Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on June 9th, 2025

As Bruce Springsteen's European tour hit the Beatles' hometown of Liverpool on June 7, Paul McCartney joined the Boss onstage for a version of the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love." Springsteen was playing the second of two shows at Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC, and during his encore, he welcomed the Beatles legend onto the stage. In 2022, Springsteen appeared during McCartney's set at the Glastonbury festival, when the two icons played also played "Can't Buy Me Love," followed by the rock'n'roll classic "Kansas City." A few hours before the Liverpool gig, the pair were also spotted together at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, an institution that was founded by McCartney in 1996. Fan-captured footage of their June 7 Liverpool jam has been shared on X. Meanwhile, Sir Paul has said he enjoyed "looking back" on his '70s band Wings in the new documentary One Hand Clapping. Directed by David Litchfield, the film details the recording sessions for the band's the live studio album of the same name at London's Abbey Road Studios back in 1974 and features rare footage and interviews. "It's so great to look back on that period and see the little live show we did," Macca said of the project. "We made a pretty good noise actually. It was a great time for the band, we started to have success with Wings, which had been a long time coming." The footage was filmed back in the 1970s at the height of Wings' fame for a TV special which was never aired. One Hand Clapping is set to debut in cinemas in July. - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 6/7/25...... It was June 7, 1975, when Elton John achieved a chart feat no one had ever done before: he entered the Billboard Hot 200 album chart at No. 1 with his ninth studio set, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. In the nearly two decades between the introduction of the Billboard 200 in March 1956 and Captain Fantastic's history-making accomplishment, the highest any album had entered the chart was classical pianist Van Cliburn with his Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, at No. 2. The highest that a contemporary pop or rock album had debuted prior to Captain Fantastic was No. 3, which was achieved by the Beatles with their Hey Jude compilation (Mar. 21, 1970), and a pair of Led Zeppelin albums, Led Zeppelin III (Oct. 20, 1970) and Physical Graffiti (Mar. 15, 1975). Captain Fantastic, John's sixth No. 1 album, dislodged Earth, Wind & Fire's That's the Way of the World, which had spent the three previous weeks at No. 1, and was potent enough to hold Wings' Venus and Mars to the No. 2 spot for four consecutive weeks before Wings finally moved up to No. 1 for one week. The debut of Captain Fantastic at No. 1 received considerable media attention and contributed to Elton's status as the "Greatest Pop Star of the Year." In 1975, he also made the cover of Time magazine with the cover line: "Rock's Captain Fantastic," and became the first artist since the Beatles to play a concert (two, actually) at Dodger Stadium. In 2006, John recorded The Captain & the Kind, a sequel of sorts to Captain Fantastic, which only reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200. - Billboard, 6/6/25...... In other Elton news, the Rocket Man has warned the U.K. government that "we will not back down" over a new Artificial Intelligence bill by the Labour party which proposes an opt-out approach for rights holders, as opposed to the opt-in strategy preferred by John and other recording artists. The bill has been voted down by the House of Lords for an unprecedented fifth time in a ping-pong between the Houses of Commons and the upper house has lasted for weeks, and resulted in John calling the government "absolute losers" in a recent interview. On June 4, Sir Elton collected the Creators' Champion Award at Billboard's Global Power Players event in London and used his speech to warn the U.K. government that "we will not back down" in relation to its controversial AI data bill. John added in his passionate speech: "We are not against Labour and we want a solution. We want to bring all parties together in a way that is transparent and fair and allows artists to maintain control of their work." He concluded: "We will not back down and we will not go away quietly. This is just the beginning." John's full speech can be read on Instagram. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... In the first part of a two-part Billy Joel documentary that premeired at the Tribeca Festival in New York on June 4, the Piano Man confesses he attempted suicide two times after having an affair with a former bandmate's wife. "Bill and I spent a lot of time together," Elizabeth Weber says in the documentary about the affair she had with Joel when he was in his 20s and she was married to the singer's best friend and Atila bandmate drummer Jon Small. She says in the film that the affair was a "slow build" until Small, who had a son with Weber, suspected something was going on and Joel fessed up to the affair, telling him, "I'm in love with your wife." Joel -- who did not attend the premiere after cancelling a summer run of shows due to a recent diagnosis of the brain condition normal pressure hydrocephalus -- says in the film that he felt "very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker. I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset." It led to the singer spiraling into a dark period of drink and depression. "I had no place to live. I was sleeping in laundromats and I was depressed I think to the point of almost being psychotic," he says in the film. "So I figured, 'That's it. I don't want to live anymore.' I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like why hang out, tomorrow is going to be just like today is and today sucks. So, I just thought I'd end it all." At the premiere, the film's director Susan Lacy shared a message with the audience from Joel. "He will be back," she said. "Billy wishes he were here tonight, and he asked us to convey his greetings to you all. He said 'getting old sucks, but it's still preferable to getting cremated.'" Billy Joel: And So It Goes will stream on HBO in July. - Billboard, 6/6/25...... Singer/actor Nick Jonas has reportedly been tapped to portray KISS singer/guitarist Paul Stanley in an upcoming biopic about the legendary band. According to Deadline.com, a long-gestating film about KISS, Shout It Out Loud, is finally beginning to take shape and will begin production either at the end of 2025 or early 2026. Jonas is believed to be recording his own vocals on Paul-led classics, but will "need time to train to replicate the jet-engine vocals of Stanley." The remaining members of KISS have yet to be cast in the film, which was first announced by the band's longtime manager Doc McGhee in 2019. Director McG (Charlie's Angels, We Are Marshall, The Baby Sitter) is in talks to direct, according to Deadline. KISS has also announced plans for an "unmasked" show in Las Vegas later in 2025, which will mark the band's first performance since their 2023 farewell tour. - NME, 6/6/25...... The earliest known live recordings of Sly & the Family Stone are set to be issued on a new album, almost 60 years after they were first committed to tape. Dubbed The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967, the collection of unearthed live cuts will be issued on July 18 via High Moon Records. Recorded on Mar. 26, 1967, the live set sees the influential R&B/pop group performing as part of their four-month residency at the Winchester Cathedral club in Redwood City, Calif.. Recorded by the band's first manager Rich Romanello, the tapes were soon shelved, but later rediscovered in 2002 by Dutch twins and Sly Stone archivists Edwin and Arno Konings. The new release will be available in digital, vinyl and CD editions, with physical copies being issued with a booklet featuring never-before-seen photos, interviews with Stone and original band members, and liner notes from producer Alex Palao. The CD edition will also feature their cover of Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness" as an exclusive bonus track. Alongside the announcement of the package, a preview of the record has been released by way of final track, "I Gotta Go Now (Up On The Floor)/Funky Broadway," which can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 6/6/25...... On June 5 -- 50 years to the day since their first live show -- Talking Heads unveiled the official video for their first charting single, 'Psycho Killer." The clip, shared on YouTube, marks the gold anniversary of the band's debut performance at iconic New York City club CBGB. Opening for fellow New Yorkers the Ramones, the performance comprised just nine songs, including "Psycho Killer," which would be released as their third single in Dec. 1977. Issued on their debut album Talking Heads: 77, the single would become the group's first to impact the Hot 100, reaching No. 92 in early 1978. However, it lacked any official visual accompaniment until now, with the Mike Mills-directed clip featuring Academy Award-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan navigating the mundanity of modern life as she slowly destabilizes. "This video makes the song better," the band wrote in a statement on Facebook. "We LOVE what this video is NOT - it's not literal, creepy, bloody, physically violent or obvious." Alongside the release of the video, Talking Heads have also announced the super deluxe edition of their second album, 1978's More Songs About Buildings and Food, with the limited box set due for release on July 25. Talking Heads lasted from 1975 until 1991, with their 16-year career resulting in eight studio albums, the most successful being the No. 15 Speaking in Tongues in 1983. Their final live performances were as part of the Speaking in Tongues tour in 1984. They would later reunite for one solitary performance for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. - Billboard, 6/5/25...... Earth, Wind & Fire will kick off their summer 2025 tour on June 14 in Denver, then hit smaller markets in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada before a consecutive three-evening stand at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl on July 2-4. At the latter show, the band will perform alongside the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra for a special July 4th fireworks event. Later dates on the 20-plus city tour include Kansas City (7/18), Indianapolis (7/23), Cincinnati (7/25), Toledo (7/29), Detroit (8/2) and Milwaukee (8/9) before wrapping at The Ledge Amphitheatre in Waite Park, Minn. on Aug. 10. Earlier in 2025, the band announced a new EWF documentary directed by Questlove was in the works. - Billboard, 6/5/25...... On June 5 Rod Stewart announced on X he was cancelling a second Las Vegas show due to poor health. Earlier on June 2, Stewart announced he was pulling out of his huge Las Vegas gig at Caesars Palace's Colosseum Theatre just hours before he was expected on stage. That show is now rescheduled for June 10. In cancelling the second show, Stewart posted that he was "awfully sorry," adding: "My doctor ordered a bit more rest while I recover from the flu. Thanks for your love and understanding." Stewart, 80, is due to play the Glastonbury festival's coveted Legends slot at the Worthy Farm festival on June 29, where he will make his return since he headlined in 2002. Stewart has confirmed a Faces reunion with Ronnie Wood for his Glastonbury 2025 gig. - NME, 6/5/25...... Barry Manilow became an honorary Ph.D. during his Detroit tour stop at Little Caesars Arena on June 3 when six cap-and-gowned faculty members from Chicago's VanderCook College of Music (the only U.S. school that specializes in teaching music educators) presented him with an honorary Doctor of Music Education. The honorary degree, according to VanderCook President Kimberly Farris, recognized "your enduring dedication to music education," which, she added, "resonates deeply with our mission." The degree specifically saluted the Manilow Music Project, which he says has spent $10 million during the past 15 years providing musical instruments to schools and honoring music educators. "My mother always wanted me to be a doctor," Manilow quipped on stage. "She would be so proud!" On June 3, Manilow presented a $10,000 grant to a teacher from Detroit's Cass Technical High School. Donning his own cap and gown and accepting the degree, Manilow explained that "the VanderCook College stands for everything I believe in. Their commitment to music teachers and my passion for getting playable instruments for young people go hand in hand. That's why it really speaks to me." He gave special thanks to his drummer, Yolandus "YL" Douglas, for spearheading the honor. The show was part of the 81-year-old Manilow's continuing The Last Concerts series he's playing in "these cities that have been so supportive" during his 52-year recording career. Prior to the Detroit stop Manilow siad that the endeavor has put him in a reflective space. "It's like, 'What? Am I the only one left?'" he says. "It's Billy Joel, and Elton (John) is not well and Rod (Stewart) and Neil (Diamond). Diana Ross is still in great shape I think. There must be only a handful of people in my world that are still there. I'm still healthy. I'm strong and I've still got my voice and my energy. The night I can't hit the F natural on 'Even Now,' that's the night I throw in the towel. But I can still do it." Manilow says he hopes to release a new album, his first since Night Songs II in 2020, sometime in 2025. "This'll probably be my last album," he notes, adding that, "I've been working on it for a long time -- for so long that the style of music has changed." [Laughs] "I had to go back and redo (the songs) so they sounded a little more contemporary. I had to take all the strings out, all the background vocals out 'cause they don't do that anymore. They don't use strings and background vocals and all that. Even I heard that it sounded dated, so we had to go back and redo it." He resumes his "lifetime" residency at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on June 12. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... Authorities have made an arrest in the theft of two irreplaceable instruments owned by members of Heart that were stolen from a venue in New Jersey in the last weekend of May. Atlantic City, N.J. police say surveillance video initially led them to a 57-year-old Pleasantville man. He was later seen on video walking through various parts of the city, trying to sell the instruments, and he eventually sold one while the other remains unaccounted for, police said, declining further comment. The man has been charged with burglary and theft. Heart was set to kick off their "An Evening With Heart" tour at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on May 31, and its gear had been set up there the day prior to the show. Among the items stolen were a custom-built, purple sparkle baritone Telecaster guitar with a hand-painted headstock made for band member Nancy Wilson, and a vintage 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin that band member Paul Moak has played for over 25 years. "These instruments are more than just tools of our trade... they're extensions of our musical souls," Nancy Wilson said in a statement issued by the group that also offered a reward for information leading to their return. "We're heartbroken, and we're asking for their safe return... no questions asked. Their value to us is immeasurable," she added. - AP, 6/5/25...... Jimmy Buffett's widow and former business manager are seeking to remove each other from administration of the late singer-songwriter's estate, launching dueling court actions that each accuse the other of hostility and mismanagement of a trust holding $275 million worth of assets. Jane Buffett, Jimmy's wife of 46 years, became the sole beneficiary of a marital trust holding the bulk of the "Margaritaville" hitmaker's assets upon his death in Sept. 2023 at the age of 76. Her June 2 Florida court filing says these assets, including real estate and a 20% stake in his successful island-themed hospitality company Margaritaville, are worth roughly $275 million. Jane was made a co-trustee of the marital trust alongside Rick Mozenter, an accountant at the business management firm Gelfand Rennert & Feldman. But that relationship has since soured, and both Jane and Mozenter are now pursuing court actions seeking to remove the other from their roles administering the estate. Jane and Mozenter are both seeking to ax each other from the marital trust's administration and appoint a new co-trustee. Mozenter has also asked the court to remove Jane as the personal representative of Jimmy's estate. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... During a talk at the SXSW London event on June 4, ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus revealed he's working on a new musical using artificial intelligence. "Right now I'm writing a musical, assisted by AI," Ulvaeus said, noting that he's about three-quarters of the way through the creative process on the unnamed project, the follow-up to the hugely successful pop quartet's avatar stage show, Voyage. "It's fantastic. It is such a great tool," Ulvaeus raved of AI, noting it helped him to navigate through some creative dead-ends, particularly with lyrics. "It is like having another songwriter in the room with a huge reference frame. It is really an extension of your mind. You have access to things that you didn't think of before," he said. The AI project, whose ultimate form has not yet been announced, is part of Ulvaeus' ongoing partnership with Pophouse Entertainment, the company behind the ABBA Voyage production. The Voyage virtual residency opened in London in May 2022 and is slated to run through Jan. 2026. Though Ulvaeus is happy to use AI in the creative process, he is also adamant about fighting for artists' rights in the rapidly evolving digital age. "These AI models wouldn't exist without the songs that we wrote," he said. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... In a new interview with People magazine, former The Monkees member Mickey Dolenz revealed he was almost cast in the 1970s/early '80s sitcom Happy Days in the role of Arther "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, which was made iconic by Henry Winkler. "I almost got it," Dolenz, 80, said. "Supposedly it was between me and Henry [Winkler]. He remembers it too. The story I heard is that he was in the waiting room, saw me come in, and thought, 'Oh s-t, I'll never get this -- Micky Dolenz is here!' So we laugh about it now. He's a good friend and a brilliant talent." Dolenz auditioned for the role after his run on The Monkees (1966-1968), and he's the last surviving member of the American "pre-fab Four." Before acting on The Monkees and performing with the band, Dolenz had the lead role of Corky in the adventure series Circus Boy, which ran on NBC for one season before jumping to ABC for another short run in 1957. A young Dolenz then scored a few TV roles in the late 1950s and early 1960s -- credited as Micky Braddock -- before being cast as Micky on The Monkees alongside Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones and Peter Tork. Following his pivot to a number of small movie roles and voice work on dozens of cartoons in the 1970s, Dolenz said he has no regrets about the one that got away. "Oh my God, he's just so good," he said of Winkler, who parlayed his iconic role into a fifty-plus year career on TV (Mork & Mindy, Arrested Development) and movies (Night Shift, The French Dispatch). "I was definitely not as good as he was. Come on -- he was The Fonz! He had that New York, New Jersey thing down. I'm from Southern California. It wasn't gonna happen!," Dolenz said. Dolenz is going on tour this summer with his "Songs & Stories Tour," which mixes his iconic hits with stories about fellow L.A. legends such as Joni Mitchell, David Crosby and Jim Morrison. The tour is slated to kick off on Aug. 11 at the Ocean City Music Pier in Ocean City, NJ. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... Wayne Lewis, a founding member of the R&B group Atlantic Starr, died on June 5 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 68. "It's with great sadness we have to post the passing of Wayne Lewis on June 5, 2025," Atlantic Starr wrote on Facebook. "Please keep the family in your prayers and respect their privacy..." Lewis served as a vocalist and keyboardist for Atlantic Starr, which he co-founded in 1976 in White Plains, N.Y., alongside his brothers David Lewis (vocals, guitar) and Jonathan Lewis (keyboards, trombone), as well as drummer Porter Carroll Jr., bassist Clifford Archer and percussionist-flutist Joseph Phillips. Atlantic Starr became a fixture in R&B throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. The group signed with A&M Records (and later to Warner Bros. Records, among other labels), releasing their self-titled debut album in 1978, followed by their sophomore effort, Straight to the Point, the next year. Their biggest commercial success came in 1987 when "Always," from 1986's All in the Name of Love, reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In recent years, Atlantic Starr continued to perform with Jonathan Lewis and two other current members. The group's most recent album, Metamorphosis, was released in 2017. - Billboard, 6/8/25.

SiriusXM host Howard Stern has relayed a brief message on Instagram by his friend Billy Joel of Joel insisting that he's "not dying" after the Piano Man was recently diagnosed with a brain disorder called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) and announced the cancellation of his summer tour plans. "I saw Billy Joel two weeks ago, we had dinner together," Stern told his listeners. "He's doing fine. He does have issues, but he said, 'Yeah, you can tell people: I'm not dying'. You know, he wants people to know that." Stern continued: "He just he's gotta deal with some medical stuff, but it was delightful. We had a great time with the wives, we had a great conversation. I was telling him I'm enjoying playing classical music on the guitar. He lit up, because that's what he's into. Then it was his birthday [on May 9], I even brought out the guitar and sang 'Happy Birthday' to him." Joel, 79, had shared that his NPH condition had been "exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance." Meanwhile, the premiere of a new Billy Joel documentary, And So It Goes, is set to open the Tribeca Festival 2025 in New York on June 4. - NME, 6/4/25...... After the 1978 10cc hit "Dreadlock Holiday" was adapted by English cricket fans as their unofficial anthem at cricket matches, 10cc founding member Graham Gouldman has finally attended his first cricket match. The song, which famously included the linke "I don't like cricket - I love it," was also named as a personal favourite by ex-England cricketer Phil Tufnell, who previously told Gouldman that it was part of the "soundtrack to my cricket career." Now, 47 years since the song was first released, the 79-year-old Gouldman has gone to a cricket match for the first time, and shared his verdict on the event, which saw England beat the West Indies at The Oval, with the BBC. "After today's experience I can say 'I don't like cricket, I absolutely love it'," Gouldman said. "I've had a really lovely day really, enjoyed it great atmosphere, great people. I just had a wonderful time." When asked if he would consider writing another cricket-related song now he has seen his first game, Gouldman said: "When you have had a nice experience like this I'm sure somewhere, at some point, something will crop up in a song." Gouldman has previously said the song, which can be heard on YouTube, was inspired by a man he met while on vacation in Jamaica. In 2022, Gouldman co-wrote a song to mark the historic first images from the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, "Floating In Heaven," with astronomy scholar and Queen guitarist Brian May. - New Musical Express, 6/4/25...... Posting on his Neil Young Archives site on June 2, Neil Young has invited Pres. Donald Trump to attend one of his summer concerts as a way to remind him of "American values." Young, ruminating on the current state of affairs in the U.S. ahead of the launch of his North American tour dates in August, wrote: "Our country and our way of life, that which our fathers and theirs fought for, is now threatened by our government. This is not what we voted for. This is our new reality. Our government is out of control, not standing for us. You can stand up for American values this summer, for our children and theirs." He continued: "When I tour the USA this summer, if there is not martial law by then which would make it impossible, let's all come together and stand for American values. We will not be doing a political show. We will be playing the music we love for all of us to enjoy together. President Trump, you are invited. Come and hear our music just as you did for decades." In more recent criticism of the president in May, Young labelled him "out of control" after the president made a Truth Social post describing Bruce Springsteen as "highly overrated" and "dumb as a rock," while saying that Taylor Swift is "no longer 'HOT.'" Young is currently scheduled to launch his forthcoming tour with the Chrome Hearts in Rttvik, Sweden on June 18, with North American dates set to begin in Charlotte, N.C. on Aug. 8. Meanwhile, Young has contributed vocals to a new single by The Beach Boys member Al Jardine. The Jardine/Young duet, "My Plane Leaves Tomorrow (Au Revoir)," is on Jardine's new EP Islands In The Sun, and opens with an excerpt from a BBC news report. The sweetly melodic track also features a trumpet part from Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, who also played bass on Jardine's 2010 first full-length solo LP A Postcard From California. Jardine is preparing to take BB mastermind Brian Wilson's solo band out on tour to promote the new release this summer. Dubbing the group the Pet Sounds Band, they will play a range of shows across the US in July, August and September. "My Plane Leaves Tomorrow (Au Revoir)" can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard/NME, 6/3/25...... Superstar pop queen Taylor Swift has often cited music legend Carole King as one of her major influences. Now, King has reacted to Swift's recent reclamation of her music empire by buying back the master recordings for her first six albums. King, 83, celebrated Swift's music rights victory by reposting the announcement via Instagram Stories, and added an encouraging note to Taylor: "You continue to inspire!" Introducing the Tapestry songstress at her 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Swift shared: "I was raised by two of her biggest fans, who taught me the basic truths of life as they saw it: That you should treat people the way you want to be treated; that you must believe you can achieve whatever you want to in life; and that Carole King is the greatest songwriter of all time." - Music-News.com, 6/2/25...... On June 1 Rod Stewart called off his planned residency show at the Colosseum in Las Vegas, just hours before he was set to take the stage. Citing an unspecified illness Stewart, 80, pulled out of the show around 6 p.m. local time, with less than four hours to go, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I am sorry to inform you that I'm not feeling well and my show tonight at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is being rescheduled to June 10," Stewart posted on Instagram. After taking home the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 American Music Awards in May, Stewart returned to the Colosseum for a trio of shows on May 29, 31 and June 1 before pulling out of the June 2 gig. He is next slated to take the stage in Las Vegas on June 5, followed by shows on the 7th and 8th. After that, Stewart is scheduled to hit the road for a summer tour that will include amphitheater shows in California and Nevada before jumping over to his native England for a Legends slot performance on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival on June 29. It was recently announced that his old Faces bandmate, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, and Faces drummer Kenney Jones, will reunite with him at the show. After returning to North America in July, Stewart will criss-cross the U.S. and Canada before resuming the residency on Sept. 24. - Billboard, 6/2/25...... Ozzy Osbourne has announced he'll be attending the Birmingham Comic Con in his UK hometown on July 12 and 13, just days after he performs his last ever concert with Black Sabbath in Birmingham. Ozzy will be joined by Osbourne clan members Sharon, Jack and Kelly Osbourne who starred alongside the metal legend in four seasons of the MTV hit The Osbournes. Ozzy's health issues have continued to make headlines in the lead-up to Black Sabbath's final gig at Birmingham's Villa Park on July 5. He has undergone multiple surgeries and battled Parkinson's disease in recent years, leading to fears about his fitness to perform. Meanwhile, Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler has admitted that he is having "nightmares" and "palpitations" ahead of the band's historic last live performance, dubbed the "Back To The Beginning" concert. The other two members of Sabbath's most iconic line-up, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward, will also be participating, along with several other iconic hard rock acts including Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. - NME, 6/2/25...... A 2017 commercial featuring Cher and rapper Future singing together has become a viral sensation on TikTok. Available on YouTube, the original ad for clothing retailer Gap saw the two musicians sitting together on a white flight of stairs and singing a highly-stylised version of Sly And The Family Stone's 1969 single "Everyday People." Now, after eight years, the seemingly random and cringeworthy nature of the clip has seen it become a viral hit on social media, with TikTok users filming their own parodies and recreations of the ad's awkward vibe. Elsewhere, Cher said in late 2024 that her next album would be her last. Promoting the release of Cher: The Memoir, Part One in November, Cher said she was "really excited" about the project, describing the new songs as "great." Cher's most recent LP, 2023's Christmas, was the first album to feature original music from the legendary singer in 10 years. - NME, 6/1/25...... Speaking to Classic Pop magazine, Daryl Hall says he believes that his Hall & Oates duo helped break down racial barriers in music during the 1970s and 1980s, and he considers himself a "pioneer" in the field. "I was one of those pioneers in breaking down those barriers between Black music and white music, whatever that means," Hall said. "My earliest success was on Black radio in America. I had to break into the white pop world in America. That was secondary, after the fact. So that's where my roots are. That's where my initial success started." The "Rich Girl" singer added: "I think it had a lot to do with me as a singer and my background. Being from Philly, a very colourblind area, helped me be able to break those barriers down. Luckily, I figured out how to do it." Hall is now performing solo as he finds himself embroiled in an legal battle with John Oates after he sued his musical partner in 2023 to prevent him from selling their stake in publishing company Whole Oats Enterprises and admits that he feels less constrained playing alone. He explained: "I really was restricted. When I was (performing) with John on stage, we had this rule that we couldn't play any other work than what we did under the Hall and Oates name. And it was very restrictive to me, because I love all those solo songs -= I wrote most of them =- but there was a lot that I had been doing over the years that I couldn't play. I had no outlet. So now, I'm completely liberated and it's much more fun." - Music-News.com, 6/1/25...... In an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, Sammy Hagar said he believes "the best was yet to come" from his former band Van Halen. Hagar, 77, was frontman of the 'Jump' band from 1985 to 1996, before returning in 2003 until 2005. He said he was in touch with late VH guitarist Eddie Van Halen before Eddie's death in Oct. 2020, was frontman of the 'Jump' band from 1985 to 1996, before returning in 2003 until 2005. When asked if he had any regrets about his time with the band, Hagar said: "Oh, hell no. Oh, no regrets whatsoever. I regret that we broke up, just to see what else we could have done. I would've loved to have made another record or two with Eddie writing. Eddie and I wrote some great songs together, and I think the best stuff was yet to come; it could have been yet to come, because Eddie was really reaching out on instruments." Sammy added he believes Eddie had only touched the surface of what he wanted to achieve musically, because he was held back by the people at the top: "To me, I think that's what his dream would've been. And it was always held back by the record companies and the people around him. I think we would've broken out of that within a year and started doing some really crazy stuff." - Music-News.com, 6/2/25...... Good news for ZZ Top fans: drummer Frank Beard has returned to the band following a health-inspired leave of absence. Two months ago, the band announced Beard would be temporarily sitting out the band's shows due to unspecified "health issues." Beard's return was announced via a statement from the group's management, noting that the drummer will return to his rightful place behind the kit this weekend, and will "see the tour through to its completion in October." "We're happy that Frank is back with [bassist] Elwood [Francis] and yours truly, BFG," vocalist/guitarist Billy Gibbons explained. "We missed him and are looking forward to turning it up and rocking out with him as has been the case for the last few hundred or so decades. His complete recovery is cause for celebration and that's just what we intend to do on an open-ended basis. Welcome back, pardner!" Beard himself was far more concise, simply telling fans, "It's good to be back. See you out there." The 75-year-old drummer's leave of absence was announced on March 15, with a social media post from the group explaining that Beard had "temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term." Though no specifics were revealed at the time, ZZ Top's recent statement has detailed that Beard was suffering from foot and ankle issues which have since been resolved. During Beard's time away from the band, "longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer" John Douglas stepped in. Douglas had previously served as Beard's replacement during a Paris performance in Oct. 2002 when he underwent an emergency appendectomy. ZZ Top returned to the stage on June 1 to resume the North American leg of their ongoing Elevation tour, which currently features 51 dates between June and October. - Billboard, 5/29/25...... Marcie Jones, lead singer of the '60s/'70s Australian pop band Marcie & The Cookies, passed away on May 31, just days after publicly revealing a leukemia diagnosis. She was 79. The beloved vocalist first rose to fame in the late 1960s as the powerhouse lead singer of Marcie & The Cookies, an all-female vocal group that helped break ground in Australia's male-dominated music scene. After her time with the Cookies, Jones launched a solo career that included a string of singles and her debut album, That Girl Jones, across the 1970s. "It's with great sadness to let you all know that my beautiful mother-in-law, Marcie Jones, passed away yesterday evening," her daughter-in-law Asta wrote in a Facebook tribute. "I feel numb inside. Marc, never again will there be our little outbursts of song and dance. You made me laugh so hard and always gave me great advice," she added. "You were a legend, an icon, and you will always be remembered. You always said that we were so alike in many ways, and that's why I know you will always be my guiding light. I will miss you so much. I love you. Until we meet again to sing another song." Throughout her decades-long career, Jones performed across Asia, Europe and the U.K., and shared the stage with legends including The Monkees, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and The Seekers. Her 2008 memoir Runs In The Blood described her as "an unsung Australian music legend" who "may not have received the accolades of some of her more recognised peers, but has remained stoic in her determination to perform, write and be a mother to her two boys." The Herald Sun newspaper reported that just five days earlier, on May 27, Jones had revealed her leukemia diagnosis on social media. "Sorry to start the day with rotten news," she wrote. "I am in hospital with leukemia, starting treatment soon. We are all feeling very scared but I'll fight as hard as I can." - Billboard, 6/3/25...... Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of The Simpsons for 27 years and served as musical director on several TV variety shows including Donny And Marie in the '70s, died on May 29 at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson's disease for about a decade. He was 84. Mr. Clausen, who also scored TV series including Moonlighting and Alf ("no relation," he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for The Simpsons, winning twice. Al Jean, an early Simpsons writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X on May 31 that "Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons." While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. Mr. Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, N.D. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. He also worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including Splash and The Beastmaster. Mr. Clausen won his Emmys for The Simpsons in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in film and television. He was fired from The Simpsons in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans, and sued over his dismissal. He is survived by his wife, Sally; children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle; stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren. - Billboard, 5/31/25...... Loretta Swit, the actress and animal activist forever known for her pioneering distaff turn as the disciplined Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the acclaimed CBS sitcom M*A*S*H, died just after midnight on May 30 of apparent natural causes at her home in New York City, her publicist, Harlan Boll, announced later in the day. She was 87. Ms. Swit won two Emmys for her portrayal of the Army nurse -- she was nominated 10 times, every year the show was on the air except the first -- and appeared on 240 of the series' 251 episodes during its sensational 11-season run. Adapting the character from Sally Kellerman's film portrayal of the lusty powerhouse, Ms. Swit was one of only two actors (along with Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce) to have a role in both the pilot and series finale of M*A*S*H. As a tough, by-the-book major, Ms. Swit's Houlihan was a rare strong woman on television. "She was [unique] at the time and in her time, which was the '50s, when [the Korean War] was happening," she said in a 2004 discussion for the TV Academy Foundation website The Interviews: An Oral History of Television. "And she became even more unique, I think, because we allowed her to continue to grow -- we watched her evolve. I don't think that's ever been done in quite that way." Bolstered by her M*A*S*H fame, Ms. Swit also performed in a number of movies, including Freebie and the Bean (1974), Race With the Devil (1975) and BoardHeads (1998). She also was hilarious as agent Polly Reed in Blake Edwards' satire of Hollywood, S.O.B. (1981). Born Loretta Jane Szwed on Nov. 4, 1937, in Passaic, N.J., she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and performed in repertory. She moved to Los Angeles in 1970 and landed TV gigs on such series as Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Gunsmoke and Hawaii Five-O and in the women's lib film Stand Up and Be Counted (1972). Those parts led to Swit being considered for M*A*S*H, produced by 20th Century Fox. Ms. Swit always pushed for Houlihan to grow in maturity and complexity. "She was the head nurse, and her ambition was to be the best damn nurse in Korea, and I tried to help her achieve that," she once said. Active in theater, Ms. Swit starred as one of the daffy Pigeon sisters during the L.A. run of Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" that starred Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine as the ill-matched roommates. A talented singer and dancer who had been enrolled in dance classes as a youngster, Ms. Swit also performed on The Muppet Show and in a number of musical TV specials, and was a game-show regular on Match Game, The Hollywood Squares and The $10,000 Pyramid. In 2019, after a 21-year absence, she returned to the screen in the religious film Play the Flute, about a youth group. She also founded the SwitHeart Animal Alliance, which she set up to protect, rescue, train and care for animals and preserve their habitat, and recently created a fragrance and a necklace, the sales of which supported her efforts. Ms. Swit was married to actor Dennis Holahan, whom she met on the set of M*A*S*H, from 1983 until their divorce in 1995. - The Hollywood Reporter, 5/30/25.