Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on October 17th, 2025

The Bob Dylan "Rough and Rowdy Ways" tour which has been in progress for four years has released 1,500 additional tickets for the Coventry, UK show on Nov. 13 due to increased capacity at the city's Building Society Arena. The legendary singer-songwriter is due to kick off a European leg of the tour on Nov. 7 in Brighton, followed by three shows in Swansea (Nov. 9, 10, 11), Coventry (Nov. 13), Leeds (14/11), Glasgow (16, 17/11), Belfast (19, 20/11), and Killarney (23, 24/11) before wrapping in Dublin on Nov. 25. Dylan's most recent leg of the tour ran across North America in March and April and saw him dipping into his back catalogue -- including the first performance of '"The Times They Are A-Changin'" -- in 15 years. He recently announced the release of Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through The Open Window, 1956-1963, which will drop Oct. 31 via Columbia/Legacy Recordings. - New Musical Express, 10/16/25...... The Eagles will soar higher in 2026 by adding eight additional dates to their long-running residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas. The new dates -- Jan. 23-24, Jan. 30-31, Feb. 20-21, and Feb. 27-28 -- will make their 52-date residency the longest-running one of any band at the innovative venue so far, breaking out of a tie with Dead & Company's 48 shows. The Don Henley-led band launched its Sphere stint in Sept. 2024, and after an initial spate of dates spanning five months, have rolled out extensions a handful of concerts at a time, most recently adding eight October and November dates last April. Presale registration for the shows is available now through the Eagles.com website. Among the other acts performing at the Sphere since its Sept. 2023 debut are U2, Phish, Anyma, Kenny Chesney and Backstreet Boys, and the Zac Brown Band will debut its run in December. - Billboard, 10/13/25...... British actor James Norton, currently appearing in Netflix hit House Of Guinness, is reportedly under consideration to play The Beatles' former manager Brian Epstein in the forthcoming biopics about the band. Epstein met the band in 1961 and became their manager until his death in 1967, aged just 32. Often nicknamed "The Fifth Beatle," he was portrayed in a 2024 biopic called Midas Man by fellow British actor Jacob Fortune-Lloyd. In an apparent acknowledgement of the news, Norton shared a screenshot of the Deadline article on his Instagram account with the caption "Brian d." Earlier in 2025, it was revealed that the legendary band will be portrayed by Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn, and on Oct. 9, it was revealed Soairse Ronan will be playing Linda McCartney. Beatles -- A Four-Film Cinematic Event is scheduled to be released in Apr. 2028. - NME, 10/15/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, a five-string banjo once played by John Lennon has been given a new home at The Salvation Army's iconic Strawberry Field in Liverpool, as part of a celebration of the late Beatles' 85th birthday on Oct. 9. Originally owned and played by John's bandmate Rod Davis in The Quarrymen -- the band that would later evolve into The Beatles -- the instrument is now on display at the attraction, giving Beatles fans the chance to delve deeper into the band's rich heritage. The banjo, which is kindly on loan from collector Ashley Davie, will go on display alongside the world-renowned collection of artefacts on display at Strawberry Field, including the famous "Imagine" piano, on which John composed one of the greatest peace anthems of the 20th century. The banjo was played by Rod at all The Quarrymen's early gigs, including the historic Woolton Village Fete on 6 July 1957 -- the day John first met Paul McCartney. A new incarnation The Quarrymen played performed an exclusive live performance on Oct. 9 to celebrate Lennon's birthday, part of a string of activities which included a first look at a brand-new photomosaic wall, featuring 1,300 images submitted by Beatles fans, Quarrymen members and Strawberry Field supporters from across the world. "It's an incredible honour to be here and unveil this special banjo at Strawberry Field, a place held dearly by John and where he spent much time during his childhood," said Rod Davis. "Performing here on what would have been his 85th birthday was a poignant way to mark the occasion and to remember his enduring legacy." Based in Woolton, Liverpool, Strawberry Field is an award-winning visitor attraction located at the iconic site immortalised by Lennon in The Beatles' hit, "Strawberry Fields Forever." The attraction, which is owned by The Salvation Army, tells the story of John's childhood, offering visitors an immersive experience that includes the original red gates of Strawberry Field, and the magical gardens where John played, climbed trees and dreamed as a child. As part of the schedule to mark Lennon's birthday, a group of lucky Beatles fans were also taken on an exclusive tour beyond Strawberry Field itself to the pivotal places of Lennon's childhood, from The Salvation Army site that inspired his iconic song to the very streets, schools and classrooms where his story began. Visitors are being invited to mark John's birthday by leaving their own messages of peace, which will be displayed on the original Strawberry Field gates. - Music-News.com, 10/11/25...... Actor/musician Johnny Depp joined Patti Smith on stage on Oct. 12 during a London concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of Smith's seminal album Horses. Depp joined Smith during the first of two consecutive nights at the London Palladium, coming out during the encore. Smith introduced her entire band to the audience and then added: "And Johnny? And Johnny Depp? The original Johnny." It was a reference to the line, "the boy looked at Johnny" from her Horses track "Land/Horses." Depp played guitar on the album track "People Have the Power," with Smith's daughter Jesse on keyboards. Smith is currently celebrating her iconic 1975 record with her band, including two members of the original group, Lenny Kaye and Jay Dee Daugherty, along with keyboardist/bassist Tony Shanahan, who has been in the line-up for 30 years. She will play further "Horses"' tour dates in Brussels, Oslo, and Paris through Oct. 21, then kick off a U.S. leg in Seattle on Nov. 10. Other stops included Oakland, Calif., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia through Nov. 29. Horses was included in the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry, and inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2021. A deluxe 50th anniversary edition of Horses dropped on Oct. 10. - NME, 10/14/25...... English singer/songwriter Sam Fender has released a new track featuring Elton John called "Talk To You." The heartwarming tune, which has become a fan favourite in Fender's live shows, was recorded in the sessions for Fender's album People Watching, which recently won the prestigious Mercury Prize. In a joint statement about the song, Sam said: "Talk To You was written during the People Watching sessions at British Grove. It's a song about the end of a long relationship - about the regret, the mistakes and the lessons that come with it. It's that feeling of losing your best friend and coming to terms with that." He continued: "I was playing around with the riff and thought what I need is a really good pianist and then hmmm, I wonder who I can call? And of course, who better than Elton John." Sir Elton, 78, commented: "Sam was writing and recording in a studio in West London and called to say he'd written a song with a piano riff that he thought would sound great with me playing it. I couldn't resist, and it was so much fun playing it for him. I truly love Sam. He's been a friend for many, many years and it's incredible to see him grow into being a truly world class artist." "Talk To You" is set to feature on a deluxe expanded edition of People Watching, which will go on sale Dec. 5 with eight additional tracks. - Music-News.com, 10/17/25...... Carlos Santana is pushing back on viral rumors that he's opposed to his fellow Latino performer Bad Bunny being booked for the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show next February. Since Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime headliner, viral rumours -- partially made through AI -- have circulated the internet claiming that Mexican-American guitarist Santana pushed back against the idea of the Puerto Rican rapper playing the coveted slot. Meanwhile, other posts claimed that Santana had even petitioned to replace the "Perfumito Nuevo" rapper at the sporting event. Now, Santana and his manager have provided statements to Billboard debunking those claims. "AI has accelerated the spread of misinformation, making it harder for the truth to break through the noise. Don't rely on random or unverified posts -- even well-meaning outlets can get misled," Santana's manager wrote. Santana said in his own statement: "I congratulate and celebrate Bad Bunny's success and his position right now with the world and with the Super Bowl. I feel total oneness with what he's doing because we are here to utilize art to complement and bring the world closer to harmony and oneness." The Grammy-winner continued: "However, we're living in a time of fear, division, separation, superiority and inferiority. Fear is the flavour right now. Fear is what motivates ignorant people to put words in my mouth -- saying that I didn't want Bad Bunny to be represented at the Super Bowl. I never said that, nor would I ever. Just to be clear, my heart is in total harmony with Bad Bunny, and I celebrate his success, his triumph and his phenomenal achievement. Anything other than that is coming from people's ignorance. We're living in a time when hostile forces love to create conflict, separation and division, because the hostile forces don't like unity, harmony, oneness and joy. They want people to be miserable and to spend too much time in their minds. I spend a lot of time in my heart, and in my heart I celebrate Bad Bunny. I can't stop playing his song 'Monaco' -- there's something really magical about it." Bad Bunny's Super Bowl slot has received a wave of criticism from the ring-wing community, who believe that the rapper -- despite hailing from Puerto Rico, a territory of the U.S. -- should not be performing at the sporting event. The right-wing backlash to the news was almost immediate, with US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem criticizing the NFL for choosing him as their halftime performer, despite the largely Spanish-performing artist being a US citizen. Pres. Donald Trump's administration has also stirred controversy by confirming that ICE agents will be present at the Super Bowl to apprehend any illegal immigrants, and the President himself has branded Halftime Show slot "crazy" and says he's "never heard of him." - NME, 10/14/25...... The BBC Factual arm of the BBC has ordered five new history commissions, among them a program charting the abuse allegations against Michael Jackson. With a working title of Legacy: Michael Jackson, the three part documentary series will explore Jackson's rise to fame, as well as the "abuse allegations and enduring legacy of one of the most successful pop stars of all time," per an announcement from the BBC. "With access to rare intimate archive, and revelatory interviews with those closest to him, this is the most fully rounded and authoritative portrait of Jackson yet produced," it continued. "A deeply researched study of a trailblazing musical genius, whose personal life remains a complex enigma." The doc will also examine the stories behind Jackson's biggest hits, as well as his innovative videos and live performances, touching on how his estate is still able to generate billions of dollars from his work. The comprehensive look at his life and legacy will begin with his early Jackson 5 years in the racially segregated landscape of '60s America, to the controversies that dogged him in his final years. - NME, 10/13/25...... The family of the late Ozzy Osbourne visited a huge Halloween pumpkin mural of Ozzy Osbourne at a farm in Hampshire, UK on Oct. 11. Sharon Osbourne, along with children Jack and Kelly Osbourne visited the Ozzy "pumpkin pyramid" at Sunnyfields Farm in Totton, Hampshire, where each year a mural is built from pumpkins, the subject of which is decided by public vote. This year, the annual poll saw 70% of the public vote for an Ozzy-themed mural in the wake of his passing in July, aged 76, just 17 days after the iconic Black Sabbath frontman played one last show as the frontman of the metal band at the "Back To The Beginning" concert in Birmingham. It was Osbourne's first full gig since 2018, having undergone multiple surgeries in the following years. He also experienced other health problems, including Parkinson's disease. On display since Oct. 4, Sunnyfields' Ozzy mural took 16 people four-and-a-half hours to create and will run through Halloween on Oct. 31. A video of the mural being created, and the Osbournes' visiting, can be viewed on YouTube. More than 73,000 people are expected to view the mural throughout October. Previous mural designs include ones based on the films Beetlejuice, Paddington and The Nightmare Before Christmas, the latter of which won a Guinness World Record for the largest cucurbit mural. - NME, 10/13/25...... The family of recently deceased Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton has revealed the cause of her death on Oct. 11 at age 79 was due to pneumonia. "The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11," the family said in a statement to People magazine. Her family -- which includes 25-year-old son, Duke, and 29-year-old daughter, Dexter -- went on to list the causes that were close to the Annie Hall star's heart and asked her fans to donate to charity as a tribute to her."She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much appreciated tribute to her," the message concluded. People, the first outlet to report Keaton's death, spoke to a friend who said the actor's health "declined very suddenly" in recent months. She declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her," the confidante told the outlet. "It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit." One of Keaton's close friends told TMZ.com that Keaton had been ill for a while and that her death was "not a shock." The source added that, "In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren't fully aware of what was happening." - AP, 10/16/25...... 10cc's Graham Gouldman says American rapper Doja Cat's sampling of 10cc's 1975 chart-topping hit "I'm Not in Love" has brought the veteran pop rock band's music to "a different audience." "I'm Not In Love " was was revived on Doja Cat's 2023 track "Shutco" and Gouldman has quipped that he is "down with the kids" after the unlikely crossover with the 29-year-old performer. "Ah, you see, I'm down with the kids, man! [Laughs] I don't mind these things," Gouldman recently told New Musica Express. "It's great if it works artistically, and it also helps to bring the music of 10cc to a different audience that wouldn't have normally bothered with it." "I'm Not In Love" was recently covered by Pretenders bandleader Chrissie Hynde and The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers on her Duets album, but Graham was none the wiser in the same interview. He reacted: "Really?! Our publishers never tell us anything! That's brilliant. I liked The Pretenders' version; I just love Chrissie Hynde's voice." - Music-News.com, 10/14/25...... Co-founding KISS guitarist Ace Frehley died on Oct. 16 "peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall at his home," according to a statement shared by his family. He was 74. "We are completely devastated and heartbroken," the family wrote in the statement. "In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth. We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace's memory will continue to live on forever!" Earlier on Oct. 16, TMZ.com reported that Frehley was on life support after suffering a brain bleed when he fell at home weeks ago. The musician had canceled his performance at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, Calif., after suffering what was then described as a "minor fall resulting in a trip to the hospital." "He is fine, but against his wishes, his doctor insists that he refrain from travel at this time," a statement read on his Instagram at the time. Less than two weeks later, Frehley's team announced on social media that he would be canceling all of his remaining appearances in 2025 "due to some ongoing medical issues." Born Paul Daniel Frehley in New York City in 1951, Frehley co-founded KISS in 1973 with singer/guitarist Paul Stanley, bassist/singer Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss. Among the songs Ace helped write for KISS were classics like "I Was Made For Lovin' You," "Rock And Roll All Nite," "Detroit Rock City," "Love Gun" and more. The members' identities were famously kept secret until a decade after their debut, by which Frehley had left the band to pursue a solo career, coupled with his struggles with substance abuse and rising tension within the band about their direction. In the years following his exit from KISS, Frehley formed a new band, Frehley's Comet, which released two albums but failed to achieve commercial success. He reverted to using his own name for this 1989 album Trouble Walkin',, which saw former bandmate Criss provide backing vocals. Frehley would rejoin KISS for their reunion in 1996 and stayed with them until 2002. He did not join them for their farewell world tour in 2022. Frehley and Simmons had a notably rocky relationship, with Simmons in 2019 claiming that Frehley was fired from the band for his substance abuse, while Ace argued that he was 12 years sober by then and quit "of my own free will, because you and Paul [Stanley] are control freaks, untrustworthy and were too difficult to work with." Earlier in October, Frehley cancelled his remaining solo dates for 2025 due to "some ongoing medical issues," which has since been confirmed as the fall he suffered. Frehley's former bandmates Simmons and Stanley are among a slew of fellow musicians and friends that have paid tribute to the iconic rocker, also known as "Spaceman." "Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on. No one can touch Ace's legacy. I know he loved the fans. He told me many times. Sadder still, Ace didn't live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!," Simmons posted to X on Oct. 16. Stanley shared his "favorite photo" with his late ex-bandmate, and fondly recounted their first encounter. "I remember 1974 being in my room at the Hyatt on Sunset in LA and I heard someone playing deep and fiery guitar in the room next door," he writes. "I thought "Boy, I wish THAT guy was in the band!" I looked over the balcony He was. It was Ace. This is my favorite photo of us," he wrote on X. Alice Cooper posted on Instagram that "Ace was an absolute Guitar hero to so many people. I did more tours with him than anybody else, as far as opening for us, for quite a long time, so we became quite good friends. And you know, he always brought it every night. He did it every night. And it's just hard to see somebody like that go. We know that right now that the KISS fans are certainly in mourning and certainly his family and certainly everybody that knew him. Ace was an ACE." Other rock and music icons paying tribute include Pearl Jam, Tom Morello, Nile Rodgers, Steve Vai and Tool. KISS will be honored at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, taping Dec. 7 and airing Dec. 23 on CBS. Frehley will be just the third person to receive the honor posthumously. - Billboard/NME, 10/17/25.