Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on May 20th, 2026

In a new interview with the U.K. football chat show TalkSport on May 18, Rod Stewart hinted that he'll retire from live performing after completing as-yet-unannounced dates on his running "One Last Time" farewell tour, which he began in 2024. "I've got 40-odd shows this year and that's not really a lot," the 81-year-old singer told hosts Jeff Stelling and Ray Parlour. "And I'm touring the U.K. next year and doing the O2 and that will probably be it, I think. I'll have to do something new... come on your show more often." Sir Rod has a run of residency shows booked at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in May and June, followed by seven shows in the Western U.S. in June and eight more in July and August before returning to Vegas in August for his "The Encore Shows" residency at the Colosseum. The last scheduled show is currently a Sept. 5 gig at the Ravinia Festival in Illinois with special guest Richard Marx; at press time he has not officially announced any 2027 dates. Stewart's TalkSport interview can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/19/26...... KISS' Gene Simmons announced on X/Twitter on May 7 he will host a "Legends of Rock Expo 2026" with members of Black Sabbath, Rainbow, The Kinks, The Police, RATT and more this September in Las Vegas. Taking place at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino from Sept. 25 through 27, the event will give fans the opportunity to meet, take photos with, and get autographs from huge names across rock and metal. Joining Simmons will be Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler, Rainbow's Graham Bonnet, The Kinks' Dave Davies, The Police's Stewart Copeland and RATT's Stephen Pearcy. Also in attendance will be Dio's Vinne Appice, Disturbed's John Moyer, former Megadeth member David Ellefson, The Runaways' Lita Ford and more. Other KISS members in attendance alongside Simmons will be Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, and former member Bruce Kulick. "This will be an unforgettable weekend with once-in-a-lifetime moments; it's set to be action-packed with concerts, autograph sessions, photo ops, parties, and panels," according to a press release, which also confirms that Simmons will take to the stage during the event with his group, The Gene Simmons Band. Meanwhile, the debut KISS' Las Vegas avatar shows, similar to ABBA's Voyage, has been tentatively scheduled for 2028 and is reportedly set to feature "new songs." - New Musical Express, 5/18/26...... Riding a wave of resurgence in posthumous popularity from the success of the new biopic Michael, Michael Jackson is once again the biggest artist in the United States by topping the Billboard Artist 100 chart for the first time. Launched by Billboard in 2014, the Artist 100 ranks the top artists in the U.S. based on artists' activity across streaming, radio airplay, album sales and track sales. The chart combines those metrics into a weekly multidimensional ranking of artist popularity. The solo song catalog of Jackson, who died in 2009, generated 161.2 million on-demand U.S. streams during the May 8-14 tracking week, according to Luminate (up 6% week to week), behind only Drake and Morgan Wallen. On radio, Jackson's music continues to thrive with a ombined 93.4 million radio airplay audience impressions in the U.S. during the tracking week (up 2%), and good for eighth place among all artists. In album sales, Jackson's solo catalog sold a combined 46,000 albums in the U.S. during the week (up 8%) -- the second-highest total among all acts behind CORTIS. In digital song sales, Jackson's tunes sold 20,000 digital downloads combined during the tracking week, placing him narrowly behind Langley (also roughly 20,000) for the second highest total among all acts. Jackson is also No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart, began in 2020, for the first time. "Billie Jean" is the biggest song in the world, rising two spots to No. 1, and shattering the record for the longest rise to the top, reigning in its 144th week. Together, those metrics make MJ the biggest artist in the U.S. for the third week in May, a feat sparked by the major cultural and commercial impact of Michael, which has sent many of his songs and albums back onto Billboard's charts. The film has become second-highest grossing film of the year, returning to the No. 1 spot in North American box office sales after two weeks trailing The Devil Wears Prada 2, earning $26.1 million in ticket sales in its third week of release, according to studio estimates. In other Jackson-family news, Jermaine Jackson has been ordered to pay $6.5 million for allegedly raping a session musician coordinator in her Los Angeles-area home in 1988. - Billboard, 5/18/26...... Funk legend George Clinton filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group on May 15, claiming the music giant is "financially crippling" him by freezing more than $1 million in his royalty accounts amid a long-simmering dispute over ownership of his catalog. Clinton claims UMG has unfairly withheld all royalties merely because of a separate case filed years ago by the estate of late Parliament-Funkadelic member Bernie Worrell seeking a cut from hundreds of P-Funk tracks. But Worrell's lawsuit was dismissed last year, Clinton says -- and yet, UMG is still refusing to pay him his royalties. "UMG continues to withhold 100% of royalties from plaintiff across every royalty account, including accounts for sound recordings that have no [connection] whatsoever to the Worrell litigation," his lawyers contend. "These funds have been frozen for more than three years, with no legal justification, financially crippling plaintiff." Worrell's estate sued Clinton in 2022, claiming the keyboardist had been a co-creator of 264 songs in the P-Funk catalog, including Billboard Hot 100 hits "Flash Light" and "One Nation Under a Groove." The case sought a court ruling that the estate was the co-owner of those tracks. While the lawsuit was pending, UMG started withholding royalties from Clinton, a common industry practice during litigation. The company was initially named in the Worrell lawsuit, and Clinton's record deal allows the label to freeze royalties when "reasonably necessary" to protect itself from liability if the music is involved in litigation. In his new lawsuit, Clinton says UMG is still unfairly withholding all of his royalties, even though the Worrell lawsuit only ever dealt with a 50% cut and there's no longer any legal risk to the company to justify the freeze. Clinton previouisly fought battles with Worrell and his estate, as well as numerous cases with his former agent, Armen Boladian, whose company, Bridgeport Music, owns 90% of his publishing. - Billboard, 5/18/26...... Appearing as musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live on May 16, Paul McCartney performed three songs (rather than the standard two), in addition to getting monologue and sketch screen time, on the Will Ferrell-hosted season finale episode. Sir Paul's return to the SNL stage came more than 13 years after his last performance slot on the show, being previously booked as musical guest for episodes in 1980, 1993, 2010 and 2012. For his fifth appearance, the former Beatle performed "Days We Left Behind," the poignant lead single from his upcoming album The Boys of Dungeon Lane (out May 29). For his second number, he and his band performed a lively "Band on the Run," the 1974 McCartney and Wings classic that hit the top of the pop chart that year. The music legend got extra time on camera Saturday night -- in host Ferrell's monologue, for which he took over a bit that had him confusing Ferrell with doppelgänger Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and in a sketch later in the episode that had him co-starring with Ferrell and Marcello Hernndez as mechanics swindling clueless car owners. Finally as the credits rolled, the closing moments of the show were extended for a musical encore by Paul and his band with a rendition of his 1980 No. 1 solo hit "Coming Up." His SNL performances of "Days We Left Behind" and "Band on the Run" can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/17/26...... In other McCartney news, the star recently made this year's London Sunday Times Rich List once again, with the former Beatle and his wife, the former Nancy Shevell, listed with a combined fortune of £1.055 billion. Their wealth continues to rise through touring, publishing, catalogue reissues and the enduring commercial power of the Beatles' legacy, which remains one of the most valuable cultural brands in the world, and has turned Macca the only musician in UK history to reach billionaire status. Other '70s musicians making the list were Sir Elton John (No. 6, £480 million), Sir Mick Jagger (No. 7, £450 million), and Keith Richards (No. 8, £450 million). - Music-News.com, 5/15/26...... Speaking of the Rolling Stones, the band has been transported back to the 1970s by deepfake technology in the video for their new single "In The Stars." In a video shared on YouTube, band members have been transported back to their '70s selves, as they play the track alongside musicians and dancers from across the eras, all united by the band's timeless hedonistic energy. The video, created by Deep Voodoo using deepfake technology and directed by Francois Rousselet, stars Marty Supreme actress Odessa A'zion, who has said: "Are you kidding me? It's my dream. The first record that I ever got that I listened to from start to finish was 'Tattoo You'. I'm obsessed with The Rolling Stones. This is in my bucket list for sure." The video can be viewed on YouTube. The Stones' new album, Foreign Tongues, will drop on July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music and it is set to feature guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, Steve Winwood and the band's late drummer Charlie Watts. - NME, 5/15/26...... Elton John is teaming with iHeartMedia and Procter & Gamble to launch a new awards show, the Elton John Impact Awards, which will honor LGBTQ+ icons and trailblazers. The inaugural Elton John Impact Awards will launch on June 1 as a podcast series and honor Jonathan Bailey, Chappell Roan, Laverne Cox, Melissa Etheridge, Billie Jean King and Orville Peck. Hosted by Billy Porter and Elvis Duran, the special will also feature a performance of John's "Your Song" by Dove Cameron, along with candid, personal conversations with Sir Elton, his husband, David Furnish, who is chair of the Elton John AIDS Foundation; and this year's honorees. Organizers said the program will also help boost awareness and funding for several organisations supporting the LGBTQ+ community, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation. "I've always believed in the power of storytelling to connect us and challenge us," Elton said in a statement. "These conversations bring together the people who have shaped LGBTQ+ culture and fought for dignity at a time when the world too often looked away." - Music-News.com, 5/18/26...... Barbra Streisand revealed on May 17 that she will be unable to attend the Cannes Film Festival closing ceremony to accept her honorary Palme d'Or after suffering a knee injury. "On the advice of my doctors, as I continue recovering from a knee injury, I am sadly unable to attend the Festival de Cannes this year," the "The Way We Were" singer said in a statement. "My heartfelt thanks to the Festival, and to everyone who continues to support and champion the art of cinema," she added. The festival will pay tribute to the singer, actor and filmmaker during its closing ceremony on May 23." Festival organizers issued a statement giving Streisand their "warmest wishes for a prompt recovery." Streisand is the third recipient of a Cannes honorary Palme d'Or this year, alongside Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson and John Travolta, who premiered his directorial debut Propeller One-Way Night Coach at the festival. Travolta was surprised with the award before the screening, prompting an emotional reaction. "This is beyond the Oscar," he said through tears. "I can't believe this. This is the last thing I expected." - Music-News.com, 5/17/26...... The American Music Awards announced on May 15 that Billy Idol will receive the 2026 Lifetime Achievement AMA award at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 25. The '80s music star, 70, who began his music career in the late 1970s as frontman with the punk band Generation X, will receive the prestigious prize and deliver a medley of some of his biggest hits during the 2026 AMA ceremony. The performance will mark Idol's (real name William Broad) first time on the AMAs stage since presenting in 2004 and his first AMAs performance ever. Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Diana Ross and Rod Stewart. - Music-News.com, 5/15/26...... Singer/guitarist Ike Willis, who played in late rock iconoclast Frank Zappa's band for a decade from 1978-1998, died on May 16 in Las Vegas after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 70. Willis was best known as the voice of the 1979 three-part rock opera Joe's Garage, the sprawling album telling the story of average L.A. teen Joe, who over the course of the LP -- which was later released as a double, and triple album -- forms a band, has sex with household appliance and strikes out with women and is then jailed and released into a world where music is outlawed. As with many of Zappa's eclectic albums, Joe's Garage hopped from rock to jazz, country and pop and hit on a number of the musician s favorite topics: sex, religion, government overreach and authoritarianism. It included Willis crooning, as Joe, on the church-baiting "Catholic Girls," "Crew Slut," "Wet T-Shirt Nite" and his pained caterwauling on the STD-themed jazz rocker "Why Does it Hurt When I Pee?" Isaac "Ike" Willis was born on Nov. 12, 1955 in St. Louis and started playing guitar at age eight and fell under the spell of prog rock and jazz in high school, specifically having his mind blown at a 1974 Zappa concert on the "Roxy and Elsewhere" tour. Then, while studying political science at Washington University in St. Louis in 1977 and also working on the school s concert committee, he scored a backstage pass he used to meet Zappa during a show at Wash U. Willis impressed Zappa with his singing skills backstage, prompting the band leader to ask Willis to audition to be a guitarist in his band. After graduating from the university the next year, Willis finally got his official audition in California and became a regular member of Zappa's expansive touring and studio crew for the next decade. According to his family's statement, Willis continued to inspire new generations of musicians outside of his work with Zappa, including mentoring young artists during a stint teaching at the School of Rock. "His years of collaboration with Frank Zappa made him a cherished figure within the Zappa community, where fans embraced him not only for his talent, but for his generosity, wit, and the joy he brought to every stage," the statement said. - Billboard, 5/19/26...... Dennis Locorriere, a founding member of the '70s country rock band Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, died on May 16 following a "long and courageous battle with kidney disease," his reps shared in a statement. He was 76. "Dennis faced his illness with remarkable strength, dignity, and resilience throughout, and remained deeply cherished by all who knew him. He will be remembered for his warmth, love, and the lasting impact he had on those around him," the statement read. "We would like to thank everyone who supported Dennis during his journey and ask for privacy for his loved ones as they grieve this profound loss." The New Jersey-born singer and guitarist co-founded Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show in 1969, serving as the band's bassist and lead singer, and having chart success with songs including "Sylvia's Mother" (No. 5, 1972), "The Cover of Rolling Stone" (No. 6, 1973). After shortening their band name to Dr. Hook in the mid-'70s, Locorriere and the band scored more hits with "Only Sixteen" (No. 6, 1976), "Sharing the Night Together" (No. 6, 1978), "When You're In Love With a Beautiful Woman" (No. 6, 1979), "Sexy Eyes" (No. 5, 1980), and "Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk" (No. 25, 1982). Co-fronted by Ray Sawyer ("Dr. Hook" because he wore an eye patch), Dr. Hook also appeared in and performed music for the film Who Is Harry Kellerman And Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? starring Dustin Hoffman. Following the band's farewell tour in 1985, Locorriere retained the rights to the group's moniker and continued touring as Dr. Hook. He announced in Nov. 2025 that he would retire from touring. - Music-News.com, 5/17/26...... Actress Ann Robinson, who starred in the original The War of the Worlds sci-fi classic, passed away on Sept. 26, 2025 at her home in L.A., but her family only recently confirmed her death. She was 96. The actress began her movie career as a stuntwoman before going on to become a star in the 1953 classic, The War of the Worlds. Based on H.G. Wells' 1898 novel, the Oscar-winning film centered on Ms. Robinson's library science teacher character, Sylvia Van Buren, who teams up with Gene Barry's Pacific Tech professor character, Clayton Forrester, trying to figure out how to defeat Martians. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects as the Martians wielded a deadly heat ray that killed everything in its path. In 2011, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for its cultural significance and aesthetic appeal, and in 2005, Steven Spielberg tackled his own version with Tom Cruise in the lead and Ms. Robinson and Barry making memorable cameos as the grandmother and grandfather of Cruise's children in the film. The actress also had a long list of film and TV credits including guest roles on famous TV series like Dragnet, Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and even Gilligan's Island. She is survived by her son, Jaime Bravo Jr., and two grandchildren. - Canoe.com, 5/18/26.