Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on December 21st, 2025

'70s stars Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and Diana Ross are among the celebrities featured in an initial tranche of documents related to deceased pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein that were released by the US Dept. of Justice on Dec. 19. Epstein was arrested in July 2019 for sex trafficking and was found dead in his jail cell in August of that year, with authorities later determining that he hanged himself. Since his death, there has been a campaign for the full publication of all documents and photos and to reveal high profile names he associated with. Epstein, who was found dead in his jail cell in Aug. 2019, was infamous for his connections across entertainment, politics and business, and the context of images where he is seen alongside artists like Jackson, Jagger and Ross are unclear, as is his level of association with those pictured. One image of Jackson shows him standing with former president Bill Clinton and Ross, who pose together next to multiple other faces who are redacted from the image. Another shows Jagger posing for a photo with Clinton and a woman whose face is redacted. Jagger, Ross and Jackson's estate are yet to comment on the images. Meanwhile, Diana Ross will be among the headliners on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on Dec. 31. She'll be performing live from Times Square near midnight, when the show's audience is at its peak. (Carrie Underwood filled that prime spot on last year's show.) - New Musical Express, 12/20/25...... Cher made her first appearance as musical guest on Saturday Night Live in 38 years on Dec. 20 by delivering a spirited performance of "DJ Play a Christmas Song" and a rocking cover of Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run." Both tracks appear on Cher's 2023 holiday album, Christmas, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart that year and blends classic holiday tunes with original tracks, featuring guest appearances from Michael Bublé, Cyndi Lauper, Darlene Love, Tyga and Stevie Wonder. Her "DJ Play a Christmas Song" and "Run Rudolph Run" performances can be viewed on YouTube. Cher's last SNL appearance as a musical guest was on Nov. 21, 1987. Cher has also made two cameos on the show: once during a Nicolas Cage-hosted episode in 1992 and again earlier in 2025 for the program's 50th-anniversary special. Near the end of the Dec. 20 show, Cher also appeared in a sketch in which she performed a rendition of the Eagles' "Please Come Home for Christmas" with host Ariana Grande. The show also paid a brief tribute to late actor Rob Reiner, honoring the filmmaker's early and influential role in the show's history. Reiner hosted the third-ever SNL episode on Oct. 25, 1975, at a time when the series was still defining its identity. Unlike the show's first two hosts, George Carlin and Paul Simon, Reiner fully participated in sketches throughout the episode, helping establish the host-as-performer format that would become central to SNL's structure. The episode is now considered a foundational moment in the show's evolution. - Billboard, 12/21/25...... Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley has responded after being hit with another shocking claim amid her legal battle with two former business advisor who have now alleged that Riley Keough -- the granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla -- is the biological mother of John Travolta's son. Priscilla's former business advisors Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko first sued her in Feb. 2024 over accusations of unfair business conduct. Now they are claiming in court documets that Travolta and his late wife, Kelly Preston, used the Daisy Jones & The Six actress' donated eggs to conceive their now 15-year-old son. In exchange, Keough allegedly received "an old Jaguar" car and up to $20,000 in payment. Before, Travolta and Preston -- who shared two other children together -- had allegedly been using eggs provided by Elvis and Priscilla's late daughter, Lisa Marie Presley (Keough's mother), to try to conceive, according to the documents. The lawsuit also claims that Michael Lockwood, who was married to Lisa Marie, provided the alleged information to Kruse and Fialko. "Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko are heartbroken that they have been forced to file their most recent amended complaint. They have been accused of horrific acts that are not supported by any evidence whatsoever," the plaintiffs' lawyers told TMZ.com. In a statement shared with Billboard, Priscilla's lawyers Marty Singer and Wayne Harman said, "These recent outrageous allegations have absolutely nothing to do with the claims in this case. The conduct is shameful, and it absolutely will be addressed in court." - Billboard, 12/18/25...... Pink Floyd's David Gilmour has celebrated his band's 1975 LP Wish You Were Here landing the 2025 UK Christmas Number One spot with a post on Instagram on Dec. 19. "Raising a glass to the wonderful news that Wish You Were Here is the UK's Christmas Number 1 album," the singer/guitarist posted. A deluxe Wish You Were Here 50th anniversary edition was released on Dec. 12, and on Dec. 19 it was announced that it had topped the UK's Official Albums Chart for Christmas. The album did not top the UK charts on its original release in 1975, and its success means that Pink Floyd are now the artist with the longest span between their first and last UK Number One albums, clocking in at 2,620 weeks, or over 50 years. The reissue is Floyd's second Number One album of the year, following Pink Floyd At Pompeii - MCMLXXII, the live album of a 1971 show that was released as a concert film in 1972 and re-released with newly mixed audio earlier in 2025. While it is the iconic prog-rock band's first UK Christmas Number One album, they did land the coveted Number One single in 1979 with "Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2." - NME, 12/20/25...... It appears the "sweet emotions" between Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and his longtie girlfried Aimee Preston have come to an end. According to TMZ.com, the couple has called it quits on their relationship with multiple sources telling them the couple have broken up -- though it's unclear when they separated and what led to the split. Steven hired Aimee as his personal assistant back in 2012. They started dating in 2014 but waited until the 2016 Oscars to go public with their romance, holding hands at Elton John's AIDS Foundation Oscars viewing party. The couple made things work for over a decade despite a 39-year age gap, and Aimee was often by Steven's side at Hollywood events, premieres, and the like. - TMZ.com, 12/19/25...... To celebrate the 26th edition of his House Full of Toys holiday benefit concert, Stevie Wonder said in a promo video earlier in the year that he was "switching things up" in 2025. Instead of performing for one night, the Grammy-winning Motown legend would perform across four nights -- Dec. 18, 19, 20 and 21 -- at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, however, Wonder is canceling his "big idea" owing to "little time" -- with plans to present the benefit concert again next Christmas. In a statement Wonder read on his L.A. radio station KJLH, he explained, "A week and a half ago I came up with the idea of doing four nights at the Fonda Theatre to raise money for House Full of Toys. Big idea. Little time. So because of that little time, I've decided to cancel all four shows. Yet still I will this year put my money where my heart is by giving a substantial donation for the children for House Full of Toys. And next year, we will again do House Full of Toys with the big idea and enough time to put it together." Refunds are being offered to those who already purchased tickets. Wonder's annual benefit concert asks that attendees bring an "unwrapped toy or unwrapped gift of joy." Presented by the singer/songwriter's nonprofit We Are You Foundation, House Full of Toys helps assist children, people with disabilities and families in need. - Billboard, 12/17/25...... A Billy Joel tribute concert is being planned at New York's Carnegie Hall on Mar. 12 where an all-star group of performers will play his songs to benefit music programs for kids. The Piano Man, who is on a break from touring while he recovers from the neurological condition normal pressure hydrocephalus, will be feted by the likes of Rob Thomas, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Train's Pat Monahan, Gavin DeGraw, Bettye Lavette, Matt Nathanson, Joy Oladokun, Tanya Tucker, War & Treaty, Rufus Wainwright and his own daughter, singer Alexa Ray Joel. The show is latest gig from promoter Michael Dorf in support of his Music Of benefit series that has raised more than $2 million for music education programs in New York over the past twenty years. Previous honorees in the series have included Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Patti Smith, Prince, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, R.E.M. and more. - Billboard, 12/17/25...... '70s artists Paul Simon, Cher and Chaka Khan are among the artists set to receive a Lifetime Achievement award at this year's Grammy Awards. The Grammys' Recording Academy have announced that Latin rock guitar legend Carlos Santana will also pick up the honor, while Whitney Houston and Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti will be posthumously recognized. Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin, record executive Sylvia Rhone and Latin jazz musician Eddie Palmieri -- who passed away in August - will also be honored with the Trustees Award, while classical composer John Chowning will receive the Technical Grammy Award. The awards will be presented at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, the night before the main ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 1. The Lifetime Achievement award is presented to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made "creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording". It was first awarded to Bing Crosby in 1963, while recent recipients have included The Clash, Prince, N.W.A., Donna Summer and Nirvana. - NME, 12/20/25...... Speaking of Donna Summer, the '70s disco queen is the latest songwriter to be inducted posthumously into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Summer, who died in May 2012 at age 63, was honored during an intimate ceremony held on Dec. 15 in The Butterfly Room at Cecconi's in West Hollywood, Calif. Her widower, Bruce Sudano, attended, as did their daughters Brooklyn Sudano and Amanda Sudano Ramirez; her close friends and immediate family; and members of the SHOF West Coast Events Committee. In a statement, Sudano said, "It's important to me because I know how important it was for Donna. The backstory is, with all the accolades that she received over her career, being respected as a songwriter was always the thing that she felt was overlooked. So, for her to be accepted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame I know that she's very happy somewhere." Paul Williams, a 2001 SHOF inductee, led the induction, which celebrated Summer's songwriting contributions and enduring musical legacy. "Donna Summer is not only one of the defining voices and performers of the 20th century, she is one of the great songwriters of all time who changed the course of music," Williams said in a statement. "She wrote timeless and transcendent songs that continue to captivate our souls and imaginations, inspiring the world to dance and, above all, feel love." Summer was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2024. - Billboard, 12/16/25...... The Rolling Stones have reportedly called off a 2026 U.K./European tour whose dates were never officially announced. According to a Variety report on Dec. 16 which cited an unnamed source close to the band, the Stones have walked back the plans for the outing they had not officially confirmed. Variety cited "reports" that guitarist Keith Richards, who turned 82 on Dec. 18, was unable to "commit" to another rigorous road outing. In a recent story in the British tabloid The Sun, Stones touring pianist Chuck Leavell said that the band were planning their first run of shows since a 20-date 2024 North American run in support of their Hackney Diamonds album after being forced to pull back from plans for a summer 2025 U.K. swing, which was also never confirmed. Leavell suggested that Richards and frontman Mick Jagger, also 82, are not ready to stop touring. "They don't want to hang up the rock 'n' roll shoes yet," Leavell reportedly said. "There's no doubt in my mind." Leavell also reportedly said the band has been working on a new album and that "I am also sure that the band wants to perform." The Variety report pointed to another Sun story that cited an unnamed American music critic, who claimed that Richards told his bandmates that he "didn't think he could commit and wasn't keen on a big stadium tour for over four months." Neither Richards nor Jagger have commented on the reports on their social feeds. - Billboard, 12/16/25..... On Dec. 13 Rod Stewart stopped a concert at the OAKA Sports Hall in Athens, Greece to shout at a fan for "spoiling" the show. Stewart was singing his 1979 hit "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" when he became annoyed at a spectator and stopped singing. "Out the f---ing way," he said. "You're spoiling the show for everybody. Out the way. Leave. We don't need you here." It appeared the man Rod shouted at was upset that someone else was holding up a sign. "All she's doing is putting up a sign," Rod continued. "It's not hurting you is it, mate?" Fans took to social media to joke that Stewart, 80, star was annoyed that his beloved football team Celtic FC had lost earlier in the day. "Rod Stewart pissed off! What happened?" someone posted on TikTok after sharing the footage of the exchange. Another follower joked, "Probably mentioned St Mirren' and 'His team got beat 3-1 today." After a performance in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 17, Stewart will kick of an American leg of his tour in the US in February. In 2024 the star revealed he was planning to end large-scale tours, but he didn't want to stop performing altogether. "This will be the end of large-scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire," he said. "I love what I do and I do what I love. I'm fit, have a full head of hair and can run 100 metres in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79." - Music-News.com, 12/17/25...... Paul McCartney has paid tribute to Höfner Guitars, the brand behind his iconic bass, after they recently filed for bankruptcy. The guitar and bass manufacturer, most famous for making the Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass guitar -- which has been dubbed the most important bass in history for its role in recording numerous Beatles hits -- filed for bankruptcy in Germany earlier in December, per Guitar.com. The Höfner bass was the first bass McCartney ever bought, purchasing it in 1961 for £30 ($38) in Hamburg, Germany. Taking to Facebook, Sir Paul wrote that he's "very sad" to see them go out of business. "They have been making instruments for over 100 years, and I bought my first Höfner bass in the sixties. I have loved it ever since. It's a wonderful instrument to play: lightweight, and it encourages me to play quite freely," he said. "It also offers pleasing variations in tone that I enjoy. So, commiserations to everyone at Höfner, and thank you for all your help over the years," he added. McCartney's original bass was stolen from the musician in 1972, only to be returned to him in 2024. It came after he and longtime Beatles fans had attempted numerous times to recover the stolen instrument 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. The bass was originally believed to have disappeared in Jan. 1969 when the Beatles were recording the Get Back/Let It Be sessions. However, during investigations by the Lost Bass Project team, they discovered that it was instead stolen three years later. It was found by Cathy Guest, who found the bass in her attic following the death of her husband Hadyn, who Cathy believes in turn inherited the bass from his brother Graham. The Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass is the same one that can be heard on classic hits including "Love Me Do," "She Loves You" and "Twist and Shout." - NME, 12/19/25...... Rob Shuter's Shuterstack.com is reporting that the funeral for late actor/director/activist Rob Reiner will be a private, carefully guarded ceremony. "They know how many people want to pay their respects," one insider told the gossip columnist, "but this first goodbye is strictly about family and the people who were in their lives every single day." No date has been announced, but now that the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's official report has been released, the funeral is expected to take place within days. Reports indicate the date and time will not be announced to the public, and security will be tight. "The family is in shock," another source said. "They cannot handle a public spectacle right now. This is about dignity, safety, and grief." According to these reports, the guest list will not be large, but it will include big names who were in the Reiner's orbit, including Michelle and Barack Obama, Billy Crystal and Larry David, among others. Rob Reiner's son Nick Reiner has been charged with first-degree murder of his father Rob and mother Michele Reiner and could even face the death penalty. An impromptu memorial service was held for the Reiners one day after their passing, following the Jewish tradition of being buried within 24 hours of passing. Rob's dear friend Albert Brooks, along with Crystal, his wife, Janice, comedians Larry David, Bill Hader and Conan O'Brien, gathered at Brooks' Brentwood estate on Dec. 15, according to Daily Mail UK. - StyleCaster.com/EntertainmentNow.com, 12/18/25...... Texas singer/songwriter Joe Ely died on Dec. 15 in Taos, N.M., from complications of Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson's disease and pneumonia, according to his spokesperson. He was 78. Amarillo, Tex., native Ely was raised in Lubbock, Tex., and later moved to Austin and was part of an influential wave of progressive country rock artists who helped establish Austin as a live musical capital. His music crossed lines and helped birth the Americana genre. Bruce Springsteen, a longtime friend of Ely's, paid tribute to Ely on Facebook: "Over here, we're deeply saddened by the loss of Joe Ely, a singular American singer, great musician and great artist," he wrote. "I was lucky enough to count Joe as a true friend and I will miss that voice and his companionship. Our hearts go out to his wonderful wife Sharon and the family. We've lost an American classic." Joe Ely opened for The Clash for the first time in 1979 in Texas, then in the United Kingdom in 1980 on the band's London Calling tour. He then opened for the Rolling Stones on several dates in 1981. Ely had multiple charting albums and was honored at April's American Music Awards hosted at the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University in New Jersey on Apr. 26. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie. - Billboard, 12/15/25...... Actor Gil Gerard, star of the 1979-81 NBC series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, died on Dec. 16 after a battle with "a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer," his wife, Janet, announced in a Facebook post. He was 82. In 1977 films, Mr. Gerard had played Lee Grant's romantic interest in Airport '77 and had starred as a moonshiner in the Appalachia-set comedy Hooch when he was approached to star in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, co-produced by Glen A. Larson at Universal Television. Buck Rogers lasted two seasons and a total of 32 episodes through Apr. 1981 before being canceled. Mr. Gerard then toplined a series of telefilms including 1982's highly rated Help Wanted: Male, also starring Suzanne Pleshette, and played a bachelor cop who teaches martial arts skills to a youngster (Ernie Reyes Jr.) on the 1986-87 ABC series Sidekicks. Before appearing in Buck Rogers, he spent the next several years appearing in commercials -- more than 400 by his count -- and played POW turned doctor Alan Stewart on the NBC soap The Doctors from 1973-76. He also appeared with Cliff Robertson in Man on a Swing (1974). Mr. Gerard, who had a long friendship with former president Bill Clinton, was married four times, including once to actress Connie Sellecca (Hotel) from 1979 until their 1987 divorce. In addition to Janet, his wife of 18 years, survivors include his son with Sellecca, Gib. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/16/25...... May Britt, the statuesque Swedish actress who starred in such films as The Blue Angel and Murder, Inc. before becoming the second wife of legendary entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., died on Dec. 11 at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center, according to her son Mark Davis. She was 91. Spotted and signed by famed Italian producer Carlo Ponti when she was 18, Ms. Britt starred in several films in Italy before she was screen-tested in Rome and signed to a contract by 20th Century Fox in 1957. Often described as a warmer, more approachable Greta Garbo, Ms. Britt came to fame when she starred as the scandalous cabaret entertainer Lola-Lola in The Blue Angel (1959). Ms. Britt and Sammy Davis first met after he performed at the Mocambo nightclub on the Sunset Strip and invited her to a party, according to a 2014 biography written by Tracey Davis, their daughter. Soon after, Davis broke off his engagement to Canadian dancer Joan Stuart. Ms. Britt converted to Judaism (her fiance had converted in 1961), and he announced to the press in June 1960 while in England that they were engaged. Ms. Britt and Davis were married by a rabbi on Nov. 13, 1960, at his home on Evanview Drive in Los Angeles, followed by a reception for about 200 guests at the Beverly Hilton. Frank Sinatra, Davis' partner in the legendary "Rat Pack," served as the best man. She was 26, he was 34. At the time, interracial marriages were illegal in 31 states, and coincidentally or not, 20th Century Fox elected not to renew her contract shortly after their engagement was announced. They received death threats throughout their relationship and at times employed 24-hour armed guards to protect them. Ms. Britt gave up her career while married to Davis and did very little acting after they divorced. She showed up on episodes of The Danny Thomas Hour, Mission: Impossible, The Most Deadly Game and The Partners and starred in the 1976 horror film Haunts. Amid reports linking Davis to singer-dancer-actress Lola Falana, the couple divorced in Dec. 1968, but their daughter told the Los Angeles Times in 2014 that her parents "never fell out of love." Ms. Britt didn't get married again until May 1993, when she wed Lennart Ringquist, an entertainment executive and horse breeder. He died in Jan. 2017. In addition to her sons, survivors include her sister, Margot, and her grandchildren, Andrew, Ryan, Sam, Montana, Greer and Chase. Tracey Davis died in Nov. 2020 after a short illness at age 59. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/18/25...... British fashion designer Antony Price, who has worked with the likes of David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Roxy Music, has died aged 80. The legendary designer is also known for his sculptured silhouettes and theatrical styles, such as the pastel suits Duran Duran wore in the vidoes for their hit "Rio." In a statement from the office of Roxy Music frontman Brian Ferry, Alex Fury noted Price's "ground-breaking relationship with musicians," calling him "one of the most significant and influential British fashion designers of the last century." "Price's work with Roxy Music was the first time a fashion designer had collaborated with musicians to refine their visual iconography as a key part of their creative expression, and established a template still shaping both music and fashion industries today," it added. - NME, 12/18/25.