Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on May 24th, 2025

A new Freddie Mercury biography claims the late Queen frontman had a secret daughter. British biographer Lesley-Ann Jones' book Love, Freddie alleges the child was conceived accidentally during an affair by Mercury with the wife of a close friend in 1976. Mercury allegedly visited the child regularly and gave her 17 volumes of his detailed personal journals, which she kept a secret. The woman -- who is only referred to as B throughout the book and is now aged 48 and working as a medical professional -- shared the journals with Jones. According to reports by the Daily Mail UK, the book includes B's reasoning for sharing the journals after 30 years, with her writing: "After more than three decades of lies, speculation and distortion, it is time to let Freddie speak. "Those who have been aware of my existence kept his greatest secret out of loyalty to Freddie. That I choose to reveal myself in my own midlife is my decision and mine alone. I have not, at any point, been coerced into doing this," B said. "He entrusted his collection of private notebooks to me, his only child and his next of kin, the written record of his private thoughts, memories and feelings about everything he had experienced." B continued: "He adored me and was devoted to me. The circumstances of my birth may seem, by most people's standards, unusual and even outrageous. That should come as no surprise. It never detracted from his commitment to love and look after me. He cherished me like a treasured possession." Mercury allegedly started writing the diaries on June 20 1976, when he first learned about the pregnancy. He wrote his final entry in his notebook on July 31 1991, while his health was deteriorating. Mercury died aged 45 of bronchial pneumonia caused by AIDS. It is believed that only Mercury's inner circle are aware of B's existence. In 2012, Jones released another Mercury biography, Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury. Her other works include Who Killed John Lennon? and Songbird: An Intimate Biography of Christine McVie. - New Musical Express, 5/24/25...... Billy Joel announced on May 23 that he's been forced to cancel all of his upcoming shows due to a medical condition that affects his ability to perform. In a statement shared to Instagram and other social media accounts, the 75-year-old singer said the decision comes following a "recent diagnosis" of normal pressure hydrocephalus. "This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance," his statement reads. "Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health." "He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage," the announcement continues, concluding with a message directly from Joel: "I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding." Fans with tickets to any of the "Piano Man" singer's scheduled shows will receive automatic refunds to their original payment method. According to Cleveland Clinic, normal pressure hydrocephalus is a condition that occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull, pressing on the brain. It can affect "several brain-related abilities, including thinking and concentrating, memory, movement and more," with treatment involving implanting a shunt to drain the excess fluid. Joel had several shows planned throughout the summer and fall of 2025, as well as a few performances scheduled for the first half of 2026. His canceled appearances include his joint dates with Sting, Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks, as well as his solo gigs. The 1999 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee previously delayed several of those tour dates by four months after revealing that he had recently undergone surgery. Joel did not disclose his medical condition at that time. His health update comes shortly after it was announced that his upcoming two-part documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. Later in the summer, the project will air on HBO. - Billboard, 5/23/25...... On May 23 Neil Young announced more support acts for his July 11 headline show and London's BST Hyde Park festival. Young's BST performance with his latest band the Chrome Hearts will follow the singer-songwriter's headlining set at the UK's Glastonbury Festival in June. Earlier in 2025, it was confirmed that openers Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Van Morrison would join him on the day. The latest support acts include the recently formed Irish folk trio Amble and German-born singer-songwriter Alice Merton, along with country singer Kelly McGrath, Naima Bock, Everyone Says Hi and Our Man In The Field, among others. Young is headlining this year's edition of the London concert series along with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Wonder, Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan and Jeff Lynne's ELO. - NME, 5/23/25...... The Who's new drummer Scott Devours has spoken out on his new gig working with the legendary English rock band after the band's acrimonious split with former drummer Zak Starkey. Posting on Instagram, Devours said he understood if fans were "gutted" by Starkey's departure, adding that "as a huge fan myself, there is a part of me that's processing this loss with a heavy heart too." However, he also said that "there are no bigger shoes to fill than those behind Pete and Roger," adding that "the weight of this responsibility is enormous and I am feeling every ounce of it." He continued: "Since this is the last time Pete [Townshend] and Roger [Daltrey] will be touring the US, playing the greatest songs ever written, I will be giving them every second of my time, every beat of my heart, and every drop of my sweat and blood. This is my ultimate goal." He concluded: "This tour isn't about me or anyone other than The Who, which IS Pete and Roger. I will give them everything I have and the rest is soon to be history Thank you for reading this. Now I'm going to go throw up, lol." Devours most recently played in Daltrey's solo band. Meanwhile, Daltrey has suggested he doesn't want to tour with Townshend after Townshend said he feels like The Who is "flogging a dead horse" in a recent interview with Sunday People Daltrey is quoted by the Daily Mail's "Eden Confidential" column as saying: "If Pete doesn't want to tour, I don't want to be back with The Who on the road, at 81, with someone who doesn't want be there -- if that's what he's saying. I won't do it with someone who is half-hearted about it. But, you know, every dog has its day and it was a wonderful ride." Townshend had told Sunday People: "The Who has gone on a bit too long with two of us dying. It does sometimes feel like flogging a dead horse." Dubbed "The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour," it kicks off on Aug.16 at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida, and is due to wrap on Sept. 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. - NME/Music-News.com, 5/22/25...... Although he reached his milestone birthday of 80 on Jan. 10, Rod Stewart says he has "so much more music" to make and has no less that three new albums in the works. Speaking to AARP The Magazine, he said: "There's so much more music I want to create. I've got a covers album, a country album, and a Faces album all in the works. I just can't stop. Even when I'm spending time with my grandkids, my passion for music drives me. I feel like I've done everything I've ever wanted, but there's still more to come." Stewart also admitted he enjoys performing at concerts "more" now than when he was a young musician, and he can appreciate "how lucky [he's] been." "When I feel I might be sick enough to cancel a concert, that's when I go, 'Maybe I'm getting old.' Then a couple of days later, bang, I'm back at it again. I enjoy doing concerts more than I did back then. Maybe I've come full circle to appreciate how lucky I've been." In November, Hot Rod confirmed he will play the coveted legends slot at this year's Glastonbury festival, posting on Instagram: "I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that I'll be playing Glastonbury Festival 2025! After all these years, I'm proud and ready and more than able to take the stage again to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury in June. I'll see you there!" - Music-News.com, 5/23/25...... Sony Music Vision has announced it will produce a new Judas Priest documentary, to be co-directed by Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello. The film, titled The Ballad Of Judas Priest, has yet to receive a release date, but will be co-directed by Morello and established heavy metal filmmaker Sam Dunn (Metal: A Headbanger's Journey). The band said in a statement, per Variety: "We have lived and breathed metal for over five decades, and finally in this documentary we are summoning our congregation to officially witness our lives uncensored, in a never-before-seen waythe cassock comes off, revealing Priest in all its metal glory!" Meanwhile, Morello will serve as "musical director" for Black Sabbath's final gig this July, however Judas Priest will not be participating, saying they were unaware of the gig until it was too late. After a show with the Scorpions in July which celebrates the German band's 60th anniversary, Priest will be hitting the road again in 2025 for a co-headline tour with Alice Cooper. It'll feature gigs across North America, Europe and the UK, and includes a stop at The O2 in London on July 25. - NME, 5/22/25...... Bruce Springsteen is doubling down on his stance that the US government is "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous," even after his remarks on the subject at a Manchester, UK concert infuriated Pres. Donald Trump. One week after criticizing the Trump administration during a speech at his European tour kickoff show in England -- leading Trump to launch into a series of vitriolic posts targeting him on his Truth Social platform -- the Boss has released a Land of Hope & Dreams EP featuring a recording of the address as its opening track. "In my home, the America I love, the America I've written about, and has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration," he says in the audio snippet. "Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against the authoritarianism, and let freedom ring." The New Jersey rocker then dives into 2001's "Land of Hope & Dreams," which is also the name Springsteen's ongoing tour. In addition to the politically charged speech, the six-track project also features live takes of the musician and his band performing "Long Walk Home," "My City of Ruins" and "Chimes of Freedom" in Manchester. There's also a three-and-a-half-minute recording of Springsteen once again critiquing the state of American politics later in the show. "In my country, they're taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on American workers, they're rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and moral society," he says in the clip. "They're abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom." The EP comes shortly after Trump responded to Springsteen's onstage remarks by calling him "highly overrated" and "dumb as a rock" on Truth Social, adding at the time, "This dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare.'" He later accused Springsteen -- along with Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and Bono -- of taking part in an "illegal election scam" for Kamala Harris, alleging that he accepted an undisclosed payment from the 2024 Democratic nominee to endorse her for president. Trump still hadn't let the matter go as of May 21, when he shared a bizarre edited video of himself golfing -- and appearing to hit and knock over Springsteen with his ball -- on Truth Social hours after the Land of Hope & Dreams EP dropped. Springsteen's new Land of Hope & Dreams EP can be streamed on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 5/21/25...... Dead & Company have announced the opening acts for the upcoming Grateful Dead 60th-anniversary concerts at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park set for Aug. 1-3. Bluegrass phenom Billy Strings will open the Aug. 1 concert, while singer/songwriter Sturgill Simpson, performing as Johnny Blue Skies, will perform Aug. 2. Trey Anastasio, frontman for Phish who performed with the surviving members of the GD for the 50th-anniversary "Fare Thee Well" concerts, is opening the Aug. 3 show with his Trey Anastasio Band. The three-day concert series will also include Participation Row, Dead & Company's fan-powered social action village hosted by national nonprofits HeadCount, which promotes citizen participation in democracy and U.S. politics, and REVERB, which organizes and promotes action at concerts and festivals to bring about a better future. - Billboard, 5/21/25...... Brian Eno published on open letter to Microsoft on Instagram on May 21, three decades after composing the company's iconic Windows 95 startup jingle. The former Roxy Music member and veteran record producer is calling out the company for selling technology to Israel amid the country's highly criticized war against Hamas. In a statement titled "Not in My Name: An Open Letter to Microsoft From Brian Eno," Eno began by writing, "In the mid-1990s, I was asked to compose a short piece of music for Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system. Millions -- possibly even billions -- of people have since heard that short startup chime, which represented a gateway to a promising technological future. I never would have believed that the same company could one day be implicated in the machinery of oppression and war." Eno's words come a few days after Microsoft acknowledged in an unsigned blogpost that it sold advanced artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to the Israeli military -- as well as aided in efforts to locate and rescue Israeli hostages -- amid the war in Gaza. Violence has run rampant in the city ever since Hamas attacked and killed about 1,200 Israeli people while taking more than 250 hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel's ensuing war against the terrorist group has since led to the deaths of more than 53,000 Palestinians. Eno ended his letter by pledging to donate the fee he originally received for his Windows 95 composition to support for victims of attacks in Gaza. "If a sound can signal a real change," he concluded, "let it be this one." Microsoft has yet to comment about Eno's open letter. - Billboard, 5/21/25...... Rising actress Aimee Lou Wood, best known for her roles in Sex Education and The White Lotus, has reportedly been lined up to play George Harrison's one time wife Patti Boyd in one of director Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles biopics. Rumours linking Wood to the role have persisted for some time, particularly after she shared an image of Harrison and Boyd on their honeymoon in Barbados in 1966 on her Instagram Stories page in March. Harrison and Boyd were married between 1966 and 1977 and she was said to be the inspiration for songs including "I Need You," "If I Needed Someone," "Something" and "For You Blue." She was later married to Eric Clapton between 1979 and 1989. In addition, Mia McKenna-Bruce is rumoured to be joining the cast as Ringo Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey. Announced in 2024, the project -- titled The Beatles - A Four Film Cinematic Event -- will see Mendes direct a different film about each member of the Fab Four. - NME, 5/21/25...... In other biopic news, the release of the Michael Jackson film Michael has been pushed back to 2026. Lionsgate Studios CEO Jon Feltheimer recently shared an update on the film that stars Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson in his big-screen debut. "In regard to our Michael Jackson biopic, we're excited about the three and a half hours of amazing footage from producer Graham King and director Antoine Fuqua, and we will be announcing a definitive release strategy and timing in the next few weeks," he shared, adding "I would note that it is likely we will move Michael out of the fiscal year." Variety has reported that the film would likely be split into two parts, and be pushed back from the initially announced release date of Oct. 3, 2025. Michael, made with a budget of around $155 million, is a musical drama film based on the life of the legendary singer, songwriter and dancer. It is also set to star Colman Domingo and Nia Long as family heads Joe and Katherine Jackson, and All Eyez on Me star Kat Graham as Diana Ross. - Music-News.com, 5/23/25...... A new Apple TV+ documentary about legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese will feature a slew of A-list celebrities, among them Mick Jagger. Per a press release, the five-part Mr. Scorsese documentary series will chronicle Scorsese's life and legendary career through chats with the iconic filmmaker himself, along with "unrestricted access" to his private archives and "never-before-seen interviews with friends, family, and creative collaborators." Also among the star-studded roster of talent speaking to Apple TV+ for the documentary are his long-time collaborators Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as Steven Spielberg, Robbie Robertson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Margot Robbie, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Cate Blanchett and more. His wife Helen Morris and his children and childhood friends will also participate. Director Rebecca Miller's documentary will also cover a large span of Scorsese's life, beginning with his student films while attending the New York University, to present day. While a release date for Mr. Scorsese has yet to be announced, Apple TV+ has teased that it is "coming soon." - NME, 5/22/25...... Grammy-nominated songwriter Roger Nichols, best-known for co-writing such Carpenters hits as "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "I Won't Last a Day Without You" with lyricist Paul Williams, died on May 17. He was 84. Paul Williams confirmed Mr. Nichols' death in an extended, and deeply affectionate, post on Instagram. Williams didn't list a cause of death, though he reported the basic circumstances of Mr. Nichol's passing. "Roger Nichols passed away peacefully four days ago, at home with his beautiful family his wife Terry and the daughters he was so proud of, Claire and Caitlin at his side." Williams added in part: "Roger was my writing partner and my music school a collaborator for years and a friend for life... We wrote almost every day for several years. He was as disciplined as he was talented... I wrote what I heard, note for noteword for word. The lyrics waiting in the emotion already in his music. He made it easy." Mr. Nichols signed as an artist to A&M Records in 1968, a year before Karen and Richard Carpenter were signed to the Los Angeles-based label. His debut album Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends was produced by Tommy LiPuma, engineered by Bruce Botnick, and featured session contributions from Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman and Lenny Waronker. Although the album failed to crack the Billboard Hot 200, A&M co-founder Herb Alpert thought there was something there and recommended that Mr. Nichols be hired by A&M's publishing company as a staff songwriter. It was during this period that he was introduced to Williams. One of the hottest pop songwriting teams of the early 1970s, Williams and Mr. Nichols took off as songwriters in the fall of 1970, when they had two songs in the top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time: the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" (a ballad which had originated as "soft-sell" commercial for Crocker-Citizens National Bank) and Three Dog Night's "Out in the Country." "We've Only Just Begun" went on to receive two Grammy nominations -- for song of the year and best contemporary song -- at the first live Grammy telecast in Mar. 1971. The pair continued writing songs for the Carpenters, including "Rainy Days and Mondays," a superb and remarkably adult ballad which reached No. 2 (it took Carole King's letter-perfect "It's Too Late" to keep it out of the top spot), and "I Won't Last a Day Without You," a 1972 album track that was finally released as a single in 1974, when it climbed to No. 11. Mr. Nichols also had some successes with other collaborators. He teamed with William Lane to write "Times of Your Life," which Paul Anka recorded in 1975. Like "We've Only Just Begun," this song was also adapted from a popular TV commercial -- for Kodak. Anka's recording reached No. 7 in Feb. 1976. Mr. Nichols retired soon afterwards, but his songs live on. R.E.M. covered "Out in the Country" as a B-side for their 2003 single "Bad Day," and Rumer covered "Traveling Boy" on her 2012 album Boys Don't Cry. Mr. Nichols was honored during Florida Chapter Presents The Recording Academy Honors 2006 at Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami. More recently he was nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame on Nov. 12, for the class that will be inducted on June 12. He wasn't elected (the competition is fierce every year), but the ballot listed the five songs that are probably his most famous and enduring: "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "I Won't Last a Day Without You," "Out in the Country," "Times of Your Life." In a comment on Williams' Instagram post, Mr. Nichols' daughter Claire wrote, "My mom, Terri, and my sisters, Caroline and Caitlin, are all so proud of the man he was, and are in awe of the legacy he leaves." - Billboard, 5/23/25.

Current Foreigner frontman Kelly Hansen has announced he's leaving the iconic British-American rock band he's fronted since 2005. Appearing on the season finale of the NBC talent show The Voice on May 20, Hansen said: "After 20 magical years performing with this band, this will be my last year with Foreigner. This summer, a new great voice will sing these songs for you, my friend Luis Maldonado." Hansen later said in a statement that "Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of the greatest honours of my life. But it's time to pass the mic. Luis has the voice, the energy, and the soul to carry these songs into the future. I couldn't be prouder to hand this off to him," with Maldonado adding, "This music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I'm ready to honour Foreigner's legacy and bring my heart to every performance." In March, Foreigner confirmed that Hansen would not be performing with the band on the Canadian leg of their ongoing farewell tour this autumn. At the time, the group said that these concerts would be fronted by Broadway singer and actor Geordie Brown, although it isn't clear if this is still the case. Hansen had also revealed that he wouldn't be participating in the scheduled shows in Mexico and South America this spring -- where Maldonado previously took on frontman duties. Further dates will take place in the US this summer. Foreigner co-founder and leader Mick Jones, who no longer plays live with the band, said: "I wish Kelly great happiness in his next endeavours after our summer tour, and I look forward to welcoming Luis to his new position. Luis was my choice as a guitarist and he has already shown us what he can do on lead vocals by fronting the band in South America to incredible reviews. He will soon lead the charge that will carry us forward to new heights." - New Musical Express, 5/21/25...... French police have recovered a bust from late Doors frontman Jim Morrison's grave, 37 years of it was stolen. The sculpture, created by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin, was placed on Morrison's grave in Paris' Pre Lachaise Cemetery to mark the tenth anniversary of his passing, on July 3, 1981. However, the bust was stolen seven years later, in May 1988, with Vanity Fair magazine noting that two individuals were reported to have taken the statue after being locked in the cemetery overnight. After years of rumor and innuendo surrounding its fate, Parisian police have now announced the heavily-graffiti'd bust has been recovered, with its rediscovery occurring during a search related to a fraud case. No further details regarding its whereabouts for the past 37 years have been announced, nor has word been shared as to whether it will return to its original location atop Morrison's grave. Morrison passed away in Paris on July 3, 1971 under murky circumstances at the age of 27. He was buried at the city's Pre Lachaise Cemetery where his grave site swiftly became one of the world's most-visited memorials of a late musician. In February, it was announced that the Paris City Council had decided to name a footbridge overlooking Bassin de l'Arsenal in Morrison's honor. Just weeks earlier, it was reported that the former Morrison Hotel, made famous by the Doors and their 1970 1970 album of the same name, was significantly damaged by a fire that erupted in downtown Los Angeles. - Billboard, 5/20/25...... Bruce Springsteen called out Pres. Donald Trump for a second time from the stage of his Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour on May 17 in Manchester, England. Springsteen resumed denouncing the 45th and 47th president after the latter called the rocker "highly overrated," "dumb as a rock" and a "dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!)." "Things are happening right now that are altering the very nature of our country's democracy, and they're too important to ignore," Springsteen said to the Manchester crowd in a three-minute speech on Manchester's Co-op Live stage. "In my home, they're persecuting people for their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. That's happening now," he added, echoing what he'd spoken about at his May 14 show. "In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death. That's happening now. In my country, they're taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers." Meanwhile the Springsteen/Trump feud has motivated Neil Young to lash out at the president, accusing him of being "out of control" after his recent online rants about Springsteen and Taylor Swift. In a post on his Neil Young Archives on May 20, Young wrote that "Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. You worry about that instead of the dyin' kids in Gaza. That's your problem. I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us. You shut down FEMA when we needed it most. That's your problem Trump. STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT ROCKERS ARE SAYING. Think about saving America from the mess you made." The Canadian-American singer-songwriter continued: "Taylor Swift is right. So is Bruce. You know how I feel. You are more worried about yourself than AMERICA. You are forgetting your real job. You work for us. Wake up Republicans! This guy is out of control. We need a real president!!" Trump has also claimed Springsteen, Beyoncé, Bono and Oprah Winfrey took part in an "illegal election scam" run by 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, although there is no record of Harris paying money to any of the artists who endorsed her, and her campaign has denied doing so. Meanwhile, Springsteen's pal Eddie Vedder paid tribute to the Boss during a Pearl Jamconcert in Pittsburgh on May 17, performing a solo acoustic rendition of Springsteen's "My City of Ruins" in what appeared to be a quiet but powerful response to Trump's recent public criticism of Springsteen. - Billboard, 5/20/25...... Rod Stewart is set to receive a lifetime achievement award at the 2025 American Music Awards at the 51st annual ceremony at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on May 26. Stewart, who co-hosted the AMAs in 1989 with Anita Baker, Kenny Rogers and others, has received several previous lifetime achievement accolades, including a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1993; a Legend Award from the World Music Awards, 1993; the Ivor Novello Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, 1999; induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame, 2006; and the ASCAP Founders Award, 2011. Sir Rod, 80, is also a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, being enshrined as a solo artist in 1994 and with Faces in 2012. The 51st edition of the AMAs, the world's largest fan-voted awards show, will air live coast to coast on May 26 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. This summer, Stewart will launch the North American leg of his "One Last Time" world tour, which ranked among the Top 20 Global Concert Tours of 2024. He'll return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in May-June and Sept.-Oct. 2025 with "The Encore Shows." - Billboard, 5/20/25...... In other award news, Steve Miller is set to become the 2025 recipient of the Les Paul Spirit Award on June 9 during a private event at the Gibson Garage venue in Nashville. The event will take place on what would have been electric guitar pioneer and performer Les Paul's 110th birthday. Miller is the fifth recipient of the award, following co-founding Grateful Dead member Bob Weir, Nile Rodgers, U2's The Edge and Peter Frampton. "I cannot think of anyone more deserving to be honored with the Les Paul Spirit Award than Steve Miller," Michael Braunstein, executive director of LPF, said in a statement. "Not only is he an extraordinary talent and a wonderful friend of the Les Paul Foundation, Steve holds the very distinct title of being Les' godson. They had a very unique relationship which Les cherished. If anyone understands the 'spirit' of Les Paul, it's Steve." Miller and Paul were both signed to Capitol Records in their heydays, and also had a long and personal relationship. A young Miller was introduced to Paul, who gave him his first informal guitar lessons and taught him his first three chords. Miller has often recalled how these early experiences watching Paul perform and receiving personal instruction were pivotal in inspiring his own musical journey. Miller joined Paul on stage at the latter's 90th birthday concert in New York City in 2005. The annual Spirit award, created and presented by the LPF (in partnership with Gibson Gives, the philanthropic division of Gibson), goes to an individual who "exemplifies the spirit of the late Les Paul through innovation, engineering, technology and/or music." In addition to the award, a grant from the LPF will be made in the honoree's name to the charity of his choice. - Billboard, 5/20/25...... Just weeks after The Who drummer Zak Starkey was fired and subsequently rehired by the band, Who guitarist Pete Townshend has announced the band is once again parting ways with Starkey. Starkey's membership saga began in April when a spokesman for the group claimed that "the band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall," referring to a pair of gigs the month prior. A report from those shows claimed that vocalist Roger Daltrey had stopped several songs mid-performance, citing difficulty hearing the band over the drums. Starkey later issued a statement noting he was "surprised and saddened" by the news, though Townshend later claimed Starkey was back in the band following the resolution of "communication issues." While fans were eager to reference "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" in regard to Starkey's reinstatement, the entire saga appears to have started all over again, with the band announcing a new drummer ahead of their forthcoming farewell tour. "After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change," Townshend shared on Instagram on May 18. "A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best. Scott Devours who has worked with Roger's solo band will join The Who for our Final shows. Please welcome him," Townshend added. Starkey himself responded to the announcement in his own Instagram post hours later, making it clear it was not his decision to leave the band. "I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endevours this would be a lie," he wrote. "I love the who and would never had quit. So I didn't make the statement & .quitting the who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more) thru the weeks of mayhem of me going 'in an out an in an out an in an out like a bleedin squeezebox x," he added, referencing the 1975 The Who By Numbers track. Both Townshend and Daltrey also issued a more formal statement regarding Starkey's ousting via The Who's website, reiterating Devours' nascent role in the band and referring to Starkey's myriad other projects as the reason behind the lineup change. "The Who are heading for retirement, whereas Zak is 20 years younger and has a great future with his new band and other exciting projects," they wrote. "He needs to devote all his energy into making it all a success. We both wish him all the luck in the world." Notably, despite The Who's reference to Starkey being "20 years younger" and a need to focus on his other projects, Devours is himself 15 months younger than Starkey, with a similarly-busy schedule. Starkey is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Maureen Starkey, and has also enjoyed a fruitful career outside of The Who, playing with Oasis, Johnny Marr and other acts. He currently performs in the recently-formed "supergroup" Mantra of the Cosmos. On May 19, The Who took to Instagram to announce a massive line-up of special guests will join them on their final "The Tour Is Over" North American run, including Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters, Billy Idol, Booker T. Jones, Candlebox, Feist, Joe Bonamassa, The Joe Perry Project, Tom Cochrane and ZZ Ward. Additionally, the band have added a second night in Chicago's United Center on Sept. 9 due to incredible fan demand, with Joe Bonamassa acting as support on both Chicago dates. The tour is set to kick off on Aug. 16, in Sunrise, Fla. - Billboard, 5/19/25...... In a new interview with Britain's Mojo magazine, The Moody Blues frontman Justin Hayward said he doesn't expect the legendary UK rock outfit to make a comeback. The Moody Blues have been inactive since 2018, and Hayward admits he finds it difficult to see the band returning following the passing of drummer Graeme Edge -- the last surviving original member -- in 2021. "There's only me and Lodgy (bassist John Lodge) left," Hayward told Mojo. "When Graeme died, it really affected me. He loved the group so much. Me and John, we always had things outside of the band, but Graeme devoted his whole life to it. And I just think some of that particular magic is gone." Hayward continued: "I don't want to be in a tribute band -- actually, that's not fair -- I'm just saying that when Graeme passed the enthusiasm for it changed. And I'm really liking what I do now." Hayward, who has been in the music business for 60 years, said he feels fortunate never to have felt the "pressure" of being a celebrity. "I did have my time when I would get recognised, particularly around when 'Forever Autumn' was a hit, but that passes," he said. Hayward and Lodge enjoyed the hit 'Blue Guitar' away from the Moodies and the musician joked that the colour has followed him throughout his career. "It's something that a promoter will hang on you," he joked. "But I remember right at the beginning, Mike (Pinder, keyboardist) was hung up with a record called 'Mood Indigo'. And so there was always that aura around us, of blue, that stuck. My life is colour coded, though -- certain things on certain days, and I don't think I'm unusual in that. Today is green. What's tomorrow? Orange. Is there a blue day? Oh, yes... but I'm gonna have to leave it hanging there." - Music-News.com, 5/18/25...... Seventies artists Carlos Santana and Emmylou Harris were among the music acts performing at the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame Gala on May 16 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Though it's not their stated purpose, the Grammy Hall of Fame serves as a second chance for the Grammys organization to honor recordings they may have missed when they were first released. Of this year's 13 honorees, 11 were released since the inception of the Grammy Awards. Of those 11, only two -- Santana's Supernatural (1999) and Harris' Wrecking Ball (1995) -- had won Grammys when they were eligible. Only one other -- Luther Vandross' Never Too Much (1981) -- had even been nominated. The Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, presented jointly by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, was conceived as a way to elevate the stature of the annual Hall of Fame inductions, which had long announced with little more than a press release. The Grammy Hall of Fame was established by the Recording Academy's national trustees in 1973, initially to honor recordings that were released prior to the inception of the Grammy Awards in 1959. The selection criteria was long ago changed to include any recording that is at least 25 years old. The Grammy Hall of Fame used to be the only major institutional award to honor classic recordings, but the arrival in 2002 of the National Recording Registry, administered by the Library of Congress, means the Grammy Hall of Fame no longer has this field all to itself. - Billboard, 5/17/25...... Elton John has slammed Britain's Labour government for its approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright law, calling the government "absolute losers" and saying he feels "incredibly betrayed" over plans to exempt major tech firms pursuing AI from aspects of copyright law. Appearing on the BBC show Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on May 18, he told the host that ministers' plans to allow AI firms to use artists' content without paying would be "committing theft, thievery on a high scale." Criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer's team, Sir Elton said they would "rob young people of their legacy and their income", adding that he thought they were "just being absolute losers, and I'm very angry about it," and also described Technology Secretary Peter Kyle as "a bit of a moron." John's intervention comes as the House of Lords aimed to force AI companies to disclose what material they were using to develop their programmes. Their proposals were rejected by the House of Commons. A government spokesperson told the BBC that "no changes" to copyright laws would be "considered unless we are completely satisfied they work for creators." The U.K. government's proposals to allow tech firms to use copyrighted material as training data have come under fire from numerous other major figures in the music industry, including Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox and Dua Lipa. - Music-News.com, 5/19/25...... During his slot at Willie Nelson's "Outlaw Music Festival Tour" stop on the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, Calif., on May 15, Bob Dylan covered Rick Nelson's 1972 "comeback" hit "Garden Party," which includes a reference to Dylan himself. As his set came to an end, Dylan surprised fans by playing "Garden Party" for the first time. The track sees Nelson recall a Madison Square Garden oldies performance that he had played the year prior alongside Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Bobby Rydell. Nelson played his classic hits like "Hello Mary Lou," but faced criticism and boos from the audience after playing "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones, and Dylan's "She Belongs To Me." "Garden Party" saw Nelson lament the expectation to succumb to nostalgia, as he sang: "If memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck." It ended up being a Top 10 hit in the US, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Dylan's rendition of "Garden Party" can be checked out on YouTube. Previously on the "Outlaw Music Festival Tour," Dylan covered The Pogues' "A Rainy Night in Soho"' for the first time, and broke out the first live rendition of his classic "Mr. Tambourine Man" in 15 years. - NME, 5/17/25...... Barbra Streisand has recruited Paul McCartney to join forces for a new version of Sir Paul's 2012 single "My Valentine," which was released on May 16 via Columbia Records. "What if it rained? We didn't care/ He said that someday soon the sun was gonna shine/ And he was right, this love of mine/ My valentine," Babs coos on the opening verse, before McCartney takes over to sing, "As days and nights would pass me by/ I'd tell myself that I was waiting for a sign/ Then she appeared, a love so fine/ My valentine" over a lush combination of strings and piano. The cozy love song originally served as the lead single from the former Beatles member's 2012 solo album Kisses on the Bottom, where it was one of just two original songs on the LP and featured an assist from Eric Clapton on guitar. Now, the reimagined version for two is the second preview of Streisand's upcoming duets album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, which is out June 27 and acts as a sequel 11 years in the making to her Grammy-nominated No. 1 LP Partners from 2014. Ahead of releasing the duet, the legendary Funny Girl star shared a snap of the longtime friends on her Instagram, writing, "What a joy it was to record 'My Valentine' with @paulmccartney. To share time with him in the studio was truly special." The new Streisand/McCartney collab can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/16/25...... Rolling Stones guitarst Ronnie Wood says the secret to the band's longevity is they don't "over socialise." Wood, who joined the group in 1975, 13 years after they formed -- said he stays in occasional contact with bandmates Mick Jagger and Keith Richards when they're not recording or touring, but they don't "over-familiarise" themselves with one another, which he thinks has contributed to their longevity. Wood, 77, told the UK's Daily Telegraph: "We're not on the phone to each other every five minutes. When we're not touring we keep in touch, just to keep the feelers in each other's camp, but we don't over-familiarise -- we run on faith and truth. We have faith in our music, and we always have hope that people will keep turning up, and sure enough they do." The group's most recent album, 2023's Hackney Diamonds, won critical acclaim and generated their best sales, but Wood admitted the group have "no idea" about the meaning of chart places these days. He said: "In the old days we used to have the charts, and you'd be able to plot things and feel a part of it. You'd look at the Melody Maker and say, 'Look! We're number 50!' or whatever. And then you'd creep up the charts. It gave young bands so much ambition and something to look forward to. I've no idea where we are on the charts now." - Music-News.com, 5/18/25...... In the new MAX series Duster which premiered on May 15, it's 1972, and FBI agent Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson) heads to Tuscon to take down Mob boss Ezra Saxton (Keith David). She recruits his driver Jim Ellis (Lost's Josh Holloway) to be her informant -- chiefly by suggesting that Saxton killed his brother. This series, from Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, doesn't break any new ground, but the '70s detail is perfect. Even during the action scenes, your mind may be conjuring up hazy memories of listening to the Eagles on a marijuana buzz. - People, 5/26/25...... Michael B Tretow, the acclaimed sound engineer for ABBA, has died at age 90. Because of Mr. Tretow's consistent hand in crafting their sound, ABBA fans had taken to dubbing him the "fifth member" of the group, with many taking to social media to pay tribute. "Without his brilliance," wrote one X/Twitter user, "the Abba sound wouldn't be what we know and love." All four members of the iconic pop group have also shared moving reflections about their time spent with the technician, who also co-owned the band's record label Polar Music. In the 1970s, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson selected him as ABBA's sound engineer, and he went on to work on all of their albums bar 2021's Voyage. "You meant more to us four in ABBA than anyone else," Andersson told the Swedish publication Aftonbladet. "I hope and believe that you felt it throughout all the years that have passed since we worked (and continuously laughed) in the studio. Our music lives on, it seems, and you are the one who made it timeless. You were a fantastic inspirer and joy-maker, and the finest sound engineer the world has ever seen," he said, seemingly adding an in-joke: "I miss you. And I've saved all your coconuts!" - NME, 5/21/25...... Legendary Broadway composer Charles Strouse, a three-time Tony winner for "Bye Bye Birdie," "Applause" and "Annie" who also composed the iconic "Those Were The Days" opening theme for the '70s series All In the Family, died on May 15. He was 96. Even if you're not a Broadway buff, you know at least a few of Mr. Strouse's songs, which he co-wrote with lyricist Lee Adams. "Annie" spawned the instant standard "Tomorrow," which Barbra Streisand covered on her platinum album Songbird and Jay-Z had a top 15 pop hit in 1999 with "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," which sampled "It's the Hard Knock Life" from "Annie." "Bye Bye Birdie," about a pop star who was drafted to go into the Army (inspired by Elvis Presley), also spawned a standard -- the jaunty "Put on a Happy Face," which Dick Van Dyke performed in the musical (and in the 1963 film version). The song was covered by such artists as Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mathis, The Supremes and Tony Bennett. While Mr. Strouse is probably best known for his long partnership with Adams -- who is still living at age 100 -- he also collaborated with other lyricists. He and Martin Charnin teamed to write "Annie," which won seven Tony Awards, including best musical and best original score. Mr. Strouse, who remained active late in life and once told the AP "I work every day," died at his home in New York City, his family said. His wife, director-choreographer Barbara Siman, died in 2023. He is survived by four children, Ben, Nick, Victoria and William. - Billboard, 5/16/25...... Sitcom and Broadway actor George Wendt, who played beloved barfly Norm on the hit 1980s comedy Cheers, died on the morning of May 20, his family has announced. He was 76. "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him," the family said in a statement. "He will be missed forever." The family has requested privacy during this time. Despite a long career of roles onstage and on TV, it was as gentle and henpecked Norm Peterson on Cheers that he was most associated, earning six straight Emmy Award nominations for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1984-89. Wendt, who spent six years in Chicago's renowned Second City improv troupe during the 1970's before sitting on a barstool at the place where everybody knows your name, didn't have high hopes when he auditioned for Cheers. "My agent said, 'It's a small role, honey. It's one line. Actually, it's one word.' The word was 'beer.' I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of 'the guy who looked like he wanted a beer.' So I went in, and they said, 'It's too small a role. Why don't you read this other one?' And it was a guy who never left the bar," Wendt told GQ magazine in an oral history of Cheers. Wendt became a fan favourite in and outside the bar -- his entrances were cheered with a warm "Norm!" -- and his wisecracks always landed. "How's a beer sound, Norm?" he would be asked by the bartender. "I dunno. I usually finish them before they get a word in," he'd respond. Wendt also found steady work onstage, putting on Edna Turnblad's housecoat in Broadway's "Hairspray" beginning in 2007, and appearing in the Tony Award-winning play Art in New York and London. He starred in the national tour of "12 Angry Men" and appeared in a production of David Mamet's "Lakeboat." He also starred in regional productions of "Death of a Salesman," "The Odd Couple," "Never Too Late" and "Funnyman." He is survived by his wife, Second City alum Bernadette Birkett, who voiced Norm's never-seen not-so better half, Vera, on Cheers; his children, Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew. - AP, 5/20/25.