Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 4th, 2025

Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has paid tribute to Liverpool football star Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a car accident in nothern Spain on July 3 at the age of 28. The Portuguese international footballer's 25-year-old brother was also killed in the crash. "What a tragic loss. The dimming of a bright, shining light. Thank you for your magic, Diogo," Plant posted on X later the same day. Plant is a lifelong supporter of the West Midlands club, having grown up in the Black Country. He was made Vice President of the club in 2009 and regularly attends home matches at Molineux. - New Musical Express, 7/3/25...... Interviewed by Vanity Fair, Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry said she can't see herself "being on stage as Blondie" after the April 2025 death of Blondie drummer Clem Burke at age 70 after a battle with cancer. When asked what she was "most proud of," Harry responded: "I think the things I get most teary-eyed about are the relationships, good fortune, and the luck I've had working with some wonderful, exotic, talented people. Great minds." She went on to liken "keeping a rock band together for 50 years" to "a marriage," before touching on the changes to Blondie's touring line-up. Blondie co-founder Chris Stein no longer performs live with the group due to ongoing health issues. "It's sad that with Clem's passing and without having Chris on stage, I can't see myself being on stage as Blondie, even though I am the face of Blondie. But I'm proud of the music, and I would still like to do music... I want to feel that little spark of creativity, surprise -- those things. There's a little tingle of that, and I hope that will be there for me." Before Burke's death, Blondie were already scheduled to release a new album at some point in 2025. However, an exact release date is not yet known. The album would be the follow-up to 2017's Pollinator, helmed by Grammy-winning producer John Congleto. In the same interview Harry, who turned 80 on July 1, opened up about undergoing cosmetic surgery when asked whether she had ever felt any "pressure" to look good. "It's always been a tool for me. It's not like I started having cosmetic surgery as a kid in school -- I think nowadays a lot of girls are getting cosmetic surgery when they're 10, 11 years old," she responded. "God bless if it improves their lives and they feel happy. But as far as me having cosmetic surgery, it made me feel better about myself. Maybe it made me feel happy, or more confident. It was just something that I felt necessary at the time... women being attractive, and being a selling point, is clearly showbiz... if you're going to be in the business, be in it." - NME, 7/3/25...... Days before he takes the stage for what is being billed as his final show with Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne has announced an upcoming collaboration with alt makeup brand Jolie Beauty. Osbourne, known for rocking copious amounts of eyeliner, has linked up with the Birmingham, UK-based brand for a collection of cosmetic and makeup products under the banner Ozzy Osbourne x Jolie Beauty. "We're not slowing down, this collab's a one-way ticket on the Crazy Train. No brakes. No rules. Just pure, unfiltered rock 'n' glam mayhem," the company wrote in an Instagram post announcing the limited-edition collab on July 1. "This collaboration is a testament to Ozzy's impact on the gothic and alternative communities, and a celebration of his legendary influence on music, fashion, and creativity," Jolie Beauty CEO Jolie Cashmore said in a statement. Back in 2022, Ozzy released the Ozzy Osbourne Collection, a 21-piece beauty set with a 14-shade "Ozzy Bat Palette" shaped like a flying nocturne as well as another in a coffin-shaped case featuring shades inspired by some of the rocker's most beloved songs, including "Zombie Stomp" and "Iron Man." In other Black Sabbath-related news, the group's early recordings when they were known as Earth is being released on July 25 as Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes. The first-time release of the early songs from Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler as Earth will drop on Big Bear Records, the Birmingham blues/jazz label founded by the band's first manager, Jim Simpson. The four musicians first joined forces in 1968 as the Polka Tulk Blues Band before briefly trying on the Earth moniker to record a number of demos in 1969 that were never released. - Billboard, 7/2/25...... Could Aerosmith make one last live return after announcing in 2024 that they would be retiring from touring in the wake of Steven Tyler's serious vocal injury -- fracturing his larynx as well as having damaged vocal cords? Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry hinted as much during a recent appearance on SiriusXM radio's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk podcast. When asked if fans could ever see the band on stage again, Perry said: "Well, yeah, I'm always hoping, but going on the road, it's a big deal pulling that together," with the 74-year-old axman adding: "There's so much planning, and what it takes out of you physically, it's a lot more than people realize. It's one thing when you're doing it when you're 25 or 30, but it's another when you're starting to get up there like us. It's a really physical thing, going out on stage." Perry says he's also sure that Tyler, 77, would be able to sing a full concert again if he could get the strength back in his voice. Asked if Tyler could perform a full show, Perry said: "You know, I think he would. I think it's just a matter of getting there, you know? I mean, it's like, you know, I mean, we're up there, man. I've got enough left in me. I still wanna do [a final Aerosmith show]... So, we'll see what happens." Meanwhile, Perry will be touring across the US this summer with his group The Joe Perry Project. - Music-News.com, 7/1/25...... Ringo Starr has reportedly told the director of the upcoming four-part Beatles biopic that he should rewrite parts of the script. According to the New York Times, Starr worked with director Sam Mendes for two days to go over the scripts for the drummer's individual film. Ringo, according to the report, "offered extensive notes" to Mendes to ensure it was an accurate reflection of his life -- particularly of his childhood growing up in Liverpool and of his first marriage to Maureen Starkey Tigrett. "He had a writer -- very good writer, great reputation, and he wrote it great, but it had nothing to do with Maureen and I. That's not how we were. I'd say, 'We would never do that,'" Ringo is reported as saying. However after the edits, Starr said he was satisfied. "But he'll do what he's doing," he said of Mendes, "and I'll send him peace and love." The films are expected to be released in early 2028. In the same interview, Ringo said he still thinks he's 24 when he looks in the mirror. Starr, who turns 85 on July 7, said: "It blows me away. I look in the mirror and I'm 24. I never got older than 24," he told the Times, adding to himself, "But guess what? You did." Since 1989, Ringo has toured the world with his Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, and credited performing regularly with how he maintains his energy. "I love what I'm doing. When I first started... my mother would come to the gigs. She would always say, 'You know, son, I always feel you're at your happiest when you're playing your drums,'" the Liverpool native recalled. "So she noticed. And I do." - NME/Music-News.com, 7/3/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, the Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd. has announced that Tom Greene has been appointed as its new CEO, effective in September. Greene joins the company having previously fulfilled an operating role for the Harry Potter franchise, including stints running Pottermore Publishing and Wizarding World Digital, a joint venture between Warner Bros and Pottermore. His most recent role was as COO of Blast, an entertainment company working with the video game developers and publishers on production, commercialization and audience growth of their Esports programs. "It is a huge honour to lead Apple Corps into this new phase of its history," Greene said in a statement. "Like so many people around the world, I grew up in a household obsessed with The Beatles and their music. At a time when the world might need more of the Beatles' spirit, there are so many new and innovative ways to bring their unique magic to all generations of fans. I cannot wait to get started," he added. Greene will be replacing Jeff Jones after 17 years as Apple Corps' CEO, during which he oversaw the band's foray into video games (The Beatles: Rock Band), a number of films and documentaries directed by the likes of Ron Howard and Peter Jackson, and the band's "final song," "Now and Then." - Billboard, 7/1/25...... Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan's co-headlining Outlaw Music Festival Tour has been temporarily delayed after a powerful storm damaged gear during a recent stop in Missouri, forcing the cancellation of their July 1 show in Oklahoma. The June 29 concert at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Mo., was abruptly cut short when heavy rains and high winds swept through the venue. According to a statement from organizers, festivalgoers were evacuated for safety, but not before the storm reportedly waterlogged artist instruments and damaged key production equipment. As a result, the July 1 show at Lucky Star Amphitheater in El Reno, Okla., has been canceled. The tour is expected to resume July 4 in Austin, Tex., where Nelson traditionally hosts his annual 4th of July Picnic. That show, taking place at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater, is set to feature Dylan, The Avett Brothers, The Mavericks, Tami Neilson, and Asleep at the Wheel. - Billboard, 6/30/25...... Rod Stewart reunited with his Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood during the celebrated mid-afternoon legend's slot at the Glastonbury 2025 festival on June 29. Backed by an extended string section and strains of bagpipes, Stewart went into the smooth rock of opener "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)," before greeting the audience with: "Enjoy yourselves ladies and gentlemen, please. Music brings us together - we need music!" Joined by Wood, the pair played the 1971 Faces classic "Stay With Me." The other major guests were Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, who joined Stewart in a huge singalong duet of the Philly soul classic "If You Don't Know Me By Now," and '60s hitmaker Lulu, who sang "Hot Legs" with Stewart. Shortly into the 21-song set, Rod said: "There's been a lot about the Middle East recently and quite rightly so, but I want to draw your attention to the Ukraine with the next song," before launching into his version of The O'Jays' "Love Train." Stewart's support for Ukraine has been ardent since 2022, when he rented out a home for a family of refugees from the country. He also took a moment to bid a happy birthday to festival founder Michael Eavis, who was wheeled out by his daughter Emily and waved to a loud ovation from the vast Pyramid crowd. Fan-shot footage of Stewart kicking off his show has been shared on X. - NME, 6/29/25...... In addition to being a famous shock-rocker and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Alice Cooper is a well-known host of radio shows such as Nights With Alice Cooper and Alice's Attic. Now Alice is among the 2025 inductees into the Radio Hall of Fame, becoming just the second person to be inducted into the RRHOF as well as the Radio Hall of Fame (James Brown was the first). On June 30, the Museum of Broadcast Communications announced the selection of 10 new inductees -- nine individuals and one broadcast team -- into the Radio Hall of Fame for 2025. They will be honored at the in-person 2025 Radio Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on Oct. 30 at the Swissotel Hotel in Chicago. The Radio Hall of Fame was founded by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988. The Museum of Broadcast Communications took over operations of the Hall in 1991. Also being inducted is former MTV VJ Martha Quinn, who gained pop-culture immortality as one of the five original VJs when that culture-shaking channel launched in 1981, along with Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson and Nina Blackwood. Quinn is the first of these five VJs to join the Radio Hall of Fame. - Billboard, 6/30/25...... AC/DC fans down under can't seem to get enough of their favorite head-banging group, as a second show in Perth has been added to the group's upcoming 2025 Australian tour. The newly added concert, at Optus Stadium on Dec. 8, caps off the West Coast leg of their 2025 Australian tour. Since tickets went on sale on June 26 to high demand, second shows were previously added in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and now Perth. Their Power Up tour marks AC/DC's first national run in nearly a decade. It follows the band's ARIA No. 1 album Power Up, released in 2020, which marked their sixth No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. - Billboard, 6/30/25...... Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, a fire-and-brimstone Pentecostal preacher who wrote nearly 50 books and dozens of study guides and commentaries on the Bible, died on July 1 in a Baton Rouge, La., hospital after suffering a cardiac event on June 15. He was 90. In 1987, he co-authored Religious Rock n Roll: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing with Robert Paul Lamb, in which he argued that the rise of the Contemporary Christian Music is as an extension of "worldly" entertainment interests. Swaggart recorded numerous gospel albums and had two cousins who made it big in music: rock 'n' roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis (who was also born in Swaggart's hometown of Ferriday, La.) and country music star Mickey Gilley. By 1984, Swaggart had overtaken Robert Schuller and Oral Roberts as America's top televangelist. The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast reached nearly 2 million viewers a week on 500 stations. His monthly magazine, The Evangelist, was distributed to more than 800,000 households. In 1988, Swaggart was tailed by the son of a rival New Orleans preacher to a motel where he was photographed checking into a room with a prostitute. Five days later, he tearfully delivered what came to be known as "I have sinned" speech on live television, an image that has become iconic. The national presbytery of the Assemblies of God defrocked Swaggart, removing his credentials and ministerial license. He countered by becoming an independent and non-denominational Pentecostal minister, establishing Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, based at the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge. A second scandal involving another prostitute three years later further diminished Swaggart's popularity. Even so, Swaggart was senior pastor of Family Worship Center until his death. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Francis, a son, and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. - Billboard, 7/1/25...... Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has announced he's bringing his "This Is Not A Drill" tour to cinemas worldwide with This Is Not A Drill - Live from Prague - The Movie. Set for global release by Sony Music Vision and Trafalgar Releasing, the film will have limited screenings on July 23 and 27. Recorded and filmed during Waters' impactful performance at Prague's O2 Arena on May 25, 2023, the movie has been meticulously edited by long-time collaborator Sean Evans. Billed by Waters as his "first ever Farewell Tour," the show is Waters' statement against what he describes as a "corporate dystopia," dedicated to those fighting for "the soul of humanity." The film features 20 classic Pink Floyd and Roger Waters tracks, including "Us & Them," "Comfortably Numb," "Wish You Were Here," and "Is This The Life We Really Want?," alongside Waters' recently celebrated new song, "The Bar." Tickets for worldwide cinema screenings are on sale now at www.rogerwaters.film. Beyond the big screen, the live audio and visual recording will be released on Aug. 1 via Legacy Recordings in Blu-ray, CD, vinyl, DVD and digital audio formats. In other Pink Floyd-related news, David Gilmour was honored with the prestigious O2 Silver Clef Award at the 49th annual O2 Silver Clef Awards on July 2. Gilmour was presented with the award by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, recognizing a career that has shaped generations of music lovers. During his speech, Gilmour praised "the wonderful Nordoff and Robbins music therapy charity," adding: "My relationship with them goes back 50 years -- thank you to them for this award and for the miraculous work they do, and have done since then." Gilmour was among 12 artists across a wide range of music genres who were recognized for their contributions to music. The event raised over £715,000 for Nordoff and Robbins, the UK's largest music therapy charity. - Music-News.com/NME, 7/1/25.