Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 16th, 2026

Barbra Streisand honored her late The Way We Were co-star Robert Redford during the In Memorium segment of the 98th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Mar. 15. Streisand described Redford, who died in Sept. 2025 at age 89, as "an intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail and won the Academy Award for best director, and I miss him now more than ever." "He was a brilliant, subtle actor, and we had a wonderful time playing off each other, because we never quite knew what the other one was going to do or say," she continued. "And I'm thrilled that The Way We Were is now considered a classic love story, but it's also about a dark time in our history, the late '40s and early '50s, when people were informing on each other and subject to loyalty oaths." She wrapped up her fond words by singing a snippet of her No. 1 1974 theme song from the 1973 film, which also won the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 1974 Oscars. - Billboard, 3/15/26...... The iconic "Black Strat" played by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmouir on such classics as "Money" and "Comfortably Numb" has smashed the all-time record for the most expensive guitar ever sold. During a Christie's auction in New York on Mar. 12, the guitar was sold to an unidentified buyer and smashed the pre-sale estimate of $2-$4 million. According to the New York Times, the black Fender Stratocaster purchased by Gilmour in 1970 from New York's beloved Manny's Music store in Manhattan is covered in scratches and chipped paint from decades of use, and was played by Gilmour on every studio recording from 1972-1983, as well as during many live performances in that period. The winning bidder, who submitted bids online, paid $14.55 million for the instrument after a 21-minute bidding war. That was more than double the price of $6.01 million paid in 2020 for late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's Martin D-18E acoustic guitar which he played on MTV Unplugged just months before his Apr. 1994 death. The guitar was one of a number of high-profile items that went under the gavel as part of a sale of items from late Indianapolis Colts owner and pop culture memorabilia collector Jim Irsay, who died in 2025. Irsay bought Gilmour's guitar in 2019 during a previous Christie's auction for just over $5 million. The Gilmour Strat was one of several items guitars from Irsay's expansive collection that were sold that day, which also included one of late Grateful Dead singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia's custom "Tiger" guitars, which went for $11.56 million, as well as the Mustang electric guitar Cobain used in the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video, which sold for $6.9 million, a new high for one of Cobain's guitars. The Irsay Collection sale will continue through Mar. 17, with a number of rare items up for bid, including a signed Paul McCartney's Hofner bass guitar and the handwritten lyrics to the Beatles track "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," a signed Eddie Van Halen "Frankenstrat" guitar, and one of late ZZ Top member Dusty Hill's custom sheepskin covered bass guitars, among many other items. - Billboard, 3/13/26...... It was announced on Instagram on Mar. 12 that a remastered version of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Power To The People concert film is coming to cinemas worldwide this spring. Following on from the extensive NYC-era box set released in 2025, the film is a document of the "One To One" concerts that the couple held at New York's Madison Square Garden on Aug. 30, 1972. The two performances, one a matinee show and the other in the evening, were Lennon's only full-length concerts after leaving the Beatles, and they were also the last gigs John and Yoko played together. Now, a restored, re-edited and remixed version of the concert film, officially titled Power To The People: John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant's Memory and Special Guests - Live at the One To One Concert, New York City, 1972, will be shown in cinemas "worldwide" on Apr. 29 and May 3. The new version of the film, which was captured at the time by director Steve Gebhardt, has been "physically and digitally cleaned by hand" by Lennon's regular Grammy-winning team, led by youngest son Sean Ono Lennon. Tickets will go on sale on Mar. 20, to coincide with John and Yoko's 57th wedding anniversary. The "One To One" shows saw John and Yoko play to over 40,000 people and raised more than $1.5 million (2026 equivalent of $11.5 million) for disabled children. They played songs including "Imagine," "Come Together," "Instant Karma!" and "Hound Dog," and rounded out the show with a version of "Give Peace A Chance" with Stevie Wonder. - New Musical Express, 3/12/26....... Lionsgate Films announced on Mar. 10 that Michael Jackson superfans get a chance to see the upcoming biopic Michael a few days early. The studio announced that a limited number of screens for early-access viewings in premium formats on Apr. 22, two days ahead of its wide release that Friday. "For Michael Jackson's fans, Michael is the cinematic event they've been waiting for -- the movie captures both the soul and the spectacle of the boy who became the King of Pop," said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Kevin Grayson in a statement. "These early access screenings, in IMAX and premium large formats, will immerse audiences in the electrifying performances and bring the power of Michael Jackson's iconic music to life. It's the perfect way to be the first to see the movie." The film directed by Antoine Fuqua (Stans, Bullet Train) stars Jackson's real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson, who pulls off a spot-on homage to his uncle in the trailer of the movie, from Jackson's signature electrifying dance moves to his laser-focused determination to produce pop music for the ages. - Billboard, 3/11/26...... Posting on his Neil Young Archives site that "politics today is sad and depressing for me," Neil Young has announced he's escaping the current tumultuous political world by working on a new album with his backing band The Chrome Hearts. "Folks, I am so hurt for this country," Young lamented. "I can't do it anymore. I can go out and demonstrate my feelings about it. We have the worst president in the history of our country. Every day, a bad TV show produced by DJT [Pres. Donald Trump] is what we get." He added: "Now, thankfully, once again, I'm in the studio recording a new album with the Chrome Hearts. I love the songs and the feelings of life and love. Music is. So far, we have eight new songs. They make me feel." Young and his band took aim at the president on their most recent collection, 2025's Talkin to the Trees, and on the track "Big Crime," on which the artist and persistent critics of Trump sings: "Don't need no fascist rules. Don't want no fascist school. Don't want soldiers on our streets. There's big crime in DC at the White House. No more money on the fascists. The billionaire fascists. Time to blackout the system." - Music-News.com, 3/12/26...... Bruce Springsteen will be among the contributors to a new tribute album to late The Pogues frontman Shane McGowan. 20th Century Paddy - The Songs Of Shane MacGowan is a collection of Pogues songs the late frontman "wanted to make himself," according to a press release. The release, set to drop on Nov. 13 on vinyl and digitally, will be accompanied by a limited edition deluxe bookpack edition featuring 3LPs, 2CDs, and a 56-page book of memorabilia and liner notes will also be made available. A first taste of the record, available for streaming on YouTube, is Springsteen covering a reimagined version of the classic Pogues hit "A Rainy Night In Soho." "Shane was all naked bottomless humanity," Springsteen said in the presser. "Threatening to force us to ask ourselves if we were living deeply, authentically. He was raw, hilarious, no apologies and profound. His soul was filled with the transgressive and ecstatic properties of the saints," he added. The Jersey rocker previously covered the track during his tour of Ireland in 2024, and the year before the Boss made a surprise visit to the late frontman ahead of his shows in Ireland. Following MacGowan's death he also wrote a touching tribute to The Pogues legend. Other artists set to feature on the record include the likes of Dropkick Murphys, Hozier, David Gray, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Johnny Depp, The Libertines, and many more. - NME, 3/12/26...... Making her first major public appearance of 2026, Dolly Parton delivered a keynote address on opening day at her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee, celebrating the park's 41st anniversary. "I've not been touring, as you know," the 80-year-old country/pop icon said. "I've had a few little health issues, and we're taking good care of them." Her Dollywood visit came months after she postponed her Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace due to undisclosed medical procedures. The residency, originally set to start in December, is now scheduled to begin in mid-September. The postponement also followed the death of her husband of 60 years, Carl Dean, who passed away at age 82 in Mar. 2025. "I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on," the "Jolene" singer continued. "I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But, all is good. It didn't slow me down." Dolly then joked that she's "not dating anybody," before sharing more heartfelt words about her late husband. "I think Carl Dean's waiting for me," she said. "If I should show up at the pearly gates with somebody else, he would not like that. He'd be saying, 'Who's that little pisser? You leave him outside the gates.'" Parton also revealed that she's rewriting songs for her upcoming Broadway musical, "Dolly: An Original Musical," which is expected to launch in New York later in 2026. - Billboard, 3/14/26...... In an interview with Loudersound.com, Sammy Hagar says he'll never play with Alex Van Halen again, because he's a "negative" person. The two former Van Halen members haven't spoken in more than 20 years, and it remains unclear with the 78-year-old Hagar and the 72-year-old Van Halen no longer speak, though Alex didn't even mention Hagar's name in his 2024 memoir Brothers, writing only that Van Halen "had a lot of other singers over the years" following original VH frontman David Lee Roth's departure in 1985. Hagar told Rolling Stone in 2025 that he and Alex hadn't spoken in 21 years. Though the interviewer suggested that Alex was unhappy with Hagar's 2011 memoir -- which went into detail about the low points of Eddie Van Halen's life -- and that he was just generally a more private person than Hagar, the Red Rocker disagreed. "I think Al's angry because I'm out doing it... And he can't. He's not a singer. He's not a guitar player. He is not really a band leader. And he seems like he doesn't want to play drums or can't play drums anymore, and he can't go write a new record," Hagar said. "If I put myself in his shoes, I would feel terrible if I couldn't do it anymore." He went on to encourage Alex to "just leave me alone," saying he would do the same for him. "Everything's good. I'm making you money, by the way, Al," he told RS. "I'm out there selling Van Halen records and keeping the name alive, keeping the music alive." Hagar previously had a falling out with Eddie, but the two had reportedly "buried the hatchet" before Eddie died in 2020. Hagar has also previously criticized Roth, saying on Steve-O's Wild Ride podcast that Roth "ain't like his persona. "[David's] not a fun guy. He doesn't play well with others. I'm not sure what his problem is," Hagar said. "He's a chest-beating motherf---er. And God bless him, 'cause the early stuff is frickin' great." - People, 3/11/26...... REO Speedwagon played a surprise reunion concert in Peoria, Ill. on Mar. 7, more than a year after calling it quits. The show, fronted by lead singer Kevin Cronin was a special tribute to late guitarist Gary Richrath, a Peoria native who died in Sept. 2025. According to UltimateClassicRock.com, the lineup included Cronin, Syracuse, N.Y. native Alan Gratzer on drums, bassist Bruce Hall, and retired keyboardist Neal Doughty playing a short set of REO Speedwagon favorites like "Ridin' the Storm Out," "Take It on the Run," and "Roll With the Changes." Former vocalist Mike Murphy, who briefly replaced Cronin in the '70s, and Richrath's son Eric Richrath also performed. It was an "amazing tribute for Gary at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Being back on stage with Mike, Kevin, Alan and Neal was awesome. Having Gary's son, Eric, join us made it all the more special," Bruce Hall wrote on Facebook. "We ended the week with a private showing at the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66.... Good things are happening. Long Live REO Speedwagon!!" It's unclear if the event will open the door for a full reunion tour. The band played its last official concert as REO Speedwagon on Jan. 1, 2025, after announcing a split due to "irreconcilable differences." REO Speedwagon, fronted by Cronin since 1972, is best known for '70s and '80s rock hits like "Can't Fight This Feeling," "Take It On the Run," and "Keep on Loving You." In 2025 Cronin said that he may continue performing solo and will also work on finishing his memoir, tentatively titled Roll With the Change: My Life Within and Without REO Speedwagon. - Syracuse.com, 3/10/26...... Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne and his wife Aree have welcomed a baby girl named Ozzy Matilda Osbourne after Jack's famous dad. Born on Mar. 5, Matilda was announced to the world in a joint Instagram post along with grandma Sharon Osbourne. The birth of Ozzy Matilda comes nearly eight months after the loss of her grandpa Ozzy, who died of a heart attack in July 2025 at age 76. Ozzy Matilda Osbourne is Jack's fifth child, joining Pearl, Andy and Minnie from his first marriage to Lisa Stelly and Maple with Aree. - Billboard, 3/11/26...... Billy Joel's daughter Alexa Ray Joel has given a health update amid her famous Piano Man dad's brain disorder diagnosis. "He's doing physical therapy regularly and he's doing great," Alexa Ray, the rocker's only child with ex-wife Christie Brinkley, told The Hollywood Reporter. He's lost weight as he's on his diet. I'm so proud of him. He's such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. He's a fighter. He's always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how life's like a fight," she added. The legendary pop star, recently the subject of HBO's two-part, 2025 documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, canceled all upcoming tour dates when he revealed that he was dealing with normal pressure hydrocephalus. At the time, he said in a statement that his condition -- which occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain -- had been exacerbated by his performing and led to issues with his balance, vision, and hearing. A tribute event to Joel, "The Music of Billy Joel," was held on Mar. 12 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Alexa Ray, along with Wyclef Jean, Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas, Train's Pat Monahan, Rufus Wainwright, and others performed some of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's many tunes from over the years, including "Tell Her About It," "Vienna," and "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant." Joel, 76, surprised the crowd at a concert by Turnstiles, a Billy Joel cover band, in January, when he joined them onstage to perform his songs "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "Big Shot." The Grammy winner is also the father of daughters Della Rose, 10, and Remy Anne, 8, whom he shares with Alexis Roderick, his wife since 2015. - Entertainment Weekly, 3/12/26...... In a recent street interview with TMZ.com, KISS singer/bassist Gene Simmons slammed actors Ben Stiller and Mark Ruffalo for what he called preaching politics instead of doing their art. Stiller, 60, recently went public with his frustration over the Donald Trump administration using a clip from his 2008 comedy film Tropic Thunder in an official video. The video mixed movie scenes with real footage of U.S. airstrikes, framing it as a triumphant montage. Stiller took to social media, demanding the clip's removal and labeling it as propaganda. He stated he had no interest in his work being tied to real-world conflicts, emphasizing that war isn't a movie. This wasn't the first time Stiller has weighed in on politics, but it hit a nerve amid ongoing debates about U.S. actions abroad. Simmons told TMZ this as a perfect example of why stars should stay in their lane. He argued that regular folks don't need lectures from the elite. The interview quickly went viral, racking up views on YouTube and shares across platforms like X and Facebook. Simmons also zeroed in on Ruffalo, 58, who's known for his outspoken views on everything from climate change to anti-Trump sentiments. Simmons mispronounced his name as "Mark Buffalo" in a mocking tone, then imitated a reporter asking Ruffalo about politics before dismissing it with, "I don't care." "People work hard for a living, and they don't want to be lectured by people who live in mansions and drive Rolls-Royces," he added. Not everyone is on board with Simmons' viewpoint though. Some pointed out the irony, with Facebook users asking, "Does he realize the irony that he is a celebrity commenting on politics?" "If only he would take his own advice," Chris_H posted. Others noted, "Isn't he a celebrity? Doesn't he voice his opinion every chance he gets?" - WealthofGeeks.com, 3/13/26...... Cher's son Chaz Bono married his longtime partner, Shara Blue Mathes, on Mar. 8 at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. The dress code was "Hollywood Glam Formal," according to the couple's wedding website. Their relationship goes back decades, with the pair having met as teenagers at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Their life journeys continued over the years until they eventually reconnected and made their romance official in Jan. 2017. "I first met Shara more than 40 years ago when we were just teenagers," Chaz, 57, told People. "I think it's safe to say that not many grooms ultimately end up marrying the very first girl they ever kissed so many years later." Chaz continued, "She makes me feel complete knowing she will always be there beside me as partner, my best friend, and the love of my life. No matter what life brings us, we will always be safer and stronger together ... and we are home." Cher, 79, looked on from the front row as the couple took a romantic dip at the end of the black aisle, which was lined with glowing red candles and moody floral arrangements. Chaz is the child of Cher and the late Sonny Bono, and the singer is also a mother to son Elijah Allman, 49, whose father is Cher's late ex-husband, Gregg Allman. Cher has been supportive of Chaz over the years, once telling a friend, "I admire my son Chaz's courage for sharing his personal journey. Most important to me is that he is very happy. That's what I care about the most. He has my love and support." - People, 3/13/26...... Blake Emmons, a Canadian country music icon and TV personality, has died at age 81. Mr. Emmons hosted the CTV series Funny Farm, which was billed as Canda's answer to Hee Haw in 1974. He also hosted The Country Place in the 1970s, and he hosted the game show Chain Reaction in 1985. He was also known for his charitable contributions, hosting the ACT Telethon for Camp HE-HO-HA for disabled children in the 1970s and late in the decade he helped develop the Telemiracle telethon. His hit single singles in Canada included 1969's "You're My Woman" and 1976's "Sunchild" and "Let Me Do Something Lord." - PennLive.com, 3/13/26...... Phil Campbell, the longtime guitarist of Motörhead, has died. He was 64. Campbell's death was announced on Mar. 14 through the Instagram account for his band, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Philip Anthony Campbell, who passed away peacefully last night following a long and courageous battle in intensive care after a complex major operation," the statement read. "Phil was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, known affectionately as 'Bampi'. He was deeply loved by all who knew him and will be missed immensely. His legacy, music and the memories he created with so many will live on forever." The reason for Campbell's original operation is yet to be disclosed. Born in Wales in 1961, Campbell began his music career in the 1970s with the metal band Persian Risk before being recruited by Lemmy Kilmister to join Motörhead in 1984 following the departure of guitarist Brian Robertson. Campbell's first album with Motörhead was the band's seventh, Orgasmatron, released in 1986. He went on to become the group's longest-tenured guitarist, spending three decades with the band until they parted ways following Kilmister's death in 2015. Campbell recorded 16 albums with Motörhead during his time with the metal act. - Billboard, 3/14/26.