Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on September 12th, 2025

The music of the popular '70s troupe Earth, Wind & Fire and '80s hitmaker Cyndi Lauper will be celebrated in two new Grammy Salute TV specials filmed at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl. In a clever touch, the salute to EW&F will air on "the 21st night of September," to borrow a line from one of their most famous hits, "September." Airing on CBS from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire Live: The 21st Night of September will also feature the LA Philharmonic, Stevie Wonder, Jonas Brothers, Jon Batiste and Janelle Mone. Wonder was the subject of his own Grammy Salute special in 2015, Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute. The Cyndi Lauper tribute will are on Oct. 5 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. with special guests Joni Mitchell, Cher, John Legend, and more. - Billboard, 9/11/25...... The convicted assassin of John Lennon has been denied parole for a 14th time. Mark David Chapman appeared before the New York Department of Corrections parole board on Aug. 27 and was ordered to continue serving his 20 year-to-life sentence at least until his next parole hearing, which is set to take place in Feb. 2027. During a 2020 appeal for parole, Chapman expressed deep regret for shooting Lennon, telling officers that he deserved the death penalty for the "despicable" act he committed. "I assassinated him because he was very, very, very famous and that's the only reason and I was very, very, very, very much seeking self-glory. Very selfish," Chapman said. In 2022, Chapman reiterated his point, saying that he had a "selfish disregard for human life" in murdering Lennon. In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney's '70s band Wings will release what is described as their "definitive" anthology collection personally overseen by Sir Paul himself on Nov. 7. Released in "an impressive array of beautifully designed formats", WINGS is described in a press release as "a lovingly curated time capsule of imagery and music for the mega Wings fan" and will be available as a 3LP limited edition colour vinyl, as well as a 1-CD and 1-LP. Additionally, fans can get their hands on both 3LP and 2CD versions -- complete with an expanded 32-page booklet featuring photographs, artwork, paintings, trivia and information about the group. All physical formats come with a booklet containing an introduction from McCartney, and the Blu-ray version of WINGS is the first time Wings songs are available on a physical format in Dolby. The official WINGS trailer can be checked out on YouTube. Earlier in 2025, the band released a 50th anniversary of their fourth studio album, Venus and Mars, which came after the 2024 release of the Wings film One Hand Clapping and its accompanying 1974 live album. McCartney will kick off his 2025 "Got Back" North American tour on Sept. 29 in Palm Desert, Calif., marking his first trek across the US and Canada since 2022. Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr held a presser at Riverside Theater in Milwaukee as he kicked off his latest US tour with his All Starr Band at The Chicago Theater on Sept. 9. "We have to tour to get the pleasure of playing to people. I love playing live," Ringo told the assembled media. "I've been doing this since 1989 and it just works. We are a band, this group of guys who were in their own bands, including me. I'm still touring. You never think you're going to get this far. And I'm still doing what I love to do. It's something I love to do." Ahead of his 85th birthday in July, Ringo told The New York Times: "It blows me away. I look in the mirror and I'm 24. I never got older than 24." The famous drummer also said he makes a conscious effort to live in the present, rather than dwelling on the past or focusing on the future. "I live in the now. I didn't plan any of it. I love that life I'm allowed to live." - Billboard/New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 9/11/25...... The favorite songs of David Bowie have been revealed in a note unearthed for the new David Bowie Centre, which opens at the V&A East Storehouse in Hackney Wick in East London on Sept. 13. Along with 90,000 items related to the iconic artist, the collection will trace Bowie's "creative processes as a musical innovator, cultural icon, and advocate for self-expression and reinvention," and have been acquired by the V&A through the David Bowie Estate, the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group. The list of Bowie's favourite songs reads: "Memo for radio show -- list of favourite records," and includes tracks such as Alan Freed and His Rock 'N' Roll Band's "Right Now Right Now" and Jeff Beck's "Beck's Bolero." Bowie also included "Across The Universe" by the Beatles, which he covered on his 1975 album Young Americans. Elsewhere, he also listed Little Richard's "Ecclusiastics," Roxy Music's "Mother of Pearl," "The Electrician" by The Walker Brothers and "Tom Violence" by Sonic Youth. While uncovering the archive, it's also been revealed that Bowie's final months were spent working on a separate project. Described in his notes as an "18th century musical" titled "The Spectator," details of the project were kept under wraps, and its existence remained unknown even to his closest collaborators until the notes were discovered locked in his study in 2016. The room was always locked, accessible only to Bowie and his personal assistant, so all of his handwritten notes were left undisturbed until archivists began cataloguing his belongings. They have now been donated to the V&A Museum, with the rest of Bowie's archive. Meanwhile, the final years of Bowie's career are set to be celebrated in a huge new box set, I Can't Give Everything Away (2002-2016), which drops on Sept. 12. - NME, 9/11/25...... The Eagles have extended their Las Vegas Sphere residency into early 2026. At the start of their run, the band had planned to perform eight shows at the state-of-the-art venue, with another eight then added. "Overwhelming demand" then saw yet more dates added, and they've now scheduled another four nights on their "Long Goodbye" tour, bringing the total number of gigs they've played at the venue to 48. The Eagles will play additional shows on Jan. 23, Jan. 24, Jan. 30 and Jan. 31. Presale registration for the new dates is available through the band's official website, with the presale commencing on Sept. 17 and the general sale two days later. The official announcement can be viewed on Instagram. NME, 9/10/25...... In other Sphere news, David Gilmour has suggested he'd be keen for a Pink Floyd avatar show at the innovative Las Vegas venue. Gilmour made the comments during a Q+A at the UK premiere of his concert film Live At Circus Maximus, Rome, held at London's BFI IMAX. When asked about the possibility of a Sphere residency, Gilmour said: "The Sphere? Well, you know, I'm hoping, one of these days, to go there and sit and watch myself doing it, which is something I've always wanted to do. My avatar, you know? So I don't actually have to get up and do it." In 2024, the guitarist told the UK's Uncut magazine he'd be open to a virtual show like ABBA Voyage -- but only under very specific conditions. He said: "If someone came up with all the money and all the brilliant ideas -- and then once we've agreed to a series of very, very difficult and onerous conditions -- I'd say, 'Yeah, OK.'" Gilmour played 21 shows in support of his solo album Luck and Strange in 2024. - Music-News.com, 9/11/25...... Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne, a host of the Lego Masters Jr. series, brought in a real ringer to do the honors on the Sept. 8 episode. "Hi Kelly," Ozzy says to his daughter in a clip filmed before his July 22 passing at age 76, beaming into the show remotely while seated in a brown leather chair in a clip posted by Reality Club Fox. One of the young builders was confused, asking, "what? what is that?," as his knowing mom explained, "it's her dad." "Hi dad, we need someone to scare a few of the kids," Kelly told Ozzy. "Would you mind?" Always up for a good scare, Ozzy mischievously grinned, "I'd love to!," busting out a maniacal laugh as he rubbed his hands together. As the buzzing alert bathed the brick floor in a blood red light, Ozzy intoned, "You've got one hour left to finish those builds!," wagging his finger ominously as he added, "Or else!" and a demonic laugh. The kids were appropriately freaked out as Kelly said, "Thank you, daddy. That was perfect. We love you." Ozzy's sweet Lego pop-in is the first in what will be a string of posthumous projects from the late metal icon, including the 100-minute Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow documentary about the last concert due in theaters in early 2026. There will also be a feature-length doc covering Ozzy's six-year struggle to recuperate from a devastating 2019 fall, Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now, slated to debut on Paramount+ later this year. First up, though, is the rocker's second memoir, Last Rites, which will drop on Oct. 7 through Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group. - Billboard, 9/11/25...... In related news, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were among those paying tribute to Ozzy during the Sept. 7 telecast of the 2025 MTV VMA awards show. English singer/songwriter/actor Yungblud kicked things off the tribute performance with a cover of Ozzy's solo hit "Crazy Train," with Tyler and Perry later joining Yungblud for a rendition of "Mama, I'm Coming Home." Yungblud was a part of the 'Back To The Beginning' Black Sabbath farewell show in Birmingham in July, an event that took on extra poignancy when Osbourne died less than three weeks later. The full performance can be viewed on X/Twitter. - NME, 9/8/25...... The Who frontman Roger Daltrey will be joining the 30th anniversary edition of the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, which since 1996 has brought together aspiring musicians of all levels with rock legends for mentorship, jam sessions and live performances. The camp, which will take place Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2026, will also include The Who's Simon Townshend, son of Who guitarist Pete Townshend. Daltrey has joined the camp six times previously, but not for the last 15 years. "It's an honor to celebrate 30 years of Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp with Roger Daltrey," says David Fishof, founder of the camp. "This camp is about inspiring musicians and giving fans an opportunity to share the stage with their heroes. To have members of The Who join us for this milestone makes it truly historic." Attendees will perform with Daltrey and Simon Townshend, as well as perform two shows at local Miami venues, including The Funky Biscuit. Building up to the 30th anniversary in 2026 will be three camps later this year: Alice Cooper and Judas Priest's Rob Halford will headline two camps in Phoenix in November, while a December camp also in Miami will feature The Rascals' Felix Cavaliere, Grand Funk Railroad's Mark Farner, Chicago's Jason Scheff and Billy Joel's Liberty DeVitto. The Who are currently on its "The Song Is Over - North American Farewell Tour," which concludes Sept. 28 in Las Vegas. - Billboard, 9/9/25...... Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham have fuelled fresh speculation about reunion rumours after sharing yet another cryptic post on social media. Just weeks after confirming the rerelease of their 1973 album Buckingham Nicks, which was teased in a similar fashion, the former Fleetwood Mac bandmates shared a joint Instagram post on Sept. 5 featuring an old clip of the two onstage. In the video on Buckingham's Instagram page, Nicks sings the opening lyrics of their 1973 track 'Frozen Love': "You may not be as strong as me, and I may not care to teach you." She then trails off before laughing: "That's all I remember." The post was captioned: "We remember the rest now." If an official reunion were announced, it would also be the first time Nicks and Buckingham joined forces since Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac in 2018. Buckingham and Nicks originally dated between 1972 and 1976 and would remain bandmates for over 40 years, though it was ultimately their acrimonious relationship that would lead to Buckingham's departure. - NME, 9/7/25...... Bruce Springsteen found himself mere feet away from US Pres. Donald Trump on Sept. 7 at the US Open tennis championship match at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, N.Y., the first time they have been at the same event since their public feud of recent months. The match was delayed by up to 45 minutes due to enhanced security checks because of the president's attendance. While neither man came face-to-face during the match between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Trump appeared to be confronted by boos from the crowd when appearing publicly for the national anthem. The footage was censored on some television networks, but shared on X and other social media. Meanwhile, Springsteen gave a surprise performance at a 50th Anniversary Symposium of his iconic 1975 album Born To Run at Monmouth University's Pollack Theatre in West Long Branch, N.J. on Sept. 8. The event was sponsored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, and brought together former and current bandmates, roadies, photographers, Columbia Records alumni and more, all of whom worked alongside the heartland rocker in the period he wrote Born To Run. The Boss was on hand throughout for on-stage panels and interviews, and there was a mystery slot in the day's schedule for a live performance, with the audience advised that everyone needed to be back at the theatre on time so they could lock up their phones in Yondr pouches before the afternoon's events. Much to the surprise of everyone in the theatre, the evening drew to a close with performances of "Thunder Road" and "Born To Run" that saw the Boss team up with E Street Band members past and present. The university marked the event with a post on Instagram the following day. - NME, 9/8/25...... On Sept. 11 a judge ruled that the four housekeepers suing Smokey Robinson for sexual assault can keep their anonymity, and they are free to move forward with their $50 million lawsuit against the Motown star using pseudonyms. Robinson had filed a motion asking the court to strike down the women's complaint and force them to refile using their real names, claiming the women waived their right to anonymity when they appeared at a press conference in May wearing masks and sunglasses. Their lawyers told reporters that the women were Latina and didn't step forward sooner in part due to concerns they might face "reprisals" related to their immigration status. The judge ruled that the women could proceed with pseudonyms, but reserved the right to change his mind as the case progresses. "This early in the case, I don't think their identities need to be revealed. Maybe later, but for now, you're not harmed. You know who they are," the judge said. The judge then set a trial date for Oct. 11, 2027, explaining that Robinson's advanced age, 85, gave him priority. Other new trials are currently being set three years in the future. Robinson is countersuing the "Jane Does" with a $500 million defamation and elder abuse suit. - Music-News.com, 9/11/25...... Actor Edward Faulkner, who appeared in six films with John Wayne and two with Elvis Presley, died on Aug. 26 at a health care facility in Vista, Calif. He was 93. Mr. Faulkner, who appeared in Wayne films including McLintock!, Rio Lobo and The Green Berets and with Presley as a dude ranch manager in 1965's Tickle Me as well as an uncredited role in 1960's G.I. Blues, was a 6' 3" Kentucky native born on Leap Day in 1932. He attended the University of Virginia and the University of Kentucky, where he acted in plays before graduating in 1954. He then joined the U.S. Air Force, where he was a fighter pilot for two years, until deciding to move to Los Angeles to pursue acting in 1958. Faulkner was eventually introduced to director Andrew V. McLaglen, who cast him in the John Wayne films. Mr. Faulkner is survived by four children and five grandchildren. His wife, whom he met in high school, died in May 2013. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/8/25...... Actress Polly Holliday, best known for playing the gum-smacking waitress Flo who popularized the phrase "Kiss my grits!" on the long-running CBS sitcom Alice, died at her home in Manhattan on Sept. 9. She was 88. Ms. Holliday was a supporting player on Alice, which starred Linda Lavin as a widowed Mel's Diner waitress, but her performance as the redhead Florence Jean Castleberry was one the brightest, funniest turns on the series. Featuring in the show's first four seasons beginning in 1976, she was nominated for three Emmy awards and twice won the Golden Globe for best supporting actress in a television series. CBS then brought Mr. Holliday onto her own spinoff series, Flo, which followed the character as she returned to Texas to operate a saloon. The show lasted two seasons. But the theater was where Ms. Holliday's career began, and it was where she did some of her most celebrated work. She was nominated in best featured actress at the 1990 Tony Awards for her performance in a revival of Tennessee Williams's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," starring opposite Charles Durning. On film, she played one of the most memorable death scenes of the 1980's featuring in director Joe Dante's suburban satire Gremlins, playing the wicked Mrs. Deagle, who is killed by the eponymous critters after they slingshot her out of her manor's window using a stairlift. Born July 2, 1937 in Jasper, Ala., Ms. Holliday ventured into theater productions while majoring in piano at Alabama College for Women. She joined the Asolo Repertory Theater in Sarasota in 1962, while she was attending Florida Sate University for music education. After nearly 10 years with the company, she moved to New York, making her Broadway debut in 1974 in the Murray Schisgal comedy "All Over Town," directed by Dustin Hoffman. Years later, Hoffman would seek Holliday's consultation in developing his performance for Sydney Pollack's Tootsie, in which he plays a washed-up actor that saves his career by posing under the alter ego of Dorothy Michaels, a feisty but fair Southern soap opera star. Other notable credits include All the President's Men, Mrs. Doubtfire and The Parent Trap, with TV roles as Tim Allen's mother-in-law on Home Improvement and appearances on Homicide: Life on the Streets, The Golden Girls and Amazing Stories. Her last film credit was in 2010 with Doug Liman's political thriller Fair Game. She left no immediate survivors. - Variety, 9/11/25...... Rick Davies, a founding member and singer/keyboardist for prog rock group Supertramp, died on Sept. 6 at his Long Island, N.Y. home after a long illness. He was 81. The passing of the writer and voice of such indelible hits as "Goodbye Stranger" and "Bloody Well Right" was confirmed by the group in a statement honoring his half century of service in the group. "The Supertramp Partnership is very sad to announce the death of Supertramp founder Rick Davies after a long illness," the band wrote in a statement on Facebook that said Davies had been sick with the blood cancer multiple myeloma for more than a decade. "We had the privilege of knowing him, and playing with him for over 50 years. We offer our sincere condolences to Sue Davies." The statement continued, "As co-writer, along with partner Roger Hodgson, he was the voice and pianist behind Supertramp's most iconic songs, leaving an indelible mark on rock music history. His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the bands' sound. Beyond the stage, Rick was known for his warmth, resilience, and devotion to his wife Sue, with whom he shared over five decades. After facing serious health challenges, which kept him unable to continue touring as Supertramp, he enjoyed performing with his hometown buds as Ricky and the Rockets." Born in Swindon, England on July 22, 1944, Mr. Davies was first attracted to music after his parents gave him a record player and he became obsessed with the album Drummin' Man by legendary jazz drummer Gene Krupa. After playing with a series of bands in high school and college, including Rick's Blues (with pop singer Gilbert O'Sullivan) and the Lonely Ones, Mr. Davies put an ad in Melody Maker magazine in 1969 looking for bandmates to join him, with vocalist Roger Hodgson signing on along with guitarist Richard Palmer and drummer Keith Baker. Taking a name inspired by Welsh author William Henry Davies' 1908 book The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp, the group signed to A&M Records, which released their self-titled debut album in 1970. After a few lineup changes, the prog rock group released 1971's Indelibly Stamped, with Davies handling lead vocals on most of the tracks as he and Hodgson shared songwriting duties. But it wasn't until 1974's Crime of the Century that the band had its first commercial breakthrough, with the album hitting No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart and Davies-penned single "Bloody Well Right" running up to No. 35 on the singles chart. After a misfire with the 1975 LP Crisis? What Crisis? featuring leftovers from the previous album, the band earned its first gold record in the U.S. with 1977's Even in the Quietest Moments which hit No. 16 on the LP chart and spawned the pop-leaning No. 15 hit "Give a Little Bit," with vocals by Hodgson. Further leaning into their pop proclivities, the band finally broke through with their landmark Grammy-nominated sixth album, Breakfast in America, which spun off a series of sing-along radio hits, including the No. 6 smash "The Logical Song," as well as "Take the Long Way Home" (No. 10) and the bouncy Davies-written "Goodbye Stranger" (No. 15). In keeping with previous releases, the songs included lead vocals by both men, with both also getting songwriting credits on the tunes. After a filler live album, 1980's Paris, Hodgson departed following 1982's Famous Last Words... after years of battles over the group's creative direction and songwriting royalties, leaving Davies as the lead man for 1985's Brother Where You Bound. That collection featured one of the group's final chart hits, the No. 28 "Cannonball," along with a meandering, ambitious 16-minute title track with guitar solo from Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. Supertramp's 1987 album Free as a Bird featured another left turn, this time into dancey synthesizer-fueled new wave tunes and marked their first LP not to make it into the top 100 on the Billboard album charts. The Davies-fronted group would release two more albums, 1997's Some Things Never Change and 2002 swan song, Slow Motion, and continue to tour until 2012. And while they announced a European tour in 2015, it was ultimately scotched due to Mr. Davies' treatment for multiple myeloma. - Billboard, 9/8/25.

KISS' Gene Simmons has spoken about his net worth and how much money he has made over the course of his career. The bassist and singer appeared on The HoneyDew podcast (available on YouTube), where he was asked about his relationship with money, how he manages it, and how music stardom impacted how he navigates his finances. "When somebody says I'm cheap, I say, 'Thank you. I'm smart, bitch. I'll see you at the end.' And revenge, for all the people that had something to say about you, the best revenge is to have them work for you. That's the best revenge. Keep your nose right on the grindstone. Work hard, work harder than your next-door neighbor. Amass your fortune, whatever that is. And living well is the best revenge." Simmons said that he taught his own children about the value of money and working hard for it, but nonetheless, he ensured that he had made enough money and had managed it well enough so that the next few generations of his family would be comfortable. He said, "I've got my finances in such order that the next two to three generations are taken care of. That's why you have to diversify So I'm in crypto, real estate, stocks, bonds, futures, commodities." - New Musical Express, 8/31/25...... As the new Bruce Springsteen biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere recently had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, critics are largely praising the film which charts the period when he recorded his sixth studio album Nebraska. Deadline.com said that White is "utterly convincing on every count" and "gets to the essence of the man without copying him," further calling the transformation "nothing less than stunning." "[The film] is the real deal, an intelligent, deliberately paced journey into the soul of an artist," critic Peter Hammond added. The Bear star Jeremy Allen White, who portrays the musician, is being described as "simply awesome" by The Playlist, who described the film "as unorthodox a biopic as you can imagine for a major studio release in 2025, even if director Scott Cooper makes choices that hinder Nowhere from being a truly great film." The Hollywood Reporter suggested that Deliver was more for die-hard Springsteen fans, noting: "If you're looking to celebrate the anthemic hits of blue-collar New Jersey's favorite son, this highly personal movie might not meet your requirements. "But serious fans -- particularly those who admire the lo-fi 1982 album Nebraska -- should connect with the intimate drama." Springsteen, who attended the premiere and participated in a panel discussion at Telluride, touched on "what brought this one along," having presumably been approached about a biopic before. "I think we had a very specific idea -- Scott [Cooper] had a very specific idea, particularly, of what we were gonna attempt to do. And, for lack of a better word, it was an anti-biopic. "You know, it's really not a biopic," he said (via Variety). "It just takes a couple years out of my life when I was 31 and 32, and looks at them really at a time when I made this particular record, and when I went through some just difficult places in my life, you know. And, I'm old and I don't give a f--- what I do now." Meanwhile, the acclaimed Nebraska album is getting a deluxe reissue with previously unreleased material, a Blu-Ray of album performance film, and the legendary "Electric Nebraska" sessions. On Sept. 4, Springsteen's camp announced the upcoming release of Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition, a five-disc set that will feature many never-before-heard and previously undiscovered recordings from the rocker's sixth album, a lo-fi gem he recorded on a four-track recorder in a bedroom of his New Jersey home. Due out on Oct. 17 from Sony Music, the expanded edition will feature the legendary "Electric Nebraska" session -- featuring E Street Band members features bassist Garry Tallent, drummer Max Weinberg, keyboardist Danny Federici, pianist Roy Bittan and guitarist Stevie Van Zandt -- which features solo rarities, tracks from a one-off 1982 solo session and a previously unreleased, stripped-down version of the rock anthem "Born in the U.S.A." The reissue hits shelves one week before Deliver Me From Nowhere hits screens on Oct. 24. The "Electric Nebraska" version of "Born in the U.S.A." can be streamed on Spotify.com, and the official trailer for Deliver Me From Nowhere has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 9/1/25...... The reformed Sex Pistols with Frank Carter have been forced to postpone their North and South American tour due to guitarist Steve Jones breaking his wrist. The punk legends were due to kick off their dates with Carter on lead vocals in two weeks' time with a show in Dallas, Tex. Sept. 16, but the gigs will now be rescheduled to a future date. In an Instagram post on Sept. 2, the band wrote: "We have some unfortunate news to share about our upcoming North and South American performances." In a direct quote, Jones explained: "I've got some good news and bad news. What do you want first? Okay, the bad news: I've broken my wrist, so unfortunately we won't be doing any shows for a while. The good news is the surgeon said I will be back playing guitar in the not-too-distant future. The other good news is I'll be 70 tomorrow! God bless, and God save the wrist." The band continued: "The performances will be postponed and rescheduled when Steve has fully recovered. Please check local venue websites and our social media for more information. We appreciate your understanding and support." The shows were set to be this incarnation of the band's first ever stateside shows, and in announcing them in March, they shared a limited edition vinyl pressing of their 1978 performance in Dallas' Longhorn Ballroom, the site of the planned opening date of this tour. - NME, 9/2/25...... The recent earth-shattering news of the upcoming marriage of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce has prompted Foreigner to offer up their services in a rocking wedding reception. "Dear Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, we know what love is," Foreigner pitched on its foreignerlive Instagram page on Sept. 3. "We spent 40 years figuring it out and now you guys have too. Please accept this as our formal offer to be your wedding band. Best wishes, Foreigner." If the superstar couple do take Foreigner's offer up, likely songs will include "I Want To Know What Love Is," the lead single from the band's 1984 album Provocateur and their only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The beloved ballad has been covered by everyone from Australian singer Tina Arena and country star Wynonna Judd to Mariah Carey, who released it as a single in 2009 from her Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel album. Other strong contenders include the 1988 ballad "I Don't Want To Live Without You," a No. 5 U.S. single that spent 11 weeks on the Top 40, and the band's first hit, "Feels Like The First Time," which climbed to No. 4 in Apr. 1977. - Billboard,...... Paul McCartney was among the slew of celebrities including Leo DiCaprio, Kristen Stewart, Vince Vaughn, Billie Eilish and Metallica's James Hefield spotted at the L.A. area stop on the reunion tour of alternative faves Oasis on Sept. 6. Sir Paul can be seen in clips on X/Twitter and other social media taking pictures while Oasis's Noel Gallagher sang "Little By Little," with many noting he was the only one in his section who stood up throughout. In a separate clip, fans approached him as he left the Rose Bowl venue and asked what he thought of the show, to which he replied: "Fabulous." In 2015, Gallagher joked that if Macca wrote their comeback single, he'd be willing to discuss a reunion. The same year, he walked back comments he made to MTV, where he said Oasis were "bigger than The Beatles," which McCartney said was the biggest mistake of their career. "I thought, 'So many people have said that, and it's the kiss of death,' he said at the time. "Be bigger than The Beatles, but don't say it. The minute you say it, everything you do from then on is going to be looked at in the light of that statement." In other McCartney news, the story of the famous Beatle's long-lost bass guitar is set to be told in an upcoming documentary. Variety.com is reporting that the story of the bass' decades-long journey back to Macca is due to be told through an upcoming feature-length documentary directed by Arthur Cary (Surviving 9/11, The Last Survivors). McCartney himself has been confirmed to be part of the documentary, which is titled The Beatle and the Bass, and has filmed interviews for the feature. His Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass, the first bass the star ever bought, was purchased for £30 ($38) in Hamburg, Germany. McCartney and longtime fans of the Beatles had attempted numerous times to recover the instrument, stolen from him in 1972, over the course of its 50-plus year absence -- including the Lost Bass campaign, which began in 2018 but only began to make progress in 2023. "I think anything that's nicked, you want back, especially if it has sentimental value. It just went off into the universe and it left us thinking, where did it go? There must be an answer," he told Variety. The documentary -- which will explore the mystery behind its theft and eventual return -- will also include exclusive interviews with people with a personal connection to the historic bass guitar and McCartney. Among the people set to appear in the documentary are Paul's brother Mike, their friend Klaus Voormann who witnessed the birth of the Beatles, Elvis Costello, journalists and fans who led the Loss Bass recovery project. In 2024, the instrument was finally returned to Paul. It is the same one that can be heard on classic hits including "Love Me Do," "She Loves You" and "Twist and Shout." Following the bass' recovery last year, the following statement was issued on McCartney's website: "Following the launch of [2023's] Lost Bass project, Paul's 1961 Hofner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned. The guitar has been authenticated by Hofner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved." - NME, 9/7/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, an unreleased, newly restored video of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1970 hit "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" has been released. The newly remixed version features in a new box set called Power To The People, due for release on Oct. 10, which explores the pair's NYC era and political activism through unreleased demos, home recordings, jam sessions, live cuts, unique mixes and more. The restored recording of "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" is taken from the afternoon performance of the pair's "One To One" concerts held at New York City's Madison Square Garden. These were Lennon's only full-length shows after leaving the Beatles, and also the last gigs John and Yoko ever performed together before his death. The newly restored "Instant Karma!" can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 8/30/25...... The BBC reported on Sept. 5 that David Bowie was working on an "18th century" themed musical at the time of his death in 2016 that will go on display in a new London centre dedicated to the rock icon. The V&A museum will open the free-to-access home for Bowie's vast archive in Stratford, east London, on Sept. 13. One exhibit will be notes from a previously unknown project called "The Spectator," which he described as an "18th Century musical." The walls of a locked room in Bowie's New York office were adorned with post-it notes for the project when he died in 2016, and were left unseen until his belongings were archived. Now the notes will be available to view at the centre, which will also host guest-curated displays, notably from disco pioneer and super-producer Nile Rodgers of Chic, who collaborated with Bowie on his Let's Dance album. Rodgers' selections include a suit, made by opera costume designer Peter Hall, worn during Bowie's "Serious Moonlight" tour, and rare photographs and personal correspondence reflecting their shared "love of the music that had both made and saved our lives." The centre has over 90,000 items tracing Bowie's career, with visitors able to explore a trove of 414 costumes and accessories, nearly 150 musical instruments, extensive notes, diaries, lyrics, and unrealised projects. Bowie died of liver cancer two days after the release of his 25th studio album, Blackstar, which had come out on his 69th birthday. - AFP, 9/5/25...... 1960s hitmaker Lulu has shed light on her battle with alcoholism after becoming a "secret drinker" later in life. Lulu, 76, recently told The London Times that she had become increasingly dependent on wine after hitting menopause, which came at a fraught time for her as she had lost her parents and her children had just left home. Lulu, whose father was an alcoholic, described struggles with alcohol as a "family illness" and said "the gene is there," although she said nobody noticed the degree to which wine had become part of her life. She said she was only able to mentally accept the extent of her dependence in 2013, on her 65th birthday. Lulu entered rehab and has since launched Lulu's Mental Health Trust, saying: "I probably have never been happier in my life, and at the same time, never been more in touch with my feelings." Lulu said she was inspired to set up the fund when she was writing her memoir and celebrating the 60th anniversary of her hit single "Shout." It follows the "To Sir, With Love" singer's 2024 announcement that she was retiring from touring after 60 years in music, with her final tour culminating in a Glastonbury festival performance last summer. - NME, 9/6/25...... A lawyer representing Sting has hit back after the ex-The Police frontman was sued by his former bandmates over lost royalties. Sting, also the primary songwriter of the London trio (real name Gordon Sumner) is being taken to court for "substantial" damages by guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland. It follows years of legal disputes between the group, whose hits include the best-selling single of 1983, "Every Breath You Take." Sting, who is credited as the sole songwriter on the track, reportedly earns £550,000 a year in royalties from that song alone. The case is said to have been listed at London's High Court under "general commercial contracts and arrangements," with Sting appearing as a defendant along with his company, Magnetic Publishing Limited. While the artist himself is yet to respond to the lawsuit directly, his lawyer claimed that Summers and Copeland have actually been "substantially overpaid." According to a New York Times report, Sting came up with an agreement with his two bandmates when they formed The Police in 1977, wherein he allegedly promised Summers and Copeland 15% of "some royalties" from the songs that Sting wrote by himself, and that was intended to "keep things sweet" within the band. Sting is the sole credited writer of most of the band's most enduring hits, and Summers and Copeland argue that Sting now owes them "arranger's fees" from the "digital exploitation" of the Police's music. Sting said in 2021 that he regretted reforming the trio in 2007, calling the tour that followed "an exercise in nostalgia." He explained at the time that he preferred being a solo artist due to the "total freedom" it offered. - NME, 9/6/25...... Gossip over Bob Dylan's "love child" has reignited with the publication of a new book by author Sam Sussman. Sussman has speculated the rock icon may be his biological father -- and his new novel, Boy from the North Country, features a lead character with the same question about his paternity. According to a synopsis from the book's publisher, Penguin Random House, the tome is about a young man's mother sharing a "creatively intense, emotionally turbulent romance with Bob Dylan." The woman's son, Evan, grows up to obsess over the rock bard, "whom strangers have long insisted he resembles." In a case of art imitating life, Sussman, 34, has previously written extensively about his mother's affair with the gravel-voiced musician as well as his alleged physical resemblance to Bob, which he claimed people had often pointed out to him. "At first it was thrilling," he told The Independent in a recent interview. "Who doesn't want to be told they look like a cultural icon?" After his mother revealed she had in fact "dated" Bob in the 1970s and had reunited with him nine months before Sam was born, the novelist felt too uncomfortable to mention the subject. "I just didn't want to have that conversation with people any more," he explained. A representative for Bob, 84, told the Daily Mail the singer had no comment, as was the case in 2021 when Sussman first published an essay in Harper's magazine about the imagined paternity. - Music-News.com, 9/5/25......Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson is making it clear that she has "zero per cent involvement" in the upcoming biopic of the King of Pop. On Sept. 3, Paris took to X/Twitter to publicly decry claims from actor Colman Domingo, who portrays Michael's father Joe Jackson in the film, that Paris and her brother Prince Jackson were "very much in support" of the film, and they had "chatted briefly" about the project and she was "very helpful." In a string of now-expired Instagram Stories, Paris wrote, tagging Domingo: "Don't be telling people I was "helpful" on the set of a movie I had 0% involvement in lol that is so weird." She continued: "I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest/didn't sit right with me and when they didn't address it I moved on with my life. Not my monkeys, not my circus. God bless and God speed." She later posted a separate video in which she said: "The film panders to a very specific section of my dad's fandom and they're going to be very happy with that... the thing about these biopics are... it's Hollywood. It's fantasyland, it's not real but it's sold to you as real. A lot of sugarcoated... the narrative is being controlled. There is a lot of inaccuracy and a lot of full-blown lies." In January, it was reported that the film's production had hit a major speed bump, and was being forced to reshoot its entire third act, which is said to depict sexual abuse allegations that the singer's estate has banned from being dramatized. - NME, 9/4/25...... Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne has lashed out at ex-Pink Floyd member Roger Waters over comments Waters recently made about Jack's dad. The oft-controversial Waters recently spoke to The Independent Ink on a myriad of topics, including how figures in pop culture are used to distract people from political issues: "How can we push this to one side? I know how to do it! We'll do it with Taylor Swift or bubble gum or Kim Kardashian's bum." He then turned his attention to singling out the recently deceased Ozzy: "Ozzy Osbourne, who just died, bless him in his whatever state that he was in his whole life, we'll never know. Although he was all over the TV for hundreds of years, with his idiocy and nonsense. The music, I have no idea. I couldn't give a f----." Waters went on: "I don't care about Black Sabbath, I never did. I have no interest in biting the heads of chickens or whatever they do. I couldn't care less, you know." On Sept. 2, Jack took to Facebook to defend his late father's honour, writing in a scathing post: "Hey Roger Waters, f--- you. How pathetic and out of touch you've become. The only way you seem to get attention these days is by vomiting out bullshit in the press. My father always thought you were a c*nt - thanks for proving him right." - NME, 9/3/25...... '70s stars Cher and Joni Mitchell recently joined '80s singer Cyndi Lauper onstage during the final show of her farewell tour at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 30. Mitchell joined the pop musician for a rendition of "Carey," marking Mitchell's second public appearance in 2025. Later, John Legend came on stage to duet "Time After Time." The encore featured SZA, who joined Lauper for "True Colours." It ended with Cher surprising the attendees by joining Cyndi for a duet of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." Earlier in 2025, Lauper announced that she would wrap up the final leg of her North American "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"' farewell tour with two shows at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 29 and 30. - NME, 8/31/25...... Giorgio Armani, the visionary designer who transformed global fashion with his understated elegance and business savvy, died on Sept. 4. He was 91. Widely regarded as the architect of modern Italian style, Mr. Armani built a fashion empire that spanned decades and redefined luxury with his signature unstructured tailoring and meticulous attention to detail. The designer is credited over his decades of practice with curating a quintessentially Italian aesthetic in his clothes, as well as taking Hollywood's red carpets to new heights. Mr. Armani and his life and business partner, Sergio Galeotti, founded the brand Giorgio Armani in 1975. Their first menswear collection found success in the US: It was stocked at Barney's New York in 1976, and the department store even produced a TV commercial introducing Armani to American shoppers. It was soon followed by a womenswear collection, which saw the brand debuting an androgynous look. ("I was the first to soften the image of men, and harden the image of women," Mr. Armani later said.) His jackets earned the attention of Hollywood. In 1980, Richard Gere famously wore an Armani suit in "American Gigolo," turning it into a status symbol. Soon, dressing stars for the red carpet became another form of advertising for the brand. Many of the biggest celebrities of the day -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sophia Loren, Jodie Foster, Sean Connery and Tina Turner, among others -- were all pictured wearing its creations. This led to a fierce competition with the other big name of 1980s Italian fashion, Gianni Versace, whose dazzling style stood in stark contrast to Mr. Armani's typically understated looks. Mr. Armani's many accolades include being named a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2021, one of the country's highest honors, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. He was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, in 2002. Mr. Armani remained heavily involved with the Giorgio Armani brand until the very end, remotely organizing 50th-anniversary celebrations that will take place at Milan fashion week in late September, and an exhibition at the Pinacoteca di Brera, while recovering at home from illness. - CNN, 9/4/25...... Mark Volman, a founding member of the '60s pop-rock group The Turtles and later the duo Flo + Eddie, passed away on Sept. 5 following a "brief, unexpected illness," his lawyer Evan Cohen confirmed in a statement on Facebook. He was 78. "I am sorry to report that my long-time friend and client, Mark Volman of The Turtles and Flo & Eddie (and a couple of years in the Mothers of Invention), has died at the age of 78," Cohen wrote. "Mark and bandmate Howard Kaylan stepped up and set an example for decades, standing up for the rights of musicians in various legal actions, which had a great impact on the progression of the law in several different areas (including sampling, and the eventual protection of 60s recordings under the Music Modernization Act)." In 2020, Volman confirmed in an interview with People that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, and opened up about how he was living with the disease. "I got hit by the knowledge that this was going to create a whole new part of my life," he said at the time. "And I said, 'OK, whatever's going to happen will happen, but I'll go as far as I can.'" Alongside fellow band founder Kaylan, Volman helped lead The Turtles through a prosperous career in the late 1960s, where the band released a number of hits. Over the course of the band's career, they notched 17 career entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned five top 10 hits. "Happy Together," widely considered to be the band's signature song, was their sole No. 1 hit on the chart, spending three weeks at the summit in 1967. The band famously earned their first chart entry with a cover of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe," which also went on to be their first top 10 hit after it peaked at No. 8 on the chart in 1965. "Happy Together" was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007. The band's other top 10 hits on the Hot 100 were "She'd Rather Be With Me," "Elenore" and "You Showed Me." The group reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart in Feb. 1968 with The Turtles! Golden Hits. Volman began his career when he was in high school in 1963, when he joined classmate Howard Kaylan's band The Crossfires, who were ultimately renamed The Turtles and had their first Top 10 hit in 1965 with a cover of Dylan's It Ain't Me Babe. The band split in 1970 but Volman continued to work with Kaylan as the duo Flo + Eddie, touring with Frank Zappa and his band Mothers of Invention and singing backing vocals for artists including Bruce Springsteen, Duran Duran and T. Rex. In his 40s, the singer received his master's in screenwriting and went on to teach music at Belmont University in Nashville. Despite the symptoms of his condition, including tremors and hallucinations, Volman continued to perform on the annual "Happy Together Music Tour" that he and The Turtles -- without Kaylan, who stopped performing due to health issues -- headlined. He is survived by daughters Sarina and Hallie, ex-wifes Patricia -- the mother of his kids -- and Emily Volman, and his brother Phil Volman. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 9/5/25.