, the sons of KISS' Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, have recorded 10 songs together, and the pair recently shared photos with fans on Instagram showing themselves beside recording equipment as they performed as yet unheard material. Another post featured Nick and Evan performing an original track with guitarist Jacob Bunton, which Paul Stanley called "magic!!!" while Nick's sister Sophie Simmons gushed "we want the album" in the comments. Bunton has also been writing with the duo, although it remains unclear if an actual album will materialize. Meanwhile, Simmons recently responded to those who criticised his involvement in the recent Ronald Reagan biopic. The singer/bassist recorded a cover of the 1933 classic "Stormy Weather" for Reagan. During an appearance on Bill O'Reilly's podcast No Spin News, he was asked if he had received any pushback for his contribution to the movie. "How do I say this as nicely as I can? I don't give a squat," he said. - NME, 2/27/25...... Paul McCartney has commented on his forthcoming Wings book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run. Scheduled for release on Nov. 4 via Liveright/W. W. Norton and Allen Lane/Penguin Press, the book is authored by McCartney and edited by historian Ted Widmer, featuring an in-depth personal account of his post-Beatles band, as told by McCartney, key players, and family members. "I'm so very happy to be transported back to the time that was Wings and relive some of our madcap adventures through this book," said McCartney in a statement. "Starting from scratch after The Beatles felt crazy at times. There were some very difficult moments and I often questioned my decision. But as we got better I thought, 'OK this is really good.' We proved Wings could be a really good band. To play to huge audiences in the same way The Beatles had and have an impact in a different way. It was a huge buzz." A description of the book notes that it is "organized around nine Wings albums," implying the narrative begins with 1971's Ram and also includes 1976's triple live record Wings over America. The volume also contains 150 black-and-white photographs, of which many are unseen, and focuses on many iconic stories of the band's history, including how they "survive a robbery on the streets of Nigeria [during the 1973 Band on the Run sessions], appear unannounced at various university halls, [and] tour in a sheared-off double-decker bus with their children." Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run follows a number of recent Wings-related releases, including a 50th anniversary reissue of Band on the Run and the long-awaited arrival of the live record and film One Hand Clapping in 2024. A 50th anniversary reissue of 1975's Venus and Mars is also scheduled to arrive on Mar. 21. - Billboard, 2/26/25...... In other Beatles-related news, a piece of toast that was left behind by George Harrison in 1962 has been sold. The crust of the bread left over by the late Beatles legend was saved by a fan named Sue Houghton, who was 15-years-old at the time. According to the Daily Express, she preserved the bread on a scrapbook page alongside the caption: "Piece of George's breakfast 2-8-63." The date noted indicates that the bread was from around the time that the Fab Four made their return to Liverpool after seven weeks of touring. As reported by the New York Post, the fan had taken the remains from Harrison's plate after befriending his family and making a visit to their home. Her scrapbook also contained other memorabilia from Harrison, including fluff from under his bed and thread from his jeans. The bread was originally sold in 1992 when Houghton auctioned off her scrapbook for $1,600 (1,265) to fund home repairs. Now it has been reported that the leftover piece of bread has changed hands again, with memorabilia collector Joseph O'Donnell buying the piece of toast, although the price he paid has not been publicly disclosed. O'Donnell did, however, say that it has been preserved by being framed in UV-protected glass of museum standard. "It's a brilliant story that is both bizarre, historical and a story I'll continue telling friends, memorabilia collectors and fellow Beatles fans," he said. The NY Post also highlights that word of the swiped piece of toast has made its way over to members of The Beatles, and has become an inside joke to the members. In 1992 for instance, Harrison jokingly claimed that the toast couldn't have belonged to him in an interview with Vox.com, saying: "I ate all my toast! I never left any!" Harrison died in November 2001 following a battle with lung cancer at age 58. - NME, 2/27/25...... Tom Waits has added his talents to the final episode of Italian documentary series, Il Fattore Umano (The Human Factor), with his work accompanying stories of homelessness in America. The eight-part series, created by the Italian public television channel RAI3, offers investigative insights into how human rights have been violated by authoritarian regimes, autocracies and even democratic regimes. Focusing on how the most vulnerable and minorities face oppression in these countries, the final episode - titled "Ultima Fermata (The Last Ride)" -- serves as an in-depth look at American poverty. Looking specifically at four southern states -- Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana -- filmmakers travel through the regions on public buses, discovering forgotten communities while exploring the dignity and solidarity of those forced to live in marginalized conditions thanks to a system that lacks safety nets. "The Last " pairs the stories of these individuals with the voice of Waits, who shares performances on acoustic guitar and piano while also reading from his poem "Seeds on Hard Ground." A trailer for the episode is soundtracked by Waits performing "The Fall of Troy," which originally appeared on the soundtrack to 1996's Dead Man Walking. "I am an individual who is deeply concerned with the inequities as we all are, but ill equipped to solve any of them," Waits said in a statement. "I tell the world in the only way I know how: through my music. I don't deal with politics or laws, and I don't have answers to the big questions that concern us all. All I can do is try -- through songs and poems -- to inspire someone. I'm here to open up the window and open up our eyes. I guess a little bit, if I can." The episode was made available for global streaming on Feb. 26 via RAI's RaiPlay streaming platform. - Billboard, 2/25/25...... As the divisiveness in American politics grows increasingly sharper, veteran classic rock producer Bob Ezrin has said he plans to renounce his US citizenship and make a full return to his native country of Canada from his most recent US base, Nashville. Ezrin explained to the UK paper The Globe that the current polarized state of American politics and society is the driving force behind this move. "In the last few years, it seems as if America is split in half," Ezrin says. "The voices of a radical right have become so much louder. Conspiracy theories abound, people are armed to the teeth, and it's just a different place than the place I went to." Already a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Ezrin was recently named as a recipient of the lifetime artistic achievement award by The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation, honoured for a legendary discography that includes milestone albums by such international stars as Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, U2, Deep Purple, Rod Stewart, Nine Inch Nails, Kiss, Lou Reed, Taylor Swift and many more. He received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year in 1981 as producer of Pink Floyd's The Wall, which was subsequently voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. Ezrin and his family moved to Los Angeles from Toronto in 1985, and he became heavily involved in the community of that area. The following decade, he became a US citizen in order to vote. He teamed up with U2's the Edge co-found Music Rising, an initiative to replace musical instruments lost in natural disasters. He is also a board member of the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, a national initiative that supports music in U.S. schools by donating musical instruments to under-funded music programs. - Billboard, 2/28/25...... Billy Joel will make history this summer when he plays all three New York City-area sports stadiums, making him the first artist to ever play all three in one summer. His impressive feat will come over a month-long period. Joel will play Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on July 18; East Rutherford, N.J.'s Metlife Stadium, home to the New York Giants and New York Jets, on Aug. 8; and Citi Field, home to the New York Mets, in Queens, N.Y., on Aug. 21. Rod Stewart will join him July 18, Stevie Nicks on Aug. 8 and Sting on Aug. 21. The feat is all the more remarkable in that it comes on top of ending his 10-year residency at New York's Madison Square Garden last July after playing the vaunted venue once a month for 10 years. Joel's 2025 tour kicks off March 15 in Toronto and ends Nov. 1 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla. - Billboard, 2/24/25...... Brian May says he fears for the music industry as the UK government plans to make changes to AI copyright laws. The Queen guitarist is among those protesting the proposed amendment that would see artists have to opt out of having their work mined by AI algorithms. Sir Brian believes the damage is already done and has hit out at the "monstrously arrogant billionaire owners" of artificial intelligence and social media, making it "impossible for artists to be able to "afford to make music." May, 77, gave his stark warning to the UK's The Daily Mail as part of their campaign against the Labour government's proposed AI law changes. My fear is that it's already too late -- this theft has already been performed and is unstoppable, like so many incursions that the monstrously arrogant billionaire owners of Al and social media are making into our lives," May said. "The future is already forever changed." May backing the campaign comes after more than 1,000 artists -- including Kate Bush, Damon Albarn and Annie Lennox -- released a silent album in protest to the new changes. - Music-News.com, 2/28/25...... Robert John, the Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter whose inimitable voice lent itself to a number of Billboard Hot 100 hits including "Sad Eyes" and an enduring version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," died on Feb. 24. He was 79 years old. The singer's son, Michael Pedrick, confirmed the news of his death to Rolling Stone. While no cause of death was given, John was still recovering from a stroke he suffered a few years prior to his passing. Born Bobby Pedrick, Jr., in Brooklyn, N.Y., first made waves in the pop world at just 12 years old with the single, "White Bucks and Saddle Shoes." The song peaked at No. 74 on the Hot 100 in 1958, marking his first of many hits on the chart. In 1965, he changed his name and by 1971, he notched a major hit, a cover of The Tokens' 1961 classic, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." John's version, one of the most popular renditions of the track to this day, made its way to No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 6 on the Adult Contemporary songs chart. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, John was a mainstay on the Billboard charts, hitting No. 49 with 1968's "If You Don't Want My Love," No. 71 with 1970's "When the Party Is Over," and No. 99 with 1972's "Hushabye." In 1979, after John worked as a staff writer for Motown for a few years, he topped the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with his seminal hit, "Sad Eyes," which also hit the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. At the 22nd annual Grammy Awards, "Sad Eyes" was nominated for best pop vocal performance, male. "Sad Eyes" was also featured on John's third, self-titled album, which peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart. His career continued throughout the 1980s, with the release of his last album, Back on the Street in 1980. Overall, John earned a collective 10 Hot 100 tracks and five Adult Contemporary hits. John is survived by his four sons and several grandsons, his ex-wife Diane and his partner Susan. - Billboard, 2/25/25...... The Isley Brothers member Chris Jasper -- also an award-winning songwriter, producer and keyboardist -- died on Feb. 23 after being diagnosed with cancer in December. He was 73. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's family broke the news with a notice on Facebook posted one day after Jasper's death. "He will be deeply missed and his legacy will live on as an inspiration for generations," it reads. Born Dec. 30, 1951, and educated at the Juilliard School of Music, the Cincinnati native helped transform The Isley Brothers from vocal trio to full-fledged band when he joined the original lineup -- comprised of brothers O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald Isley -- in 1973 alongside Ernie and Marvin Isley. During his decade with the group, they scored numerous entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including top 10 hits "That Lady (Part 1)" and "Fight the Power Part 1," both of which Jasper helped write. The Isley Brothers also charted a dozen albums on the Billboard Hot 200 during Jasper's tenure, including 1975's No. 1 LP The Heat Is On. 1973's 3+3, 1976's Harvest for the World, 1977's Go for Your Guns, 1978's Showdown and 1980's Go All the Way also all reached the top 10. After the group disbanded in 1984, the pianist formed Isley-Jasper-Isley with Ernie and Marvin, and recorded hits such as 1985's "Caravan of Love." He would later go on to pursue a solo music career, becoming known for tracks such as "Superbad" and "The First Time." He released his final album, It Started With a Kiss, in 2023. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of his Isley Brothers bandmates in 1992. In 2014, the Grammys honored the group with a Lifetime Achievement Award, eight years after which the Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted the members into its 2022 class. He is survived by his wife, New York attorney and author Margie Jasper, as well as his three sons Michael, Nicholas and Christopher. - Billboard, 2/25/25...... David Johansen, frontman with glam rock band New York Dolls, died on Mar. 1 at his home in New York City. He was 75. "David Johansen died at home in NYC on Friday afternoon holding hands with his wife, Mara Hennessey, and daughter Leah, surrounded by music, flowers and love," his rep said in a statement. "He died of natural causes after nearly a decade of illness." The news of Johansen's death comes after the punk pioneer announced in early February that he was battling stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor. The musician was diagnosed in 2020, and after a fall that broke his back in two places in Nov. 2024, he decided to share his story. "We've been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation," revealed Johansen, who also acted and has appeared in films such as Scrooged and TV shows including Oz. "This is the worst pain I've ever experienced in my entire life. I've never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency. Thank you." The Staten Island-born Johansen joined the Dolls in 1971, playing his first show with the group at a homeless shelter on Christmas Eve that year. Favoring simple, sloppy rock n' roll over the increasingly complex and conceptual rock music of the early '70s, New York Dolls made up for what they lacked in technical mastery and professionalism with attitude, gender-bending fashion (women's clothes and high heels) and gobs of lipstick. Gigging around Manhattan in 1972, the group steadily increasing in popularity among young, disaffected audiences looking for something different and the NYC art crowd. The group's self-titled 1973 album is a no-notes distillation of their rough-and-tumble, campy take on the straight-forward, blues-boosted rock n' roll of the '50s. "Personality Crisis" is a wild, careening send-up of self-obsessed people manufacturing drama for attention that rings as true today as it did half a century ago; "Looking for a Kiss" opens with a cheeky reference to The Shangri-Las; and while the Dolls weren't renowned for their lyricism, "Frankenstein" is a clever metaphor for the lumbering, confused and patched-together New York City of the '70s. Despite inspiring countless punks, glam rockers, heavy metal bands and Morrissey (who cites seeing the band on TV as a watershed moment in his life), the band's debut only reached No. 116 on the Billboard Hot 200, and its follow-up, In Too Much Too Soon (another seminal classic), peaked at No. 167. The band broke up in the mid '70s, and thanks in no small part to superfan Morrissey, eventually reunited in the '00s, playing several reunion shows before hitting the studio for three well-received albums: One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This(2006), Cause I Sez So (2009) and Dancing Backward in High Heels (2011). Johansen released four solo albums between 1978 and 1984, the first three of which included members of the New York Dolls in some capacity. While his self-titled solo debut found him delivering a slightly more polished version of the Dolls' rock ("Funky But Chic" is a treat), he began experimenting with disco ("Swaheto Woman") on its follow-up, In Style, and by 1981's Here Comes the Night, he was contemporizing his rock palette in a fashion that set him up for a commercial breakthrough with 1987's Buster Poindexter, the debut LP from his martini-swigging, lounge lizard alter ego Buster Poindexter. "We were a band's band in a lot of ways," Johansen said of the New York Dolls in an interview featured in Personality Crisis: One Night Only. "We influenced a lot of bands and a lot of kids were influenced by us who started bands. Take The Ramones. The Ramones saw us and they looked at each other said, 'Hey, if these guys can do this, we can do that.' To have an influence like that on people is really good. To give people the idea, like, 'Hey, I can do that.'" Johansen is survived by his wife, Mara, and daughter, Leah. - Billboard, 3/1/25.