Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 6th, 2026

Paul McCartney has paid tribute to his "dear old mate" and former The Quarrymen bandmate Len Garry, who died on Mar. 2 of pneumonia at the age of 84. Sir Paul shared a photo on Instagram of the original Quarrymen in tribute with the caption: "My dear old mate from the Quarrymen, Len Garry, has passed away. He was a lovely guy and I'm sad to see him go but glad that we had so many fun times together. Rest in Peace Len, Love Paul." McCartney and Garry began making music together as schoolboys and were both part of The Quarrymen's first steady line-up, which also consisted of John Lennon, Colin Hanton, Rod Davis, Pete Shotton and Eric Griffiths. Lennon was already part of the band when McCartney joined in 1957, which was how they first met. George Harrison later joined the group on bass and after numerous line-up and name changes, they became the Beatles. A further tribute shared on The Quarrymen's social media said: "He will be sorely missed by us and Beatle fans across the globe. Our thoughts are with Len's family and friends at this difficult time." - NME, 3/4/26...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr has announced his next album will be titled Long Long Road and released on Apr. 24. Featuring the likes of Sheryl Crow and St. Vincent, the 10-track record was co-written by Ringo and legendary producer T Bone Burnett, who he worked with on his 2025 record Look Up. It will also feature appearances from Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz. "I'm blessed to have T Bone in my life right now and working with me on these records," Ringo said in a statement. "After we did the last record, which I love listening to, this one just sort of happened. I like to say sometimes I make the right moves, like you can go left or right at any point, and one of the right moves was hooking up with T Bone for Look Up, and now for this one, which I'm calling Long Long Road, because I've been on a long long road." The album was recorded in Nashville and L.A. and largely features the same musicians as Look Up. The country and Americana-influenced record was particularly influenced by late rockabilly legend Carl Perkins. Ringo said: "I recorded two Carl Perkins songs with The Beatles, and both T Bone and I wanted one on this record and he found this beautiful track I'd never heard before, I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore." Ringo and his All Starr Band will kick off a 10-date spring tour on May 29 in Temecula, Calif., also visiting San Diego; Charlotte, N.C.; Tuscon; Lincoln, Neb.; Paso Robles, Calif.; Albuquerque; San Jose; and Tempe, Ariz. before wrapping at L.A.'s Greek Theatre on June 15. - Music-News.com, 3/4/26...... Sharon Osbourne confirmed on Mar. 4 that Ozzfest will be resurrected in her late hubby Ozzy Osbourne's home town of Birmingham, UK as a two-day event at Villa Park, the home grounds of the Aston Villa Football Club, which also served as the site of Osbourne's final "Back to the Beginning" Black Sabbath farewell concert in 2025. We want to do two days in Aston Villa and then come to America," Sharon said on The Osbournes podcast before making a call-out to all the Ozzfest fans out there to let her know where the festival should visit and who they want to see in its latest incarnation. In keeping with Ozzy's push to showcase new, up-and-coming talent on Ozzfest, Sharon also said the team behind Ozzfest is looking for those kinds of bands right now, "because that's what your dad would want." Meanwhile, a huge statue of Ozzy is set to be unveiled at Hellfest in Clisson, France this summer in tribute to the late heavy metal icon. "Oh, there he is. Look at him, a rock god," Sharon said during an appearance on the MetalXS podcast while images of the in-progress statue were shown on a screen. "That is going to debut at Hellfest, and that is June 18th. And the whole family will be there to see it. And it's such a great tribute. It's amazing. So, I can only thank [Hellfest director] Ben [Barbaud]. Just bless you. It's an amazing piece of art." This year, Hellfest will run from June 18 to June 21 with a line-up including Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Limp Bizkit, Tom Morello and The Offspring, among many others. Also Sharon recently revealed that she's planning to take the Ozzy exhibition that's currently at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to "tour the world." "Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero" was originally opened by Sharon on June 25, 2025, to coincide with the band's historic "Back To The Beginning" concert at Villa Park on July 5. It would serve as Black Sabbath and Ozzy's final show before his death two weeks later. Following Ozzy's death on July 22, 2025, the exhibition was extended until Jan. 2026 with the blessing of the Osbournes. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 3/5/26...... Longtime Beach Boys member Bruce Johnston has told Rolling Stone that he plans to retire from touring to focus on songwriting and recording. Johnston, 83, added that he still intends to join the band for special performances, specifically the upcoming July 2-4 gigs at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles as part of the events celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary. After touring and recording with the BB for 61 years and performing upwards of 6,000 concerts, Johnston says "it's time for Part Three of my lengthy musical career." "I can write songs forever and wait until you hear what's coming!!! As my major talent beyond singing is songwriting, now is the time to get serious again," he continued. "In addition, I'm currently working on developing a speaking-engagement chapter of my career -- inspired in part by Cary Grant, who long ago made a similar move after his movie career... I might even sing 'Disney Girls' & 'I Write The Songs',!! he wrote, the latter in reference to, respectively, one of the handful of songs he wrote for the band, as well as the 1976 No. 1 Barry Manilow hit he penned. "This isn't goodbye, it's see you soon. I am forever grateful to be a part of the Beach Boys musical legacy." With the exception of a 2012 world tour in support of the That's Why God Made the Radio album, Johnston has been the only other old-school member of the group to tour with cofounding BB member Mike Love for the past 28 years. He originally joined in band in 1965, four years after its founding, to help fill in for musical mastermind Brian Wilson when he stepped aside to focus on studio recordings. After splitting in 1972 to pursue solo work and songwriting, Johnston returned in 1978 and had been a reliable touring and recording member ever since. Love becomes the lone original-era member still touring with the band; fellow co-founder singer/rhythm guitarist Al Jardine stopped touring with the Love-led version of the BB in 2012. Chris Cron, the lead singer for the BB tribute act Pet Sounds Live, will replace Johnston in the touring version of the group. - Billboard, 3/5/26...... Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1973 track "Free Bird" has netted big gains on multiple Billboard charts dated Mar. 7 after the song became the unofficial anthem for the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams at the 2026 Winter Olympics. "Free Bird" returns to Hot Rock & Alternative Songs at No. 15 on the strength of 3.2 million official U.S. streams (up 35%), 343,000 in radio airplay audience (up 17%) and 3,000 downloads sold (up 217%) in the week ending Feb. 26, according to Luminate. Older songs are allowed to re-enter rankings such as Hot Rock & Alternative Songs if in the top half of chart points and with a meaningful reason for their return. The driving anthem, from Skynyrd's breakthrough LP Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, blared after the U.S. men's and women's teams scored during the Olympics. The women's squad won the gold medal Feb. 19, following up its 2018 win, while the men's team triumphed among all nations for the first time since 1980 on Feb. 22. Each team added its third total gold medal, with the men's team also having won in 1960 and the women's, in 1998. "Free Bird" reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 during its original chart run in 1975. The set peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, becoming the first of the band's 12 top 40 entries, through Last of a Dying Breed (No. 14, 2012). - Billboard, 3/3/26...... Paraphrasing one of his most famous songs, Barry Manilow gave a cheery health update on Instagram on Mar. 3 after being forced to postpone his recent tour due to lung cancer surgery. "Well, looks like I made it and I look fabulous, right?," the 82-year-old singer said. Manilow, looking healthy and energetic, added, "You know, with everything that's going on in the world, I wanted to check in and share some good news. In fact, it's great news." Manilow's new single, "Once Before I Go," currently sits at No. 26 on the Mar. 7-dated Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The latest charting extends the Brooklyn-born singer's run of six decades, beginning in 1974 with his classic breakthrough hit "Mandy" and reaching into this year. "How do you like that?" Manilow asked about his single's success. "Like my grandmother once said, next thing you know, they'll be walking on the moon." Manilow thanked industry legend Clive Davis for suggesting the moving ballad -- written by acclaimed songwriters Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Demonte Posey -- as well as all the radio stations for playing it and fans for listening to the track. He also thanked everyone who has reached out with messages of support over the past few months as he dealt with his health emergency. "It's been a long ride and since I have no patience, it's been agony," he said. "But I am getting stronger and I have great doctors and wonderful friends and family, but I am so looking forward to getting back on stage." In February, Manilow revealed that he needed to reschedule some more shows and take additional time to recover from a January operation related to stage one lung cancer diagnosed last year. Following the tough visit with his surgeon, he postponed the first batch of 2026 arena dates originally scheduled to run from Feb. 27-March 17. Though Manilow is rescheduling his first 13 arena shows, he said at the time that his doctor felt it was still "likely" he could perform in Las Vegas on Mar. 26-28 and Apr. 2-4. His Mar. 26 Vegas residency show is still listed on his official website, which also lists an Apr. 13 show at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y. as his next confirmed non-residency date. - Billboard, 3/3/26...... After a recent round on the Rock Legends Cruise, The Guess Who principals Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman have announced they will be taking their recent ownership of The Guess Who moniker on the road this spring. The duo kicks off its "Takin' It Back Tour" at home with previously announced Canadian dates that begin May 26 date in Moncton, N.B. The U.S. run starts in late June, when it brings the show south of the border for two dozen concerts staring June 25 in Shakopee, Minn., wrapping on Aug. 23 in Vancouver, B.C. Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder opens the headlining dates. The tour marks the first time in 23 years Cummings and Bachman have toured as The Guess Who, following last year's legal triumph over what they call "the fake Guess Who," run for decades by bassist Jim Kale and drummer Garry Peterson, who cofounded the band with Bachman as Chad Allan & the Reflections during 1962 in Winnipeg. "It was enough already. They tarnished what we created," Cummings, who joined in 1966, told Billboard in a Zoom call with Bachman. "I remember I went on Facebook and talked to people and there were a lot of remarks about the fake Guess Who, about the band going on stage and kind of dishonoring the songs. So Randy and I are out here now, honoring the history of The Guess Who." Bachman adds, "You can only sit around for so long and watch people tarnish something you built, something that's intangible -- that's called a reputation. It's with music, it's with fans. It's making music that is the soundtrack of our lives, and everybody who hears it and buys it falls in love with it and cherishes it. To see it stolen and not given justice and then hearing about it from your fans was terrible. So be able to be part of that again and see the reaction of the fans, it's really special." The duo say they plan to keep The Guess Who on the road for the foreseeable future, but they say new music will have to wait. "There's no time for that right now," says Cummings, who released a solo album -- A Few Good Moments -- during 2024. "Right now, let's get out there and rekindle the legacy that has been tarnished. New music may come later, but that's not on our agenda right now. We're going out to rebuild what the fake band broke down." The band's ambitious 35-city North American tour will wrap in Vancouver, B.C. on Aug. 23. - Billboard, 3/3/26...... A group of siblings who claim they were abused by Michael Jackson have brought new child sex trafficking claims against the King of Pop's estate. Four of the five Cascio siblings -- Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo -- alleged in a federal lawsuit filed on Feb. 27 that Jackson raped and molested them as children over the course of more than a decade, including at his Neverland ranch and while on the road for the Dangerous world tour and HIStory world tour in the 1990s. The fifth sibling, Frank Cascio, has made similar sex abuse claims in a separate pending legal proceeding. "Jackson groomed and brainwashed each plaintiff," reads the lawsuit, filed by attorney Howard King. "After the abuse started, he isolated them emotionally, and sometimes physically, from responsible adults and from each other. He plied them with drugs and alcohol. He showed them pornography, including pictures of unclothed children, to normalize the abuse and desensitize them. He made them fear and distrust others by convincing them that not only his life, but also their lives and the lives of their family members, would be destroyed if anyone found out what he was doing to them." A lawyer for Jackson's estate, Marty Singer, denied the Cascios' allegations in a Feb. 27 statement and said the new lawsuit is a "desperate money grab" and "transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael's estate and companies." - Billboard, 3/2/26...... Legendary Notre Dame college football coach Lou Holtz died on Mar. 4. He was 89. In his five-decade career, Mr. Holtz led football teams at several universities, including William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota and South Carolina. During his time with Notre Dame, he led the team -- known as The Fighting Irish -- to 100 victories. He won 249 total games across his 33 seasons of coaching. "Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field, earning their respect and admiration for a lifetime," Notre Dame said in a statement. The long-time Republican spoke at the party's convention in 2020 to endorse Donald Trump for president. Pres. Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honour, that December. "Holtz is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others," his family said in a statement. Videos of his inspirational speeches to his players before games earned him fans in the years after his coaching career ended. Following his sport career, he went on to become a commentators for broadcasters ESPN and CBS. - The BBC, 3/4/26...... On Mar. 4 the Los Angeles City Council officially designated the iconic The Brady Bunch house in the San Fernando Valley as a Historic-Cultural Monument. The house was used for exterior shots only on The Brady Bunch and recently underwent a $1.9 million renovation to transform the interiors to match the show sets on HGTV's A Very Brady Renovation. The current owner, Tina Trahan, opened up the property for a limited run of tours in Nov. 2025. "Long before it became a pop culture pilgrimage site and backdrop for countless photo ops, the Brady Bunch House helped shape America's vision of family life in the late 1960s and early '70s -- especially the idea of a blended family," Adrian Scott, president of the L.A. Conservancy, told the Los Angeles Times. He added: "We're thrilled to see it now designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument, ensuring the Brady Bunch -- and their iconic home -- remain part of Los Angeles' story." On Jan. 15, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission voted to recommend the house, located at 11222 Dilling St., in Studio City, as a landmark. The Planning and Land Use Commission approved the designation a month later, and the city council made the final unanimous approval. The Brady home was first constructed in 1959 by architect Harry M. Londelius, according to the Times. It was later used in exterior shots of during The Brady Bunch's entire run from 1969 to 1974. All of the shows interior scenes were filmed on a studio set nearby. A $1.9 million renovation by HGTV brought in 28 million viewers as the Brady siblings helped perfect the 2,000 sq. ft., addition. In 2023, Brady superfan Trahan and her husband Chris Elbrecht, a former chief executive of HBO, purchased the property for $3.2 million, but at the time Trahan described it as "her worst investment ever." The network subsequently filmed a limited series entitled A Very Brady Renovation, in which hosts Drew and Jonathan Scott worked with fellow HGTV stars and the actors who played all six Brady kids to transform the interior of the home to match what was seen in the show. - People, 5/5/26.