Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 9th, 2026

Foreigner co-founder Mick Jones has struck a deal with the music publishing and talent management company Primary Wave for Jones' share of the band's publishing and master recordings, along with name, image and likeness rights. Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, Primary Wave typically includes buying a majority stake in an artist's music assets, likely Jones' publishing and his share of Foreigner's artist royalties from the band's master recordings from its hit albums, which are not owned by the band. The deal also includes a stake in the later Foreigner albums that Jones owns, including the upcoming Foreigner concert LP, In the Eye of the Storm Live, to be released on July 24. In a statement, Jones praised Primary Wave as a "unique company that focuses on heritage artists and develops them with incredible success" and he is "personally thrilled" that the company will be "working alongside his long-term friends and managers, Phil Carson and Stewart Young, to build upon the awareness of Foreigner and our songs." According to the announcement, Foreigner has accumulated more than 80 million album consumption units around the globe from its catalog of nine studio albums, 11 live albums and 16 compilations, and its catalong is still generating healthy activity in the U.S. Primary Wave has previously struck similar deals with such artists as Bad Company's Paul Rodgers, America and Paul Anka. - Billboard, 7/8/26...... The Ramones announced on July 7 that a 50th anniversary tribute to the iconic '70s punk rockers' eponymous 1976 debut LP will take place on Aug. 30 at Los Angeles' Hollywood Forever Cemetery and hosted by movie legend John Travolta. Headlining will be an all-star Ramones cover band fronted by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Rancid's Tim Armstrong, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and former Ramones bassist CJ Ramone, as well as some as-yet-unannounced special surprise guests. "The spirit of the Ramones is alive in every backyard punk show, punk club and festival," said Billie Joe Armstrong in a statement. "Generation after generation of cretins and weirdos become Ramones lovers. Kids are influenced by the Ramones and they don't even know it yet. Viva Ramones!" Armstrong added, "From the moment I first heard the Ramones, music was never the same. They are my favorite band of all time! I can't wait to play those great and perfect Ramones songs with my friends CJ, Travis and Billie. It's gonna be wild!" In addition to the all-star set of Ramones covers, the evening will include a double-feature screening of the 50th anniversary edition of the horror classic Carrie, as well as Travolta's new film, Propeller One-Way Night Coach. Proceeds from the event are earmarked for the David Agus MD Cancer Research at Ellison Institute, and tickets for the event are currently available at ticketwave.com. The Ramones, released on Apr. 23, 1976, is considered to be the spark that lit the global punk revolution thanks to its 14-song, 30-minute blitz of indelible classics including "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Beat on the Brat," "Judy is a Punk," and "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." As part of the yearlong celebration of the group's golden anniversary, Rhino Records is preparing a limited edition, first-time picture disc pressing of The Ramones on July 17, as well as a 2LP colored edition of Live at the Roxy, 8/12/76 on July 31. - Billboard, 7/7/26...... People magazine has revealed that Paul McCartney was among the performers at the July 3 wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at New York's Madison Square Garden, reviving The Beatles' US breakthrough classic "I Want to Hold Your Hand" live for the first time since 1964. "After the ceremony, Taylor's mom Andrea invited everyone into the reception room where the stage was set up," a source told People on July 5. The reception space was also where Stevie Nicks performed, the source said, which was confirmed by Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts on July 4. Prior to the Swift-Kelce wedding, Sir Paul had not performed "I Want to Hold Your Hand" live since the Beatles' Sept. 1964 concert at New York's Paramount Theatre, according to setlist.fm. The John Lennon/McCartney composition was a seven-week No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart that same year. Swift recently showed her admiration for McCartney by sharing an Instagram post from the former Beatle promoting his newly released solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. "Never not inspired by this eternally exceptional artist," Swift wrote on her Instagram Stories. McCartney also attended one of Swift's Eras Tour shows at London's Wembley Stadium in 2024 as a VIP guest, where fan-captured video showed him dancing along to The Tortured Poets Department track "But Daddy I Love Him." - Billboard, 7/5/26...... In other Beatles-related news, Ringo Starr was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Liverpool on the occasion of his 86th birthday on July 7. "I want to thank the University of Liverpool for this honorary degree and for coming all the way to LA to bestow it. I'm really honoured," the BBC reported Starr as saying, and the drummer also encouraged attendees to "follow your dreams." "I've been thinking back on my life a lot lately," Starr mused. "And when I chose to become a drummer full-time, my family discouraged me. And they could have been right, but they weren't. It all worked out." Ringo continued: "So to all the graduates back in Liverpool, I send peace and love and want to say don't be afraid to follow your dreams, or take that right turn and see where it goes." University of Liverpool chancellor, Wendy Beetlestone, added that it was a "great privilege to recognise Ringo, whose influential musical work, particularly in The Beatles, has helped shape the identity and global reputation of Liverpool," the BBC reported. Starr's birthday is a globally recognised event in the music world. Since 2008, he has hosted an annual event encouraging fans everywhere to pause and say or think "Peace and Love" precisely at noon in their local time zones. - Music-News.com, 7/8/26...... On July 8 Elton John took to Instagram to announce two final surprise shows in Mexico City, as the final conclusion of his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour, three years after it originally ended. The tour was originally scheduled to conclude in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside a hip injury which forced him to postpone his remaining European and UK dates in Sept. 2021, led to the tour's extension into 2023. Among the shows cancelled were a number in Mexico. Now, the Rocket Man has announced two shows at Mexico City's Estadio Banorte on Oct. 2 and 3. "Mexico City has always held a special place in my heart," Sir Elton noted in his Instagram post. "I was truly disappointed that the pandemic kept me from touring Latin America during my Farewell tour which makes this return especially meaningful. I'm thrilled to finally share this very special moment with my fans after all these years," he added. Elton last played Mexico in 2012 at the Auditorio Nacional. He recently revealed that he had completed a new album while at the Great Canadian Casino Resort in Toronto, where he received the prestigious Glenn Gould Prize. Meanwhile, the superstar is among several high-profile celebrities to lose a hacking court case in the U.K. John and husband David Furnish were joined by Prince Harry, actor Elizabeth Hurley and more in their battle against the British tabloids The Daily Mail and Mail Sunday. The plaintiffs claimed the papers had unlawfully obtained information by hacking into their messages, tapping landlines or acquiring medical records. Both publications' parent company, Associated Newspaper Limited (ANL), denied wrongdoing. The ruling by judge Matthew Nicklin on July 7 dismissed the claims, saying they had "failed to prove the allegations of UIG (alleged unlawful information gathering)" during a 10-week trial at London's High Court, which began in January. "This is a magnificent vindication of the Daily Mail's journalism," a spokesperson for ANL told the BBC. "The reputations of our decent and hard-working journalists were terribly impugned, and today they have been exonerated." - New Musical Express/Billboard, 7/7/26...... Ozzy Osbourne's widow Sharon Osbourne has marked her first wedding anniversary without Ozzy with a tribute to her late husband on Instagram on July 4. Alongside a close-up photo of the couple holding hands, Sharon wrote: "Today would have been our 46th wedding anniversary. Instead, it is a celebration of a love that even death could not diminish. I miss your hand in mine, but I carry your love with me every step of the way. Forever my husband. Forever my heart." Ozzy died on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76, following a public battle with Parkinson's disease. His passing came just 17 days after he headlined a massive farewell concert, "Back to the Beginning," at Villa Park in his hometown of Birmingham alongside Black Sabbath. The couple married in Hawaii on July 4, 1982, and remained together -- through well-documented highs and lows, including a brief separation in 2016 -- for 43 years until his death. They renewed their vows in 2017, raising children Aimee, Kelly and Jack Osbourne. In other Ozzy-related news, Black Sabbath have announced plans to release their first ever official book, The Masters of Reality - Why Black Sabbath Matter. The book will document the iconic metal band's history from their formation in Birmingham in the late 1960s to their epic final "Back To The Beginning" show in July 2025. Created by photographer Ross Halfin, a long-time friend of the band, it will also feature a huge wealth of rare photographs and memorabilia, in the huge 500 page volume. It will be published in three separate editions including a "Super Deluxe Signed Metal Edition," which is printed on silk art paper, in October, via Rufus Publications. "Ozzy and Sharon wanted the book out soon after the final show in Birmingham but Ozzy suddenly passing away caused the music world to stop," said Halfin. "Ozzy was fully involved with the book and he signed the book plates months before the final show, as did all the band members. So now, we all thought the time was right, one year after 'Back To The Beginning', to announce the project. A book we all feel celebrates both Black Sabbath and Ozzy and illustrates just how important they are. I hope fans enjoy it." The book's covers can be viewed on Instagram. - Billboard/NME, 7/5/26...... Earlier in 2026, Def Leppard recorded their forthcoming album in the basement of a casino on days off during their Las Vegas residency. The band performed Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace at the casino's Colosseum venue throughout February and frontman Joe Elliott has now revealed they kept busy throughout the run by setting up a makeshift studio space where they could work on tracks for their next record. "We did a Vegas residency in February, and we wanted to play a new song, so it made sense to actually put it out," Elliott said. He went on to reveal they are still working on their new music after starting the recording process off in Las Vegas, adding: "The album won't be out until early '27, 'cause we're still recording it. We were actually recording parts of it in Vegas on days off. We would go down into the basement of the casino and set it up as a studio, and we would record. So we're still actively recording now and mixing." Elliott added the band have around 18 songs for the new project, which he described as "a very eclectic collection of tunes." "We're working on it actively," he added. "We're touring this summer, and we'll be working on the album up to going on tour and then when we come off. So we need to get it finished by the end of the summer for an early release next year." - Music-News.com, 7/7/26...... Herb Alpert revived his '60s band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass for a show at the iconic Hollywood Bowl on July 5, returning to pack the storied venue for the first time in 59 years. Although the "Rise" performer hadn't shown much interest in reviving The Tijuana Brass as a concept for an entire tour, family members and business partners convinced him that if he built this more purposefully nostalgic a show, fans would come. The prophecy came true last fall, when Alpert and the Brass sold out all shows on a theater tour that climaxed in November in a buzzy pair of appearances down the street at the Dolby Theatre. His July 5 show began with a surprise introduction, a crowd-pleasing appearance that went on so long, it pretty much counted as an opening act: a laudatory speech by fellow pop legend and one-time Alpert protege Paul Williams. "There's nothing to worry about, but Herb left his horn at home," joked Williams. Alpert and company took the stage, inevitably, with "The Lonely Bull," the top 10 hit that started everything for the artist and the newly minted A&M label in 1962, followed by 22 hits and deeper cuts whose titles were meant to reinforce the Latin flavor he was bringing to the charts: "Memories of Madrid," "Spanish Flea," "Bittersweet Samba," "Mexican Shuffle," and "Tijuana Taxi." Alpert and the Tijuana Brass have 17 additional dates lined up across North America before the tour wraps on Oct. 23 at Chan Centre in Vancouver, B.C. - Variety, 7/6/26...... Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter Brian Potter, best known for co-producing Glen Campbell's 1975 Rhinestone Cowboy album, died June 30 in Granada Hills, Calif. He was 87. Mr. Potter, who was born in Essex, England, played in bands as a teen and even toured across the U.K. and Europe briefly as the drummer for Chuck Berry, scored his first hit in 1965 as a songwriter on the Small Faces' debut single "Whatcha Gonna Do About It," written with Ian Samwell. The song reached No. 14 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Potter met Dennis Lambert, a singer/songwriter in the U.S. Army stationed in Europe, and the pair became songwriting partners, leading to Potter moving to the U.S. Together, the pair landed numerous hits starting with 1969's anti-war song "One Tin Soldier," which was first recorded by The Original Caste. A 1971 version by Coven became the theme to the movie Billy Jack, and Skeeter Davis' rendition received a Grammy nomination for best female country vocal performance. Several hits penned by the Potter/Lambert team followed, including writing and producing a number of albums for The Four Tops following the R&B group's departure from Motown, that included such hits as "Keeper of the Castle" and "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I Got)," from the Lambert/Potter-produced album 1972's Keeper of the Castle. The pair landed their own imprint, Haven Records, at Capitol Records, and in the mid-'70s began working with Campbell on the 1975 Rhinestone Cowboy concept album about an aging country musician. The title track, written by Larry Weiss, earned Potter and his collaborators (also including Bari Weiss a Grammy nomination for producer of the year, and won him an Academy of Country Music Award as well as American Music Award. Other 1970s' Billboard Hot 100 hits penned by the duo included Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds' "Don't Pull Your Love" (No. 4), The Grass Roots' "Two Divided By Love" (No. 16), The Righteous Brothers' "Dream On" (No. 32), and Tavares' "It Only Takes a Minute" (No. 10). As producers, they also continued to score hits, including Player's No. 1 tune, "Baby Come Back." In 2025, Lambert and Potter were nominated for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in the non-performing songwriters category. According to his daughter, Mr. Potter passed away following years living with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's. Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Karen; daughter Courtney and stepdaughter Mary Shirley; two brothers; and a number of other relatives. - Billboard, 7/8/26.

As rumored, Stevie Nicks was among the performers during the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in New York on July 3. Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, who attended the wedding with her GMA colleagues, confirmed Nicks' performance the following morning on GMA. Swift also took part in a soundcheck with Nicks at Madison Square Garden earlier Friday, according to The New York Times. It was unclear which songs Nicks performed during the ceremony or whether Swift joined the iconic singer onstage. Swift and Nicks have shared a close friendship for years, performing together at the 2010 Grammy Awards, and Nicks later contributed a poem titled "For T-- and me" to Swift's The Tortured Poets Department album. Swift also referenced Nicks on "Clara Bow," the closing track on the standard edition of her 2024 album. Meanwhile, Dolly Parton is expressing her gratitude to Swift and Kelce for the couple's generous pre-wedding donation of $2 million to Parton's Imagination Library, a literacy program that provides free books to children. The couple donated a total of $26 million to charities across the U.S., including the Grammy Museum Foundation, New York Cares, Harvesters in Kansas City, and Parton's Imagination Library. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm blown away and overjoyed with that gratitude," Parton said in part in an Instagram post. "So, hey, when you have your first born, can I have it? Because that is gonna be one special baby!," she added. - Billboard, 7/4/26...... Elton John has reportedly landed a hologram residency in Las Vegas with "more advanced" technology than the ABBA-themed project ABBA Voyage. John, 79, stepped away from touring in 2023 but is now believed to have landed a mega-money deal for the show at the brand-new Hard Rock Hotel opening in Las Vegas in 2027. Not only will it feature the "Tiny Dancer" hitmaker in hologram form, but avatars of his past collaborators Dua Lipa and Kiki Dee will duet with Sir Elton. "It's similar to the ABBA Voyage show in London, but far more advanced as the technology has come on so much," a source told the U.K. paper The Sun's "Bizarre" column. "It's going to look phenomenal." Despite scaling back his live performances, Elton shows no signs of slowing down completely. The rock superstar recently revealed he quietly completed a brand-new album -- and it only exists because his eyesight troubles forced him to rebuild his entire creative process from scratch. While accepting the prestigious Glenn Gould Prize at the Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort in Toronto in May, he explained that his eye condition made his usual lyric-first method impossible. "I've had eye trouble recently and I always make records by looking at lyrics and writing to lyrics, and so I'm kind of f----- at the moment," he told the audience. - Music-News.com, 7/1/26...... Rush have teamed up with Fantoons -- the L.A.-based animation studio that has created Rush-themed puzzles, mugs, cereal boxes and bass pickguards over the past decade -- for a special-edition T-shirt benefiting the victims of the devastating earthquakes that hit Venezuela on June 24. The two massive magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes which struck less than a minute apart, have claimed more than 2,200 lives and left 11,000 injured, with thousands of citizens still unaccounted for. "In the rawest hour, asking for help, the band answered the way they always have: without hesitation, with open hands and open hearts, collaborating on this one-of-a-kind shirt that will change lives," Venezuelan Fantoons director David Calcano said in an Instagram statement. All profits from the colorful, limited-edition shirt featuring the group's iconic Starman logo will go to Hogar Bambi, an organization that has provided shelter for Venezuela's orphaned and abandoned children for more than three decades. The charity is now working to provide food, medicine and shelter for the youngest victims of the disaster. The T-shirt news comes after Rush was forced to postpone two Texas shows on June 30 and July 2 at Dixies Arena in Fort Worth due to singer/bassist Geddy Lee's health. "We are deeply sorry to share that we must postpone our June 30 and July 2 shows," the band posted on Facebook. "Geddy has been diagnosed with laryngitis and bronchitis. After being evaluated by his doctors, he has been advised that he needs additional time to rest and recover before returning to the stage," it added. As a result, the show originally scheduled for June 30 has been pushed back to July 11, while the July 2 gig will now take place on July 13, with tickets for both shows to be honored on the new dates; fans who cannot attend the rescheduled shows can get refunds at point of purchase. Following next week's rescheduled Fort Worth shows, the group is slated to move on to a four-night stand at the United Center in Chicago on July 16, 18, 20 and 22. The reunion tour is currently scheduled to wrap up with an April 10, 2027 gig in Helsinki, Finland. - Billboard, 7/2/26...... David Bowie's archive at London's V&A East Storehouse is set to go on tour across the UK. The David Bowie Centre opened at the new working store and visitor attraction at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford last autumn. It comprises over 90,000 of the late star's possessions, as well as curated exhibitions of objects by Bowie collaborator Nile Rodgers and super-fans The Last Dinner Party. On July 1, organizers announced that a new national tour will bring highlights from the V&A's Bowie archive to venues across the UK over multiple years. More than 100 pieces from the collection are to go on show in Dundee, Blackpool, Hull, County Durham, Bristol and beyond for "David Bowie: On Tour," The trek will give fans the only opportunity to see such a range of items from the icon's personal archive up close, outside of London's V&A East Storehouse. Visitors can expect a "rare glimpse into David Bowie's creative process and how he shaped his iconic image, music, video, TV and film work", per a press release. Highlights include Bowie's legendary costumes, musical instruments, career-spanning photography, and some never-before-seen items such as Polaroids for make-up and costume fittings. Next up, the archive will head to Showtown in Blackpool (June to Sept. 2027), the Bowes Museum in County Durham (Oct. 2027 to Jan. 2028), the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull (Feb. to May 2028), and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (June to Sept. 2028). Further venues are to be announced in due course, according to organisers. - New Musical Express, 7/1/26...... Bob Dylan guitarist Bob Britt has spoken out about his recent departure from Dylan's live backing band. Over the last weekend in June, Britt was reported to have left the touring line-up after he shared a brief social media post that was later deleted. He had played with Dylan since 2019, and been a regular fixture during the "Rough And Rowdy Ways" tour. Britt has now shared an update on the situation via Facebook, confirming that he was "not fired" by Dylan. "Apparently there are quite a few threads out there with people speculating about my departure from the Bob tour. I'd like to clear it up," he began. "I was not fired but left of my own accord for reasons I would prefer to keep private. I will miss my band mates and crew." Britt continued, saying he was "looking forward to getting back to doing sessions (give me a call)". He then hinted that a return to live performing could be on the cards at some point, adding: "As far as any touring goes, we will see what the future holds." Dylan has since enlisted Chicago-based jazz and blues musician Joel Paterson as his sole guitarist, after Britt's original replacement, acclaimed jazz guitarist Julian Lage, is said to have stepped back due to scheduling conflicts. Paterson played his first show with Dylan and co. in Austin, Tex. on June 29. Dylan's current trek is set to wrap in Nashville on Aug. 1. - NME, 7/1/26...... Jermaine Jackson is getting another chance at defending himself against claims that he raped a session musician coordinator in 1988. The Jackson 5 member, who has also had a prolific solo career with hits like "Daddy's Home", "Let's Get Serious" and "Do What You Do," was sued for sexual assault and battery in 2023. Jackson did not respond to the claims for more than two years, leading a Los Angeles judge to award a $6.5 million default judgment to accuser Rita Butler Barrett in June. It was at this point that Jackson finally appeared in court, flatly denying the rape allegations and saying he was unaware of the case until reading media reports about the default judgment. Jermaine, who lives in Bahrain, argued that he did not receive legal papers served at his mother's Encino home or via notices in the Los Angeles Times. He also noted that he changed his name to "Jermaine Jacksun" in 2013, meaning he was sued under the wrong legal name. Judge Elaine W. Mandel credited these arguments in her June 30 order, which wiped the $6.5 million judgment and restarted the litigation process. Jackson will now get another opportunity to file legal papers responding to Barrett's lawsuit, which alleges he showed up at her Los Angeles-area home unannounced in the spring of 1988, forced his way through the door and violently raped her. A music contractor who worked with Jackson in the late 1980s, Barrett brought the case under a one-year legislative window that lifted the statute of limitations for certain sexual assault claims. "Jermaine is adamant that he did not rape the plaintiff," said his lawyer, Bret Lewis, in a statement to Billboard. "I would add that the alleged conduct is not characteristic of the Jermaine Jackson/sun that I have known for years as his long-time attorney. We intend to vigorously defend these allegations." In other Jackson family news, Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Human Nature," "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough," "Thriller," "Bad" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" are currently dominating Billboard's Top Movie Songs chart for May 2026 on the heels of the release of the MJ biopic Michael in late April. After "Billie Jean" bowed at No. 3 on the April 2026 Top Movie Songs survey, the 1983 tune rules May's list on the strength of 84.2 million official streams and 8,000 downloads sold in the U.S. that month, according to Luminate. Those metrics drove the song, which reigned for seven weeks on the Hot 100 in its time, back onto the weekly chart, rising as high as No. 15 on the May 23 ranking. - Billboard, 6/30/26...... Bruce Springsteen was among the music dignitaries to speak at Clive Davis' funeral on the morning of June 29 at Central Synagogue in New York City. Springsteen shared fond memories of his early days finding his footing in the music industry and how Davis' tutelage shepherded him to stardom. (Springsteen signed to Columbia Records in 1972, where Davis served as president, when he was just 22 years old, and the two have remained close friends for over half a century.) He recalled turning in his Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. debut album, but Davis kicked it back to the rocker after listening and implored him to record songs that could have radio appeal. That same night, Springsteen recalled, he wrote "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night," both of which went on to be singles from his debut and catalog-defining tracks. "Two songs that totally changed the profile and perception of that album," he said. "Clive then filmed himself reciting the lyrics to 'Blinded by the Light' like it was some New Jersey Shakespeare." "Clive was big and bombastic and brave and full of ideas and just believed, believed, believed. He dressed like a king. He was born to run everything," the rocker playfully continued. He added that Davis never missed a New York performance of his for the rest of his career, even attending his tour stop in Newark, N.J., earlier this year, which saw Davis standing up for the entire show. Clive Davis passed away at 94 on June 22 while surrounded by family at his New York home. A private burial followed on June 29. Springsteen concluded his remembrance: "Nothing but love, Clive, thank you." - Billboard, 6/29/26...... Lionel Richie returned to the stage in Pittsburgh on June 30 a week after postponing dates on his co-headlining tour with Earth, Wind & Fire due to an unexplained illness. On June 24, Richie cut short his June 24 show in St. Paul, Minn., due to what was described at the time as an unexpected dizzy spell on the opening night. "I had you worried there for a minute, huh?" he joked during the show. "You have no idea what I have been through in the last 24 hours, listening to my friends tell me their advice on what I should be doing." While Richie has not made a statement about his condition or diagnosis, after doctor-ordered rest, the 77-year-old singer appeared to be in fine form in fan-posted footage of him performing his 1984 No. 3 hit "Stuck On You" and his 1977 Commodores No. 4 hit "Easy." Richie's 26-date joint tour with the "Shining Star" hitmakers -- their third batch of shows together after earlier runs in 2023 and 2024 -- is slated to run through an Aug. 14 stop in Austin, Tex. - Billboard, 7/1/26...... The B-52's set at Frances's Retro C Trop music festival on June 27 was cancelled just minutes before a violent storm hit the area. "We are so sorry to everyone who came out to Chateau de Tilloloy yesterday," the band shared in a Facebook post after their slot on June 27 got cancelled. "The storm made it impossible to continue, and the safety of our fans and everyone on site had to come first," they continued. "A huge thank you to our touring crew for their work and care in keeping everyone as safe as possible throughout an incredibly dangerous situation. We hope everyone got home safely." The band also hit out at promoter who they claimed knew that a "dangerous storm was brewing." The festival, which described the storm as a tornado, later announced that they would be cancelling its final day the next day following the evacuation from the night prior. B-52's frontman Fred Schneider detailed the effect the chaotic weather had on the day in a lengthy post on his personal Facebook account, describing it as a "total disaster." "We felt terrible for the fans that have waited in the heat all day for us to perform. And then get very little warning to no warning from the promoter that it wasn't safe to stay out and make our way to the stage, there was lightning striking the band before our set," he posted. - NME, 6/29/26...... Authorities in the U.K. have charged disgraced British glam rock star Gary Glitter with additional counts of child sexual abuse in the country. Glitter, 82, (real name Paul Gadd) has repeatedly been convicted of pedophilia and is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in England for sexually abusing three young girls in the 1970s. On July 2, London's Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service accused him of abusing a fourth girl under the age of 13 during that same period at a home in Kensington. "This follows allegations made by a woman relating to a period of alleged abuse that took place between 1978 and 1981," said lead prosecutor Bethan David in a public announcement. "Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to do so." Glitter is charged in this new case with one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child and three counts of indecent assault. Police say the victim reported the alleged crimes in Jan. 2025 and that Glitter was interviewed as part of their lengthy investigation before charges were filed. Glitter, currently incarcerated at Channings Wood Prison in Devon, England, has been ordered to appear in Westminster Magistrates' Court to address the charges on Aug. 5. - Billboard, 7/2/26...... Victor Willis, the longtime lead singer and frontman of costumed disco group the Village People and cowriter of such indelible dance anthems as "Y.M.C.A." and "Macho Man," died on June 30 following a brief illness, according to a post on the group's Facebook page. He was 74. "We are profoundly sad to announce the death of VICTOR WILLIS, lead singer of Village People," the post reads. "Victor passed on Tuesday June 30, 2026 of a short but aggressive illness. Privacy is requested." Willis' wife, Karen-Huff Willis, posted a similar message on her husband's FB page. Willis, who performed as both a police officer and naval officer in the group whose members were known for their colorful stage attire and fit physiques, was born on July 1, 1951, in Dallas, Tex., growing up in San Francisco's notoriously funky Haight-Ashbury district and singing gospel in his Baptist minister father's church as a young man before pivoting to soul music with his high school band. He used his acting and dance training at Antioch College to transition to musicals after a move to New York, where he joined the Negro Ensemble Company and appeared in the original Broadway production of "The Wiz" in 1976. His life changed in 1977 when French music producer Jacques Morali and his Can't Stop Productions partner Henri Belolo put out a call for background singers to lend a hand on an album by their group the Ritchie Family. Arranger/conductor Horace Ott suggested Willis, who was then tapped by the Can't Stop team to front a new kind of group they were putting together. Taking inspiration for the name from Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood, the producers quickly pulled together a backing band to make an appearance with Willis on American Bandstand. After the original lineup -- pretend cop Willis, Felipe Rose (American Indian), Alex Briley (soldier), Lee Mouton (biker), Mark Mussler (construction worker), David Forrest (cowboy) and brief, early non-costumed member Peter Whitehead -- made a splash on the show, the producers posted a recruitment ad that read "macho types wanted: must dance and have a mustache." They also leaned into what became the group's signature gimmick: job-related costumes for each man, with the original lineup shuffled to include Glenn Hughes (leather daddy), David Hodo (construction worker) and Randy Jones (cowboy). Formed at the peak of the disco revolution, the gay-coded group quickly became dance floor icons thanks to such booming anthems as the Willis cowritten "Macho Man" from their 1978 album of the same name, which peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Leaning further into the are-they-or-aren't-they nature of the group, the title of the band's third album, 1978's Cruisin', was either an homage to hopping in the car for a drive or a not-at-all-subtle reference to the gay slang term for searching around for casual sex. That album spawned yet another huge hit with "Y.M.C.A.," another Willis cowrite that hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 in early 1979 before going on to be one of the group's most successful and beloved singles. The Grammy Hall of Fame track with its signature hand jive motions has since become a staple at parties and sporting events, as well as being one of Pres. Donald Trump's favorite songs, one he frequently gyrates to during public appearances. Willis, who was straight, steadfastly denied that he wrote "Y.M.C.A." to be a "gay anthem," despite the double-entendre lyrics that appeared to suggest otherwise. "Young man, there's a place you can go, I said/ Young man, when you're short on your dough/ You can stay there and I'm sure you will find/ Many ways to have a good time," he sings on the tune. Willis left the group in 1979 amid the production for their disastrous movie musical Can't Stop the Music, and was replaced by the band's former tour backup singer, Ray Simpson. With disco's popularity at a nadir amid the rise of new wave, the group's 1981 album, Renaissance, which had them adopting the makeup and new romantic look of the day, was a flop. Willis briefly came back into the fold for 1981's equally unimpressive eighth album, Fox on the Box, which was later released in the U.S. in 1983 as In the Street. By 1983, Willis took leave again as the band underwent another in a rolling series of lineup changes and he began a decades long battle over copyright issues. After leaving the group, Willis would not perform Village People songs and did not record new music, though a 1979 solo album, Solo Man, was finally released in Aug. 2015. Willis, who entered the Betty Ford Clinic in 2007 following years of substance abuse, rejoined the group yet again in 2017 after a 2015 out-of-court settlement that gave him 50% ownership of some of the group's biggest hits. He appeared on the 2018 Christmas album, A Village People Christmas and performed with them at several events tied to Trump's second inauguration in Jan. 2025. - Billboard, 7/1/26.