Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on November 26th, 2025

As the 2025 Black Friday Record Store Day approaches on Nov. 28, several '70s musicians are dropping notable projects for this year's event. Rhino Records has liberated the live portion of Fleetwood Mac's 2022 deluxe edition of the band's self-titled 1975 LP as its own standalone title. Fleetwood Mac: Live 1975 is culled from a pair of Oct. '75 dates at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, N.J., and the Jorgensen Auditorium at the University of Connecticut. This double LP -- making its vinyl debut -- finds the band in peak form as it runs though its hits of the day -- "Rhiannon" and "Landslide" -- along with new lineup versions of such early Mac classics as "Oh Well," "Station Man" and "The Green Manalishi (with the Two Pronged Crown)." Also worth digging for is the original version of Bob Dylan's iconic second album, The Original Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, an album that underwent a number of tracklist changes before it hit record shops on account of the sheer volume by which the Rock Bard was writing songs at the time. It's an interesting alternate look at a most iconic LP from His Bobness. The 3-LP Billy Joel live set, Live From Long Island, has been freed from the confines of Joel's 2023 box set The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 2. A standalone vinyl edition of Live From Long Island has been on the wish list for Billy Joel fans for, um, "The Longest Time." Lastly, Van Halen's Live at Wembley 1995 was recorded during the tour behind their tepid final full-length album with Sammy Hagar, Balance. This 8-song document recorded an London's Wembley Stadium sees the band tear through such David Lee Roth-era gems as "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" and "Jump" along with "Van Hagar" essentials such as "When It's Love" and "Right Now" to create a unique live recording longtime fans of both versions of the band can appreciate. - Billboard, 11/24/25...... In an interview with Variety, Elton John calls out American politicians who are rolling back support for HIV/AIDS research. "I just am enraged by it," John said about what he sees as a lack of political support for cobatting the lethal epidemic. "It's very frustrating when you've got the tools in your hand to end it, and then you find that countries in Africa, Russia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe won't help." Although Elton praised the efforts of the current administration to bring an end to the war in Gaza, he simultaneously called them out for fumbling an issue as vital as ending HIV and AIDS. "There's another war with people who are suffering from HIV and AIDS that should be able to get their medicine but can't, because governments won't let them. It's inhumane," the Rocket Man said. "So my big beef at the moment is, yes, thank God, maybe there's peace, after more things are sorted out. But there are crimes against millions of other people that are happening because of governments and stigma and hate," he added. The administration of Pres. Donald Trump has halted funds originally intended for global programs aimed at HIV prevention and openly threatened federal funding for domestic programs aimed at helping those afflicted with the disease. John said if the president dedicated his efforts to helping end the AIDS epidemic, he could go down as "one of the greatest presidents in history." "If he ended AIDS, that would really be a feather in his cap," he added. In other Elton news, on Nov. 26 the music legend was unveiled as the first headliner for Rock in Rio 2026 -- despite his announcement in July 2023 that he woud be retiring from touring once his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour ended. Elton, 78, however later said that he would perform "the odd show" occasionally. So far, these have included the 50th annual Candlelight Concert in the US in Dec. 2024 and the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center last summer. In 2023, John also played live at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony, where he inducted his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Back in October, John also played to the biggest crowd since he quit touring two years ago at the Singapore Grand Prix. Now after nearly a decade away from the Brazilian capital, the Rock In Rio festival announced on Instagram that the superstar will perform in Rio in 2026, headlining the Palco Mundo (World Stage) on Sept. 7, 2026. "I've always had a fantastic time whenever we've played in Brazil," Elton said in a statement. "I didn't manage to get to South America for the farewell tour, so when Rock In Rio asked me to play, I said 'yes' immediately." Also in the Variety interview, the musician has revealed he has seven new songs from his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin that are ready to record. "I've got seven new lyrics from Bernie, and David (Furnish, husband) read them to me the other night, and they're really, really good, so I can't wait to go in the studio with Andrew (Watt, producer) and just write and see what happens," he said. "Music has been my whole life and has given me so much and takes me on journeys that I never thought I would ever go on - and it's still doing that. I just like doing the odd thing. It pays the rent very well, and it keeps me musical. I just can't wait to go into the studio now and write some new songs and go from there." - Billboard/New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 11/25/25...... The Beach Boys will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of their seminal 1966 album Pet Sounds with a headlining concert as part of the London Live At Chelsea concert series at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on June 14, 2026. It will be one of Beach Boys' first shows since the death of frontman Brian Wilson earlier this summer. News of his death was shared in June, and the 82-year-old was reported to have died due to "respiratory arrest," with sepsis and cystitis listed as contributing factors. Going forward, the gig will see the band fronted by co-founder and lyricist Mike Love, joined by longtime member Bruce Johnston along with Christian Love, Tim Bonhomme, Jon Bolton, Keith Hubacher, Randy Leago, John Wedemeyer and musical directorBrian Eichenberger. The Live At Chelsea concert series returns in 2026 for the first time in four years, and a portion of proceeds from the concerts, which will also feature The Proclaimers, supports the ongoing care of the Chelsea Pensioners. The announcement can be viewed on Instagram. - NME, 11/24/25...... Queen cofounders Brian May and Roger Taylor have hinted they'd like to participate in an ABBA Voyage-style hologram show. Speaking to BigIssue.com, May and Taylor addressed the chances of an original Queen line-up reunion of sorts with late vocalist Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon, who retired in 1997. Touching on "reuniting" with their former bandmates virtually, May said: "Freddie is still alive through the music that we listen to all the time. In a sense, John is still with us in the same way, but now we have so many other opportunities. I mean things that are immersive, like The Sphere in Las Vegas, it will be possible to give people the experience very closely of what things were like for us when we were Freddie, John, Brian and Roger. And that really appeals to me." May went on to compare their recent live shows to what can be done via holograms: "In our Queen shows for a very long time I've been doing 'Love of My Life'. And in the end, Freddie comes in and joins me as on video. It was just quite simply done, but it's a way of involving Freddie, and I think we can basically take that a lot further." Drummer Taylor then revealed that while he "had a good time" and "enjoyed" the ABBA Voyage show -- which debuted in 2022 -- he left a showing with mixed feelings: "I didn't find the actual projections that convincing. I do think technology now has come so much further since the ABBA show started, I think a lot more can be done." In 2024, speculation emerged that a Queen hologram show was in the works after Mercury Songs Limited -- the organization which has ownership over Mercury's solo works -- reportedly filed to trademark his moniker for virtual reality and 3D. May also said he'd be up for a Queen residency at the Las Vegas Sphere: I'm very keen on the Sphere. It's got my mind working," he said. - NME, 11/24/25...... Gordon Lightfoot's 1976 hit "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is finally a Billboard No. 1 after the famous shipwreck's 50 anniversary on Nov. 10. In the week ending Nov. 13, "Edmund Fitzgerald" drew 3.7 million official U.S. streams and sold 5,000 downloads, according to Luminate, marking increases of 140% and 328%, respectively, week over week. It returns to Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart dated Nov. 22 at No. 15. The latter count pushes the song to No. 1 on Rock Digital Song Sales, marking its first placement atop any Billboard tally. It's Lightfoot's chart third leader on the list, after "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Sundown" in 2023, following Lightfoot's death at age 84 that May 1. Those two tracks also return to Rock Digital Song Sales, reflecting general interest in Lightfoot's catalog beyond "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"; "Sundown" ranks at No. 6 and "If You Could Read My Mind" at No. 10, each with 1,000 sold. In all, Lightfoot's catalog drew 9.1 million on-demand streams Nov. 7-13, a gain of 67%. It also sold 7,000 song downloads, a vault of 285%. The 50th anniversary of the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was Nov. 10. As chronicled by Lightfoot, the 729-foot long freighter sank in Lake Superior during a sudden storm. All 29 crewmen aboard died. After Lightfoot wrote the track, he became close to several of the victims' family members. - Billboard, 11/20/25...... Brian Eno has hooked up with Bastille's Dan Smith, Leigh-Anne, Celeste and other artists to join the race for the UK's Christmas Number One single with their charity effort "Lullaby." The song comes from the same team behind the "Together For Palestine" charity show in September, which was organized by Eno, and featured performances from Smith, Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Nadine Shaw, Cat Burns, Rachel Chinouriri, Yasiin Bey and more. Set for release on Dec. 12, every penny raised from "Lullaby" will go to Choose Love's "Together For Palestine Fund," which supports three Palestinian-led organizations: Taawon, Palestine Children's Relief Fund and Palestine Medical Relief Service. "This lullaby from our Palestinian musical heritage has been with me since early childhood," Eno said in a statement. Today, it returns at a much-needed time as a reminder of what Palestinians will never lose: hope, defiance, beauty, and dignity," shared Palestinian musician Barghouti." In a push to help get the song to Number One and to raise more funds for the three charities, fans are urged to pre-order the single which can be done here. - NME, 11/26/25...... Robert Plant has played a career-spanning set made up of a Led Zeppelin classic as well as some covers at National Public Radio's (NPR) intimate "Tiny Desk" program. The musician was joined by bandmates Suzi Dian (on vocals and accordion), Matt Worley (guitar, banjo, cuatro), Tony Kelsey (guitar), Barney Morse-Brown (cello) and Oli Jefferson (drums)."This is just like Live Aid," Plant joked. "I couldn't hear myself there either." His five-song setlist blended folk songs and covers, including an emotive rendition of Low's "Everybody's Song" and Moby Grape's "It's a Beautiful Day Today." Plant and Dian closed their set with "Gallows Pole," which Plant sang on 1970's Led Zeppelin III. Before taking on the track, Plant took a moment to pay homage to the American blues singer Lead Belly, who was his first introduction to the song. "His memory has lived on in all of the music that I've ever been near and been touched by," Plant said. The "Tiny Desk" gig comes ahead of Plant and Saving Grace gearing up to wrap their current leg of US concerts, with the final date happening on Nov. 23 in Valley Center, Calif. Following that, they'll head back to the UK or a run of shows that will run until Dec. 23. Plant's "Tiny Desk" set can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 11/22/25...... The Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter have announced a series of 50th anniversary shows for 2026. The iconic punk band -- which has been fronted by former Gallows vocalist Carter since 2024 -- will celebrate five decades since their earlier legendary Lesser Free Trade Hall gigs at the Manchester venue on June 4 and July 20 in 1976. The group have announced a series of four huge shows next summer to mark the occasion, with The Undertones as the main support. Carter is joined by longstanding members Glen Matlock, Paul Cook and Steve Jones. The run will kick off with a headline gig for K Maxx Presents Live at The Piece Hall in Halifax on July 11, before the Pretty Vacant hitmakers play Manchester's Castlefield Bowl the following day. Then they'll move onto TK Maxx Presents Depot Live at Cardiff Castle on Aug. 1, before the tour ends the next night with TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre. - Music-News.com, 11/25/25...... A malicious prosecution lawsuit brought against the Eagles' Don Henley and his longtime manager, Irving Azoff, has been dismissed. It follows a previous case against three collectables experts in March, after Glenn Horowitz, Edward Kosinski and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi were accused of attempting to sell handwritten notes and lyrics from the classic 1977 single "Hotel California," as well as its follow-up "Life In The Fast Lane," back in 2022. Officials estimated at the time that the documents were worth over $1 million in total, with the defendants maintaining that they had legally obtained the lyric sheets from author Ed Sanders, who was hired to write a biography for The Eagles in the late '70s. Sanders sold the notepad to Horowitz -- a rare book dealer -- for $50,000 back in 2005. However, the judge dropped the case midway after concluding that Henley had "manipulated" prosecutors by withholding evidence, saying at the time that Henley, Azoff, and their lawyers had "used the privilege to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen," Henley has since maintained that the documents were stolen. In February, this prompted Horowitz to sue both Henley and Azoff for malicious prosecution. He alleged the pair had manipulated New York prosecutors into charging him and two other innocent men. Henley and Azoff say they did nothing wrong and pointed to the collapse of the criminal case as being based on a technicality. Now a judge in a New York court has sided with the duo and dismissed the malicious prosecution claims as legally deficient. Henley's attorney Dan Petrocelli said: "The only malicious prosecution was Horowitz's own lawsuit, which the court promptly and rightly dismissed." Horowitz's lawyer, Caitlin Robin, said that they will appeal Justice Waterman-Marshall's decision. - NME, 11/22/25...... On Nov. 21 Neil Young took to Instagram to announce an outdoor UK tour for 2026 with his band Chrome Hearts. The tour will see them play multiple outdoor shows across the UK, kicking off with a night at Manchester's Heaton Park on June 19, and continue on June 27 with the headline slot at the inaugural State Fayre Festival in Chelmsford. On June 29, the will head over to Scotland for a slot at the Glasgow Summer Sessions at Bellahouston Park, and on July 3, they will perform at Blenheim Palace Festival 2026. Finally, on July 5 Young will perform at the Blackweir Fields in Cardiff. The new tour dates for 2026 come a Young and his band released their new album Talking To The Trees over the summer, and were praised for their timeless slot on Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage. Young is also on the bill for the new State Fayre festival, set for June 26-28 at the Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex. - NME, 11/21/25...... Joni Mitchell will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 JUNO Awards. The legendary songwriter, 82, will be celebrated with one of Canada's highest artistic distinctions at the ceremony in Hamilton, Ont., on Mar. 29. The National Arts Centre will present the accolade in recognition of her unparalleled influence on music and culture across generations. Mitchell, whose career spans more than five decades, has shaped the soundscape of modern songwriting with timeless works such as Blue and Court and Spark. Her artistry has not only defined eras but continues to inspire musicians worldwide. - Music-News.com, 11/25/25...... Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson filed a lawsuit at a Los Angeles court on Nov. 18 claiming that her inheritance from her late dad has been "mismanaged," and executors have pocketed $10 million. Paris, 27, claims that roughly $464 million has still not yet been invested by co-executors John Branca and John McClain, with it having a gain of under 0.1 per cent. If it were invested properly, she claims, that money could have generated profits of $41 million. She also accuses the two executors of using the estate as a "vehicle for John Branca to enrich and aggrandize himself, rather than serve the beneficiaries"- - also claiming that 2021 alone saw the two of them pocket more than $10 million in compensation. That sum is allegedly over "double the amount distributed to any beneficiary." The filing also alleges that the total compensation pocketed by Branca and McClain that year could be up to $148.2 million, which "dwarfs" the amount shared with Jackson's children. Paris is one of the music icon's three children with second wife Debbie Rowe, with siblings Prince (28) and Bigi (formerly Blanket, aged 23). The singer died in 2009, aged 50, and his estate was managed by executors given that his kids were children at the time. - NME, 11/21/25...... After announcing his retirement from music earlier in November, former Deep Purple and Whitesnake singer David Coverdale waved a poignant, emotional goodbye in Whitesnakes's final video for a string-laden remix of its track "Forevermore." The remix of the title track from the band's 2011 album, Forevermore, was produced by Coverdale and features a new orchestral arrangement from the Hook City Strings. Directed by Payton Murphy, the video is a trip down memory lane, featuring shots of a grey-haired Coverdale, famous for his flowing blonde hair, singing the tune's nostalgic lyrics amid shots of his family and wife of 28 years Cindy Barker. "Looking back across the years/ The good times and the bad/ All echo in my mind," Coverdale sings plaintively from a room festooned with candles and draped in white curtains, lamenting the mix of "sweet and bitter memories" he's left behind. The "Forevermore" remix video has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 11/21/25...... Former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman is reportedly "recuperating at home" after undergoing major brain surgery. In September, the musician announced that he would be postponing a string of planned concerts as he was due to undergo an operation to treat Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) -- a neurological disorder characterised by the build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the skull. In a statement posted to his official website, Wakeman revealed he had undergone a corrective "shunt" surgery earlier in November and the procedure was "very successful." "I had the necessary corrective 'shunt' brain surgery last week which I am pleased to say was very successful and I am now recuperating at home being cared for by my lovely wife and our wonderful furry healing animals!" he wrote. "I have to take things easy for a while but have been told by my surgeon that I will be perfectly fine to travel to America for the tour with my son Oliver in March (2026) and will be fine for all future engagements after that." Wakeman went on to note that he plans to appear at two charity concerts in Norwich and Ipswich, England on Dec. 19 and 20. Elsewhere in the post, the musician insisted the surgery hasn't impacted his ability to play the piano. "I am also pleased to say that it doesn't seem to have affected my piano playing in any way as I still seem to be very capable of hitting the odd wrong note here and there when I lose my concentration!" the 76-year-old continued. "Once again, I'd like to thank everybody who wished me well over the last few months for a speedy recovery, as it really did mean a lot to me." Wakeman has faced many health issues over the years, and in 2023, he shared that he had macular degeneration in his left eye and arthritis in his hands, legs, and feet. - Music-News.com, 11/26/25...... In a new interview with the London Telegraph, Squeeze frontman Glenn Tilbrook revealed that he was abused when he was a teenager. Tilbrook, 68, claimed that an older man abused him when he was 13 at the first gig he ever went to. "It was in a scout hut in Eltham, and it was the Irish band Tír na nÓg, who I really liked. I went by myself. I would have been just early 13, and that's where I met, not this guy, Ron, but another guy. And so this guy just says, 'Come over to our squat.' And that's where I met Ron actually, at that squat." Speaking about the alleged abuse, he went on: "I don't feel angry. [But] as I've got older, I've realised things that haven't been OK, in certain ways that I behave." Tilbrook described his childhood as "quite dysfunctional". He said: "There was no parental control. I was taking drugs and having sex at 13, which perhaps wasn't so great." Elsewhere, former Squeeze drummer Gilson Lavis died earlier this month, aged 74. Since then the band announced on Instagram that they're planning a UK arena tour for 2026, marking their biggest headline shows yet. The London band will hit the road for their "Tried, Tested And Trixies" trek next winter, with Billy Bragg joining them as a special guest opener. Before that, Squeeze are set to support Madness on their 2025 "Hit Parade" UK arena tour, which kicks off in December. - NME, 11/23/25...... German actor Udo Kier, who worked with such renowned filmmakers as Andy Warhol, Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant and Werner Herzog, died on Nov. 23. He was 81. His partner, artist Delbert McBride, confirmed the news to Variety, and a cause of death was not provided. Mr. Kier became a cult film icon with his starring roles in the Warhol-produced (and Paul Morrissey-directed) movies Flesh for Frankenstein in 1973 and Blood for Dracula in 1974. In 1991 he appeared in Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho. He also had roles in a number of big-budget Hollywood films, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Johnny Mnemonic, Armageddon and Blade. Overall he had a role in over 250 movies. He also worked with Madonna, appearing in her video for "Deeper and Deeper," as well as her coffee-table book, Sex. - PennLive.com, 11/24.25...... Jellybean Johnson, the Minneapolis musician and producer who was the drummer for the Prince-affiliated funk-rock group The Time, died on Nov. 21, according to a statement by his family. He was 69. Prince recruited Johnson (real name Garry George Johnson), who was self-taught on drums and guitar, in 1981 for The Time, an act born out of the city's Flyte Tyme. They'd known each other since their high school years in Minneapolis. As a member of The Time -- and later, Prince's The Family -- Johnson helped establish the funk-rock, new wave and synth-pop hybrid that became known as the Minneapolis Sound. He appeared as a fictionalized version of himself in 1984's Academy Award-winning Purple Rain and as himself in 1990's Graffiti Bridge. Johnson is also known for his work as a producer, with Janet Jackson's 1990 No. 1 hit "Black Cat" among his credits -- and he was an in-demand session musician. Johnson co-founded the non-profit Minneapolis Sound Museum in 2021, and the following year was awarded a Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award with The Time. - Billboard, 11/22/25...... Beloved reggae singer and Jamaican musical icon Jimmy Cliff has died on the morning of Nov. 24. He was 81. The "Many Rivers to Cross" singer's wife, Latifah Chambers, announced the news in an Instagram post that read, "It's with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia. I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him. To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career. He really appreciated each and every fan for their love." Born James Chambers on Apr. 1, 1948 in the St. James parish of Jamaica near Montego Bay, Mr. Cliff's talent was spotted early on at the Somerton All Age School in the 1950. The eighth of nine children, Mr. Cliff's signature vocal tone, a high and mellifluous croon, immediately set him apart when he moved to Kingston at 14, adopted his more famous stage name and began cutting songs with an American R&B influence before making the connection that would change his life. Mr. Cliff's ska-tinged debut single, "Hurricane Hattie," was released on Beverley's Records, a label he formed with Kingston businessman Leslie Kong. It rose to the top of the Jamaican charts and was followed by a string of hits sung and written by the artist including "Miss Jamaica," "One-Eyed Jacks" and "King of Kings." In 1969 he hit No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with "Wonderful World, Beautiful People," followed by the more urgent "Vietnam," a track about a friend who was drafted into the U.S. army and never recovered from his war-time PTSD that Bob Dylan has called the best protest song he ever heard. In the summer of 1970 Mr. Cliff had another hit with a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World," compiled on his 1969 Wonderful World, Beautiful People LP. The next year, director Perry Henzell Mr. Cliff, who had no acting experience, to star in The Harder They Come, a slow-burn hit that mixed the joy of the nation's music with clear-eyed depictions of social and economic conditions in what is still considered one of the greatest and most influential music films ever. Mr. Cliff is credited with almost single-handedly introducing the sound of reggae to the world via his masterful turn as country musician Ivan in The Harder They Come, in which the singer tries to break into Jamaica's corrupt music industry as an avatar for the aspiration of being uplifted by music amid the drug, violence and mayhem in Kingston's Trenchtown ghetto. He also contributed four indelible songs to the movie's soundtrack: the ebullient "You Can Get It If You Really Want," meditative "Sitting in Limbo," the beloved title track and the quasi-religious meditation "Many Rivers to Cross." Following the movie's success, Mr. Cliff signed to Warner Bros. Records and appeared as a musical guest during the first season of Saturday Night Live in 1976, but following his early rush of success, Mr. Cliff's music career remained steady, though his global impact was less pronounced than that of Bob Marley, who would quickly rise as the global avatar of reggae. Mr. Cliff continued to release albums throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, earning praise and respect from his musical peers, including Bruce Springsteen, who regularly added the little-known Cliff song "Trapped" to his band's legendarily lengthy live sets; a live version of the song was included on the star-studded 1985 famine relief album We Are the World. A joyful ambassador of reggae, Mr. Cliff won a best reggae album Grammy in 1985 for Cliff Hanger the same year he appeared alongside E Street Band guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt on the anti-apartheid song "Sun City." After providing backing vocals on the Rolling Stones' 1986 album Dirty Work, Mr. Cliff was back on the big screen in the Robin Williams comedy Club Paradise, whose soundtrack featured his duet with Elvis Costello on "Seven Day Weekend." Following a long chart drought, Mr. Cliff's 1993 cover of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the soundtrack to the Jamaican bobsled team sports comedy Cool Runnings reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. He later teamed with South African producer/composer Lebo M on the single "Hakuna Matata," for the soundtrack to Disney's 1994 mega-hit The Lion King. Mr. Cliff was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 by the Fugees' Wyclef Jean. He released his final studio album, Refugees, in Aug. 2022 and was the subject of a 2023 off-Broadway stage musical, "The Harder They Come," with a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks. Before his death Mr. Cliff was the only living reggae artist to have earned Jamaica's Order of Merit, the highest honor the nation's government gives for achievements in the arts and sciences. - Billboard, 11/24/25.