Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on August 28th, 2026

Reaction to the sudden death of Dolly Parton on Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer continues to reverberate around the world days after the country music queen's passing. A petition advocating for the Nashville International Airport in her native Tennessee to be renamed Dolly Parton International Airport in honor of the singer has exploded on Change.org after it was originated by Nashville comedian Lydia Popvich in 2025. Popvich updated the pitch on Aug. 26, noting that it retained a key supporter in Tennessee State Sen. Todd Warner, who she said had pledged to introduce legislation to make the name change happen. In addition, Nashville City Council member Russ Bradford responded to the petition, writing, "I'm proud to sponsor a resolution asking the Metro Nashville Airport Authority to consider renaming BNA to Dolly Parton International Airport." Meanwhile, Parton's Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., announced that it would remain open after her passing. "Dolly's heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams," a statement on its website by park president Eugene Naughton said in part. "While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates." Parton has made frequent visits to the park over the years, including its 40th anniversary celebration in Mar. 2025, which took place less than two weeks after the death of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean. She was scheduled to appear at Dollywood a couple of weeks prior to her death to support the opening of its new NightFlight Expedition ride, but canceled due to then-unspecified health issues. Elsewhere, Dolly's Imagination Library program has been honored by the Library of Congress. The organization shared a tribute to the singer on Aug. 25, shortly after news of her dying at the age of 80 was shared earlier that day. "The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of @DollyParton, a music legend and titan of children's literacy," the federal establishment wrote on X. "Her Imagination Library program has earned multiple Library Literacy Awards and, in 2018, she visited us to donate its 100 millionth book to our collection and host a story time," the post continued, alongside a sweet photo of Parton reading a book to a group of enraptured children seated on the floor in front of her. Elsewhere, it has been revealed that the country music icon left behind a song more than a decade before her death that she specifically instructed would not be heard until her 100th birthday in 2046. At Dollywood's DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., sits a locked chestnut box containing a recording of an unreleased Parton song called "My Place in History." The song was written in 2015, the same year the resort opened, and Parton specifically arranged for it to be unveiled on what would have been her 100th birthday: Jan. 19, 2046. Inside the box is a CD containing the recording, along with a CD player so that future generations will be able to hear it, outwardly a Dolly time capsule. The country legend even acknowledged the uncertainty of leaving technology from 2015 to be opened decades later. "There's no telling what music is going to be by then," she wrote in her 2020 book, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. "Hopefully, it will play and the whole thing ain't rotted." Parton also joked that she hoped she would live long enough to hear the song herself when the box eventually opened. She was 69 when she wrote and recorded "My Place In History." Meanwhile, in the week before her death it was reported that Parton was exploring "avatar performances" as part of several new ways to perform for fans in the future. Now, her team have revealed the extent of her planning, saying in a new statement that the musician "worked up until the day she died." "She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy. Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come," says her longtime manager Danny Nozell. "As the leader of the team responsible for overseeing her legacy, we will ensure the many dreams she had yet to fulfil are brought to life. Many projects were in various stages of development, and we want to be transparent with her fans about this fact. If you see unreleased music, products, books, experiences, and campaigns launched through official Dolly Parton channels, you can have confidence in knowing that she placed her personal stamp on it." They then shared an overview of some of the active projects at the time of Parton's death, which include Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stops, Dolly Parton's SongTeller Hotel, Dolly Dolls, and a Dolly's Life Of Many Colors Museum opening in Nashville on Sept. 29. In the entertainment realm, a musical, "DOLLY: A True Original Musical On Broadway," is set to open on January 19 2027 -- what would have been Parton's 81st birthday -- while further details of a Dolly avatar show, a biopic, a docuseries and a scripted series will be revealed soon. Finally, Dolly's iconic 1973 track "Jolene" has topped Apple Music's U.S. songs chart a day after her death. "Jolene," released in Oct. 1973 before the album of the same name dropped the following year, was loosely inspired by a bank teller who flirted with her husband, Carl Dean, who died in Mar. 2025 at the age of 82. As well as the top country hit, several other songs by the country music icon made the top 10, including "I Will Always Love You," "9 to 5," and "Islands in the Stream." - Billboard/NME/Music-News.com, 8/26/26...... In a new interview with E! News, Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne promised that the forthcoming Ozzy biopic will be for the people, not "artsy, esoteric." "I have this mantra, and I always say it, when in meetings with my mom or doing anything with the family business. It's, 'give the fans what they want,'" said Jack. "That's our people, that's who we're catering for, that's what my dad wrote music for, that's what he toured for, it's why we did the shows we did. It's been a big theme." Jack revealed that the script for the film being developed by Sony Pictures and Polygram Entertainment in conjunction with the family is already finished and that the call is out for directors now for the project that has not yet announced a shooting schedule or potential release date. The good news is that the family already has someone in mind for the title role, but it's too early to reveal who that is. "I'm not allowed to say, but conversations have been had, and if it all works out, it's gonna be awesome," Jack said. An Ozzy biopic was first revealed by Osbourne's widow Sharon Osbourne in 2021 that would chronicle the couple's 45-year love affair. "Our relationship at times was often wild, insane and dangerous but it was our undying love that kept us together," Sharon said at the time. - Billboard, 8/27/26...... Barry Manilow announced on Aug. 26 that he's taking a break from his Las Vegas residency at the International Theater at Westgate that had been planned to kick off in late August, as well as six shows scheduled for September in order to rest and recuperate from his battle with stage 1 lung cancer. "Hi everybody - Barry here," he wrote in an Instagram post. "And I want you to be the first to know that we're going to take a quick break. We just finished a fantastic summer tour. 29 shows in 68 days. The shows were fantastic. The audiences were fantastic. And I sounded fantastic. But it seems that we were pushing a little too hard," he added. The decision came after Manilow, 83, postponed his planned 2026 arena tour and delayed his February residency shows in Vegas in the wake of surgery for lung cancer in December. He was slated to return to the stage at Westgate on Aug. 20, but that show was called off just before curtain, followed by the cancelation of last weekend's Friday and Saturday gigs due to reported "technical and vocal problems." The message ended with Manilow adding that new Westgate dates will be in September. Manilow had treatment for stage 1 lung cancer in December, including surgery to remove a cancerous spot from his left lung, which resulted in the singer pushing back his planned February Las Vegas residency dates, as well as his February, March and April arena shows on doctor's advice to rest. - Billboard, 8/26/26...... Ahead of a new expanded special edition of Rubber Soul set to drop on Oct. 2, an early "songwriting work tape" of one of the album's key tracks, "Day Tripper," has been shared on YouTube. "Day Tripper," recorded during the sessions for Rubber Soul in 1965, was first developed by John Lennon as a folk song, and later turned into the final rocking version with lead vocals by Paul McCartney a month later. The newly released recording shows the two working on it together -- and features audio of them laughing together and also noting the high level of sound being captured on tape. The finished version was later completed during an eight-hour studio session. With the new version of the album. It will be presented in new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes for the first time in over six decades, and come in a box-set alongside the original mono mix and the original Capitol US Album version (which did not include "Day Tripper"). Alongside the original tracklist -- which features fan-favorites including "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," "Nowhere Man," "Michelle" and "In My Life" -- there will also be "We Can Work It Out" and a selection of previously unreleased session recordings and home demos. - New Musical Express, 8/26/26...... Bruce Springsteen announced on Aug. 25 he is returning for another year of supporting veterans at the annual "Stand Up for Heroes" charity event, which in 2026 is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Boss will perform at the event which raises money for members of the military facing injury or illness, as well as their families, on Nov. 9 at Lincoln Center in New York City. The Resilient, a band that includes wounded U.S. combat veterans, is also on the bill along with Alex Warren, and the event will be hosted by comedian Jon Stewart. This year's benefit will take place three days into the 2026 New York Comedy Festival, which will run from Nov. 6 to Nov. 15. Springsteen has a nearly perfect attendance record at "Stand Up for Heroes," appearing at almost every one of the annual showcases since 2007. - Billboard, 8/25/26...... Eric Clapton and John Mayer have joined forces for a limited-edition guitar collection in aid of charity. On Aug. 26, Billboard's Guitar Center unveiled its 2026 exclusive Crossroads guitar collection, with limited-edition guitars across five models. The line-up was created in collaboration with Clapton and includes a new John Mayer x PRS Silver Sky. Mayer will debut the model onstage at this year's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Austin, Tex. Previous Clapton-exclusive guitars have been a hot commodity at Guitar Center, with the remake of the singer's 2006 "Blackie" flying off the shelves in just four hours, the fastest-selling guitar launch at that time. Almost two decades later, in 2025, the Gibson Custom Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul sold out in under 12 hours. The new collection is available at Guitar Store and at stores nationwide and online. Fans at the 2026 Crossroads Guitar Festival, which runs from Sept. 26-27, can also shop the collection at The Guitar Center Experience. - Billboard, 8/26/26...... On Aug. 22 ZZ Top returned to the stage for the first time following the death of longtime drummer Frank Beard. The band performed at Austin's Moody Theater, "one of Frank's favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him," according to a press statement. Following Beard's death at age 77 on Aug. 17, ZZ Top canceled two tour dates in Salt Lake City on Aug. 18 and Colorado Springs on Aug. 19. The band previously announced that it would resume its current "The Big One! Tour" with back-to-back shows this weekend at Austin City Limits. During the Aug. 22 show, drummer Michael Monahan stepped in behind the kit. Both Monahan and longtime drum tech John Douglas had been filling in for Beard as he dealt with health issues in recent years. ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons addressed his bandmate's death once during the performance, during the group's introductions after the first song, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. "I guess some of you probably know there's a new man in town," Gibbons said of Monahan. "In fact, it all started a little while back. [Bassist Elwood Francis] and I got an unexpected call from our dear Frank Beard, our dear drummer for 50 years. I've never heard him admit, he said, 'My bass drum foot's a little weak. Can you get my man [Monahan] to take over?' I said, 'Oh yeah, yeah, he's been doing pretty good.' Frank said, 'Yeah, that's what worries me.'" Gibbons then shifted his tone to a more upbeat one, telling the audience, "We're all here for a celebration, you know what's going on. So we're gonna have a good time." Footage of Gibbons introducing the band's new drummer can be viewed on Instagram. ZZ Top will remain on the road through October as part of the band's The Big One! Tour. The group will then travel to South America for additional shows in November. The band hasn't yet announced whether Monahan will remain behind the kit for those performances. - Billboard, 8/23/26...... Elton John has unveiled his family's annual summer playlist during the latest episode of his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music, featuring track selections curated alongside his husband David Furnish and their sons, Zachary and Elijah. The collection bridges generational tastes, pairing legacy artists with contemporary electronic and dance producers. Selections include Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Could You Be Loved," and Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down A Dream." Reflecting on Petty's catalog, John highlighted the 1989 album Full Moon Fever as one of the finest rock records ever produced. John clarified that the radio broadcast represents an abbreviated selection from a broader personal playlist used by the family throughout the season. The full episode of Rocket Hour is available to stream on demand via Apple Music and Apple Podcasts. - Music-News.com, 8/25/26...... Richard Lloyd, the guitarist in the acclaimed '70s New Wave band Television, has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer and is seeking financial help. The bile ducts are small tubes that connect different organs, including the liver and gall bladder and are part of the digestive system. Although bile duct cancer is treatable, in can be difficult to treat, which is what Richard is facing. Friends have rallied support through a newly launched GoFundMe fundraiser as Richard is unable to tour. Created by his Richard Lloyd Group bandmate Sean Seymour, the GoFundMe explains that the musician is dealing with "tumors in his liver, including one located dangerously close to a major blood vessel." Seymour says the tumour's position means doctors would struggle to carry out an operation without causing damage. Richard has already endured seven ICU admissions and repeated medical crises, including deadly sepsis twice, on top of liver and kidneys complications. All the money raised will help Richard and his wife Sheila better manage the financial pressure created by his illness, covering medical bills, everyday costs, and the impact of him being unable to work while Sheila provides full-time care. The goal is $80,000 (58,690), and they are already midway to the target. Television frontman Tom Verlaine died in 2023, aged 73, and the band has been inactive ever since. - Music-News.com, 8/25/26...... Jaye P. Morgan, one of the top female recording artists of the 1950s with seven top 40 pop hits in 1954-55 alone, including "That's All I Want From You," and who later became a frequent talk show guest and game show panelist -- infamously taking off her blouse on The Gong Show -- died on Aug. 24 of natural causes in Longview, Wash. She was 94. Her longtime attorney and friend, Mark Sendroff, said Ms. Morgan had been living with her nephew and niece, Duke Morgan Spencer and Peggy Sue Spencer. Ms. Morgan's biggest hit was 1954's "That's All I Want From You," which reached No. 3 on the Most Played by Jockeys chart and No. 5 on the Best Sellers in Stores list. In the Billboard Hot 100 era, she scored three hits: "Are You Lonesome Tonight" (No. 65 in 1959); "Miss You" (No. 78, 1959); and "I Walk the Line" (No. 66, 1960). Later, she would become a regular guest on The Tonight Show and make appearances with Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett and Mike Douglas as well as spots on The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. But it was her years hamming it up as a celebrity judge -- along with Jamie Farr and Rip Taylor -- on the chaotic The Gong Show starting in 1976 that cemented her fame. On the show, amateur performers tried out their acts, and when one of the judges couldn't stand it anymore, they smashed a gong, ending the proceedings. Whichever performer won the day's show received a check for the random amount of $516.32. On one episode, Eugene Patton -- the dancing stagehand performing as Gene Gene the Dancing Machine -- started his thing when Morgan opened her shirt to expose her breasts, helping bring an end to the show's run on NBC in 1978. "It paid good money, and it was great exposure. I really enjoyed it," she told the Los Angeles Times in 1992. "Jaye P. Morgan's devil-may-care ad libs on television game shows have probably made her more famous as a personality than as a singer," The New York Times wrote in 1984. "But the same kooky recklessness that inspires Miss Morgan's remarks is also a part of her musical sensibility." Her film credits include The All-American Boy with Jon Voight, Loose Shoes, The Gong Show Movie, Night Patrol and the 2002 Miramax release Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, directed by George Clooney. Married and divorced three times, Ms. Morgan is survived by a son, Paul Kane. - Associated Press, 8/26/26...... Acclaimed British actor, author, comedian and singer Tim Curry, best known for playing cross-dressing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the iconic 1975 cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died on Aug. 25 at his Toluca Lake, Los Angeles home of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 80. After gaining notice as part of the original cast of the British production of the musical Hair in 1968, Mr. Curry rose to international stardom in the role that would come to define his half-century career as the lascivious, lingerie-wearing Frank-N-Furter in the original stage production of "The Rocky Horror Show," a b-movie send-up that chronicles the misadventures of a naive couple who take refuge from a storm in the home of mad scientist Furter. Though he would go on to perform in dozens of other plays and movies, it was his role in Rocky Horror that made Curry an international star, with audiences transfixed by his show-stopping, bump-and-grind introductory number, "Sweet Transvestite," as well as the cabaret-like "I Can Make You a Man" and the emotional ballad "I'm Going Home," among others. He famously reprised the role in the musical film adaptation in 1975, with that movie becoming a staple of interactive midnight screenings in which fans dressed up as his character (and others), and came armed with props mimicking the action on screen. Born Timothy James Curry on Apr. 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire England, he showed musical talent early on, graduating with a degree in English and drama from the University of Birmingham in 1968. Following his breakout role in the "Rocky Horror" stage musical, Mr. Curry appeared in a string of stage plays and TV projects, including a lauded performance as William Shakespeare in the six-part 1978 British Will Shakespeare mini-series. His film career also took off, landing him roles in another cult classic, Times Square, as well as a scene-stealing turn as "Rooster" in the 1982 film adaptation of Annie. He scored another classic role in 1985 in the Ridley Scott fantasy film Legend as the Lord of Darkness and another that year as Wadsworth the butler in the film adaptation of the board game Clue. He earned a Best Lead Actor Tony nomination in 1980 for his titular role in "Amadeus" and spent much of the next two decades bouncing between Broadway and London's West End in a series of starring roles in "The Threepenny Opera," "The Art of Success," "My Favorite Year" (for which he earned his second Tony nomination) and as Scrooge in the 2001 musical "A Christmas Carol." After moving the U.S., Mr. Curry began a run of television roles, including his Emmy-nominated portrayal of Winston Newquay in the triple role on the 1983 anthology series Tales From the Crypt, as well as a return to horror as Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 miniseries Stephen King's It. In addition to his long list of stage, screen and television roles, Mr. Curry appeared on the Rocky Horror soundtrack -- which reached No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart in 1978 -- and released his debut album, a collection of mostly covers, on A&M Records in 1978, Read My Lips. His second LP, 1979's more rocking collection of originals, Fearless, reached No. 53 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the minor hit "I Do The Rock," which topped out at No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. His third album, 1981's Simplicity, peaked at No. 112 on the album chart. Mr. Curry was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2002 for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for his reading of A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning. Mr. Curry, who suffered a stroke in 2012 and spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair, released his memoir, Vagabond, in 2025. - Billboard, 8/26/26.