Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on June 19th, 2025

Janis Ian will be among the honorees at the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony, set for the Mead Center for American Theatre in Washington, D.C., on June 21. The WSHOF is celebrating its fifth anniversary with workshops and panel discussions on June 20, followed by the awards ceremony the following evening. Ian was nominated for a Song of the Year Grammy in 1976 for her bittersweet 1975 hit "At Seventeen." In April, a new Ian documentary, Breaking Silence (named after the album that came out when she came out as a lesbian), debuted in US cinemas. Previous WSHOF inductees include Roberta Flack, Naomi Judd, Gloria Estefan, Loretta Lynn, Valerie Simpson, Toni Basil, Cynthia Weil and Olivia Newton-John. - Billboard, 6/18/25...... Carly Simon, known for some of the most provocative album covers of the 1970s including No Secrets and Playing Possum, is defending rising singer Sabrina Carpenter for the backlash she's received for the suggestive cover of her upcoming Man's Best Friend album. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Simon said, "She's not doing anything outrageous. It seems tame. There have been far flashier covers than hers. One of the most startling covers I've ever seen was [The Rolling Stones'] Sticky Fingers. That was out there in terms of sexual attitude. So I don't know why she's getting such flak." The artwork for Man's Best Friend shows Carpenter on her knees with her hand on a suit-wearing man's thigh, as that same figure grabs a fistful of her blonde hair. Critics have claimed that the cover artwork is over-sexualized and anti-feminist, while fans of Carpenter have called such critiques misogynistic, saying the tongue-in-cheek cover is part of Carpenter's established sex-positive brand. While Simon joked that "touching the man's knee" was "going over the line a little bit," she said Sabrina shouldn't worry too much about negative reactions to her work. "Any press is good press, so I wouldn't worry about the press. And as far as her being salacious, I certainly don't think it's that," Simon said. "I mean, look at all of the people who dress much more scantily. She's so beautiful, and she should be proud of herself and the way she looks. I don't see anything wrong with that." - Billboard, 6/18/25...... Ozzy Osbourne shared a livestream announcement on Instagram on June 18 promising fans who can't make it to Birmingham, England on July 5 for Black Sabbath's final ever "Back to the Beginning" show that the event will be livestreamed. "Your prayers answered!" reads a bold font message of Ozzy, followed by vintage footage of the metal icon saying "it's time to go back to the beginning." Osbourne, 76 and plagued with a number of health problems, recently said he's determined to make it to the final show by Sabbath -- with original bandmates guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Bulter and drummer Bill Ward -- in their hometown of Birmingham no matter what it takes. He also recently said on his Ozzy Speaks SiriusXM show that he will make it to the stage in Villa Park "by hook or by crook." The livestream ticket will cost $29.99 and include access to watch the entire show, which also features the likes of Metallica, Mastodon, Anthrax, Pantera and Alice in Chains, beginning at 10 a.m. ET on July 5, with VOD replay access to rewatch the whole event from July 5th shortly after the event's conclusion until 10 a.m. ET on July 7. Meanwhile, Ozzy has teamed up with canned water company named Liquid Death to sell empty cans of iced tea that contain his DNA. Dubbed "Infinite Ozzy," the new collaboration comprises 10 empty cans that the Black Sabbath legend drank from. These cans were then re-sealed to contain his DNA, and are now about to be sold for $450 a piece (£335). The process of re-sealing the cans was held at a laboratory, and the metal veteran personally signed each one himself. "Once technology and federal law permit, fans can use this DNA to try to clone Ozzy in the future and enjoy him for hundreds of years to come," Liquid Death's publicity team said, explaining what sparked the idea for the partnership. Osbourne chimed in, saying: "Clone me, you bastards." - Billboard/NME, 6/18/25...... The back catalog of The Beach Boys has surged following the sad news of the passing of group leader Brian Wilson on June 11 at age 82. The group's catalog surged 184% in equivalent album units earned in the US in the week ending June 12, growing to 31,000, according to Luminate. Plus, the act's classic 1966 album Pet Sounds has reentered the Billboard Hot 200 album chart -- and at its highest rank in nearly 60 years. On the Billboard 200, Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys, released in 2003, jumped 180-52 (15,500 units; up 71%) and Pet Sounds reentered at No. 136 (11,000; up 1,335%). For the latter, it returns to the chart for the first time since July 2015, and to its highest rank since Feb. 18, 1968, when it ranked at No. 110. It peaked at No. 10 in 1966 and is one of 13 top 10 albums for the group. Overall on-demand official streams of the group's songs increased by 126% to 26.7 million, while their collected songs sold 19,000 (up 1,132%). The act's most-streamed song of the week was "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (2.28 million; up 78%), while the top-selling song was "God Only Knows" (4,000; up 3,382%). On the Digital Song Sales chart dated June 21, "God Only Knows" debuts at No. 7, while "Wouldn't It Be Nice," the second-biggest-selling Beach Boys song of the week, debuts at No. 18. "Woudn't It Be Nice" reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966, while its follow-up single, "God Only Knows," hit No. 39 later that same year. Both are from Pet Sounds. In total, The Beach Boys boast 35 top 40-charted hits on the Hot 100. The group's catalog is also making waves on the LyricFind U.S. and Global charts, where "God Only Knows" bowed at No. 1. LyricFind's US chart features five Wilson-penned songs in all, with "God Only Knows" followed by "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (No. 2), "Don't Worry Baby" (No. 4), "Sloop John B" (No. 7) and "Good Vibrations" (No. 9). - Billboard, 6/17/25...... A two-and-a-half minute teaser trailer for the forthcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere was shared on YouTube on June 18. The clip opens with titular star Jeremy Allen White as Springsteen sitting in a Camaro on a car lot as he tells the salesman that he's never owned a new vehicle before. "It's awfully fitting for a handsome devil rock star," the salesman says, tipping his hat that he knows exactly who his low-key, famous client is. "Well that makes one of us," White replies. We next see Springsteen in his New Jersey bedroom with his guitar tech Mike Batlan (Paul Walter Hauser) as he works out the stripped-down sound of the title track of his acclaimed 1982 acoustic album Nebraska. "Don't need to be perfect," he tells Batlan, "I want it to feel like I'm in the room by myself." The trailer ends with triumphant footage of a sweat-drenched White howling "Born to Run" on stage with the E Street Band. Deliver Me From Nowhere, which tells the story behind the making of Nebraska, is scheduled to hit US theaters on Oct. 24. - Billboard, 6/18/25...... Meanwhile, as Springsteen continues his "Land of Hope & Dreams" tour across Europe, he took some time to give a wide-reaching interview with The New York Times which was published on June 18. How would Springsteen, who performs a setlist every night that he says "addresses our current situation" under Donald Trump's administration, describe the current situation? "It's an American tragedy," he told the paper. "I think that it was the combination of the deindustrialization of the country and then the incredible increase in wealth disparity that left so many people behind. It was ripe for a demagogue. And while I can't believe it was this moron that came along, he fit the bill for some people." Reflecting on Trump's first few months in office since winning a second term, Springsteen added that "what we've been living through in the last 70 days is things that we all said, 'This can't happen here. This will never happen in America.' And here we are." But despite everything, though, the New Jersey rocker says he still has a lot of hope for the future of the country he's spent his career writing about in his songs. Why? "Because we have a long democratic history," he said. "We don't have an autocratic history as a nation. It's fundamentally democratic, and I believe that at some point that's going to rear its head and things will swing back." He added, "Let's knock on wood." Meanwhile, Springsteen has confirmed that a new compilation dubbed Tracks III: The Lost Albums is finished, with another five "lost" albums on the way. The news comes as Springsteen is preparing to release seven never-heard-before records on June 27 as part of a compilation dubbed Tracks II: The Lost Albums, which features 83 songs that were written across his expansive career -- all offering an insight into his life and work as an artist. In keeping with the structure of Tracks II, Tracks III won't be a jumble of unreleased songs, but rather full, complete albums that previously didn't make the light of day. "[There are] five full albums of music," he told The Times, adding that it will be that release that will see him pretty much clear out his vault. "There was a lot of good music left," he added, before sharing that the material in Tracks III will date back to the same time he shared his 1973 debut Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., all the way up to 2024. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 6/18/25...... Bruce Springsteen isn't the only Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member upset with Donald Trump these days -- Heart's Nancy Wilson, who along with her bandmate and sister Ann Wilson are proud daughters of a Marine Corps major, blasted the president in a pointed Instagram post on June 14 for their 1977 hit "Barracuda" being played without Heart's permission during a military parade held in Washington, D.C. earlier that day. "Barracuda,' written and performed by Ann and I, is a powerful piece of music that was never intended for political use," Nancy said in the post. "As daughters of a U.S. Marine Corps major, we hold a deep and abiding respect for the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. On a day meant to honor that service, it's important that music used in such settings reflects not only the tone of the event but also the wishes of the artists who created it," added Wilson, who drove home her point by wearing a "No Kings But Us" hat on a day when a historic number of Americans took to the streets from coast to coast to protest many controversial actions taken by the Trump administration. Nancy noted that "Barracuda" was initially written about a sleazy industry figure at the time, though she twisted it to fit the current commander in chief, saying the song is "even more relevant in the salacious billionaire culture with the grab-them-by-the-(expletive) mentality," the latter phrase a reference to an infamous sexist comment from Trump. Previously, the Wilson sisters sent a cease and desist order to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin when she played "Barracuda" at the 2008 Republican National Convention. - Billboard, 6/16/25...... In an interview with RadioTimes.com on June 17, Rod Stewart said although he lives "literally half a mile away" from Pres. Donald Trump, he's no longer friends with with real estate mogul-turned-politician. "I'm not a great fan of Trump," said Stewart, who has a residence in West Palm Beach, Fla., and is scheduled to headline the UK's Glastonbury festival on June 29. "I knew him very, very well. I used to go to his house... We're both on the beach. I used to go to his Christmas parties. He's always been a bit of a man's man. I liked him for that. But he didn't, as far as I'm concerned, treat women very well." Stewart added that he thinks becoming the leader of the US changed his former pal for the worse. "Since he became president, he became another guy," the musician said. "Somebody I didn't know." Stewart says he definitely doesn't consider Trump a friend now, citing one policy issue in particular as unforgivable. "No, I can't anymore," he said. "As long as he's selling arms to the Israelis -- and he still is. How's that war ever gonna stop?" - Billboard, 6/18/25...... Two of the '70s and '80s quirkiest bands -- The B-52s and DEVO -- have announced they're hitting the road together this fall for their first-ever joint tour. The 11-date co-headlining "Cosmic De-Evolution" tour will feature the two beloved New Wave bands hitting the road together starting on Sept. 24 in Toronto at the Budweiser Stage, followed by shows in Clarkson, Mich. (9/25), Mansfield, Mass. (10/2), Holmdel, N.J. (10/4), Wantagh, N.Y. (10/5), Mountain View, Calif. (10/16), Los Angeles (10/18), Charlotte, N.C. (10/24), Alpharetta, Ga. (10/25) and Austin, Tex. (11/1) before winding down on Nov. 2 at Houston's Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. "In 2022, I swore I'd never get on a tour bus again" said B-52s singer Fred Schneider in a statement. "But we were careful to say to our fans that we would still perform in special situations that don't require all of the awful tour travel. Our Vegas residency is going great, and when we were offered the chance to do a small run of shows with Devo, we all said this is an extraordinary opportunity we couldn't say no to." DEVO co-rounder Mark Mothersbaugh added, "The B-52s had one of the best sounds of any of the bands out there in the late 70's early 80's -- 'Rock Lobster' is one of my favorite songs -- DEVO used to sing it to Booji Boy after DEVO shows. It was either fate or luck or the SNL anniversary that brought us all together to create this amazing chance to go out on tour. All I can say is Cosmic Devolution is REAL!" - Billboard, 6/16/25...... The Who frontman Roger Daltrey was among the notable figures recognized in King Charles III's Birthday Honours list on June 14. Daltrey, 81, was celebrated for his outstanding contributions to music and his long-standing charitable work -- particularly with the Teenage Cancer Trust, where he has served as a patron since 2000. "It is a wonderful honour for me and especially for Teenage Cancer Trust," Daltrey said in a statement shared on Instagram. "I accept this award not only for myself but on behalf of all the unsung heroes who have given their energy towards making the Teenage Cancer Trust the success it has become." Over the past two decades, Daltrey has played a key role in organizing the charity's annual concert series at London's Royal Albert Hall, which has raised more than £36 million (approximately $48 million). Meanwhile, Ringo Starr has fired a shot at "little man" Roger Daltrey after Ringo's son Zak Starkey was fired as drummer for The Who not once but twice earlier in 2025. In a new Rolling Stone interview posted on June 16), Zak opened up about his current relationship with the band and how his famous dad feels about the tabloid tussle. Asked what his father thought of the bizarre back-and-forth, Starkey said, "He [Ringo] said, 'I've never liked the way that little man runs that band,'" in seeming reference to Who frontman Daltrey. But would Zak come back if Daltrey and Who guitarist Pete Townshend re-re-rehired him? "Of course I would," Zak said. "The Who, you just don't know what's going to happen. If you think something is going to happen, the opposite happens. If you second guess Pete, he will play the opposite. You have to go with whatever you're doing, and not think." - Billboard, 6/14/25...... In related news, Zak Starkey, Sean Ono Lennon and James McCartney have collaborated on original music for the first time. The team-up arrives via supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos' upcoming single "Rip Off," which Starkey teased on his Instagram account on June 16. Mantra of the Cosmos is the new supergroup formed by Starkey alongside Happy Mondays members Shaun Ryder and Bez and Ride's Andy Bell. Vocals on "Rip Off" are shared between Sean, James and Shaun on the wistful track. Speaking to the UK paper The Telegraph, however, Starkey dismissed any suggestions it was a mini-Beatles reunion. "No it's not," Starkey said in regards to any similarities to their fathers' band. "It's like Mantra of the Cosmos with them in it. It's Sean of the Cosmos and James of the Cosmos, it's still my band." In response to The Telegraph interviewer suggesting he needed Dhani Harrison, son of George Harrison, for a full house, Starkey responded: "No I don't. Why do I?" - Billboard, 6/16/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, the Beatles tribute band Bootleg Beatles is auditioning for a new "Paul McCartney". The act, established in 1980, has gone on to play huge, notable shows in the UK and elsewhere, including the Queen's Jubilee celebrations in 2002. They've also played Glastonbury multiple times, and are due to perform at this year's festival on the Acoustic Stage on the evening of June 29. In a recent statement shared to Instagram, the band wrote: "We're very sad to announce that Steve White, our fab Macca for over 10 years, is retiring from full-time touring with BB's this Autumn. He has been an outstanding contributor to this wonderful BB 'institution' and we all wish him well with his future musical projects." The tribute band went on to say that "the search is on" for a new bassist, who has the "look, the voice, bass guitar and keyboard skills" of Sir Paul. Those interested can apply to auditions@bottlegbeatles.com. - NME, 6/17/25...... Late country music legend Waylon Jennings' son Shooter Jennings has revealed that three of Waylon's previously unheard albums are on the way, with the first one, Songbird, set to drop on Oct. 3 via his Son of Jessi/Thirty Tigers label. The album's title track is a version of Fleetwood Mac's 1977 track "Songbird," written by the band's Christine McVie, and has been shared on YouTube ahead of the album's release. Shooter says the project began in the summer of 2024, when he was sifting through numerous high-resolution multi-track transfers in his dad's studio recordings. He noted that he discovered "an audio record of an incredibly profound artist and his legendary band through their peak period of creative expansion." The albums will feature music recorded by Waylon and his band The Waylors from 1973-1984. Waylon Jennings, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died in Feb. 2002. - Billboard, 6/16/25...... On June 18 Stevie Wonder announced the first support acts for his headline show at London's BST Hyde Park 2025. Opening for Wonder will be Mercury Prize and BRIT Award-winning jazz outfit Ezra Collective, US soul trio Thee Sacred Souls, Oxford-born soul singer Elmiene, and Leeds Grammy-winner Corinne Bailey Rae. Wonder is set to return to the summer concert series on July 12, following bill-topping sets there in 2016 and 2019. The gig will come as part of Wonder's 2025 "LOVE, LIGHT & SONG" UK tour, which also includes performances in Lytham, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff. Wonder is headlining this year's BST Hyde Park along with Neil Young, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan and Jeff Lynne's ELO. - NME, 6/18/25...... Cher's troubled son Elijah Blue Allman was hospitalized on June 14 after authorities in Southern California found him "acting erratically." Allman, who is Cher's son with her late second husband, Allman Brothers Band legend Gregg Allman, was rushed to the hospital after L.A. police responded to a report that a man had been "acting erratically" in a home in the Mojave Desert. He "was being evaluated by medical personnel," and deputies "located drugs inside the home," officials said in a statement shared with People.com. The investigation is ongoing. In late 2023, Cher applied for a conservatorship over her son, at the time claiming Elijah Blue was "substantially unable to manage his financial resources" due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues." He had been set to receive assets from a trust set up by his late father, who died in 2017, but documents filed by Cher's lawyers said she was concerned that "any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah's life at risk." Cher had filed two temporary conservatorship requests, but both were denied in Jan. 2024. It was later reported in April that Allman had filed an objection to Cher's request, in which he stated that he felt he was not only not in need of a conservatorship, but also believed his mother would be "unfit to serve." US media reported that Cher and Allman agreed to pause court proceedings in May 2024 to try and resolve the matter privately, and in September, the family reached a private settlement. - NME, 6/17/25...... Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water, Jaws is back again. 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's seminal monster thriller, and Universal Studios is pulling out all the stops for its golden year. This includes a special primetime broadcast of Jaws on NBC with an introduction from Spielberg himself. On June 12, NBC announced a special primetime telecast of Jaws as part of Universal's 50th-anniversary festivities for the film. Jaws will re-air on NBC on June 20, at 8:00 p.m. ET. NBC added that the broadcast will have an introduction from Spielberg. Jaws will also stream exclusively on NBC's streaming service, Peacock, through July 14. The platform is also launching a dedicated Jaws collection with the original film and its three franchise sequels and a new documentary, Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story. - Esquire.com, 6/16/25...... Lou Christie, the '60s hitmaker who reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1966 with "Lightnin' Strikes," died at his home on June 18 after a short illness, his wife, Francesca, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 82. With his signature falsetto, Mr. Christie broke out with two songs in 1963 for Roulette Records that he penned with longtime collaborator Twyla Herbert -- "The Gypsy Cried" and "Two Faces Have I" -- and had a follow-up Top 20 hit to "Lightnin' Strikes" for MGM Records in 1966 with the somewhat racy "Rhapsody in the Rain." He also made it to the Top 10 again in 1969 with his Buddah Records hit "I'm Gonna Make You Mine." Mr. Christie, born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco in Glen Willard, Penn., on Feb. 19, 1943, and Herbert -- a classically trained musician who was nearly 22 years older than him -- wrote hundreds of songs together. In 1960, he joined the vocal group The Classics and first recorded for Starr Records. He recorded his last album in 2004, and more recently toured with another famous falsetto singer, Frankie Avalon, and Fabian as a member of Dick Fox's Golden Boys. In addition to his wife, a British beauty queen he married in 1971, he is survived by the couple's daughter, Bianca. Their son, Christopher, died in 2014 in a motorbike accident at age 46. - Music-News.com, 6/18/25.

The Beach Boys co-founding member Al Jardine has paid tribute to his former bandmate Brian Wilson, who died on June 11 at age 82. In a press statement, Jardine said, "Brian Wilson, my friend, my classmate, my football teammate, my Beach Boy bandmate and my brother in spirit, I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were," he wrote, also honoring their late bandmates and Brian's brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson, who died in 1998 and 1983 respectively. "I think the most comforting thought right now is that you are reunited with Carl and Dennis, singing those beautiful harmonies again. You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever. Brian, I'll really miss you still I have the warmth of the sun within me tonight," added Jardine, who recently confirmed that he is also set to take Brian's solo band out on tour to promote his new EP release Islands in the Sun this summer. Meanwhile, as Beach Boy Mike Love was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame during a ceremony on June 12 in New York City, he also honored the one-time BB leader Wilson. "Gratitude is the main emotion I feel," Love told the audience. After thanking his wife, children, band and crew, he added, "I especially want to thank my cousin, Brian Wilson. I believe he's here with us. He's my first cousin but brother in music together." Love continued, noting that their partnership "set the stage for some of the most successful collaborations all time... I do feel his presence." Sharing "gratitude, love and peace" with the crowd, he added, "I pray that through music, art and kindness, the world heals and love prevails." After honoring Wilson, Love performed some of his best-loved co-written songs, including "Good Vibrations," "Kokomo" and "I Get Around," as most of the audience rose to their feet, singing along. Love was accompanied by Full House cast member John Stamos on guitar, who has been performing with the Beach Boys for four decades now, and introduced Love. Other '70s-related musicians inducted into the SHOF that evening include George Clinton and The Doobie Brothers members Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons. Elsewhere, other Brian tributes originated from Bruce Springsteen, who posted a thoughtful tribute to the late singer-songwriter on Instagram by calling him "the most musically inventive voice in all of pop, with an otherworldly ear for harmony." "He was also the visionary leader of America's greatest band, The Beach Boys," Springsteen continued. "If there'd been no Beach Boys, there would have been no 'Racing In The Street.' Listen to 'Summer's Gone' from The Beach Boys' last album That's Why God Made The Radio and weep." "Farewell, Maestro. Nothing but love and a lovely lasting debt from all of us over here on E Street," added the New Jersey rocker. And Paul McCartney, who inducted Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000, wrote on Instagram, "Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time." Sir Paul continued: "I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, 'God Only Knows'. Thank you, Brian. - Paul." The CBS television network has announced it will honor the life of Wilson by re-airing the 2023 special A Grammy Salute to the Beach Boys on June 15 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. The live concert special was taped at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Feb. 8, 2023, three days after the 65th annual Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles. The special originally aired on Apr. 9, 2023, and was No. 1 in its time period with 5.18 million viewers and was the night's No. 2 primetime broadcast in viewers. It featured performances by the likes of Beck, Brandi Carlile, John Legend, Norah Jones, John Legend, Michael McDonald, My Morning Jacket, Mumford & Sons, Lee Ann Rimes, St. Vincent and Weezer, among others. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 6/12/25...... Streams by Sly & the Family Stone have surged 563% following the death of the band's legendary frontman, Sly Stone, on June 9 at age 82. Stone's catalog combined for 2.5 million U.S. on-demand audio streams June 10 and 11, the two days following his death -- up 563% from 385,000 streams over the same period the previous week, according to Luminate. Among the most-streamed classics across those two days: "Everyday People" (up 168% to 326,000 streams, following a Cher-and-Future-assisted bump two weeks ago), "Dance to the Music" (up 408% to 174,000) and "Thank You Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin" (up 378% to 169,000). - Billboard, 6/12/25...... Iconic '70s prog-rockers Yes have announced a new fall tour which will see them play their 1971 album Fragile in its entirety. Officially dubbed "The Fragile Tour 2025 - The Album Series," the newly-announced run of shows will launch on Oct. 1 in Wallingford, Conn., and sees the English band performing a total of 31 dates until Nov. 16. Per a press release, the tour setlist will include Fragile in full along with a number of other "classic cuts." The lengthy 31-date tour also includes stops in Atlantic City, N.J. (10/4), Glenside, Penn. (10/8, 9), Washington, D.C. (10/14), Durham, N.C. (10/16), Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (10/19), Charleston, S.C. (10/22), Atlanta (10/24), Memphis (10/25), Louisville (10/27), Cincinnati (10/20), Indianapolis (10/30), Milwaukee (11/4), Denver (11/9), Inglewood, Calif. (11/13), and Alpine, Calif. (11/14) before wrapping at the Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., on Nov. 16. Released in Nov. 1971, Fragile was the fourth studio LP from the group, and their third to be released in a 16-month span. It also became their most successful release up to that point, with its Jan. 1972 single "Roundabout" reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Yes also embarked on a 115-date tour in support of Fragile, which the presser describes as "a vital part of the band's history, and marked the moment when Yes became a headline act in the US." "We were at the height of our creativity, determined for success," says guitarist Steve Howe. "It gave us confidence, further than our own in-stock belief, we'd crafted this unusual but noticeable musical twist to rock and what later became prog," he added. Of the original lineup which recorded Fragile in 1971, only Howe remains an active member. Drummer Bill Bruford would depart the group in 1992, while both vocalist Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman would depart in 2004. Bassist Chris Squire would remain with the band through all iterations until his passing in 2015. - Billboard, 6/11/25...... The Rolling Stones are reportedly working on a new album which they will support with a new tour. According to a report in the UK's The Sun paper, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Steve Jordan have been together working on a follow-up to 2023's Hackney Diamonds since April, and now have 13 songs that they completed at Metropolis Studios in West London. It also claims that the band are in talks with their record label over a release date for the record, which would be their 25th studio LP. "Originally, the plan was for them to bring their huge US tour to the UK and Europe this summer but promoters couldn't get the dates to work," a source told the paper. "Instead the Stones decided to get back into the studio and put down their next album. It's massive for their fans who didn't get a chance to see them live this year." The report also claims that renowned producer Andrew Watt -- who produced and co-wrote three songs on Hackney Diamonds -- is working with the band again for the upcoming album. As yet, nothing has been officially confirmed by the Stones regarding a new album, nor have they shared any plans for upcoming live shows. The members have, however, expressed interest in sharing more music. Ahead of Hackney Diamonds being released, Jagger told The New York Times that he wouldn't consider it to be the "last Rolling Stones album" as the members were already around "three-quarters through the next one." In Nov. 2023, Richards shared a similar sentiment with SirusXM, saying: "There's plenty more stuff left over. There'll always be another [album] until we drop This is what we do. We've gotta see this Rolling Stones through." - NME, 6/11/25...... Speaking of Mick Jagger, his 1985 "Dancing In The Street" duet with David Bowie which helped raise money for the Live Aid charity, will be re-released in a limited edition white vinyl EP version to mark the single's 40th anniversary. The two rock icons teamed up to cover the Motown classic -- co-written by Marvin Gaye and two other songwriters -- in 1985 to raise money for Live Aid, and its official music video was screened just before Bowie took to the stage in London at the Wembley Stadium event. Jagger and Bowie's studio version of the song was then released on Aug. 27, with all the proceeds benefiting famine relief. It topped the UK singles chart for four weeks, and reached No. 7 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100. Parlophone Records is reissuing the cover song on limited edition white 123 vinyl on Aug. 29 -- two days after its milestone anniversary. This remastered physical version brings together all of the song's mixes for the first time. Additionally, 30% of the retail price from the sale of this single will be donated to the Band Aid Charitable Trust. In a new statement to accompany the announcement, Jagger recalled: "We had such a laugh doing 'Dancing In The Street' with both the song recorded in the studio and the video done in one day. Remarkable how we pulled it off, really." - NME, 6/10/25...... Veteran director Ridley Scott of Alien fame has announced he'll start shooting his planned Bee Gees biopic in November 2025. Scott, 87, says the project will tell the story of brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb from their childhood right up to the present day, covering their incredible impact on disco due to the soundtrack they created for 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever -- which starred John Travolta as dancer/hardware store employee Tony Manero -- and the deaths of Maurice and his fraternal twin Robin. "It's really about the brothers and how close the brothers were as a gifted family," Scott told the website Collider.com. "They're really very much a family. I think Barry very much was the leader of them, but then Robin also had the voice initially and was also a very good writer. They were a fulfilled team. It is lovely to see this drawn out from scratch. We'll go from eight years old to the end." Scott said he's started the casting process for the three siblings but is remaining tight-lipped on who may take on the roles as the "Night Fever" hitmakers. He said: "I've already got my footprints and handprints, or requests is a better way of putting it, on those names. And no, I can't say who they are." - Music-News.com, 6/10/25...... Bob Dylan has narrated the trailer for MGK's (formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly) new album. After mysteriously posting a video of MGK on his Instagram page, Dylan seems to now be the narrator of the trailer for the rapper's new album Lost Americana -- expected to be released on Aug. 8. In a teaser video which has been shared on YouTube, Dylan is heard calling the upcoming album "a personal excavation of the American dream." "It's a sonic map of forgotten places, a tribute to the spirit of reinvention and a quest to reclaim the essence of American freedom," says Dylan as a video mongtage of MGK looking out into the mountains plays. "From the glow of neon diners to the rumble of the motorcycles, this is music that celebrates the beauty found in the in-between spaces. Where the past is reimagined, and the future is forged on your own terms." While MGK is yet to publicly confirm that it is the real Dylan who is narrating the video, he shared a black and white photo of the folk icon on his Instagram stories. Variety has reportd a source confirming to the outlet that it is Dylan. This comes after Dylan left some fans confused back in February after he shared footage of MGK performing live on Instagram. Previously, Dylan's social media only had posts relating to his upcoming live shows and an assortment of clips from old movies. - NME, 6/10/25...... An "irreplaceable" purple baritone Fender Telecaster guitar belonging to Heart's Nancy Wilson has been recovered by Atlantic, City, N.J. police after a woman who said she'd bought it from its suspected thief surrendered it to authorities. Detectives said surveillance video showed the suspect handing the Telecaster over to the woman, who put the instrument in her car, which was parked several blocks away from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino venue where Heart had been scheduled to perform. Police employed automated license plate readers to identify the vehicle and then tracked its location to find the woman, who voluntarily surrendered the guitar. A 57-year-old resident of Pleasantville, N.J., who the woman said she bought it from for an undisclosed amount, has been charged with burglary and theft. The Telecaster -- and a vintage 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin that Heart guitarist Paul Moak has played for more than 25 years that has still not been recovered -- were nicked the night before the veteran band kicked off their "An Evening With Heart" summer tour on May 31. Officials said Bennett has a long criminal record and was previously arrested in April for a prior burglary. Before Wilson's custom-built guitar was recovered, the band co-founder said in a statement, "These instruments are more than just tools of our trade -- they're extensions of our musical souls. The baritone Tele was made uniquely for me, and Paul's mandolin has been with him for decades. We're heartbroken, and we're asking for their safe return -- no questions asked. Their value to us is immeasurable." - Billboard, 6/11/25...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has announced a new solo album, Who Is the Sky?, featuring contributions from Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and Tom Skinner, among others. Byrne's 11th solo album will be the follow-up to his acclaimed 2018 set American Utopia and is due out on Sept. 5 via Matador Records. Byrne previewed the album on June 10 with a video for the universalist anthem called "Everybody Laughs" about the emotions and feelings we all share. "Everybody laughs and everybody cries/ Everybody lives and everybody dies/ Everybody eats and everybody loves/ Everybody knows what everybody does," Byrne sings over strummed acoustic guitar and a bouncy rhythm in the clip in which the camera scoots from left to right as dozens of people act out the lyrics and bust into an impromptu marching band performance when they're not dancing with selfie sticks. Produced by Kid Harpoon (Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles), the 12-track album contains "more story songs than usual" according to Byrne. "I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs," Byrne said. "It's something that folks don't always hear in my work, but this time for sure I thought it was there." Byrne will hit the road with a new live show featuring a 13-person troupe of musicians and dancers to support the album on a world tour slated to kick off on Sept. 14 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, R.I., winding down on Dec. 6 in Miami, Fla. In early 2026, he'll tour behind the new album in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the U.K. A video for the new single "Everybody Laughs" can be viewed on YouTube - Billboard, 6/10/25...... The late Quincy Jones was remembered during a tribute at the 2025 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 9 in Los Angeles. Lucky Daye, Luke James and Miles Caton joined forces to pay homage to Jones, who died at age 91 in November. The trio's performance was short yet sweet, as they delivered a soothing rendition of the sultry "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" as part of the in memoriam segment at the 2025 BET Awards. Prior to the 2025 BET Awards, the Grammy Awards and Oscars earlier this year each delivered star-studded tribute performances to Quincy Jones. - Billboard, 6/9/25...... Rodney Brown, drummer on 1967's "Funky Broadway," a Dyke & the Blazers classic and one of the first hit songs to use a variation on the word "funk" in its title, died May 17 of unknown causes in an unknown location. He was 78. Brown's distinctive skipped-beat syncopation on "Funky Broadway," a track covered by many artists, most notably Wilson Pickett with a Billboard Hot 100 No. 8 hit later that year, turned out to be influential. Clyde Stubblefield employed a similar technique on James Brown's "Funky Drummer," released in 1970, which became a widely sampled breakbeat on numerous hip-hop classics. "'Funky Broadway' started the funk beat that was heard around the world," says Lucius Parr, a veteran Phoenix guitarist whose '70s band, the Soul Keepers, featured Brown on drums. "'Funky Broadway' had a break where they gave Rodney this drumbeat solo -- 'wiggle your waist, baby, shake, shake, shake,' all that stuff. It was just Dyke and the drummer." Brown, a lifelong resident of Phoenix and the last surviving member of the Dyke & the Blazers original line-up, played in bands sporadically after leaving the group. At the time of his death, he was working in real estate. "Funk started right here in the desert," he said in 2004, "and we were part of the group that started it." - Billboard, 6/13/25...... The original Alice Cooper band have announced details of a one-off intimate show in London at the Union Chapel on July 24. It comes in celebration of the reunion of the original Alice Cooper line-up, which includes Cooper, Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith and Michael Bruce. Back together, the four-piece are set to share their first studio album in over 50 years, The Revenge of Alice Cooper, which is due out on July 25 via earMUSIC. The new LP marks the first time all four members have come together for new material in over half a century. It also sees them reunite with producer Bob Ezrin and pay homage to the sound they captured in the early '70s. Presented by both earMUSIC and Rough Trade, the one-night-only event will be hosted by Sir Tim Rice and available to just 900 fans. It will also offer attendees a first listen to the album in a one-off playback session, as well as a deep dive interview with the band members and a rare Q&A session from the audience. For those unable to get tickets, the night will be shared in a global livestream via the earMUSIC and Alice Cooper YouTube channels, as well as TalkShopLive. More info can be found on Cooper's Instagram page. Meanwhile, Cooper and his current band are set to head out on a North American co-headline tour later in 2025 with Judas Priest. The 22-date trek kicks off in Biloxi, Miss., in September. - NME, 6/9/25...... Frederick Forsyth, a British author of thrillers who frequently made the bestseller lists, sold 70 million books and saw his novels The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and The Dogs of War, among others, adapted into films, died on June 9 at his home in Jordans, England. He was 86 years old. The New York Times confirmed Mr. Forsyth's death, which his literary representative, Jonathan Lloyd, said "followed a short illness." The Day of the Jackal was adapted into a 1973 film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Edward Fox and Michael Lonsdale. Fox played the professional assassin known only as the "Jackal" who is hired to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle in the summer of 1963. The film was a critical and box office success, and was also turned into a series in 2024 starring Eddie Redmayne. Mr. Forsyth's 1972 novel The Odessa File was adapted into the 1974 film of the same name directed by Ronald Neame and starring Jon Voight, Maximilian Schell and Maria Schell. Born in Ashford, Kent, Mr. Forsyth joined the BBC and was sent to Biafra to cover the war raging in Nigeria. In 1969 he decided to use his experience as a Reuters reporter in France as the basis for a thriller. Within 35 days he'd completed The Day of the Jackal, which has sold some 10 million copies. Despite becoming an established author with the success of The Day of the Jackal, which earned him a three-book publishing deal, he undertook missions to Rhodesia, South Africa and, at the height of the Cold War, East Germany. In his 2015 autobiography, The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue, he disclosed that he had been working for Britain's MI6 for more than two decades, starting when he was asked to provide information about the Biafran War. He is survived by two sons from his first marriage to model Carole Cunningham, Frederick Stuart and Shane Richard. His second wife Sandy Molloy, whom he married in 1994, died in 2024. - Variety.com, 6/10/25.