Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 14th, 2026

The Michael Jackson biopic Michael has reached an extraordinary milestone -- the first biopic of not only a music star but of any famous individual to earn $1 billion at the box office. Michael, which stars the late singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson and follows the life of MJ from his days in the Jackson 5 up until his 1980s "Bad" world tour, debuted to the largest-ever opening weekend for a biopic and subsequently becoming the highest-grossing biopic ever made, beating the Oscar-winning best picture Oppenheimer. It has now been confirmed that Michael has taken in $1.001 billion (£750 million) globally, making it the first of its genre to pass the milestone. "Reaching this extraordinary $1 billion milestone with Michael is a deeply humbling moment that celebrates the tireless dedication of our incredible producers, cast, crew, and partners," director Antoine Fuqua said in a statement. "This achievement belongs to everyone who came together with a shared vision to honour one of the greatest artists the world has ever known. I am profoundly grateful to the audiences around the globe who embraced this film, showed up in theatres, and connected with this story across generations and cultures," he added. - New Musical Express, 7/13/26...... ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus was the opening keynote speaker at the UN's AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland on July 13 and said artists "deserve a place at the table" in the age of AI. Ulvaeus asked the simple question "AI is good for whom?" and urged the audience to remember the point of view of artists and creatives in the pursuit of AI development. "A technology is good when the human beings whose work made it possible are not erased by it, when they consent to it, when they share in what it creates," he said. Ulvaeus continued that he hopes "one extra chair will always be reserved at that table for the creators whose work made these systems possible. These tools are extraordinary, but they could not have been built without us." Ulvaeus has never been shy about embracing emerging technology -- just a few years ago, the iconic Swedish pop quartet used "motion capture and motion learning" to create the groundbreaking virtual ABBA Voyage show in London, which uses technology to de-age and simulate the performances of the four singers night after night. "Some people sometimes ask me, 'How can you lecture the world about AI and human creativity, and then sell tickets to watch a machine perform as you?'" he explained. "The answer is one word: consent. We chose it. We participated in it. We are paid for it. The technology serves the artist because the artists were at the table from the very beginning, and the audiences love it. So, I guess that's AI for good." Ulvaeus continued, "I'm not going to stand here and tell you that machine-made music is cold or soulless, and that audiences will always hear the difference. I know that isn't true. I am genuinely in awe of the tools that have been built, but awe is not the same as acceptance." Notably, Ulvaeus did not complain about how record labels and publishers specifically are treating licensed training data, but his address added to the growing chorus of music industry power players asking for consensual AI training in 2026. - Billboard, 7/13/26...... Appearing at his annual "Peace and Love" event on July 7 to celebrate his 86th birthday, Ringo Starr revealed that The Beatles had one rule on long van rides: "own up to the fart." Offering the tip to young musicians starting out, he said: "If you're in the van and you fart - own up to it." "We just occasionally with four guys in a three-hour car journey, one of us would make a noise. And at the beginning, it was like 'well, it wasn't me." Starr continued: "And we realized, well, just to get it out of the way, say I did it. And it worked a treat and it took the pressure off. It wasn't a thing. We didn't like go oh, 'I'm going next'." Elsewhere, Ringo -- who continues to hit the road with his All Star Band -- confessed that he intended to quit touring in 2021, but five years on, he cannot get enough of playing live. "I have been calling it the last tour since 2021 -- and my kids are fed up with me now. I say ' That's it - I am not going out anymore'; and they are like 'oh dad you said that last year'," the infatigable musician said. "And I out again. I am out this year. It is what I do. It is how it is. I have got a great band and it just works. We used to rehearse for two days, now we rehearse for two hours and we are ready to rock." Ringo also admitted he's clueless about why he connects so strongly with younger generations: "I don't know (why I appeal to them), but I have got 10 grandkids. I don't know what it is. It is one of those things." - Music-News.com, 7/13/26...... Co-founding Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward took to Instagram on July 9 to reveal he now uses a wheelchair, but said he "can still play pretty good for 78." In a post captioned "Something New To Let You Know About," the percussionist said: "I'm announcing today somewhat sadly but nonetheless truthfully, that I've reached a place where publicly more and more I need to use a wheelchair, mostly in airports, or public events. I can still walk, let there be no doubt, but I can't walk very far without needing to rest, meaning I need to sit down." He went on to explain that he first began using the wheelchair occasionally about 18 months ago, "mostly in airports," but has started depending on it more following his 78th birthday this past May. "I was a long distance walker, I've walked in many different parts of the world, and I'm still a drummer," Ward continued. "I can still play pretty good for 78 years old." "My talents and ambitions, and my unyielding need to be artful, and to play drums, is still as strong as it was so many years ago now," the rocker added. "I'm just saying if you see me in a wheelchair, I'm just catching a ride, I'm not in retirement or ill or giving up, or any of those thoughts that ignite when we see people in wheelchairs." Ward ended his message with a promise to "keep rocking until I'm dead" and his thought that because secrets "can be dangerous to our health, I'm letting transparency prevail, with love and progression." He also shared a photo of himself in his wheelchair, smiling at the camera. Ward helped found Black Sabbath in the late '60s before leaving the lineup in the early '80s. He would still make occasional appearances with the band up until Ozzy Osbourne's farewell concert in Birmingham, England in July 2025. - Billboard, 7/9/26...... The Sex Pistols have announced a new reissue of their 1996 live album Filthy Lucre Live to mark 30 years since the band's shock reunion. The album captured their performance at London's Finsbury Park on June 23, 1996, with Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock back on stage together in one of the decade's most unexpected returns. Filthy Lucre Live is set to be reissued on Nov. 20 via UMR as a 2LP red vinyl set and single CD, and featuring the bonus tracks "No Fun" and "Buddies" for the first time on the release. The Pistols' Finsbury Park show came at the height of Britpop and Euro '96 fever. In football England had beaten Spain on penalties the previous day, and Stuart Pearce and future England manager Gareth Southgate were at the show to introduce the band on stage. - NME, 7/10/26...... The Rolling Stones launched their new album Foreign Tongues in London on July 8 with a spectacular drone show and star studded party. Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood hosted friends, guests and the likes of Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Sam Fender, Sacha Baron Cohen, John McEnroe and Glen Matlock at the St. Clement hotel. Along with longtime keyboard collaborator Matt Clifford, the Stones also treated the crowd to an intimate live performance of the Foreign Tongues track "Ringing Hollow," which can be viewed on Instagram. Following their performance, a spectacular, light show was staged over the River Thames, illuminating the London skyline with the band's classic tongue and album artwork, above the London Eye and Big Ben. The light show was linked to their recent release "In The Stars," and can also be viewed on Instagram The display was created by internationally acclaimed designer Patrick Woodroffe, who said: "The music for the 500 drone light show was set to the new Stones song 'In The Stars' and is a fitting metaphor to see the iconic and much loved Stones' tongue hanging over the River Thames to celebrate a record made here in the city of London." Meanwhile, Foreign Tongues is charging toward the top spot on the current U.K. Official Albums Chart and is on track to become the British rockers' 15th U.K. No. 1 album. The landmark achievement comes an incredible 62 years after their self-titled debut record first topped the U.K. charts back in 1964. Elsewhere, Mick Jagger appeared on Conan O'Brien's "Needs a Friend" podcast on July 13 and revealed he regretted taking John Lennon advice about not meeting Elvis Presley, as The Beatles famously once did back in 1965. "I remember John telling me, 'You should never meet your heroes. I would never meet Elvis, Mick, if I were you,'" he recalled. "And so, I didn't. I took John's advice. It was really stupid of me, really. I'd love to have met Elvis." Jagger said Lennon gave him the warning on several occasions before the King of Rock and Roll passed away in 1977 at the age of 42. "I wanted to keep my Elvis to myself, my version of Elvis," the 82-year-old mused. "And so, I didn't want my version of Elvis shattered like John's was, but maybe my Elvis version would have been different." Lastly in Rolling Stones news, on July 8 the band announced that they will take fans on a six-decade trip through their history in an immersive Roblox game that launched July 10, the same day they dropped Foreign Tongues. According to a release announcing the project, the Stones teamed up with more than a dozen members of Roblox's global creator community to reimagine their iconic tongue-and-lips logo on both virtual and physical merchandise that fans can transfer from their avatar into the physical world. The on-platform game will allow players to interact with items from the band's history trapped in colorful crystals inspired by their 2023 Hackney Diamonds album, with users progressing through decades representing the group's various eras. A preview of the game can be streamed on Instagram. - NME/Music-News.com/Billboard, 7/9/26...... Black entrepreneur George E. Johnson, known for founding a leading Black hair care products company and sponsoring the iconic hit R&B dance show Soul Train, died on July 6 from respiratory illness or natural causes. He was 99 years old. Mr. Johnson founded Johnson Products in 1954 alongside his wife, Joan, creating brands such as Ultra Sheen, Afro Sheen, Classy Curl, and Curly Perm. The company served a market largely ignored by mainstream beauty brands, introducing innovations like a smoke-reducing home-use straightener for women. By the 1960s, Johnson Products held a dominant share of the Black hair care market, influencing styling trends from hair relaxers to Afros and Jheri curls. In 1971, Johnson Products became the first Black-owned company listed on the American Stock Exchange, marking a milestone for Black entrepreneurship. It was also the first Black-owned national sponsor of Soul Train which expanded the show's reach from a local program to a cultural fixture. The sponsorship gave unprecedented national exposure to a Black-owned brand while aligning it with the era's expressions of Black pride. Beyond business, Mr. Johnson supported educational and civic initiatives, mentored entrepreneurs, and was honored with awards including Harvard University's W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2025 for his contributions to African American history and culture. - MSN.com, 7/7/26...... Actor Randolph Mantooth, known for playing paramedic Johnny Gage on the 1972-77 NBC series Emergency!, died July 9 in a Ventura, Calif. hospice, according to his brother. He was 80. Mr. Mantooth broke out in 1972 when he was cast in Emergency!, which introduced the profession of paramedics to the public. He co-starred with Kevin Tighe in the popular series which ran for six seasons, and performed most of his own stunts. The Sacramento native, whose father was of Cherokee and Seminole descent, studied at Santa Barbara City College and earned a scholarship to New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After he was discovered onstage in New York and signed to a Universal contract, he began appearing on TV shows including Ironside, The Virginian, Marcus Welby, M.D. and The Bold Ones. He also played his Emergency! character Gage on other shows such as Adam-12, and remained an advocate for firefighters, paramedics and EMTs throughout his life. Other credits include appearances in Dallas, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Loving and the soaps As the World Turns and One Life to Live. Mr. Mantooth had been diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and is survived by his wife Kristen and his siblings Donald and Tonya. - Variety, 7/10/26...... New Zealand actor Sam Neill, one of Hollywood's most beloved actors, passed away in Sydney, Australia, on July 13. He was 78. Neill was best known for bringing Dr. Alan Grant to life in the Jurassic Park franchise, and leaves behind a career that spanned five decades and earned admiration across film and TV. Neill began building his screen career in the 1970s before becoming an international star. He earned early acclaim with films such as My Brilliant Career and Possession, but global audiences came to know him as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993). He was also featured in such well-known titles as The Hunt for Red October, The Piano, Event Horizon and The Horse Whisperer. His credits also include Peaky Blinders, where he portrayed Chief Inspector Chester Campbell. Over the years, he built a reputation as an actor who could fit into almost any kind of role. That versatility earned him plenty of recognition, including several AACTA Awards and New Zealand Film and Television Awards. In an Instagram post, his family said he died on July 13 in Sydney "surrounded by family" and passed away "with the dignity that has characterised his whole life." - ComingSoon.net, 7/13/26...... Welsh pop singer Bonnie Tyler, the voice behind such hit power ballads as "Total Eclipse of The Heart" and "It's a Heartache," died on July 9 in a Portugese hospital. She was 75. A statement posted by her reps on her Facebook page later that day said that the singer "unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for." Her death follows emergency intestinal surgery in May, which took place in Faro, Portugal, where Tyler had a home. She was later placed in an induced coma. Born Gaynor Hopkins in Neath, Wales, Tyler rose to international prominence in the late 1970s with ballad "It's a Heartache," before reaching global superstardom in 1983 with "Total Eclipse of The Heart." Written and produced by Meatloaf collaborator Jim Steinman, the dramatic mini-epic spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Tyler the first and only Welsh-born singer to top the chart to the present date. The song, which featured on her album Faster Than the Speed of Night, earned Tyler Grammy nominations for female pop vocal performance and female rock performance, and became one of the defining records of its era. She then followed with another enduring classic, the urgent "Holding Out for a Hero," from the film soundtrack to Footloose. Tyler's distinct, raspy vocal style, developed after early vocal cord surgery, became her signature. Across a career spanning more than five decades, Tyler released 18 studio albums. She represented the U.K. in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Believe in Me," finishing in 19th place. She was also made an MBE in 2023 for her services to music, after being named in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. Tyler had been due to perform at the Sunshine Festival in Worcester, England this summer, along with a number of European dates, and was also booked to perform at Cardiff's Utilita Arena on Dec. 17. Her final full show took place at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on Mar. 19. Tributes to Tyler on social media included Wales Secretary Jo Stevens, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Sir Cliff Richard, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bryan Adams, Suzi Quatro and Katrina of Katrina and the Waves. - Billboard/NME, 7/9/26...... Comedic actress Louise Lasser, best known for playing the befuddled Mary Hartman on the hit 1970s syndicated sitcom Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, died on July 6 at her home in Manhattan. She was 87. Born in Manhattan on Apr. 11, 1939, Ms. Lasser spent her childhood in the Bronx, where she attended Fieldston, a prestigious private school. At Brandeis University, she majored in political science but also appeared in shows that friends wrote. She dropped out during her senior year and began acting lessons with Sanford Meisner. Living with her parents in Manhattan, she worked in theater and cabaret, and appeared in television commercials, notably for NyQuil and Excedrin. She was the first actress to win a Clio Award, the advertising industry's highest honor. In 1962 she understudied a rising star, the 20-year-old Barbra Streisand, in the Broadway musical "I Can Get It for You Wholesale," and briefly took over the role when Streisand left. She met future husband Woody Allen on a double date -- he was with the other woman -- and made her screen debut in The Laughmakers, a 1962 TV pilot Allen wrote. Set at a comedy club, it never became a series but was broadcast as a special. The two began dating and married in 1966. After an uncredited part as a masseuse in the Peter Sellers comedy What's New Pussycat? (1965), written by Allen, and a voice-over in What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966), Allen's directorial debut. She later appeared in three additional movies helmed by Allen -- Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask). But Ms. Lasser became best known for her portrayal of the Ohio housewife Mary Hartman, dressed in the pigtails and puffed sleeves. Premiering in January 1976, the Norman Lear-created Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was a phenomenon, a syndicated parody of midcentury soap operas that ran Mondays through Fridays after the late news in most major markets. It followed Mary as she tried to hold herself together amid mass murders, sex scandals and everyday consumer anxieties. She wore pigtails, puffed sleeves and gingham (while real American women were in Dorothy Hamill bobs and designer denim); fretted about waxy yellow buildup on her kitchen floor; and was emotionally abused by her conveniently impotent blue-collar husband (Greg Mullavey). Articles about the series proliferated, and Ms. Lasser -- somehow simultaneously neurotic and girlish -- appeared on the covers of major magazines, including People, Newsweek, Ms. and Rolling Stone. The show ran only a year and a half, from Jan. 1976 to July 1977, but racked up 325 episodes. She is survived by her longtime partner, Michael Citriniti. - The New York Times, 7/10/26.