tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74470623899389184852024-03-17T19:38:32.752-07:00The Super Seventies BlogThe Official Blog of <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/"><b>Super Seventies RockSite!</b></a><br><br>Powered by <a href="http://www.blogger.com"><b>Blogger</b></a>. To comment, click on the link at the bottom.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.comBlogger407125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-14030269701745590972024-03-12T14:21:00.000-07:002024-03-17T16:13:46.340-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on March 17th, 2024</b>
<P><strong>AC/DC's Brian Johnson</strong> and <strong>Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler</strong> are set to star in a new documentary series titled <cite>Music Legends</cite> that will explore the careers of six other rock legends. Airing in the UK on Sky News from Apr. 25, and available to stream via NOW TV internationally, each episode will see Johnson and Knopfler examine the careers of, respectively, <strong>Tom Jones, Sam Fender, Cyndi Lauper, Nile Rodgers, Carlos Santana</strong> and <strong>Emmylou Harris</strong>, with the hosts also playing live with the guests on the episodes. "Join AC/DC singer, Brian Johnson and Dire Straits singer and guitarist, Mark Knopfler as they share their incredible knowledge and experiences with each other -- and a hand-picked selection of music royalty," a press release reads. "Guests including Sir Tom Jones, Nile Rodgers and Cyndi Lauper share stories from their own careers and discuss the tracks that shaped them as musicians and fans. Mark and Brian do the same, painting a fascinating portrait of their shared musical lives," it adds. AC/DC recently announced a huge UK and European stadium tour for 2024, performing 21 dates in 10 countries this summer for their first European tour in eight years. <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Mark_Knopfler/images/Mark_Knopfler5.gif" ALT="Mark Knopfler" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Knopfler, meanwhile, recently released a re-recorded version of his song "Going Home" for Teenage Cancer Trust, featuring <strong>Brian May, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton</strong> and <strong>Ronnie Wood</strong>. After being teased earlier in 2024, the track officially dropped on Mar. 15 on <a href="https://youtu.be/f_KWnAoPckk">YouTube</a>, and is a new take on Knopfler's solo hit. It also features the last ever recording by guitar virtuoso, <strong>Jeff Beck</strong> -- which he laid down for the track shortly before his death in Jan. 2023. The charity track was recorded at British Grove Studios in West London, and produced by Knopfler's longtime collaborator <strong>Guy Fletcher</strong>. As for Beck's contribution, Fletcher described it as "absolutely meant to be. And what he did with it, it just brings you to tears." The release also comes ahead of the 2024 edition of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust gig series, which will take place the last week in March and raise funds for the charity. Noel Gallagher, The Chemical Brothers and Young Fathers lead the line-up for the 2024 edition of the series, and the closing night will feature performances from <strong>Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Eddie Vedder</strong> and <strong>Paul Weller</strong>. Originally released by Knopfler in 1983, "Going Home" is also widely recognized from the film <cite>Local Hero,</cite> as the theme song. - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/16/24...... Speaking of <strong>Roger Daltrey</strong>, <strong>The Who</strong> frontman has opened up about the one time he smashed a guitar and compared it to "killing his wife." Appearing as a guest on <strong>Shawn Keaveny</strong>'s <cite>Daily Grind</cite> podcast, the 80-year-old musician said: "[Fans] never came to hear the music, they came to see the guitar being broken. The trouble is the guitar was worth 50 gigs. I've only ever smashed one guitar and I'm really sorry I did it. I don't know why, just this thing came over me. I've always regretted it -- I thought 'I shouldn't have done that, that was like killing the wife'." Daltrey's interview can be heard on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xmm0ojXb8FaT3MwTgRCOw">Spotify.com</a>. - <cite>Variety,</cite> 3/14/24...... An upcoming BBC documentary series reveals that <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> was once so moved by the plight of a group of climate activists after they were seized in Russia during a protest and thrown in jail in 2013 that he attempted to convince Russian president <strong>Vladimir Putin</strong> to release them. As detailed in <cite>On Thin Ice: Putin V Greenpeace,</cite> the activists were aiming to film an oil rush in Arctic Russian waters, but 28 of them were arrested on their ship the Arctic Sunrise and charged under piracy and hooliganism charges. The arrest prompted McCartney, who famously played in Moscow's Red Square in 2003, to write a personal letter to Putin, imploring him to release the campaigners. "Forty-five years ago I wrote a song about Russia for The White Album ['Back In The U.S.S.R.'], back when it wasn't fashionable for English people to say nice things about your country," he wrote. "That song had one of my favourite Beatles lines in it: 'Been away so long I hardly knew the place, gee it's good to be back home.' Could you make that come true for the Greenpeace prisoners?," he added. The prisoners served a three month sentence before being released. Curve Media's <cite>On Thin Ice: Putin V Greenpeace</cite> is being positioned as the BBC's latest box-set series for BBC Two and iPlayer and will break with tradition by airing via bitesized half-hour episodes. - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/16/24...... <strong>Chic</strong> legend <strong>Nile Rodgers</strong> has been chosen as one of the recipients of Sweden's 2024 Polar Music Prize. "In Nile Rodgers, we honour a ground-breaking pioneer whose legacy spans his work as co-founder of CHIC and as record producer and creator behind so much of the world's greatest music," says PMP managing director <strong>Marie Ledin</strong>. "Nile's impact in pop culture is incomparable and his timeless songs will continue to delight, uplift and inspire for many years to come." Rodgers, whose producing and writer credits include hits for <strong>David Bowie, Madonna, Sister Sledge, Duran Duran, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera</strong> and many more, will receive Prize money of one million Swedish Kroner (around £75,000 and $94,000) when he and composer <strong>Esa-Pekka Salonen</strong> are made laureates at a ceremony on May 21 in Stockholm, Sweden at the Grand Hotel. Previous recipients include <strong>Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Sting, Joni Mitchell</strong> and <strong>Iggy Pop</strong>. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 3/12/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/W/Willie_Nelson/images/Willie_Nelson14.gif" ALT="Willie Nelson" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">During his Luck Reunion concert in Spicewood, Tex. on Mar. 14, <strong>Willie Nelson</strong> and <strong>Kermit the Frog</strong> delivered a sweet duet of <strong>The Muppets</strong>' classic "Rainbow Connection." With Kermit on banjo and Nelson on guitar, the pair delivered a tender, heartwarming cover of the classic song, which was originally released in 1979 for <cite>The Muppet Movie</cite>. Kermit's rendition -- performed by <strong>Jim Henson</strong> -- reached No. 25 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 pop chart and earned an Academy Award nomination for best original song. In addition to "Rainbow Connection," the two icons also treated the crowd to a rousing gospel medley featuring selections such as "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," "I'll Fly Away" and "Hard to Be Humble." Footage of Willie and Kermit's duet has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/QP-AE9bc1xg">YouTube</a>. The 2024 edition of Nelson's annual Luck Reunion, held at Willie's ranch in Spicewood, Tex., featured a star-studded lineup of performers, including <strong>Tyler Childers, Red Clay Strays, Durand Jones</strong> and <strong>Zella Day</strong>. On the same day as the concert, Nelson announced on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4f1bqQsF62/">Instagram</a> his forthcoming 75th solo studio album, <cite>The Border,</cite> will be released on May 31. It will feature 10 newly recorded studio performances, including four new Nelson/<strong>Buddy Cannon</strong> compositions. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/15/24...... A new <strong>Paul Simon</strong> documentary that premiered on the streaming channel MGM+ on Mar. 17 reveals that the veteran singer-songwriter has some hopeful news about his near-total hearing loss in his left ear, which has left him struggling to perform live. The 82-year-old musician says that his hearing has now come back to "enough of a degree that I'm comfortably singing and playing guitar and playing a few other instruments," after previously stating that two previous attempts to rehearse with his touring band didn't go quite to plan. "I haven't figured out how to perform with the hearing loss," he said in July 2023, adding "I've tried to rehearse with the guys in my touring band, to see if I could manage it. I can't so far." But now the "Kodachrome" hitmaker says, "I can hear my voice the way I want it in the context of the music." "If there's a drum or an electric guitar, it's too loud and I can't hear my voice. But when I first lost the hearing, I couldn't get, it threw me off. Everything was coming from this side," he said. Elsewhere in the documentary, Simon recalls the time he once tried to stop <strong>Frank Sinatra</strong> from covering one of <strong>Simon & Garfunkel</strong>'s most famous songs, "Mrs Robinson." "I met him once. It was very interesting too, because he made a cover record of my song 'Mrs Robinson'. And he changed the lyric[s]," Simon said. "They were fantastic, but when I first heard it, it was like, 'Man, ring a ding, ding you Mrs Robinson, Jesus loves you more,' and this is in the sixties, and I said, 'He can't do that.' And so a guy from Warner Brothers called me up and said, 'Please don't do this. It's my fault I did it. Please don't do this to me.' So I said, 'Okay'." Part two of <cite>In Restless Dreams,</cite> in which Simon takes viewers behind the scenes during the recording of his 2023 album <cite>Seven Psalms</cite>, airs on Mar. 24. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 3/17/24...... <strong>Smokey Robinson</strong> has confirmed that he is in talks for performing at the 2024 edition of the UK's legendary Glastonbury festival. After being asked when he will next perform in the UK by <cite>Bizarre</cite>'s <strong>Howell Davies</strong> at <strong>Elton John</strong>'s Oscars party in Los Angeles on Mar. 10, Robinson hinted at a playing there "soon." "We've been talking about that for the past two weeks -- probably soon," Robinson said. Davies also asked the 84-year-old music legend about the potential of playing at Glastonbury. "That's one of the things we've been talking about," Smokey shared, adding that he would "absolutely" love to take the stage at the Worthy Farm festival. "I love the UK, man. We've had some of our greatest times in the UK," he concluded. - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/13/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/N/Neil_Young/images/Neil_Young48.gif" ALT="Neil Young" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Neil Young</strong> announced on Mar. 12 that he's bringing his music back to Spotify more than two years after requesting its removal from the popular streaming platform. In Jan. 2022, Young published an open letter asking Spotify to pull down his catalog, citing what he called the spread of vaccine misinformation on the wildly popular <cite>Joe Rogan Experience</cite> podcast, which was then hosted exclusively on the streaming platform. Several other artists, including <strong>Joni Mitchell, Indie.Arie</strong> and Young's <strong>Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young</strong> bandmates <strong>David Crosby, Stephen Stills</strong> and <strong>Graham Nash</strong>, subsequently followed suit, though CSN/CSN&Y and Aries music have since been restored to the service. Mitchell's catalog remains absent. Now in a new post on his Neil Young Archives website, Young said the end of Spotify's exclusive deal with Rogan led to his decision to restore his music to the service. "My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify, the post reads -- a clear reference to the <cite>Joe Rogan Experience,</cite> though Young never mentions it by name. "I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify, in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it," Young continued, before giving a shout out Qobuz and Tidal, where his catalog also lives, as "High res streaming options." Young concludes his post by stating his hope that Spotify "will turn to Hi Res as the answer and serve all the music to everyone. Spotify, you can do it! Really be #1 in all ways. You have the music and listeners!!!! Start with a limited Hi res tier and build from there!" A longtime advocate of high-resolution audio, Young once launched his own (now-defunct) high-res audio download platform, Pono, in 2015 before shuttering it two years later. It has been estimated that the absence of Young's catalog on Spotify had cost him roughly $300,000 in lost recorded music and publishing royalties by Sept. 2023. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/12/24...... <strong>Patti Smith</strong> will be among the headliners of London's Somerset House Summer Series this summer. The iconic central London venue will host the series again beginning in July, from the 11th to the 21st. Smith will close out the series, which also features the likes of <strong>Smino, Hak Baker, The Amazons, Hania Rani</strong> and <strong>The Big Moon</strong>, on July 21. - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/16/24...... <cite>Leaving Neverland</cite> director <strong>Dan Reed</strong> has described the script for the upcoming <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> biopic <cite>Michael </cite> as "startlingly disingenuous." Given the project's connection to the Jackson estate, it is unclear whether the film will explore the most controversial aspects of the singer's life, including the allegations of child sexual abuse. However, according to Reed, who has read a draft of the script, the film makes a point to discredit <strong>Wade Robson</strong> and <strong>James Safechuck</strong>, the two men who allege that Jackson sexually assaulted them in the 2019 docuseries <cite>Leaving Neverland.</cite> "Jackson is only ever seen caring for children with childhood cancer, or dancing with a little girl in a wheelchair, or tucking up multiple little boys, mostly his nephews, at sleepovers," Reed said of the script. "It feels like the creators of the movie have been stuck in a room with John Branca and just told what to write." <cite>Michael</cite> will be directed by <strong>Antoine Fuqua</strong> (<cite>Training Day, The Equalizer, Brooklyn's Finest</cite>) and Jackson's own nephew, <strong>Jaafar Jackson</strong>, will play the King of Pop in the film. The movie has been confirmed to receive a theatrical release in the US on Apr. 18, 2025, per production house Lionsgate. A UK release date is yet to be announced. - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/14/24...... <strong>Jack and Kelly Osbourne</strong> have revealed who they think should play their famous parents in a biopic about the couple. Speaking on a recent episode of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-osbournes-podcast/id1348100995"><cite>The Osbournes Podcast</cite></a>, the two siblings spoke about the possible project, which was announced to be in development back in 2020, and officially confirmed in 2021. Bringing up the conversation about their movie, Jack asked the question: "Who do you want to play you guys?," prompting Kelly to say: "I know who I want to play mum -- <strong>Florence Pugh</strong>. I think Florence Pugh would do a fantastic [job]." Pugh, 28, recently starred in the critically acclaimed <cite>Dune: Part Two,</cite> as well as Oscar Best Picture winner <cite>Oppenheimer.</cite> Sharon, who has been a contestant on the latest season of <cite>Celebrity Big Brother,</cite> added: "I think Florence Pugh or the little girl from <cite>Game of Thrones,</cite>" referring to <strong>Maisie Williams</strong>. Jack then chimed in with: "You know who I want to play dad? <strong>Bill Hader</strong>." He continued: "Everyone thinks I'm f---ing crazy until I show a side-by-side picture, and then that guy's ability to morph." Jack then showed his father a photograph of the former <cite>Saturday Night Live</cite> cast member, to which Ozzy responded: "F--- off!" His wife disagreed, repeatedly agreeing with Jack and saying: "I think he could nail it." No recent updates to the biopic's development have been made, and Ozzy made a witty remark on the podcast about the stagnant project saying: "By the time we finish this film I'll be dead." - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/12/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/images/Steve_Harley.gif" ALT="Steve Harley" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Steve Harley</strong>, the frontman of the '70s band <strong>Cockney Rebel</strong>, has died at age 73. The news was confirmed by his family in a statement, who said: "We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband and father has passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side." Harley, who had been receiving cancer treatment, had cancelled a run of shows in late 2023, writing on his website at the time that it was a "heartbreaking decision, but necessary in order to fight a "nasty cancer." His family continued that they knew Harley would be "desperately missed by people all over the world... Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity. And much more, in abundance." Born Stephen Nice, the musician grew up in London, and while working as a local journalist in the early 1970s, he started busking and playing in the city's folk scene. He formed the glam rock group Cockney Rebel in 1972 with <strong>Jean-Paul Crocker, Stuart Elliott, Paul Jeffreys</strong> and <strong>Milton Reame-James</strong>, and they were quickly signed by EMI Records. The band had early success with singles such as "Judy Teen" and "Mr. Soft," but they began to fall apart due to other members wanting to write more of the group's material. Harley reformed the band with a new line-up, including Elliott, <strong>Jim Cregan, Duncan Mackay</strong> and <strong>George Ford</strong>, and renamed them <strong>Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel</strong>. Their first single together, <a href="https://youtu.be/dAoaVU3-ve0">"Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me),"</a> was a UK Number One single in 1975 and charted on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 pop chart in the US. Harley's most enduring song, it has been named by PRS as one of the most played songs in British broadcasting history. Harley began a solo career in the late 1970s, releasing six albums under his own name, most recently 2020's <cite>Uncovered.</cite> Cockney Rebel also reformed multiple times, playing together as recently as 2021. Steve Harley is survived by his wife Dorothy, with whom he had two children and four grandchildren. - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/17/24.
<P><IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Eric_Carmen/images/Eric_Carmen3.gif" ALT="Eric Carmen" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Eric Carmen</strong>, the former leader of the '70s power pop band <strong>The Raspberries</strong> before setting out on an internationally successful solo career, died on Mar. 11. He was 74. "It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen," a message posted by his wife of eight years, Amy, to his website, Facebook and X account reads. "Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy," she added. Over his long career which began in the 1960s, Carmen scored three top five hits on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 pop chart: the No. 2-peaking <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_allbymyself.html">"All By Myself"</a> in 1976, followed by the <cite>Dirty Dancing</cite> soundtrack standout "Hungry Eyes," which peaked at No. 4 in 1988, and "Make Me Lose Control," a No. 3 hit, also in 1988. His highest-charting album was his <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/carmeneric.html">self-titled 1975 solo debut</a>, which peaked at No. 21 in 1976. Born on Aug. 11, 1949 in Cleveland, bassist/vocalist Carmen started his music career in earnest during his college years at John Carroll University in his home state of Ohio, when he joined a band called <strong>Cyrus Erie</strong>. In 1970, he formed The Raspberries with members of several local groups, including drummer <strong>Jim Bonfanti</strong> who had drummed on <strong>The Outsiders</strong>' 1966 Beatlesque hit "Time Won't Let Me," guitarist <strong>Wally Bryson</strong>, and bassist/guitarist <strong>Dave Smalley</strong> They became the most popular band in Cleveland, and in 1967 scored a minor hit, "It's Cold Outside." In mid-1971, their demos attracted the attention of producer <strong>Jimmy Ienner</strong>, who secured them a contract with Capitol Records. The eponymous 1972 <cite>The Raspberries</cite> had a raspberry-scented scratch-and-sniff sticker on the cover, and their second single, "Go All The Way," rose to No. 5 and sold more than 1.3 million copies. <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Eric_Carmen/images/Eric_Carmen6.gif" ALT="Eric Carmen" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The second LP, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spraspberries.html"><cite>Fresh</cite></a>, included "I Wanna Be With You" (No. 16, 1972), and "Let's Pretend" (No. 35, 1973). Carmen penned most of the hits himself, many of which were paeans to making out. Internal problems developed by the time of 1973's <cite>Side 3</cite>, with Bonfani and Smalley resisting the group's teenybopper image and leaving. They were replaced by <strong>Michael McBride</strong>, who had played with Cyrus Erie, and <strong>Scott McCarl</strong>, who had sent an audition tape to Ienner. The regrouped Raspberries then released its fourth and final LP, the critically acclaimed <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spraspberries2.html"><cite>Starting Over</cite></a>, which many critics called the best LP of 1974. A concept album about stardom, <cite>Starting Over</cite> was a commercial flop, although the single "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" reached No. 18. Carmen then began an intermittently successful solo career as a pop balladeer, hitting the Top 40 with "All By Myself" (No. 2, 1976), "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (No. 11, 1976), and "Sunrise" (No. 34, 1976), from his debut LP, and the last of which incorporated a Rachmaninoff melody, as did several other songs from the classically trained pianist/guitarist. In the 1980s, Carmen's Top 40 hits included "I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips" (No. 35, 1985), the No. 4 "Hungry Eyes" (1987) and "Make Me Lose Control" (No. 3, 1988). "'Love Is All That Matters -- Faithful and Forever,'" Amy Carmen concluded her announcement of Eric's death, referring to the lyrics of a song on his 1977 album, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spcarmeneric.html"><cite>Boats Against the Current</cite></a>. A cause of death has yet to be disclosed. - <cite>Billboard/The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock,</cite> 3/12/24.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-31151778511324004172024-03-06T21:40:00.000-08:002024-03-12T16:54:06.276-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on March 12th, 2024</b>
<P><strong>Sting</strong> announced on Mar. 11 that he'll return to the stripped down three-man configuration for his "Sting 3.0" tour of 2024, which kicks off Sept. 17 at the Fillmore Detroit. The tour includes multiple theater dates in most cities, including two nights at Toronto's Massey Hall (9/20, 21), and three nights at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, NY (10/7, 9, 10). Sting, a 17-time Grammy winner, and his band will perform songs from his solo career, as well as his time as the Police frontman. The tour will wrap in Los Angeles on Nov. 13, after also visiting Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, NY, Port Chester, NY, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco. Sting's busy 2024 schedule also includes an Apr. 13 date in San Diego with <strong>Billy Joel</strong>, as well as continue on a European arena tour for much of the summer before the kick-off of this fall's theater tour. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/11/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Elton_John/images/Elton_John111.gif" ALT="Elton John" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Elton John</strong>'s AIDS Foundation has announced it raised $10.8 million dollars for AIDS research at its 32nd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on Mar. 10, 2024 in West Hollywood, Calif. The money from the event will go toward the organization's Rocket Fund, a fundraising initiative meant to "redouble the fight against AIDS everywhere," according to the organization's website. "So far, this has been an extraordinary year beyond my wildest dreams, including the honor of achieving the EGOT, but it's tonight's gathering that is the ultimate highlight," John said in a statement following the event. "I'm so grateful to everyone who comes out each year to have a lot of fun and do a whole lot of good together. We've been loud and proud about showing compassion and ending the dreadful stigma that follows HIV, and we won't stop until we achieve our mission." Hosted by John, his husband <strong>David Furnish, Neil Patrick Harris</strong> and others, featured a star-studded guest list that included <strong>Sharon Stone, Donatella Versace, Danny DeVito</strong>, and more. During the evening, a multimillion-dollar live auction saw the organization sell off a number of luxury items, including a bedazzled Yamaha piano signed by Elton, two pinball machines, two pairs of Chopard earrings and a custom-made Rolex for his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour." At the night's close, John performed alongside the evening's musical guests, R&B-pop trio <strong>Gabriels</strong>, to his 1989 hit "Are You Ready for Love," recreating an iconic moment from the UK's Glastonbury 2023 when Gabriels lead singer <strong>Jacob Lusk</strong> joined John onstage for the track. In still more Elton news, country star <strong>Kacey Musgraves</strong> has claimed the Rocket Man used to have a cardboard cut-out of his husband and sons in his dressing room. "I'll never forget Elton playing in Nashville and getting to catch up with him in his dressing room after with all the Gucci and sunglasses lying around," Musgraves, 35, told <cite>The Times</cite> newspaper. "And a big cardboard cut-out of his husband and kids." Insiders in John's camp recently revealed that the "Candle in the Wind" singer has been working on a "top secret" new album that could be released later in 2024. A source told <cite>The Sun</cite> newspaper's Bizarre column: "It's all been very top secret, but Elton is back in the studio working on a new album. Time frames are always movable, but the fourth quarter has been pencilled in terms of a release date." - <cite>Billboard/Music-News.com,</cite> 3/11/24...... <strong>John Lennon</strong> and <strong>Yoko Ono</strong>'s son <strong>Sean Lennon</strong> wished his mom Yoko a happy Mothers Day during the Mar. 10 Academy Awards show. Mar. 10 was not only the date of the Oscars ceremony, but it's also Mother's Day in the U.K. During filmmakers <strong>Dave Mullins</strong> and <strong>Brad Booker</strong>'s emotional Best Animated Short win for "WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko, Sean Ono Lennon" -- Sean made sure to give his mom an extra special shout-out -- even though the "wrap-it-up" music was already playing. "My mother turned 91 this February," he told the audience. "Can everyone say 'happy Mother's Day to Yoko'?" At his request, the audience in front of him wished Ono a happy holiday in unison. Ono and John collaborated a number of times before Lennon was fatally shot in 1980, notably on "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." The track has gone down in history as a classic Christmas tune, reaching its latest peak of No. 38 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 in 2022 -- more than 50 years after it was first released. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/10/24...... In other <strong>Beatles</strong>-related news, <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> will be among the artists paying tribute to the late <strong>Jimmy Buffet</strong> with a "Keep the Party Going" concert on Apr. 11 during an all-star concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The Live Nation/Hewitt Silva presents show will also feature performances from the <strong>Eagles, Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Brown, Jackson Browne, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Mac McAnally, Pitbull, The Coral Reefer Band</strong> and more special guests to be announced later. Tickets for the celebration of life event will go on sale to the general public on Mar. 15. Buffett died at his home in Sag Harbor on Long Island, N.Y., on Sept. 1, 2023 from skin cancer. He was 76 years old. Earlier in Marh, the video for his single "The University of Bourbon Street" -- from his final studio album, November's <cite>Equal Strain on All Parts</cite> -- was released. On the album Buffett performs a tribute to his favorite city with help from the <strong>Preservation Hall Jazz Band</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/11/24...... The upcoming <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> biopic <cite>Michael</cite> will reportedly address the allegations of child sexual abuse against the singer. Given that <cite>Michael</cite> has the approval of the Jackson estate, it had been unclear whether the film would explore the most controversial aspects of his life, but a new report suggests it will. Puck News' Matthew Belloni has obtained an early draft of the script, and says that the film "wants very much to convince you Michael is innocent," adding that it goes to "great lengths to minimise and downplay the actual claims and eviscerate the Chandlers." In 1993, <strong>Evan Chandler</strong>, a dentist and screenwriter based in Los Angeles, accused Jackson of sexually abusing his 13-year-old son <strong>Jordan Chandler</strong>. The case was concluded when the two parties reached a financial settlement in 1994. In 2013, four years after Jackson's death, the choreographer <strong>Wade Robson</strong> filed a lawsuit against the Jackson estate, saying the King of Pop had sexually abused him between the ages of seven and 14. Another man, the former child actor <strong>James Safechuck</strong>, also came forward with allegations. The director of the documentary <cite>Leaving Neverland,</cite> which documented Robson and Safechuck's allegations, recently criticized the making of the new biopic, saying it "will glorify a man who raped children". Robson and Safechuck have requested that their joint trial starts before the release of <cite>Michael.</cite> The film has been set for an Apr. 18, 2025, per production house Lionsgate. A UK release date is yet to be announced. It was announced in Jan. 2023 that Michael's own nephew, <strong>Jaafar Jackson</strong>, will play the late pop superstar in the film. Jaafar is the son of Michael's brother <strong>Jermaine Jackson</strong>. This will be the 27-year-old's film debut, although he has appeared in the Lifetime reality show <cite>The Jacksons: Next Generation.</cite> - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 3/9/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/images/Jim_Pankow.gif" ALT="Jim Pankow" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">As <strong>Chicago</strong> reaches its 57th year of existence in 2024 after being formed by trombonist <strong>Jim Pankow</strong>, keyboardist/singer <strong>Robert Lamm</strong>, trumpeter <strong>Lee Loughnan</strong> and saxophonist <strong>Walt Parazaider</strong> in 1967, Pankow looks ahead at the band's future, while sharing stories of rock and roll excess from the past, in a new interiew with <cite>Billboard.</cite> "It was eternity, not being able to work for a year and a half," says Pankow. "So here we are. This is our 57th year and, gosh, it just keeps getting better. I have to pinch myself because this phenomenon is never ending. And, man, we're going to do this as long as we can." Earlier in March, the band hit another milestone: on Mar. 6, Chicago played its 50th show at Las Vegas' Venetian Theater, the first act to reach that landmark. The 1,815-seat venue at the Venetian allows fans to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band in a much smaller setting than its other 80-to-90 annual shows. Pankow says the current lineup, in his opinion, is the strongest lineup in the history of the band. "The band is firing on all cylinders. There's no weak spots in the personnel. We have trimmed the fat and we are just slamming. Being on stage with my fellow bandmates is a joy every night that I will never tire of. Who would have thought more than a half century later that it's still an amazing experience? More amazing than ever." Pankow said each era of Chicago is "defined in a unique way -- you can't really compare because it's a completely different time." But the recording of the band's first album <cite>Chicago Transit Authority</cite> will always be the most special to him. "I'll never forget walking into Columbia Recording Studios in New York City, standing in front of a mic and knowing that this is going on tape forever," he says. "We were very frightened young men. And that music was the embodiment of the idea of what this band is all about." Pankow said if asked to choose which Chicago song to put in a time capsule, it would be "Beginnings" from the first album. "It's one of the songs in the repertoire that I get to stretch out on and solo on. So, I always like that." Although Parazaider retired from touring in 1967, Pankow says he, Lamm and Loughnan are "going to do this until we cannot be believable anymore." "As long as we can get up there and we can kill it every night, I pray to God that we can do that. At this point there is no end in sight. We're at the top of our game. I say, 'Retire to what?'." Chicago will head out on a co-headlining tour with <strong>Earth Wind & Fire</strong> this summer for the sixth time. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/8/24...... The Stone Pony, the Asbury Park, N.J. club brought to national fame by local superstar <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong>, is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2024. In Feb. 1974, New York native <strong>Jack Roig</strong> opened the Ocean Avenue club, situated across from the Asbury Park boardwalk, and it also became the birthplace of <strong>Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes</strong>. The Jukes started playing regularly at the Pony in 1974 as one of the venue's first house bands -- and early incarnations included future <strong>E Street Band</strong> member <strong>Little Steven Van Zandt</strong>. The Boss began to hang around soon after. The 1976 record release party for the Jukes' debut, <cite>I Don't Want To Go Home,</cite> helped put the club on the map. Springsteen, members of the E Street Band and legendary singers <strong>Ronnie Spector</strong> and <strong>Lee Dorsey</strong> made guest appearances at the concert, which was simulcast across the region including on major Philadelphia rock station WMMR-FM. The sound of Asbury Park -- a merging of rock'n'roll and horn-fueled R&B and soul -- was a hit. The modest-looking venue also helped drive the revitalization of Asbury Park, and its 4,500-capacity outdoor Summer Stage has hosted stars from <strong>Elvis Costello</strong> to <strong>Blondie, Green Day</strong> to <strong> Demi Lovato</strong>, as well as local favorites like Springsteen over its 50-year history. The modest building, painted white stucco on the outside with a simple rectangular floor plan, will continue its storied legacy with anniversary shows throughout the year. The Jukes played there Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 (although Southside Johnny left the second show early and was briefly hospitalized for dehydration, according to a band spokesman). Roig says that "the future of the community has gotten so much brighter with new things coming through." "The Pony is a symbol that we don't have to let go of our past to embrace our future. The Pony is a symbol of both those things." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/8/24...... The <strong>Wolfgang Van Halen/David Lee Roth</strong> feud continues as Van Halen has fired back at Roth after the <strong>Van Halen</strong> frontman blasted him in a viral rant earlier in 2024. "I guess I'm honored (Roth) even thinks about me as much as he seems to," Wolfgang, 32, said during a recent interview with Atlanta radio show <cite>The Morning X.</cite> "I seem to have been born into this Van Halen drama that has come way before me," he continued. "And now that my dad isn't here to be a target, I guess he went to the next best thing." Roth, one of the founding members and lead singers of VH, went off on the band's bass player and son of the late <strong>Eddie Van Halen</strong> and actress <strong>Valerie Bertinelli</strong> in a scathing rant posted to his YouTube channel in January. The segment began with Roth doing a spoof interview with "our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" as the fake personality tells listeners he was hired "because of my talent," in what many perceived was a thinly veiled swipe at Wolfgang taking over as the band's bassist in 2006. "I would have this job anyway, even if my dad wasn't God. I know you agree. I'm on every church wall, and I would be on that church wall if my dad wasn't God I just want people to know I got this job because of my talent," the Jesus impersonator continued. Roth then started to rant about Wolfgang -- who replaced original VH bassist <strong>Michael Anthony</strong> -- claiming that the youngster complained that the singer didn't pay attention to him onstage. "This f---in' kid! He's complaining the entire tour like I'm not paying enough attention to him on stage," Roth says. "Like Santa Claus on Christmas coming down the chimney and popping out on Christmas and saying, 'Nobody is paying attention'. I'm giving him the best, everything I've got, in front of twenty, thirty thousand people at a clip, and he's complaining to everybody around me -- the business manager, the security guy, the clothing lady -- 'Dave's not paying enough attention to me.'" But in his conversation with <cite>The Morning X,</cite> Wolfgang said, "You have to take what he says with a grain of salt." "He also said that he wrote 'Eruption" and came up with (Eddie's custom guitar) the Frankenstein Strat," Wolfgang added. Wolfgang added that he's not planning on participating in a summer VH tribute tour featuring former VH vocalist <strong>Sammy Hagar</strong> and Anthony. "No way. I don't want to play that music without my dad," he said. - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 3/8/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Bon_Scott2.gif" ALT="Bon Scott" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The Australian film production company HALO Films announced on Mar. 8 that a "loose biopic" based on the life of late <strong>AC/DC</strong> frontman <strong>Bon Scott</strong> is currently in the works. The film -- titled <cite>The Kid From Harvest Road</cite> -- will not be a faithful retelling of Scott's life, but rather a "fictionalised narrative set in the 1960s," according to HALO. The company explains that by working around a loose retelling, the movie "can offer a more imaginative exploration of Scott's character and experiences". The studio continued: "Focusing on his formative years in Fremantle allows for a deeper dive into the influences and events that shaped him as a person and ultimately as the iconic frontman of AC/DC. It also provides an opportunity to explore the cultural landscape of the time, including the burgeoning music scene and social dynamics of the era." Young Australian actor <strong>Lee Tiger Halley</strong>, who stars in Netflix's <cite>Boy Swallows Universe,</cite> will play Scott in the film. A release date for <cite>The Kid From Harvest Road</cite> has yet to be announced, as the film is expected to begin shooting in earl 2025.Scott fronted AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. He sang on the band's first six albums, spanning from their debut <cite>High Voltage,</cite> through 1979's <cite>Highway To Hell</cite>. <strong>Brian Johnson</strong> was tapped to replace Scott just weeks after the latter's death, and went on to record the smash LP <cite>Back in Black</cite> and has been with the band ever since. In celebration of their 50th anniversary as a band, AC/DC are set to release limited edition gold vinyl pressings of their entire album catalogue. Each of the limited edition albums come with an album-specific 12"x12" print featuring new AC/DC 50 artwork suitable for framing. All nine albums are available for pre-order now and are set for release on Mar. 15. The band recently announced a huge UK and European stadium tour for 2024 as well as a new drummer and bassist for said shows. The Australian rock legends will perform 21 dates in 10 countries this summer, which will mark their first tour in Europe for eight years. - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/8/24...... <strong>Cher</strong> and her son <strong>Elijah Blue Allman</strong> have been asked to reach an agreement over bid for Allman's conservatorship. Cher's bid for a conservatorship over Allman's finances, which began in Dec. 2023, was rejected in January, but now they've been granted a three-month grace period to try to reach an agreement outside the court. Cher had argued, via her lawyers, that "she feared that her son would not be alive within the year" if he was left in control of his money," due to the 47-year-old Allman's"history of drug use" and a "schizoaffective disorder" diagnosis. However, that bid was denied as Allman returned a clean drug test and appeared to have successfully managed his finances. Allman's lawyers said in early March they believe Cher intends to drag out the process until he can no longer afford to pay for legal representation. "We are concerned that this is an effort to continue this case further and further until Mr. Allman is left dry," Steven Bremer, Allman's attorney said during a hearing. Bremer added he could not see how the two parties could come to an agreement independently. "This is not like a family law matter where several issues need to be resolved," he said. "There is one issue and that is the conservatorship of my client... I'm not certain what middle ground we can find." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 3/7/24...... <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong>'s wife <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> has slammed singer <strong>Adele</strong>, accusing her of using a "fake" cockney accent. The former <cite>X Factor</cite> judge took aim at the London-born singer during the Mar. 7 episode of <cite>Celebrity Big Brother</cite> -- criticizing the "Rolling In The Deep"' singer as exaggerating her accent. I think she plays the whole 'Oh, love, oh I'm Adele... I'm so English,'" she said to her housemates during the UK reality show, putting on a heavy cockney accent. It's like, cut the crap, you don't talk like that anymore, just sing, just be true to who you are," she continued. "But she does all this old English, you know?" Since entering the <cite>Big Brother</cite> house on Mar. 4, Sharon has also called out fellow housemate <strong>James Corden</strong> -- namely for his habit of "constantly" name-dropping. Before entering the reality show, Sharon lashed out at rapper <strong>Kanye West</strong>, saying he "f----ed with the wrong Jew this time ater West was accused of sampling a <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> song without the band's permission on his new album <cite>Vultures.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/8/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/images/Steve_Lawrence.gif" ALT="Steve Lawrence" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Steve Lawrence</strong>, the charismatic Grammy- and Emmy-winning crooner who delighted audiences for decades in nightclubs, on concert stages and in film and television appearances, died on Mar. 7 in Los Angeles of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 88. Mr. Lawrence partnered with the late <strong>Eydie Gormé</strong>, his wife of 55 years, in the very popular lounge act <strong>Steve & Eydie</strong>. Born Sidney Liebowitz in Brooklyn on July 8, 1935, Mr. Lawrence broke into show business with his boyish good looks, silky voice and breezy personality after winning a talent competition on <strong>Arthur Godfrey</strong>'s CBS talent show and signed with King Records as a teenager. The singer chose to stay old school and resist the allure of rock 'n' roll. "It didn't attract me as much," Mr. Lawrence once said. "I grew up in a time period when music was written by Irving Berlin and Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin and Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart and Sammy Cahn and Julie Stein. Those people, I related to -- what they were writing -- because it was much more melodic." Mr. Lawrence's smooth stylings were heard on dozens of solo albums, starting in 1953 with an eponymous LP. In 1963, he topped the <cite>Billboard Hot</cite> 100 for two weeks with the <strong>Gerry Goffin-Carole King</strong> pop ballad "Go Away Little Girl." The single became the first in history to reach No. 1 by two different artists, after <strong>Donny Osmond</strong> recorded <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/1971_6singles.html">his chart-topping version</a> in 1971. Lawrence also made the top 10 with 1959's "Pretty Blue Eyes" (No. 9), 1960's "Footsteps" (No. 7) and 1961's "Portrait of My Love" (No. 9). On Broadway, Mr. Lawrence starred as Sammy Glick in the long-running "What Makes Sammy Run?," a musical adaptation of <strong>Budd Schulberg</strong>'s novel, and received a best actor Tony nomination in 1964. A year later, he hosted a short-lived CBS variety program, and in the 1970s, he was a semi-regular on <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_A-G.html#The Carol Burnett Show"><cite>The Carol Burnett Show,</cite></a> appearing on more than two dozen episodes. Mr. Lawrence also portrayed manager Maury Sline in <cite>The Blues Brothers</cite> in 1980, and reprised the character in the 1998 sequel <cite>Blues Brothers 2000.</cite> Mr. Lawrence and wife Edie won an Emmy in 1979 for their NBC special <cite>Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin</cite> and had fun on game shows, appearing on <cite>What's My Line?, I've Got a Secret</cite> and <cite>Password All-Stars,</cite> to name a few. They were a staple in Las Vegas, headlining Caesars Palace, the Sands, the Sahara and the Desert Inn, and the Las Vegas Entertainment Awards honored them four times as Musical Variety Act of the Year. Survivors include his son, David, a film and television composer whose credits include the <cite>High School Musical</cite> films; daughter-in-law Faye; granddaughter Mabel; and brother Bernie. Another son, Michael, died of heart failure in 1986 at age 23. Gormé died of an undisclosed illness in Aug. 2013. - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 3/7/24.
<P><strong>Elton John</strong> has teamed up with the apparel company Happy Socks for a new collection of limited-edition custom socks. Titled the "Elton John Special Edition Unapologetically Yourself Collection," the line boasts eight different sock styles ranging from a denim patterned "Blue Jean Baby" pair of socks to a cobalt blue "Rocket Man"-themed pair. The entire collection, available for a limited time only, can be viewed at <a href="https://www.happysocks.com/us/campaign-page/elton-john">HappySocks.com</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/5/24...... <strong>Cher</strong> will be honored with the 2024 iHeartRadio Icon Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Apr. 1. Cher was not announced as a performer on the show, but will be the subject of a musical tribute. The show will feature performances by <strong>Justin Timberlake, Green Day, TLC, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Tate McRae</strong> and more. The inimitable singer is also among this year's nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The 12th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards will celebrate the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2023. The event will air live from Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Apr. 1 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET live (PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The show also will be heard on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/4/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/images/Eagles2__w.160_.gif" ALT="The Eagles" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The <strong>Eagles/Don Henley</strong> "stolen notes" trial came to a stunning end on Mar. 6 after Manhattan prosecutors decided to drop a criminal case against three men accused of trying to sell stolen notes linked to the band's 1976 album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/eagles6.html"><cite>Hotel California</cite></a>, with a judge saying Henley had "manipulated" prosecutors. During a hearing in open court, Justice Curtis Farber dismissed the charges against Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski after prosecutors alerted him that newly uncovered evidence cast doubt on whether Henley's notes had been stolen in the first place. The sudden reversal was sparked by Henley producing new evidence that had been previously withheld under attorney-client privilege. The new materials touched on whether journalist <strong>Ed Sanders</strong>, who was hired in the 1970s to write a book about the Eagles, had legitimately come into possession of Henley's notes. Farber sharply criticized the conduct of Henley and his manager, <strong>Irving Azoff</strong>: "It is now clear that both witnesses and their lawyers used the privilege to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen." He added he was also troubled that prosecutors had been "manipulated" into bringing the charges, and questioned why they had not more thoroughly vetted the accusations and the evidence -- but praised them for dropping the case once new evidence had come to light. The surprise dismissal of the charges came mid-way through the closely-watched criminal trial, in which Henley and Azoff had already testified. The proceedings had already run more than two weeks and had been expected to keep going until at least next week. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/6/24...... In other legal news, <strong>Earth, Wind & Fire</strong> has won its trademark lawsuit against a tribute band that used the group's name without permission. After a year of litigation, EWF prevailed against a tribute act calling itself "Earth, Wind & Fire Legacy Reunion" -- a use of the legendary R&B group's name that a federal judge called "deceptive and misleading." Tribute acts -- groups that exclusively cover the music of a particular band -- are legally allowed to operate, and they often adopt names that allude to the original. However they must make clear that they are only a tribute band, and they can run into legal trouble if they make it appear that they are affiliated with or endorsed by the original. The case against Legacy Reunion took that basic framework and added tricky questions. The tribute band really did feature musicians who had once performed with EWF, and they argued that they were legally allowed to tell that to fans. But EWF's attorneys argued that those performers were just a few "side musicians" who had briefly played with the band, and that they had purposefully aimed to mislead consumers into thinking the primary players were also involved. On Mar. 4, Judge Federico A. Moreno sided decisively with the original band, saying the evidence tipped "overwhelmingly" in its favor. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/5/24...... '70s musicians and longtime anti-nuclear activists <strong>Jackson Browne</strong> and <strong>Graham Nash</strong> are among a coalition of actors, musicians and activists who have signed an open letter to Hollywood on the significance of director <strong>Christopher Nolan</strong>'s film <cite>Oppenheimer</cite> and the real-life threats of nuclear war. Under the headline "An Open Letter to Hollywood on Oppenheimer and Nuclear War," an ad to be published on Mar. 7 in the <cite>Los Angeles Times</cite> and also viewable on MakeNukesHistory.org reads, in part: "<cite>Oppenheimer</cite> depicts the origin story of nuclear weapons, the history of the Manhattan Project, and <strong>Robert Oppenheimer</strong>'s subsequent warnings against an arms race and the development of even more powerful weapons. <cite>Oppenheimer</cite> was right to warn us. Today, 13,000 nuclear weapons are held by nine countries. Some are 80 times more powerful than the ones that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. As artists and advocates, we want to raise our voices to remind people that while <cite>Oppenheimer</cite> is history, nuclear weapons are not." The campaign is taking place across Los Angeles and includes, in addition to several billboards, a mural in West Hollywood and more than 1,000 street posters, proclaiming "<cite>Oppenheimer</cite> Started It, We Can End It" and "13 <cite>Oppenheimer</cite> Nominations; 13,000 Nuclear Weapons." Also included the coalition are the likes of <strong>Annie Lennox, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, Julianne Moore, Lily Tomlin, Viggo Mortensen</strong> and <strong>J. Robert Oppenheimer</strong>'s grandson, activist <strong>Charles Oppenheimer</strong>. The film <cite>Oppenheimer</cite> is expected to pick up several Oscars -- including the major categories of best picture and best director -- during the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony on Mar. 10 in Los Angeles. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/6/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/Doobie_Brothers.gif" ALT="The Doobie Brothers" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Mar. 6 the <strong>Doobie Brothers</strong> and their former member <strong>Michael McDonald</strong> announced they are reuniting for their first album in 44 years. The Doobies' 50th anniversary reunion tour is heading into its third year, and co-founders <strong>Tom Johnston</strong> and <strong>Patrick Simmons</strong> say they're stoked about the band's next album, which it's finishing work on with McDonald. The singer/keyboardist was with the Doobies from 1975-1982, McDonald has been back in the fold since the band's anniversary tour was first announced in 2019 and then delayed by the pandemic. Produced by <strong>John Shanks</strong> -- who also produced the band's 2021 effort <cite>Liberte</cite> -- the new album will be the Doobies' first in 11 years, and the band's first with McDonald since 1980's <cite>One Step Closer</cite>. It will also be the first Doobies album to include McDonald, Simmons and Johnston since <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spdoobies3.html"><cite>Takin' It to the Streets</cite></a> in 1975. McDonald also sang backing vocals on the Doobies' 2014 album <cite>Southbound</cite>. McDonald's tenure with the band -- coming after he contributed backing vocals to <strong>Steely Dan</strong> albums -- was among its most successful. Brought in to help the band while Johnston was suffering burn-out, the St. Louis native contributed hits such as "Takin' It to the Streets," "It Keeps You Runnin'," "You Belong to Me" (co-written with <strong>Carly Simon</strong>) and "Real Love." The triple-platinum <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spdoobies4.html"><cite>Minute By Minute</cite></a> album in 1978, meanwhile, was the band's sole No. 1 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart and won three Grammy Awards including Record of the Year for the hit <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_whatafoolbelieves.html">"What a Fool Believes."</a> Simmons says the goal is to finish recording the new album before the band's summer tour begins June 15 in Seattle; meanwhile McDonald is preparing to release an autobiography, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063357569/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>What a Fool Believes: A Memoir</cite></a>, on on May 21. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/6/24......<strong>Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band</strong> have been booked for a Jersey homecoming spot headlining the second of two nights at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival, set for Sept. 15 at Asbury Park, N.J., according to a post on the festival's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4JEjojgoVp/">Instagram page</a>. The band previously announced it will hit the road for its latest world tour, set to launch Mar. 19 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, and stretching across 52 dates in 17 countries. Springsteen, 74, is now symptom free from a peptic ulcer disease that plagued him in 2023, and forced the band to postpone a long run of shows into 2024. Those postponed dates are worked into the forthcoming tour, set to wrap up Nov. 22 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C. The Boss warmed up the trek with performances at the 2024 MusiCares "Person Of The Year" gala, the 17th annual "Stand Up For Heroes" benefit, and at the New Jersey Hall of Fame induction honoring his wife and fellow musician <strong>Patti Scialfa</strong>. To celebrate the trans-Atlantic tour dates, Springsteen's longtime label home Sony Music has announced it will release a career-spanning collection of the Rock And Roll Hall of Famer's original music, on Apr. 19. <cite>The Best of Bruce Springsteen</cite> will boast 31 songs in digital formats. Sony will also issue an 18-track set across two LPs or one CD, and the vinyl edition will also be available as an Amazon.com exclusive "color variant," reps say. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/6/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/Gary_Glitter/images/Gary_Glitter8.gif" ALT="Gary Glitter" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">'70s pop star <strong>Gary Glitter</strong> is being sued in the UK by one of his victims over alleged psychiatric damage caused by his past sexual abuse. The claim against the disgraced Glitter has been brought by one of the victims to which Glitter was convicted in 2015 of abusing, along with two other young victims, with the incidents taking place between 1975 and 1980. In the lawsuit, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, is seeking compensation for the psychiatric damage she suffered at his hands when she was just 12 years old -- with her lawyer describing it as "the worst kind" of abuse. "What we have is severe and profound consequences as a result of abuse that I think is fair to say is of the worst kind," her lawyer, Jonathan Metzer, told the court during a hearing in London on Mar. 5. "In summary, it has had profound and long-lasting consequences for my client's life ever since." Glitter -- whose real name is Paul Gadd -- did not attend the London hearing and was not represented by a lawyer. The court was also told that he had not so far engaged with the civil case. The plaintiff has previously secured a "default judgment" in her claim -- a ruling in her favor over Gadd's liability. Glitter had several chart hits in the '70s but later fell from grace around 20 years later, when he was arrested and imprisoned for possessing thousands of images of child abuse. From there, he was later expelled from Cambodia in 2002 following reports of sex crime allegations, and was convicted of sexually abusing two girls, aged 10 and 11, in Vietnam in 2006. The latter saw him spend two and a half years in jail. Further allegations against him came to light when he was the first person named and arrested under the UK's Operation Yewtree -- an investigation by the Metropolitan Police following the <strong>Jimmy Savile</strong> scandal. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 3/6/24...... <strong>Sammy Hagar</strong> has won a court order barring an allegedly unauthorized Hollywood location of the "Red Rocker"'s Cabo Wabo Cantina from continuing to use the chain's name and branding while their dispute plays out before a judge. In a preliminary injunction issued on Mar. 5, a Los Angeles federal judge sided with Hagar's company, Red Head Inc., and ruled franchisee Robert Azinian was prohibited from using "Cabo Wabo" trademarks for any purpose, including a new location on Hollywood Boulevard that sparked the rocker's lawsuit. Judge George H. Wu's order came amid an escalating legal dispute between Hagar and his former business partner over Cabo Wabo Cantina -- a brand of Mexican-themed eateries started by the Van Halen rocker in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 1990 and later franchised into locations in Las Vegas and Hollywood. He said Hagar's company was likely to eventually win the lawsuit, and that it would face so-called "irreparable harm" if Azinian was able to continue using the Cabo Wabo Cantina branding while the case played out. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/5/24...... After premiering in the US on Valentine's Day, the new <strong>Bob Marley</strong> biopic <cite>One Love</cite> has become the seventh all-time highest-grossing music biopic. The film, which stars <strong>Kingsley Ben-Adir</strong> as reggae legend Marley, has grossed $82.8 million in the U.S. and Canada Mar. 3, according to boxofficemojo.com. The 2018 <strong>Queen</strong> biopic <cite>Bohemian Rhapsody</cite> claims the top spot, with a domestic gross of $216.4 million to date. <strong>Rami Malek</strong> won an Oscar for best actor for playing the band's charismatic lead singer <strong>Freddie Mercury</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/3/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Black_Sabbath2.gif" ALT="Black Sabbath" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> classic "Paranoid" has joined the elite streaming "Billions Club" on Spotify.com. Recognized as a classic of the heavy metal genre, "Paranoid" is the title track from the band's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spblacksabbath4.html">1970 LP</a>, peaking at No. 61 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 pop chart and No. 4 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. Spotify welcomed "Paranoid" to its Billions Club in a Mar. 4 post on <a href="https://twitter.com/Spotify/status/1764684551371038953">X/Twitter</a>. "Paranoid" has racked up over 75 million records sold, including more than 24 platinum albums in the U.K. alone and over 15 million albums in the U.S., according to BMG, which represents the band's recordings outside North America. The song was written in the studio "in about five minutes," according to an interview with Sabbath bassist <strong>Geezer Butler</strong> with <cite>Guitar World</cite> in 2004. The song is the 581st addition to Spotify's Billions Club since the service launched in 2008. Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, with members of <strong>Metallica</strong> doing the honors. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/6/24...... During a show at the Broward Center For The Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Mar. 1, <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> appeared to respond to a heckler who shouted "play something we know!" at one of his recent live shows. Early on in the 16-song set, the rock legend was interrupted by a dissatisfied audience member. In a fan-shot video which can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/aZB7QJjqmL0">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/whitecitycinema/status/1764394807202336963">X/Twitter</a>, a woman can be heard shouting at the musician to "play something we know!" during the introduction to a live rendition of his 1971 song "When I Paint My Masterpiece." Dylan then launched into a new arrangement of the song where he sings the lyrics to the tune of <strong>Irving Berlin</strong>'s "Puttin' On The Ritz" (or possibly, <strong>The Four Lads</strong>' 1953 song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)." During the concert, Dylan also covered <strong>Jimmy Rogers</strong>' "Walking By Myself" live for the first time. Dylan's current "Rough And Rowdy Ways" tour is scheduled to conclude in early April. In February, he and <strong>Willie Nelson</strong> announced a co-headlining US tour for this summer. - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/5/24...... <strong>Roxy Music</strong> frontman <strong>Bryan Ferry</strong> has sold half of his sound recording, publishing and name, image and likeness rights to <strong>Irving Azoff</strong>'s Iconic Artists Group. The company, which did not disclose financial details of the deal, said it will "develop and expand the renowned artist's musical legacy to new generations of fans." The deal spans Ferry's work with Roxy Music and his expansive solo career, which combined has yielded 24 albums over 50-plus years. The band's best known songs include "Love Is the Drug," "All I Want Is You," "Virginia Plain," "Dance Away," "Avalon" and radio staple "More Than This." Ferry's solo favorites include "Slave to Love," "Let's Stick Together," "Don't Stop the Dance," "Kiss & Tell" and a memorable cover of fellow sophisticate <strong>Robert Palmer</strong>'s "Johnny & Mary." Ferry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of Roxy Music, and he was awarded a CBE in 2011 for his contribution to British music. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/5/24...... One of the somewhat underreported facts about the recent lunar lander which became the first US spacecraft to touch down on the moon since 1972 was its payload that included a capsule full of artistic artefacts. Artists whose music appears in the arts-centric collection include recordings by <strong>Marvin Gaye, Santana, Chuck Berry, Sly & the Family Stone, Bob Marley, Janis Joplin</strong> and <strong>The Who</strong> and many more. It also has photos of music events like Woodstock and album art, such as <strong>Pink Floyd</strong>'s <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/ac19darksideofthemoon.html"><cite>The Dark Side Of The Moon</cite></a>. The capsule was enclosed in a glass, nickel and NanoFiche structure built to last millions of, if not a billion, years. "In case we blow ourselves up with a nuclear weapon or a meteor hits us or climatic change wipes us out, there's a testament of our history sitting on the moon," says <cite>Climate & Refugees</cite> documentarian <strong>Michael P. Nash</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/27/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/F/Freddie_Mercury/images/Freddie_Mercury18.gif" ALT="Freddie Mercury" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Late <strong>Queen</strong> singer <strong>Freddie Mercury</strong>'s $38 million London home has officially hit the market for the first time since his death. The peaceful home, named Garden Lodge, first caught the eye of the Queen frontman in 1980 after he toured the Kensington property himself. He was so taken by its beauty and charm that he decided to purchase it "on the spot," according to a press release from Knight Frank, which holds the current listing. After Mercury bought the Neo-Georgian style home, he worked alongside interior designer <strong>Robin Moore Ede</strong> to transform it into a true reflection of himself and his eclectic style. After his death in 1991, the rock legend left his treasured estate to his close friend and former fiance <strong>Mary Austin</strong>, who has decided to list the property after more than 30 years. Freddie composed the Queen classic on the home's grand piano before his death at age 45 due to complications of AIDS. - <cite>People,</cite> 2/29/24...... <strong>Jim Beard</strong>, a solo artist and touring keyboardist for <strong>Steely Dan</strong> for the past 16 years, died on Mar. 2 at age 63 from complications of a sudden, as yet undisclosed illness, a spokesperson for the group has confirmed. Born in Ridley Park, Penn. on Aug. 26, 1960, Beard took clarinet, saxophone and sting bass lessons as a teenager and studied jazz at Indiana University, where he played in a bar band that featured session drummer <strong>Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty)</strong> and trumpet player <strong>Chris Botti</strong>. He joined the live Steely Dan band in 2008 for the Think Fast Tour and in addition to performing with the long-running jazz-influenced rock group -- including at his final show with the band on Jan. 20 in Phoenix, Ariz. He was also a touring member of the <strong>Eagles</strong> on their Long Goodbye tour. Between tours with such jazz greats as <strong>Pat Metheny</strong> and <strong>John McLaughlin's Mahavishu Orchestra</strong>, Beard recorded six solo CDs and taught at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, the Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University, and variouis other universities. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 3/6/24.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-90535630031502637322024-02-26T01:07:00.000-08:002024-03-03T21:32:48.022-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on March 2nd, 2024</b>
<P>Organizers of the 2024 BST Hyde Park Show in London announced on Feb. 29 that <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> will be joining the already power-packed lineup for the July 12 concert in Hyde Park. "Anything that draws me back to London -- and therefore to England -- fills my heart with joy," Nicks, 75, said in a statement. "And to be able to visit and make music... is always a dream come true." The concert, with support acts to be named later, will be former <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> frontwoman's first show in the U.K. in seven years; she previously performed at BST in 2017 in support of her old friend and duet partner <strong>Tom Petty</strong>. Nicks will be on the road throughout 2024, including a Mar. 3 headlining show in Omaha, Neb., as well as a run of co-headlining stadium gigs with longtime pal <strong>Billy Joel</strong> on Mar. 9 show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. and June 21 at Chicago's Soldier Field. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/29/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/K/Keith_Richards/images/Keith_Richards30.gif" ALT="Keith Richards" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Keith Richards</strong> has covered the <strong>Lou Reed</strong> classic "I'm Waiting For the Man" ahead of the release of a new tribute album in honor of Reed. The track is one of Reed's earliest works which appeared on <strong>The Velvet Underground</strong>'s 1967 debut, <cite>The Velvet Underground & Nico</cite>. "To me, Lou stood out. The real deal! [He was] important to American music and to ALL MUSIC! I miss him and his dog," Richards said in a statement. The cover is the first song to be released from the forthcoming Reed tribute album <cite>The Power of the Heart</cite>, which also features contributions from <strong>Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Rosanne Cash, The Afghan Whigs</strong>, and <strong>Lucinda Williams</strong> and more. Produced in partnership with Reed's widow, <strong>Laurie Anderson</strong>, and the Lou Reed Archive, <cite>The Power of the Heart</cite> is set for release on Apr. 20 via Light in the Attic Records. Richards' cover of "I'm Waiting For the Man" has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/5NcJvi5TYEk">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 3/1/24...... A new book featuring unreleased interviews with <strong>The Beatles</strong>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250285011/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words</cite></a>, has already made Amazon.com's bestsellers charts as a No. 1 new release, even though it won't officially be available to buy online until Apr. 9. Written by <strong>Peter Brown</strong> and <strong>Steven Gaines</strong> -- who have both worked with, and written about the Fab Four for years -- <cite>All You Need Is Love</cite> features unreleased interviews with the band members, as well as new interviews with people who were close to the group, including ex-wives <strong>Cynthia Lennon, Pattie Harrison Clapton</strong> and <strong>Maureen Starkey</strong>, as well as "the major social and business figures of the Beatles' inner circle" according to a press release, which adds that "Only a small portion of the contents of these transcribed interviews have ever been revealed." Brown and Gaines previously collaborated together back in 1983 when they authored the bestseller <cite>The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles,</cite> which detailed the rise of the band and their oftentimes complicated relationships with one another. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/26/24...... In other Beatles-related news, music producer <strong>Mark Ronson</strong> (<strong>Amy Winehouse</strong>, the <cite>Barbie</cite> soundtrack) says he "called in some favors" to encourage the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to induct his stepfather <strong>Mick Jones</strong>' famous rock band, <strong>Foreigner</strong>, into the Rock Hall in 2024. Appearing on <cite>The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon</cite> on Feb. 26, Ronson revealed he put together a compilation of videos from famous friends vocalizing their support for the rock band, including <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>. "I called in some favors. So there's some people I've met along the way making music myself that I knew were fans of Foreigner, like <strong>Jack Black</strong> and <strong>Dave Grohl</strong> and <strong>Slash</strong>." But when he got the former Beatles' superstar's submission, he said he was shocked to find that it was somewhat off-color. Fallon then rolled the clip, self-filmed by McCartney in his car. "Foreigner not in the Hall of Fame? What the f--k?," Macca succinctly declares in the video before abruptly ending the recording. "I've never heard Paul McCartney curse," said Ronson. "He's a knight! I don't want to be the first person to ever post a video of Paul McCartney dropping the f-bomb." Sir Paul's video can be viewed on <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignerMusic/status/1762534582807920976">X</a>, while Ronson's full interview with Fallon is available on <a href="https://youtu.be/vnEAviLX-zw">YouTube</a>. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions are set to be announced in late April. Meanwhile, Foreigner's big moment continues as another late night host, <strong>Jimmy Kimmel</strong>, has tweaked Foreigner's 1977 breakthrough hit "Feels Like the First Time" in a new ad for Kimmel's upcoming fourth time hosting the Academy Awards, set for Mar. 10. The copy line of the ad, which can be viewed on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C38NAWfPz5Z/">Instagram</a>, reads "Feels Like the Very Fourth Time," since this is Kimmel's fourth time as host. In other McCartney news, it has been revealed by Japanese composer <strong>Koji Kondo</strong> that McCartney once brought him backstage to sing the iconic <cite>Super Mario Bros.</cite> for him. In an interview with the <cite>Washington Post,</cite> Kondo said he and <cite>Super Mario Bros.</cite> creator <strong>Shigeru Miyamoto</strong> went to see Paul in 1986 while he was touring Japan. After learning they were in the audience, Paul and his wife Linda invited them backstage. Upon meeting Kondo and Miyamoto, the first thing the McCartneys did was sing the first six notes of the <cite>Super Mario Bros.</cite> theme (available on <a href="https://youtu.be/NTa6Xbzfq1U">YouTube</a>). It was an "incredible moment," said Kondo. In 2014, McCartney wrote the song "Hope For The Future" for online shooter Destiny, alongside several of game's main themes. There is also speculation more McCartney music may feature in Destiny 2's <cite>The Final Shape</cite> soundtrack, which is set for release in June. - <cite>Billboard/New Musical Express,</cite> 2/27/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Paul_Simon/images/Paul_Simon28.gif" ALT="Paul Simon" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The trailer for the forthcoming <strong>Paul Simon</strong> special on the premium streamer MGM+, <cite>In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,</cite> has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/KdbIltM69Xg">YouTube</a>. In the two-part series, Simon dives into his songwriting legacy and the high points of his nearly seven-decade career in music. In addition to taking viewers behind the scenes of the making of his 2023 album <cite>Seven Psalms</cite>, the <strong>Alex Gibney</strong>-helmed doc promises to include never-before-seen footage from throughout the 82-year-old Simon's storied career, from his days in <strong>Simon & Garfunkel</strong> to the global success of his landmark 1986 world music album <cite>Graceland.</cite> "I've never wanted to be anything other than a singer and songwriter," says Simon, author of such indelible hits as "Homeward Bound," "The Sound of Silence" (which includes the line "In restless dreams" which provided the title of this doc), "Mrs. Robinson," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and "Loves Me Like a Rock." <cite>In Restless Dreams</cite>, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, will bow as a two-part series on MGM+ on Mar. 17 and 24. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/29/24...... <strong>John Fogerty</strong> says that he's "in total shock" over the recent announcement by Australia's Country Fest Queensland festival that mysteriously canceled his scheduled performance. On Feb. 27, the festival announced that his performance was canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances." I'm bewildered," Fogerty told <cite>Billboard,</cite> sounding jovial but confused. "I still remain able and ready and willing to do this show. I take the commitment of playing for the fans very seriously. Throughout my career, practically my whole life, there's hardly ever been a cancelation." His performance, which had been scheduled for the weekend of Mar. 30, would have marked the <strong>Creedence Clearwater Revival</strong> founder's first show in Australia in more than a decade. Fogerty and his team maintain that they have not been made aware of any reason for the sudden change. "I really don't know a lot," he says. "I was happy to be coming down to Australia to play. It sounded like a really fun event." Soon after Country Fest announced that Fogerty was no longer part of the billing, Fogerty posted a statement on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C34JUPsLRr1/">Instagram</a>. "I was ready to celebrate with you all for my one and only show this year in Australia when the Country Fest Queensland blindsided me yesterday by canceling my appearance," it read. "It was posted that I would not be appearing due to unforeseen circumstances. Well, I can tell you, my friends, I was not the reason for the 'unforeseen circumstances.'" Country Fest has since shared a follow-up statement claiming that negotiations with Fogerty's team "did not reach a final outcome," however Fogerty maintains his contract was signed and fully agreed upon in mid-January. "Everything was normal as far as I knew," he says. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/28/24...... After first expressing disappointment that rapper <strong>Kanye West</strong> had allegedly used an unauthorized interpolation of <strong>Donna Summer</strong>'s 1977 hit "I Feel Love" in his new song "Good (Don't Die)" in early February, Summer's estate formally sued West for copyright infringement on Feb. 27 in federal court in Los Angeles. The suit alleges that representatives of West had asked permission to use Summer's song, however West was rejected because the Summer estate "wanted no association with West's controversial history." West and his collaborator <strong>Ty Dolla $ign</strong> have been accused of "shamelessly" including re-recorded parts of the hit that were "instantly recognizable" on the song from his new <cite>Vultures 1</cite> album. The suit, filed by Summer's husband <strong>Bruce Sudano</strong> in his role as executor of the estate, states: "In the face of this rejection, defendants arrogantly and unilaterally decided they would simply steal 'I Feel Love' and use it without permission." The lawsuit names both West and Ty as defendants, as well as Yeezy Record Label, LLC, the company Yzy Snd, and 10 Does. It seeks an injunction to prevent any further circulation of the song, with damages to be determined at a trial. The defendants are yet to respond to the suit. Meanwhile, <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> has reflected on standing up to West in a similar situation in a new interview with <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine. In early February, Ozzy claimed he turned down Kanye's request to use a sample of the 1971 <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> track "Iron Man." "With the current state of affairs, you don't need anybody starting people on discrimination of any kind," said Osbourne, 75-year-old. "It's wrong. It's just wrong. There's enough f--king aggravation, and he shouldn't say anything (like what he has)," he continued. "It's wrong if you don't say anything about him. I don't want any of my work in any shape or form to be associated with anything like that." In late 2022, West made a series of anti-semitic remarks, including comments praising Adolf Hitler, which led to the termination of numerous commercial partnerships. He later apologized. - <cite>NME/Music-News.com,</cite> 2/28/24...... Such '70s artists as <strong>Melissa Manchester, Barry Manilow, Carlos Santana</strong> and <strong>Dionne Warwick</strong> will be among the lineup paying tribute to music industry icon <strong>Clive Davis</strong> in late April. "The Soundtrack of Our Lives: A Tribute to the Legendary Clive Davis" will take place on Apr. 29 at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage in New York. According to a release from <strong>The New York Pops</strong> on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C35cM_Zuj9Q/">Instagram</a> announcing the special night of music, the lineup (which also includes <strong>Babyface, Toni Braxton, Busta Rhymes</strong> and <strong>Kenny G</strong>, among others) will "showcase Mr. Davis' immense impact on the worlds of Pop, Rock and Roll, R&B, Country and Hip-Hop through a wide array of musical selections." It noted that throughout his nearly six-decade career in the music industry, Davis, 91, has won four Grammys, as well as a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy and a 2000 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2010, the theater at The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live was named in Davis' honor. Davis' storied career as a record producer, record executive and A&R man has included stints at the top of Columbia Records, RCA Music Group and BMG North America and the founding of Arista Records and J Records, as well as the landmark singings of such music legends as <strong>Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd</strong> and <strong>Chicago</strong>, as well as a key role in boosting <strong>Whitney Houston</strong> to global prominence. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/28/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/images/Patti_Boyd.gif" ALT="Patti_Boyd" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Auction house Christie's announced on Feb. 26 that it will host an online auction of items from the personal collection of British model and photographer <strong>Pattie Boyd</strong>, who once served as a muse for both <strong>George Harrison</strong> and <strong>Eric Clapton</strong>. Hailing Boyd as "one of the greatest muses in rock history" in a press release, Christie's noted that she inspired a plethora of songs between the two musicians, including Harrison's <strong>Beatles</strong> song "Something" and Clapton's classic "Layla." Boyd was married to Harrison during the peak of Beatlemania, the band's foray into psychedelia and post-breakup (1966-1977). Clapton, a close friend of Harrison's, pursued Boyd for years via a series of love letters, some of which are available at the auction. "I am writing this note to you, with the main purpose of ascertaining your feelings toward a subject well known to both of us," he opens one letter. "What I wish to ask you is if you still love your husband, or if you have another lover? All these questions are very impertinent I know, but if there is still a feeling in your heart for me... you must let me know!" By 1974, upon discovering his multitude of extramarital affairs, Boyd left Harrison. Five years later, she and Clapton married, eventually splitting in 1987 due to substance abuse issues and infidelity. For her part, Boyd believes auctioning off these items (which include photos of herself, Harrison and Clapton, as well as postcards, telegrams and letters) is a part of her healing journey. "I thought, 'Do I need them? Do I need to keep going into Pandora's Box?' I've enjoyed them for many, many years, and now it's time for other people to see and enjoy them. It's only right I should pass them on," she mused to Christie's, where items will be on display at Christie's in London from Mar. 15-22. The online auction occurs between Mar. 8-21. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/27/24...... As shooting begins on the new <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> biopic <cite>Michael</cite>, Lionsgate and Universal Pictures have reported that two sets of four actors have been cast to play the King of Pop's brothers in the <strong>Jackson 5</strong> -- <strong>Jermaine, Marlon, Tito</strong> and <strong>Jackie</strong> -- to represent the group as they age in the film. "The truly epic nature of this film required a total of 10 actors with the talent to portray the Jackson 5 through the years," says <cite>Michael</cite> producer <strong>Graham King</strong> in a press release. "I'm thrilled to bring this extraordinary group of actors and performers to worldwide audiences in this film," he adds. <strong>Jaafar Jackson</strong> will portray his late uncle Michael in the film alongside <strong>Nia Long</strong>, set to play <strong>Katherine Jackson</strong>, and Oscar nominee <strong>Colman Domingo</strong>, who is set to play the controversial Jackson family patriarch, <strong>Joe Jackson</strong>. Nine-year-old actor <strong>Juliano Krue Valdi</strong> will portray Michael during his formative years in the Jackson 5. <cite>Michael</cite> is currently scheduled for release on Apr. 18, 2025. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/27/24...... <strong>Journey</strong> announced on their <a href="https://twitter.com/JourneyOfficial/status/1611755596411199490">X page</a> on Feb. 27 that they'll kick off a 50th anniversary tour of the UK and Ireland this autumn in Cardiff's Utilita Arena on Oct. 30, followed by stops in Glasgow (11/2), Belfast (11/4), Dublin (11/5), Manchester (11/8), Leeds (11/9), Liverpool (11/11), Birmingham (11/13) and Newcastle (11/6) before wrapping at London's O2 Arena on Nov. 17. "It's been too long since we've seen you all!" said guitarist <strong>Neal Schon</strong> in a statement. "We are all very excited to be coming back to the UK and playing with our good friends <strong>Cheap Trick</strong>, who I've known and played with since the '70s. It's going to be a great party for all!" The run follows a lengthy trek across the US which will include a massive stadium tour with <strong>Def Leppard</strong> which gets underway in July. Journey's most recent album was 2022's <cite>Freedom,</cite> their first full-length LP in over a decade. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/27/24...... <strong>Willie Nelson</strong> announced on Feb. 27 his latest Outlaw Music Festival Tour will launch June 21 in Alpharatta, Ga. -- and this one might be the most star-studded one yet. The tour will feature Nelson's band <strong>Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss</strong> and <strong>John Mellencamp</strong>, along with <strong>Brittney Spencer, Celisse</strong> and <strong>Southern Avenue</strong> on various dates throughout the tour. Country singer <strong>Billy Strings</strong>, who just headlined three Nashville shows, will join the tour for a special concert outside Seattle, Washington at The Gorge. "This year's Outlaw Music Festival Tour promises to be the biggest and best yet with this lineup of legendary artists. I am thrilled to get back on the road again with my family and friends playing the music we love for the fans we love," Nelson, 90, said in a statement. The Outlaw Music Festival made its debut in 2016 in Scranton, Penn. The sold-out show garnered so much acclaim that organizers Blackbird Presents, Mark Rothbaum and Nelson developed it into a hugely-popular touring franchise that has welcomed artists including <strong>Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, Luke Combs, Van Morrison, ZZ Top, Sheryl Crow, Eric Church, Bonnie Raitt</strong> and more over the years. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/27/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/Don_Henley/images/Don_Henley25.gif" ALT="Don Henley" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Appearing in Manhattan Criminal Court on Feb. 26, <strong>Don Henley</strong> denied that he ever gave away handwritten pages of draft lyrics to "Hotel California" and other <strong>Eagles</strong> hits, calling them "very personal" in testimony that also delved into an ugly but unrelated episode: his 1980 arrest. Henley, the 76-year-old Grammy-winning co-founder of one of the most successful bands in rock history, is prosecutors' star witness in an unusual criminal trial surrounding the lyrics sheets. Henley says they were stolen decades ago from his barn in Malibu, Calif., and that he was appalled when the material began turning up at auctions in 2012. "It just wasn't something that was for public viewing. It was our process. It was something very personal, very private," he said in a raspy drawl. "I still wouldn't show that to anybody." The defendants are three collectibles experts who bought the pages years later through a writer who had worked with the Eagles on a never-published band biography. The defense maintains that Henley willingly gave them to the scribe. Under cross-examination, Henley acknowledged that he didn't remember "the entirety" of his conversations with the writer, <strong>Ed Sanders</strong>, who isn't charged in the case. Nor, Henley said, could he recall whether he gave Sanders permission to take the documents off the property. But Henley insisted he gave Sanders only access to the documents, not permanent possession of them, in the hopes that a firsthand view of "the time and effort that went into" the lyrics would improve the book. He said he told Sanders he could look at the pages, ideally at a breakfast table in an apartment upstairs from the barn. "I never gave him permission to keep those items," Henley said. At issue are about 100 sheets of legal-pad paper inscribed with lyrics-in-the-making for multiple songs on the <cite>Hotel California</cite> album, including "Life in the Fast Lane," "New Kid in Town" and the title track that turned into one of the most durable hits in rock. Famed for its lengthy guitar solo and puzzlingly poetic lyrics, the song still gets streamed hundreds of millions of times a year. The defendants -- rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz and rock memorabilia specialists Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski -- have pleaded not guilty to charges including criminally possessing stolen property. Their lawyers say there was nothing illegal in what happened to the lyrics sheets. The defense has signaled that it plans to question Henley about how clearly he remembers his conversations with Sanders during an era in which the rocker was living in his own fast lane. In an apparent attempt to defuse some of those questions, a prosecutor brought up Henley's 1980 arrest. Henley pleaded no contest in 1981 to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, after authorities found cocaine, quaaludes, marijuana and a naked 16-year-old girl suffering from an overdose at his Los Angeles home the prior November. He was sentenced to probation and a $2,500 fine, and he requested a drug education program to get some possession charges dismissed. Henley testified that he'd been depressed about the Eagles 1980 breakup and had sought "an escape" by calling for a sex worker that night. "I made a poor decision which I regret to this day," he said. As for his memory, he said, "I can't tell you what I had for breakfast last Friday morning, but I can tell you where we stayed when we played Wembley in 1975 and we opened for <strong>Elton John</strong> and the <strong>Beach Boys</strong>," referring to London's Wembley Stadium. - <cite>AP,</cite> 2/26/24...... <strong>Rod Stewart</strong> and his latest collaborator <strong>Jools Holland</strong> are on track for a No. 1 UK album with their latest covers collection gathering songs from the big band era, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPFNPZWB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Swing Fever</cite></a>. The LP leads the midweek Official Chart Update, and is set to become Stewart's 11th No. 1 album, and first since <cite>You're In My Heart</cite> led the tally back in Dec. 2019. Holland has never nabbed top spot on the Official U.K. Chart. Should it top the chart, <cite>Swing Fever</cite> would see Stewart move up to 10th on the U.K.'s list of artists with the most career No. 1s, and into equal fifth among solo acts with the most leaders. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/26/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/F/Freddie_Mercury/images/Freddie_Mercury14.gif" ALT="Freddie Mercury" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The Bizarre column in the UK paper <cite>The Sun</cite> is reporting that Mercury Songs Limited, which owns late <strong>Queen</strong> frontman <strong>Freddie Mercury</strong>'s solo works, has filed to trademark his moniker for 3D and virtual reality, giving rise to speculation that a new Freddie Mercury hologram show could be in the works. According to the filing, it covers "immersive 3D virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences" for "virtual environments." Queen have already performed with an illusion of Freddie at their concerts. Guitarist <strong>Sir Brian May</strong>, 76, wept after performing a duet of "Love Of My Life" with an optical illusion of Mercury during <strong>Queen + Adam Lambert</strong>'s "Rhapsody Tour" in 2022, however May has said he would prefer that a Queen hologram show similar to <strong>ABBA</strong>'s successful <cite>Voyage</cite> show in London happen after he and his bandmates have gone on to join Mercury in the next world. "When we're all gone, yeah sure, make an ABBA thing about us, but while we're here I want to play live," May said during an appearance on <cite>The Graham Norton Radio Show</cite> podcast in 2023. Mercury died at the age of 45 in 1991 from bronchial pneumonia, a complication of AIDS. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/27/24...... The death of beloved comedian/actor <strong>Richard Lewis</strong> on Feb. 27 after suffering a heart attack has prompted online messages of condolences from the likes of <strong>Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton</strong> and <strong>Bette Midler</strong>. "Comedian/Actor Richard Lewis passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles last night after suffering a heart attack," his rep, Jeff Abraham, shared the news via a statement. "His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time." Lewis quickly became a fan favorite over 40 episodes of <cite>Curb Your Enthusiasm,</cite> including the 2000 pilot episode. In 2021, he announced that he would not return to the series in order to recover from three surgeries, though he ended up making a one-scene appearance in season 11. He ended up returning for the now-airing final season of the HBO program. "God bless, Richard Lewis peace and love to Joyce peace and love," <a href="https://twitter.com/ringostarrmusic/status/1762978208088007119">Ringo Starr</a> posted on X on Feb. 28, while <a href="https://twitter.com/peterframpton/status/1762964690534060376">Peter Frampton</a> posted that "I just heard we have lost the great and wonderful Richard Lewis. We've been friends for over 30years. I'll really miss you my friend. I love you @TheRichardLewis rip." <a href="https://twitter.com/BetteMidler/status/1762937842991530132">Bette Midler</a> posted "On a sad note, the great Richard Lewis has died." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/28/24.
<P><strong>Billy Joel</strong> and <strong>Sting</strong> wasted no time jamming together when they kicked off their co-headlining show at Tampa, Fla.'s Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 24. Opener Sting immediately brought out Joel for a duet of <strong>The Police</strong> hit "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." While the surprise duet to start the night was undoubtedly a big event in itself, the <cite>Tampa Bay Times</cite> reports that a big chunk of the night's audience were unable to catch it as they were stuck in traffic outside the stadium. Fortunately, these unlucky fans were able to catch the night's second duet when Joel brought Sting out to perform "Big Man on Mulberry Street" late into his set. The pair will next share co-headlining dates together in April (San Diego) and September (St. Louis) as part of Joel's ongoing tour, which also includes stops with <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> (Arlington, Tex. and Chicago). Fan shot footage of the <a href="https://youtu.be/IzPg_KJLbV4">Police</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/MbRo7azq094">"Mulberry"</a> duets can be viewed on YouTube. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 2/26/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Mick_Jones__Foreigner_/images/Mick_Jones6.gif" ALT="Mick Jones" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Foreigner</strong> founder and guitarist/keyboardist <strong>Mick Jones</strong> released a statement on Feb. 21 revealing that he's been battling Parkinson's Disease for several years. Jones' ongoing absence from the band's live concerts since 2022 has been widely noticed and commented on by fans, and Jones, 79, says it's Parkinson's that has sidelined him from being on stage with the group, which is in the midst of a farewell tour. "Fans will have become very aware that for some time now, I have not been performing onstage with the band," Jones said in the statement. "Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. I want everyone to know that I am doing alright. However, I've always liked to be at my best when performing onstage, and sadly, at present, I find that a bit difficult. I am still very much involved in the background with Foreigner and remain a presence. Parkinson's is a daily struggle; the important thing is to persevere and remind myself of the wonderful career I've had in music. I thank all the fans who have supported Foreigner throughout the years and continue to attend our concerts -- I want you to know I appreciate your support; it always means so very much to me, but especially so at this point in my life." In a previous interview, Jones -- who had heart surgery during 2012 and was playing only a few songs each night with the band during the late 2010s -- was asked about the prospect of the continuing without him on board. "That's a tough one," he said, adding that, "I look at it as a team. If you think about any kind of sports teams, they change players all the time. The thought of my music carrying on in that way has some appeal to me." Foreigner's farewell tour is slated to finish in North America this summer; dates have been announced through Aug. 28, including a summer run with <strong>Styx</strong> and <strong>John Waite</strong>. The English-born Jones formed Foreigner during 1976 in New York, shortly after playing in the <strong>Leslie West Band</strong>. He put together a band of British and American musicians, including <strong>Ian McDonald </strong> of <strong>King Crimson</strong> fame and <strong>Lou Gramm</strong> from the band <strong>Black Sheep</strong>, and hit it out of the box with a <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spforeigner.html">self-titled debut</a> in 1977, which reached No. 4 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart, was certified five-times platinum and launched the enduring hits "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice." In its wake Foreigner has released eight more studio albums and sold more than 80 million records worldwide, spawning additional hits such as "Hot Blooded," "Urgent," "Juke Box Hero" and the No. 1 "I Want to Know What Love Is." Foreigner recently received its first-ever nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. After the first week of fan voting, Foreigner ranked third, behind <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> and <strong>Peter Frampton</strong>, with well over 100,000 votes. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/21/24...... <strong>Barbra Streisand</strong> was honored with a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement award during the 2024 SAG Awards on Feb. 24 at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall. Introducing Streisand, presenter <strong>Jennifer Anniston</strong> told the audience that the Grammy-winning singer performed her first major concert at the Shrine Auditorium in 1963. Unmentioned was the fact that the venue was also the same place Streisand won three Grammy Awards in the 1970s and 1980s. Bradley Cooper also helped present the award. Streisand recalled the time in 1955 when she first saw the film musical <cite>Guys and Dolls</cite> starring <strong>Marlon Brando</strong> which she said had a powerful effect on her dreams and imagination. There was just one problem, as Streisand explained in her speech. "I wanted to be in the movies even though I knew I didn't look like the other women on screen. My mother said you better learn to type, but I didn't listen, and somehow, some way -- thank God, it all came true." Streisand also spoke about how acting, and researching roles and preparing for films, has been her education. "I never went to college," she said. "I always thought acting was my education. In trying to understand the character, to have to do research, immerse yourself in the period. The whole process was fascinating to me." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/25/24...... <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> has congratulated <strong>Beyoncé</strong> on her latest achievements -- the first Black woman, or female known to be biracial, to have topped <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Hot Country Songs chart, and the first woman to have topped both Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since the lists began as all-encompassing genre song charts in Oct. 1958. "I'm a big fan of Beyonce and very excited that she's done a country album," Parton posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3rDaAGOmu4/">Instagram</a> on Feb. 23. "So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single. Can't wait to hear the full album!," she added. That album is <cite>Renaissance Act II,</cite> due out Mar. 29. Beyoncé's country-flavored songs "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" debuted at Nos. 2 and 38, respectively, on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. "Texas Hold 'Em," meanwhile, is projected to lead the Official U.K. Singles Chart, having topped the midweek survey, and is in line to be the singer's sixth U.K. solo No. 1 single. Meanwhile, Dolly Parton has been nominated for a 2024 Audie Award, which recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. Parton is nominated in the autobiography/memoir category for <cite>Behind the Seams,</cite> which she wrote and narrated with <strong>Holly George-Warren</strong> and <strong>Rebecca Seaver</strong>. Winners across 27 competitive categories will be revealed on Mar. 4 in Los Angeles. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/23/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/A/images/Ace_Frehley8.gif" ALT="Ace Frehley" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Former <strong>KISS</strong> guitarist <strong>Ace Frehley</strong> says he's added two more KISS songs to his set after the band says it's retired from performing -- but he doesn't truly believe they have. "I'm the only game in town because KISS is supposedly retired -- which I don't believe is gonna happen," Frehley says. "But be that as it may. I actually added two more KISS songs to my set. We added 'Shout It Out Loud' and 'Rock and Roll All Nite' because talking to people, they go 'you gotta do those songs live' -- and I did and it went over fantastic. We ended the night with three KISS songs: 'Shout It Out Loud,' 'Deuce' and 'Rock and Roll All Nite,' and everybody was singing along and it was great. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't even matter who wrote the song. I played the guitar solos on those records, and that's good enough for me." Frehley also said he "wouldn't be surprised if KISS reformed." "There were times when I had enough and I had to leave and do my own thing," says Frehley, who was part of the band from its formation in 1973 through 1982, then rejoined from 1996 through 2002. Although Frehley maintains he quit the band, leaders <strong>Gene Simmons</strong> and <strong>Paul Stanley</strong> have indicated that he was dismissed, and the pair did not include Frehley (or original drummer <strong>Peter Criss</strong>) on any of the dates of their farewell "End of the Road World Tour." "We're still friends," he says. "I know a lot of people think we hate each other, but that's not true." On Feb. 23, Frehley released his latest solo album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPB3VPFF/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>10,000 Volts</cite></a>, his first album since the covers set <cite>Origins Vol. 2</cite> in 2020 and his first of original material since <cite>Spaceman</cite> in 2018. The album was co-produced by <strong>Steve Brown</strong> of the '70s band <strong>Trixter</strong>, who Frehley says he "clicked with immediately" after the two were introduced by Frehley's fiance. Frehley says he'll likely mount a worldwide tour to support <cite>10,000 Volts.</cite> "Y'know, here I am at age 72 and I'm putting out one of the best records I've ever recorded," he says. "The playing is great and the singing is some of the best vocals I've ever done. It really doesn't make any sense, but I'm the kind of guy that's always broken rules, y'know?" - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/23/24...... In the latest edition of his podcast <cite>A Life in Lyrics,</cite> <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> revealed for the first time the inspiration behind a lyric in one of his most famous songs, <strong>The Beatles</strong>' "Yesterday." The line in question is "I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday" in the song's bridge, which appears twice in the song. Sir Paul said the line was subconsciously inspired by a conversation he had with his mother several years before writing the song. "We were out in the backyard and she talked posh," he said. "She was of Irish origin and she was a nurse, so she was above street level. So she had something sort of going for her, and she would talk what we thought was a little bit posh. And it was a little bit Welshy as well -- she had connections, her auntie Dilys was Welsh." McCartney continued: "I know that she said something like 'Paul, will you ask him if he's going'. I went 'Arsk! Arsk! It's ask mum.' And she got a little bit embarrassed. I remember later thinking 'God, I wish I'd never said that'. And it stuck with me. After she died I thought 'Oh f---, I really wish'." "Sometimes it's only in retrospect you can appreciate it," he added. "Yesterday," a track on the 1965 Beatles LP <cite>Help!,</cite> has been covered over 2000 times by other artists, making it one of the most performed pieces of music of all time. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/25/24...... In other Beatles-related news, a bullet once fired from the same gun that killed <strong>John Lennon</strong> is set to go up for auction in Newcastle, UK. The bullet was given to Northumbria Police officer Brian Taylor by the New York Police Department, after they allowed him to shoot the gun on a visit to the department. Taylor recently passed away, and now the bullet will be going under the hammer at Newcastle auctioneers Anderson & Garland on February 29. Taylor had kept the bullet in a frame for the rest of his life, with the auction house's director describing it as "one of those slightly macabre lots you get now and again that draws everyone's attention." "There is a Beatles fanbase that is fanatical and a market for just about anything Beatles," he continued. "But very seldomly do you get something so unusual and unique, it's difficult to know what it's worth and whether there's a market for it or not. It's a really interesting piece of Beatles memorabilia that probably can't be replicated." Mark David Chapman shot and killed Lennon on Dec. 8, 1980 as the musician and wife <strong>Yoko Ono</strong> were returning to their Dakota Building apartment in New York City's Upper West Side. Chapman then remained at the scene until police arrived, and later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to serve a prison term of twenty years to life. In 2022, Chapman said he shot Lennon because he "wanted to be somebody and nothing was going to stop that." He has been denied parole 12 times. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/25/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/Steven_Tyler/images/Steven_Tyler37.gif" ALT="Steven Tyler" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Feb. 21 a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing <strong>Aerosmith</strong> frontman <strong>Steven Tyler</strong> of sexually assaulting a teenage girl decades ago, ruling that she had waited too long to bring her case. In Nov. 2023, a former teen model named Jeanne Bellino sued the rocker, claiming he had forcibly kissed, groped and "humped" her twice over a single day in Manhattan in the summer of 1975, when she was 17 and he was 27. The case was filed under a recently-amended New York City law that allows abuse victims to sue over decades-old claims. However U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that Bellino's case did not qualify under the new statute. He ruled that the special "lookback" window only applies to cases where the abuser's actions presented a "serious risk of physical injury" -- and that Tyler's alleged actions did not do so. "The complaint in this case does not alleged conduct presenting a serious risk of physical injury and therefore fails to state a legally sufficient claim under the [NYC statute]," the judge wrote. But in dismissing the lawsuit, the judge said Bellino could potentially seek to file an updated version of her case, and gave he gave her until the end of March to request the right to do so. Tyler has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, but in court filings, his attorneys have said he "vehemently denies" the allegations. In their motion to dismiss the case, his lawyers argued Bellino could not use the New York City newly-enacted statute to sue over "purported sexual misconduct that occurred nearly half a century ago." In 2022, Tyler was sued by another woman, Julia Holcomb, who claims he repeatedly assaulted her for three years starting in 1973, when she was just 16 years old. Holcomb claims to be the girl Tyler referred to in his memoir, <cite>Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?,</cite> when he wrote he "almost took a teen bride" and convinced her parents to grant him guardianship over her. Holcomb's case, filed in Los Angeles under a different look-back statute, remains pending. Tyler has denied those allegations, too, and his lawyers are seeking to have the case dismissed. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/22/24...... Feel the need to "move like Jagger"? <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> has curated a new playlist featuring the songs he listens to while exercising. Titled "Mick Jagger: Music That Moves Me," the collection was put together for Apple Music's Fitness series and is accessible on <a href="https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/mick-jagger-music-that-moves-me/pl.6e81cb7f46054bee9a4460279f316933">music.apple.com</a>. "Sometimes I like to exercise in silence, other times I like to be in the gym with Mozart but most of the time I enjoy exercising to music like this!" he said in a statement. The playlist is made up of 23 songs, opening with <strong>The Chemical Brothers</strong>' 1997 single "Block Rockin' Beats" before going into <strong>Daft Punk</strong>'s classic track "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." It also features <strong>Fatboy Slim</strong>'s "Rockafeller Skank," <strong>The Human League</strong>'s "Don't You Want Me" and <strong>Prince & The Revolution</strong>'s "Erotic City." As for more current picks, Jagger included <strong>The 1975</strong>'s "Sex" and <strong>Burna Boy</strong>'s "Common Person." Jagger isn't against working out to his own tunes, either -- selecting the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong>' <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> single "Mess It Up," the <strong>Alok</strong> remix of "Living In A Ghost Town" and his 2001 solo song "God Gave Me Everything." Jagger, now 80, is likely getting into shape for the Stones' huge 2024 US stadium tour. The run of concerts is due to launch on Apr. 28 in Houston, Tex. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/23/24...... Legendary axmen <strong>Jimmy Page, Brian May</strong> and <strong>Tony Iommi</strong> came together in London on Feb. 22 to launch a new guitar shop from Gibson Guitars named the Gibson Garage. The shop is inspired by Gibson's Nashville flagship branch and has over 300 guitars for sale, as well as a live music space downstairs and a made-to-measure counter for ordering bespoke, custom guitars. Page of <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong> was in attendance to reveal a new collaboration with the brand -- launching a replica of his iconic 1971 Doubleneck guitar. May of <strong>Queen</strong> and Iommi of <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> were in also attendance, and joined Page in cutting the opening ribbon, images of which can be viewed on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brianmayforreal/p/C3pluFFMhkG/">May's Instagram page</a>. Page recalled how he first got his hands on the signature Doubleneck back in 1971 -- despite it being a model which wasn't in circulation at the time. "[Before that], people would have an acoustic guitar on a microphone stand, then they'd start playing the electric guitar I thought 'Well, I'm not going to do that, it looks absolutely ridiculous'," he explained. "I'd seen the concept of the Doubleneck guitars in country music, but those were like a six-string then a mandolin You couldn't just go down to the shops, so I got in touch with Gibson and asked them to make one for me," he added. He also recalled that he used the model live for the first time with Zeppelin in 1971, when the band performed "Stairway To Heaven" during a gig in Belfast: "It was always there, from Belfast onwards I was always playing that." - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/23/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/F/images/Faces.gif" ALT="The Faces" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Rod Stewart</strong> recently admitted that he and the other two surviving members of his '70s band <strong>The Faces</strong> -- guitarist <strong>Ronnie Wood</strong> and drummer <strong>Kenney Jones</strong> -- are "struggling" with a comeback Faces album that was first announced in summer 2021. Speaking to Vulture.com, Sir Rod revealed he's been writing songs for the project though he is unsure what will happen to the tracks. "I've sent a lot of them to Ronnie Wood. I told him, 'This is stuff we've recorded with my band, maybe the Faces would like to do it instead?' We're still struggling to make this album. We'll see. Some of them might see the light of day." Stewart, 79, added that he has "a lot of songs" that fans have never heard but he enjoys seeing how people react to his tunes when they are released. He said: "There are a lot of songs I've written that I haven't put out and nobody knows about them. My songs are like my children. I gave birth to them and then I put them out there in the world and see how they do." Jones previously explained the band's comeback record would be a "mixture of old and new." He told Uncut magazine: "What we've decided to do is work on some of the original stuff that we didn't use, so the album is going to be a mixture of old and new," he told the UK's <cite>Uncut</cite> magazine. "It's very difficult to go into specifics because many of them didn't even have titles. I think the fans may have heard certain things before and might recognise them. Ronnie and I, in particular, have been working on lots of the old stuff together and we've re-recorded a couple of those songs with more of a modern feel." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/24/24...... Country music entertainer <strong>Roni Stoneman</strong>, a talented banjo player and cast member on the long-running TV show <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_H-M.html#Hee Haw"><cite>Hee Haw</cite></a>, passed away on Feb. 22 at age 85. Ms. Stoneman, known as "The First Lady of Banjo," was born May 5, 1938, to Hattie Stoneman and pioneering bluegrass musician <strong>Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman</strong>, known for his 1925 recording of "The Sinking of the Titanic." She was also part of the family band <strong>The Stoneman Family</strong>, which evolved from the band <strong>The Bluegrass Champs</strong>, which included family members Scott Stoneman and Donna Stoneman. The group won a competition as part of <cite>Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts</cite> in 1956. By the 1960s, Roni had joined the group on banjo. She also performed as part of the group on their syndicated 1960s television show <cite>Those Stonemans.</cite> In 1967, the first year the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards were held, the Stoneman Family was named vocal group of the year. Roni departed the group in 1971, and soon joined the cast of <cite>Hee Haw,</cite> working on the country variety program for two decades as a comedian and banjo player, and known for portraying Ida-Lee Nagger, the "Ironing Board Lady." There, she worked alongside artists and comedians including <strong>Minnie Pearl, Buck Owens</strong> and <strong>Roy Clark</strong>. In 2007, she recounted her life story in the book <cite>Pressing On.</cite> CMA Hall of Fame and Museum CEO <strong>Kyle Young</strong> called Ms. Stoneman "a great talent and a strong woman," commending her legacy in the genre. "For 18 years on 'Hee Haw,' she stole scenes as both a skillful banjo player and as a comical, gap-toothed country character," he said. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/22/24.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-45582643037651449972024-02-16T19:49:00.000-08:002024-02-20T21:07:40.788-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on February 21st, 2024</b>
<P>Former <strong>The Grateful Dead</strong> member <strong>Bob Weir</strong> will be among the headliners for the annual "A Great Night in Harlem" fundraiser for the Jazz Foundation of America on Mar. 28 at the legendary The Apollo venue in Harlem. The evening will honor <strong>Richard Parsons</strong>, who is stepping down as JFA chairman after 15 years, with JFA's Dr. Billy Taylor Humanitarian Award. Parsons is the former chairman of Citigroup and former chairman/CEO of Time Warner. Proceeds from the benefit fund JFA programs that provide housing assistance, pro-bono healthcare, disaster relief and direct financial support to musicians and their families. For the past 35 years, JFA has been assisting not only jazz musicians, but artists in blues, roots and R&B genres. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/20/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Bee_Gees4.gif" ALT="The Bee Gees" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Director <strong>Ridley Scott</strong> (<cite>Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator</cite>) is reportedly in talks to helm an upcoming biopic based on the <strong>Bee Gees</strong>. DeadlineHollywood.com quotes anonymous sources close to the as-yet-untitled project as saying Scott is currently in the negotiations phase with Paramount Pictures to lead the project, which he will also supposedly co-produce. <strong>John Logan</strong>, who wrote Scott's 2000 epic <cite>Gladiator,</cite> will reportedly pen the script, and <strong>Barry Gibb</strong>, the last surviving Bee Gees brother and member, will executive produce. The film will tell the story of lives and careers of brothers Barry, <strong>Maurice</strong> and <strong>Robin Gibb</strong>, the latter two of whom died in 2003 and 2012, respectively. A Bee Gees biopic was first announced in 2019, with <strong>Kenneth Branagh</strong> originally attached to direct. Branagh exited the project for unknown reasons, then other directors including <strong>John Carney</strong> and <strong>Lorene Scafaria</strong> stepped in until Scott eventually expressed interest. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 2/16/24...... In related news, Oscar-winning director <strong>Sam Mendes</strong> (<cite>American Beauty, 1917, Spectre</cite>) has been given the green light to begin work on four separate feature films that will tell the individual stories of <strong>Beatles John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison</strong> and <strong>Ringo Starr</strong>. In announcing the project on Feb. 20, Sony Pictures said the project will mark the first time the band's Apple Corps Ltd. and the two surviving group members and the families of the deceased two have given full access to life story and music rights for a scripted film. "I'm honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies," said Mendes in a statement. Mendes will direct the four stand-alone theatrical movies -- with each one told from one band member's point of view -- as well as intersecting to tell the full story of the Fab Four for the project, which promises to be "innovative and groundbreaking." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/20/24...... In other Beatles news, the British woman who found and returned <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>'s long-lost bass guitar is now hoping that she may be in store for a reward. Cathy Guest found the bass in her attic following the death of her husband Hadyn, who Cathy believes in turn inherited the bass from his brother Graham. The 1961 Hofner 500/1 bass -- which has been dubbed the most important bass in history for its role in recording numerous Beatles hits including "Love Me Do," "She Loves You" and "Twist and Shout" -- was stolen from the musician in 1972, only to be returned to him earlier in February. Speaking to the UK paper <cite>The Sun,</cite> Guest said that she slipped a hand-written letter into the guitar case before she returned it, explaining her financial situation as a single parent looking after two school children. "My husband inherited it when another family member died and he'd had it for years," she said. "He had no idea where it came from. He was a keen musician and used to play all the guitars at home, including Paul's bass. We both loved music and I still go to gigs every weekend." McCartney purchased the instrument in 1961 for £30 ($38) in Hamburg, Germany. Meanwhile, Paul's son <strong>James McCartney</strong> has announced his first new single since 2016. James posted on <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesMcCartney_/status/1757042111872921826">X</a> on Feb. 12 that his new song "Beautiful" will be released on Feb. 23. James, a multi-instrumentalist who began releasing his own solo material in 2010, grew up contributing to recording sessions for his famous dad's albums <cite>Flaming Pie</cite> in 1997 and <cite>Driving Rain</cite> in 2001, as well as his mother <strong>Linda McCartney</strong>'s 1998 release <cite>Wide Prairie.</cite> He released his debut LP, <cite>Me,</cite> in 2013, and followed up with 2016's <cite>The Blackberry Train.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/19/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/images/Eagles__w.152_.gif" ALT="The Eagles" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">An unusual criminal trial centering around handwritten lyrics to the <strong>Eagles</strong>' 1976 classic <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_hotelcalifornia.html">"Hotel California"</a> is set to open on Feb. 21. Rare-book dealer <strong>Glenn Horowitz</strong>, former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator <strong>Craig Inciardi</strong> and memorabilia seller <strong>Edward Kosinski</strong> are charged with conspiring to own and try to sell manuscripts of "Hotel California" and other Eagles hits without the right to do so. The three have pleaded not guilty, and their lawyers have said the men committed no crime with the papers, which they acquired via a writer who had worked with the Eagles. But the Manhattan district attorney's office charges the defendants connived to obscure the documents' disputed ownership, despite knowing that "Hotel California" composer <strong>Don Henley</strong> of the band said the pages were stolen. At issue are over 80 pages of draft lyrics from the smash 1976 <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/eagles6.html"><cite>Hotel California</cite></a> album, including words to the chart-topping, Grammy-winning title cut. It features one of classic rock's most recognizable riffs, best-known solos and most oft-quoted -- arguably overquoted -- lines: "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." Henley has said the song is about "the dark underbelly of the American dream." Although Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinki are not charged with actually stealing documents, but with conspiracy to possess stolen property and various other offenses, prosecutors will still have to establish that the documents were stolen. The defense maintains that's not true. Much turns on the Eagles' interactions with writer <strong>Ed Sanders</strong>, who also co-founded the 1960s counterculture rock band <strong>The Fugs</strong>. He worked in the late '70s and early '80s on an authorized Eagles biography that was never published. Sanders, who isn't charged in the case, sold the pages to Horowitz, who then sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski. The DA's office worked closely with Henley's legal team, and an investigator even yearned for backstage passes for an Eagles show -- until a prosecutor said the idea was "completely inappropriate," Kosinki's lawyers said in court papers. Prosecutors have rebuffed questions about their motivations as "a conspiracy theory rather than a legal defense." In 2023, they wrote in court papers, "It is the defendants, not the prosecutors, who are on trial." - <cite>AP,</cite> 2/20/24...... <strong>AC/DC</strong> announced on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3kmlBILQth/">Instagram</a> on Feb. 20 that they're re-releasing all of their LPs on gold vinyl in celebration of their 50th anniversary as a band. Each of the limited edition albums come with an album-specific 12"x12" print featuring new AC/DC 50 artwork suitable for framing. The first wave of re-releases include <cite>Back In Black, Highway To Hell, The Razors Edge, Powerage, For Those About To Rock (We Salute You), High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Cheap, Who Made Who</cite> and <cite>Live.</cite> All nine albums are available for pre-order now and are set for release on Mar. 15. Other AC/DC albums in limited edition gold vinyl will be released later in 2024. AC/DC recently announced a huge UK and European stadium tour for 2024, performing 21 dates in 10 countries this summer, which will mark their first tour in Europe for eight years. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/20/24...... With a six-day US opening box office of $46.2 million, the new <strong>Bob Marley</strong> biopic <cite>Bob Marley: One Love</cite> has earned a start that rivals other hit musical biopics like <cite>Rocketman,</cite> based on the life and career of <strong>Elton John</strong>. <cite>One Love,</cite> which covers the dynamic between Marley, his backing band <strong>The Wailers</strong> and the musician's family in the year immediately following an assassination attempt on his life, opened on Feb. 14. His songs have garnered a whopping seven billion official on-demand U.S. streams, per Luminate, while his <cite>Legend </cite>compilation is the second-longest charting album in the history of the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart (821 weeks). - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/17/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/Gene_Simmons/images/Gene_Simmons24.gif" ALT="Gene Simmons" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Appearing on the latest episode of the podcast <cite>Your Mom's House</cite> with hosts <strong>Christina P.</strong> and <strong>Tom Segura</strong>, <strong>KISS</strong> member <strong>Gene Simmons</strong> recalled the one and only time in his life that he got high. Simmons, who has previously claimed to have never been drunk or high in his life, opened up about the time he accidentally ingested cannabis brownies after a KISS gig in the 1970s. "I've never been drunk or high in my life," he reasserted on the podcast, before his son <strong>Nick Simmons</strong>, who also partipated in the interview, brought up the "one accidental story." "You've told me this a couple of times. It's my favorite story," said Nick. Gene recalled: "So, you've got a room full of people celebrating -- we're breaking some kind of record in Detroit. This was in '76. The whole room is full, and I'm just seeing the brownies piled [high]. And I love that stuff. Everyone's [like] 'Let's smoke, let's put things up our ass.' No, just give me cake." Gene said that it "didn't hurt" that the woman dispensing the brownies "wasn't bad looking, adding: "[She] comes over, and I'm [like,] 'Give me another one of those.' Then I started, like a dog with a bone, just following her around. 'Can I have another one?' 'You want another one?' And I just kept eating it -- six." Simmons then recalled his experience of being high, remembering the room "started to get bigger, and my head started to get smaller... down to the size of an olive." The musician said that thankfully the editor of <cite>Creem</cite> magazine was there to help him into his limo and return to his hotel. On a more serious note, Gene said his reason for not getting high or drunk was because of his late mother, who was a Holocaust survivor. "She was in a concentration camp when she was 14 years of age. And I never wanted to break her heart," he said. "And I was always aware I never wanted to disappoint her -- there was enough aggravation. So I never smoked cigarettes, never got high, never got drunk." In January Simmons announced his first solo concert after KISS' retirement last December, on the Apr. 26 show at Brazil's Summer Breeze festival. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/20/24...... In other shock-rocker news, <strong>Alice Cooper</strong> has announced an autumn UK tour that will kick off at Glasgow's OVO Arena on Oct. 14, followed by shows in Birmingham (10/16), Manchester (10/17) and Leeds (10/18) before wrapping with two shows at London's Eventim Apollo on Oct. 20 and 21. A press statement reveals that the tour is set to bring fans "closer than ever to Alice," with giant video screens blending the live action with pre-recorded scenes. <strong>Primal Scream</strong> will join as special guest at all locations except London, alongside <strong>The Meffs</strong> at all shows. Former <strong>Sex Pistols</strong> guitarist and songwriter <strong>Glen Matlock</strong> will be the special guest at the London dates. Cooper's last album, <cite>Road,</cite> was released in 2023, and earlier in Feb. 2024 launched a new radio show called <cite>Alice's Attic.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/20/24...... In an interview with <cite>People</cite> magazine to promote A&E's new four-part <strong>James Brown</strong> docuseries <cite>James Brown: Say It Loud,</cite> Brown's daughter <strong>Deanna Brown</strong> declared there would be "no hip-hop, <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> or <strong>Usher</strong>" without her late father. "There would be no Michael [Jackson], there would be no Usher, there'd be no <strong>Chris Brown</strong> -- all these people who took from him," said Deanna, 55. "I mean, where would it be? You could ask a lot of these musicians, they'll tell you the same thing. It would probably be zero. I think <strong>LL [Cool J]</strong> says that in the documentary that the trajectory of music would be -- he can't even imagine where it would be without James Brown." Another daughter of Brown's, 50-year-old <strong>Yamma Brown</strong>, discussed her father being the creator of funk and influencing many genres. She said: "Somebody sitting at home maybe watching it and think, 'His story is not that dissimilar than mine and look what he went on to do.' And if you can inspire somebody to be the greatest at what they can be, that's amazing." <cite>James Brown: Say It Loud</cite> premieres on A&E on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/20/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/Roger_Waters/images/Roger_Waters26.gif" ALT="Roger Waters" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Comments made by <strong>Bono</strong> about the Israel-Hamas war during one of <strong>U2</strong>'s recent shows at The Sphere in Las Vegas have prompted <strong>Roger Waters</strong> to call the U2 frontman "disgusting" and "a shit." During U2's residency, Bono used the performance to pay his respects to those killed during the Oct. 7 attack at the Israeli music festival Supernova. "In the light of what's happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violence," he told the crowd before launching into a performance of "Pride (In The Name Of Love)." "But our hearts and our anger, you know where that's pointed. So sing with us and those beautiful kids at that music festival." He then played the song with altered lyrics, singing "Early morning, Oct. 7, the sun is rising in the desert sky Stars of David, they took your life but they could not take your pride," in place of the original lines. Now, Waters -- a longtime critic of the State of Israel -- has taken aim at the musician for his comments during a new interview with the news outlet Al Jazeera, and branded the comments made at the live show "disgusting." "My mother told me, when faced with difficult problems, the first thing to do is to read -- read, read, read. Then, the next part is easy: do the right thing," he told the outlet, referring to his own family background that saw his father killed in the Second World War. "Anybody who knows Bono should go and pick him up by his ankles and shake him until he stops being an enormous shit. We have to start saying to these people, your opinion is so disgusting and so degrading sticking up for the Zionist entity. What he did a couple of weeks ago in the Sphere in Las Vegas, singing about the Stars of David, was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen in my life." Over recent months, the outspoken former <strong>Pink Floyd</strong> member has been in the news for his comments on the conflict in Palestine and accusations of anti-Semitism. Waters has repeatedly denied all accusations of anti-Semitism and explained that his disdain is towards Israel, not Judaism. He also accused Israel of "abusing the term anti-Semitism to intimidate people like me into silence." He was recently the subject of a documentary, <cite>The Dark Side Of Roger Waters,</cite> which was produced by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism and collates various incidents of alleged anti-Semitism levelled against the musician. Rogers spoke out against the documentary with a post to his official website, dismissing the project as "a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda." On Feb. 17, U2 once again used their Sphere residency show to speak out on behalf of Russian opposition leader <strong>Alexei Navalny</strong>, who suddenly died the day before. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/19/24...... Speaking on <strong>Howard Stern</strong>'s SiriusXM radio show on Feb. 19, <strong>Billy Joel</strong> reflected on the 1985 recording sessions for the charity single "We Are The World," and an interesting exchange between <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong> and <strong>Bob Dylan</strong>. "Funny things were happening," said Joel, who said he happened to be in Los Angeles at the time for Grammys week and thought to himself: "What the hell, this could be fun." "<strong>Bob Dylan</strong> was shy to sing on his own. So <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong> comes out and is telling Bob how to sing like Bob Dylan. 'We are the world. We are the children.' And Dylan's like, 'Okay, I think I can do that.' Stevie Wonder teaching Bob Dylan to sing like Bob Dylan was a moment." Later, Joel shared his escapades with <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> during the song's recording. "When everybody's singing together, sometimes Bruce and I are in the chorus and sometimes we're not because there was a big pile of deli sandwiches on the other side of the room and we kept going over to get a beer and a sandwich." "We Are The World" went on to top charts across the world, and is the ninth best-selling single of all time. It is the subject of a new Netflix documentary, <cite>The Greatest Night In Pop,</cite> and is available for streaming exclusively on the platform now. Joel also revealed he once thought of "putting together a supergroup with the likes of <strong>Don Henley, Sting</strong> and <strong>John Mayer</strong>, but admitted he doesn't "have the nerve" to team up with <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>. When asked why the band never came to be, the musician replied, "Well, everybody's busy." Joel's full interview with Stern can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/_6JGqf9GsHg">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/19/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/images/Steve_Hackett2.gif" ALT="Steve Hackett" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Former <strong>Genesis</strong> guitarist <strong>Steve Hackett</strong> said one of the songs on his new concept album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMYYPVYP/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>The Circus and the Nightwhale</cite></a> was inspired by a fever dream. "I dreamt that melody many years ago when I was recovering from [the often fatal] swamp fever. I heard this beautiful music that felt very healing," Hackett told <cite>Prog</cite> magazine. "I was telling the story to [famed cover artist] <strong>Roger Dean</strong>, and he said, 'I find that fascinating! Why don't you record it?' I thought, 'Are people really going to be interested in things I've literally dreamt?' But it felt like a gift, something otherworldly I had to use sooner or later." Although his own life had an impact on the new collection, the 73-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member created a fictional protagonist called Travla to focus on. He explained: "It's the arc of a life that starts literally. Then it becomes metaphorical and we start to embrace story, not just little Stevie Hackett and his guitar exploits." Hackett described the process of making the album -- which he compared to "a film for the ear" -- as "extraordinary." "It's been extraordinary making this record. I grew up in a time when music changed the world, and I've always felt the album can be a really powerful force. I really hope people enjoy listening to this one." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/19/24...... The family of <strong>Brian Wilson</strong> have confirmed they are planning to place the <strong>Beach Boys</strong> legend under a new conservatorship following a Feb. 15 report that the 81-year-old has dementia and the family was seeking to appoint new conservators following the death of his wife <strong>Melinda Ledbetter Wilson</strong> in January.Confirming their plans, the family wrote on Wilson's Instagram page, "Following the passing of Brian's beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, (housekeeper) Gloria Ramos and Brian's doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian's co-conservators of the person." In court documents, it was claimed Wilson "does not have the capacity to give informed consent to the administration of medications appropriate to the care and treatment of major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia)" and is also allegedly unable to provide for his personal needs "for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter." In the statement, the family continued, "This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family." They added, "Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses." A hearing about the proposed conservatorship arrangement will take place on Apr. 26. Wilson, who suffers from schizoaffective disorder, mild manic depression and auditory hallucinations, had been in a conservatorship arrangement with Melinda ever since they married in 1995. Before that, he was given a court-appointed conservator named Jerome Billet in 1992. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/17/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/images/John_Schneider.gif" ALT="John Schneider" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>John Schneider</strong>, co-star of the hit '70s comedy <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_A-G.html#The Dukes of Hazzard"><cite>The Dukes of Hazzard</cite></a>, is being slammed for recent comments he made on the conservative TV channel One American News in which he shared his thoughts on <strong>Beyoncé</strong>'s upcoming country music album. "The lefties in the entertainment industry just won't leave any area alone, right? They just have to seize control over every aspect, don't they?" the OANews host asked Schneider in an already leading series of questions. Scheider, 63, replied: They've got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park. You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that's what's going on here." The comparison to a dog had 42-year-old Beyoncé's fans up in arms. "This is racism at its best," one wrote on X/Twitter. "Former Dukes of Hazzards has-been likens Beyoncé to a urinating dog because she decides to make a Country Western album. He needs to research Country Western." "Comparing Beyonce to a dog is racist and hateful," wrote another. "As a country fan, I welcome her and let's see what she has. John Schneider is another low life white supremacist." Others pointed out that Beyoncé, unlike John, "hails from Texas -- the home of country music... He's lame just like his songs and his acting." During her the recent Super Bowl, Beyoncé announced she'll release her followup to <cite>Renaissance</cite> with a disc titled <cite>Act II</cite> in March. "This ain't Texas," she could be heard crooning over finger-picked guitars. "Ain't no hold 'em/ So lay our cards down, down, down, down." The clip then cut to a black screen that read "Act II, 3.29." One of her new songs, "Texas Hold 'Em," has already landed a spot on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Country Airplay chart, marking Beyoncé's first time on the country charts. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/19/24...... <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/that70sshow.html"><cite>That '70s Show</cite></a> actor <strong>Danny Masterson</strong> -- who was sentenced last September to 30 years to life behind bars after being found guilty of raping two women 20 years ago -- was transferred from North Kern State Prison to Corcoran State Prison in California on Jan. 29, but after less than two weeks at the high security facility, he has been relocated again to California's Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo. Masterson was moved most recently due to concern for "the inmate's well-being" while he was at Corcoran, which is best known for having housed notorious cult leader <strong>Charles Manson</strong> for the two decades before his death in 2017. The Men's Colony is a medium and minimum-security facility, and according to a description on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's website, inmates "have the opportunity to take advantage of increased academic and career/technical education, as well as self-improvement programmes including: cognitive behaviour therapy programmes, substance abuse education, criminal thinking, anger management and family relationships." In January, Masterson was denied bail while he appeals his case over concerns he has "every incentive to flee." Los Angeles Superior Court judge Charlaine F. Olmedo wrote: "If defendant's conviction and sentence are upheld on appeal, he will likely remain in custody for decades and perhaps the rest of his life. In light of the fact that defendant has no wife to go home to, defendant now has every incentive to flee and little reason to return to state prison to serve out the remainder of his lengthy sentence should his appeal be unsuccessful." The judge's decision to deny bail comes as Masterson has appealed against his rape conviction. His lawyers had argued that he possessed a "lack of dangerousness" and wouldn't be a flight risk, claiming they now had "extensive exculpatory evidence that was not presented to the jury." - <cite>Bang Showbiz,</cite> 2/19/24.
<P>The estate of late '70s disco queen <strong>Donna Summer</strong> is charging rapper <strong>Kanye West</strong> with using an unauthorized interpolation of Summer's 1977 hit "I Feel Love" in his song "Good (Don't Die)" from his new album <cite>Vultures 1.</cite> "Kanye West... asked permission to use Donna Summer's song I Feel Love, he was denied... he changed the words, had someone re sing it or used AI but it's I Feel Love... copyright infringement!!!," reads a statement posted on Summer's official Instagram account on Feb. 10. On West's new song, the lyric "Oh, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive" is seemingly set to the melody of "I Feel Love." On Feb. 9, <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> and his wife <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> also called out West on social media, saying that Kanye had asked to sample a song but was "refused permission because he is an antisemite." Osbourne said West used a sample of a <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> track anyway at a recent <cite>Vultures 1</cite> listening party at Chicago's United Center "I want no association with this man!" the rocker wrote. Although Osbourne said online that West asked to sample "War Pigs," the song he seems to have used at the event is "Iron Man." West has extended an apology to the Jewish community for has anti-Semitic comments. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/10/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/W/images/Wings_w.152_.gif" ALT="Wings" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP88THXH/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">50th anniversary reissue</a> of <strong>Paul McCartney and Wings</strong>'s classic 1973 set <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/mccartney5.html"><cite>Band on the Run</cite></a> has returned to the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart after more than a decade. The album re-entered the Top Album Sales chart at No. 5, debuted at No. 7 on the Vinyl Albums tally, re-entered at No. 6 on Tastemaker Albums and debuted at No. 37 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums. On the overall <cite>Billboard</cite> 200 chart, where the album hit No. 1 in 1974, the set re-entered at No. 156 -- its first appearance on the chart since Jan. 1, 2011. The album sold 8,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 8 (up 14,681%) according to Luminate. The reissued <cite>Band on the Run</cite> is available in a number of formats, including a single-LP vinyl release cut at half-speed, a double-LP vinyl set at half-speed with a bonus "underdubbed" version of the album, and as a double-CD set (also with the underdubbed mixes). "This is <cite>Band on the Run</cite> in a way you've never heard before," McCartney said of the new remixes last December. "When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that's an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed." Meanwhile, Sir Paul reunited with pop sensation <strong>Taylor Swift</strong> for a short time during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. The <strong>Beatles</strong> legend and the "All Too Well" singer had previously teamed up a few years ago for a wide-ranging conversation for <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine's "Musicians on Musicians" series. Before that, McCartney has said that "Who Cares," an anti-bullying track from his 2018 solo album <cite>Egypt Station,</cite> was actually inspired by Swift and the fan connection she has. In still more Macca news, a five-year search by music instrument manufacturer Hofner has reunited Sir Paul with his beloved 1961 Hofner electric bass guitar that went missing a half century ago. McCartney had asked Hofner to help find the missing instrument that helped launch Beatlemania phenomenon in the early 1960s, according to <strong>Scott Jones</strong>, a journalist who teamed up with Hofner executive <strong>Nick Wass</strong> to track it down. McCartney bought the bass for about £30 ($37) in 1961 when the Beatles were developing their chops during a series of residencies in Hamburg, Germany. The instrument was played on the Beatles first two records and featured on hits such as "Love Me Do," "Twist and Shout," and "She Loves You." It was rumored to have been stolen around the time the Beatles were recording their final album, <cite>Let it Be,</cite> in 1969. But no one was sure when it went missing. The big break came in Sept. 2023 when sound engineer <strong>Ian Horne</strong>, who had worked with McCartney's band Wings, got in touch. He said the bass had been swiped from the back of his van one night in the Notting Hill section of London in 1972. Horne couldn't remember the date, but a former trainee reporter for a London newspaper got in touch and said he had written an article on the theft. Scott's wife <strong>Naomi Jones</strong> located the item in the British Library that provided the date and other details. They were then contacted by a person who said their father had stolen the bass. "The thief didn't set out to steal McCartney's instrument and panicked when he realized what he had," Jones said. The man ended up selling it to Ron Guest, landlord of the Admiral Blake pub, for a few pounds and some beers. As the Joneses were starting to look for relatives of Guest, word had already reached his family. His daughter-in-law contacted McCartney's studio. Cathy Guest said that the old bass that had been in her attic for years looked like the one they were looking for. It had been passed from Ron Guest to his oldest son, who died in car wreck, and then to a younger son, Haydn Guest, who was married to Cathy and died in 2020. The instrument was returned to McCartney in December and then it took about two months to authenticate it. The instrument is estimated to be worth £10 million ($12.6 million US). - <cite>Billboard/AP,</cite> 12/16/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Elton_John/images/Elton_John112.gif" ALT="Elton John" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A source close to <strong>Elton John</strong> has revealed the Rocket Man is working on new music just months after completing his marathon farewell tour. "It's all been very top secret but Elton is back in the studio working on a new album," the source told the UK paper <cite>The Sun</cite>'s Bizarre column on Feb. 15. "Time frames are always movable but the fourth quarter has been pencilled in terms of a release date. He adores music and that will never change but the desire to be as busy as he was has waned," the source added. The insider added that Elton -- who is married to <strong>David Furnish</strong> and the father of Zachary, 13, and 11-year-old Elijah -- will still continue with his other ventures but just wants to spend more time with his family after such a mammoth world tour. "Elton will still have a <cite>Rocket Hour</cite> radio show on Apple Music and his finger is very much still on the pulse; he just wants to slow down a bit and spend the time with his family but the new album is coming." Sir Elton has released a total of 31 studio albums since beginning his career in the late 1960s and his latest LP came in the form of <cite>The Lockdown Sessions</cite> in 2021, on which he collaborated with the likes of <strong>Miley Cyrus, Stevie Wonder, Nicki Minaj</strong> and <strong>Brandi Carlile</strong>. That same year, he duetted with <strong>Dua Lipa</strong> on "Cold Heart" and wrapped up the year by joining <strong>Ed Sheeran</strong> for the holiday track "Merry Christmas" before collaborating with <strong>Britney Spears</strong> on "Hold Me Closer"' in 2022. John completed his 330-date tour in Sweden last July and told the audience that he may do "something else" in the to come but for the time being just wanted to enjoy a break. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/16/24...... As the US faces the tragedy of its 50th mass shooting so far in 2024 with the killing of a popular Kansas City DJ/radio personality and the wounding of more than 20 people at a Feb. 14 parade celebrating the recent victory of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, Indiana rocker <strong>John Mellencamp</strong> has issued a forceful statement about gun violence in America. "Excuse me for saying the obvious truth. I do so out of love for this country and the pain of learning, once again, that children have been killed by gun violence," posted Mellencamp, a longtime gun control advocate. "If we as a country want to find the collective will within ourselves to change our gun laws, let's stop playing silly political games. Show the carnage on the news. Show the American people the dead children and others who have been struck down. Show us what guns and bullets can do to the human body," he added. Mellencamp, a 72-year-old father of five, released his 25th album, <cite>Orpheus Descending,</cite> in 2023, which included the anti-gun violence track "Hey God." "Weapons and guns, are they really my rights?/ Laws written a long time ago/ No one could imagine the sight of so many dead on the floor," he sings on the track, adding, "Hey, God, if you're still there, would you please come down? We can't take it anymore." Mellencamp's full statement can be viewed on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3aNYx3uVnI/">Instagram</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/16/24...... <strong>Billy Joel</strong> has returned to the Top 10 of <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Adult Contemporary chart with "Turn the Lights Back On," his first new single release in 17 years. It is Joel's 24th Adult Contemporary top 10, and first since his version of <strong>Bob Dylan</strong>'s "To Make You Feel My Love" hit No. 9 in Aug. 1997. "Turn the Lights Back On" was released by Columbia Records on Feb. 1, and the song's official video arrived Feb. 16. In the video, which has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/UOf6CMbHPuA">YouTube</a>, generative AI is used to portray the now 74-year-old Piano Man in all his different eras. Meanwhile, Joel has announced a <cite>The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden - The Greatest Arena Run of All Time</cite> special will be coming to the CBS network. The special is scheduled to be filmed on Mar. 28, which will mark Joel's 100th consecutive performance at the iconic New York City venue. It's set to air on Apr. 14 from 9 to 11 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. The special will also be available to stream live or on demand in the US for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers; Paramount+ Essential subscribers will have access to watch it on demand in the U.S. the day after its debut. Joel's first gig at Madison Square Garden was on Dec. 14, 1978. Joel is set to perform at select stadiums around the US with <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> and <strong>Sting</strong> in between his ongoing residency at MSG. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/16/24...... It was announced on Feb. 15 that <strong>Rod Stewart</strong> has sold his song catalog to music industry mogul <strong>Irving Azoff</strong>'s Iconic Artists Group. Styled as a "wide-ranging cross-media" partnership, the deal with IAG includes the raspy singer-songwriter's rights to his sound recordings and his interest in his publishing, as well as certain name, image and likeness rights. The company, which Azoff co-founded in Jan.y 2020, declined to offer financial particulars of its deal with Stewart, who joins an elite roster of IAG acts that includes the <strong>Beach Boys, Cher, Linda Ronstadt, Joe Cocker, Dan Fogelberg, Nat "King" Cole, Dean Martin</strong> and <strong>Crosby, Stills and Nash</strong>. The partnership with IAG arrives less than a year after Stewart backed out of a potential catalog sale to Hipgnosis following lengthy negotiations. Yet now Stewart says he believes the "time is right" and that "I feel fortunate to have found partners in Irving and his team at Iconic that I can entrust with my life's work and future musical legacy." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/15/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Brian_Wilson/images/Brian_Wilson32.gif" ALT="Brian Wilson" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The family of <strong>Brian Wilson</strong> issued a statement on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3ZDH5quTmI/">Instagram</a> on Feb. 15 stating the <strong>Beach Boys</strong> mastermind will be placed into a conservatorship amid his battle with dementia. The statement noted that following the death of Wilson's wife and longtime manger, <strong>Melinda Ledbetter</strong>, in January, the decision was made to appoint two longtime family representatives as co-conservators. "Following the passing of Brian's beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, Gloria Ramos and Brian's doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard [his longtime business manager] and Jean Sievers [a longtime publicist] will serve as Brian's co-conservators of the person," read the statement. "This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family." The note concluded by saying that the arrangement will allow Wilson to "enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses." <cite>People</cite> magazine recently obtained a copy of the court filing for the conservatorship that reportedly noted that Wilson is suffering from a "major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia)," and that his team said he is "unable to properly provide for his or her personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter." Wilson has long suffered from mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder, with the latter known to cause hallucinations, paranoia and distorted reality. Meanwhile a "lost" 1970's country music-themed album produced by Brian is finally set to be released. The collection, entitled <cite>Cows in the Pasture,</cite> features the vocals of former Beach Boys manager <strong>Fred Vail</strong> and will be released sometime in 2025, per <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine. Wilson is an executive producer and added his vocals to one of the tracks. The pair worked on the songs during the time of the recording of the classic 1970 BB album <cite>Sunflower,</cite> recruiting guitarist <strong>James Burton</strong>, pianist <strong>Glen D. Hardin</strong> (members of <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>'s touring band), and steel guitarist <strong>Red Rhodes</strong>. Unfortunately, Wilson decided to ditch the project as he allegedly "lost interest." - <cite>Billboard/Music-News.com,</cite> 2/16/24...... A 50th anniversary edition of <strong>David Bowie</strong>'s 1974 album <cite>Diamond Dogs</cite> is set to be released later in 2024. The limited edition, half-speed mastered LP will also be released as a picture disc LP pressed from the same master. The records will be released on May 24 via Parlophone, on the exact day of the album's anniversary. Bowie produced the original album himself and played lead guitar in the absence of <strong>Mick Ronson</strong>. It came out of a period when Bowie had been attempting to make an adaptation of <strong>George Orwell</strong>'s <cite>Nineteen Eighty-Four</cite> as well as project based on the writing of <strong>William S. Burroughs</strong>, but both had fallen through. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 2/15/24...... In other Bowie-related news, <strong>Queen</strong> guitarist <strong>Brian May</strong> revealed that he has "never liked" the mix of "Under Pressure," the band's 1981 smash hit collaboration with Bowie, and "bowed out" to Bowie in a fight to mix the song. Speaking in an interview with <cite>Total Guitar,</cite> May revealed that the original version of "Under Pressure" "sounded massively chord-driven," but that much of its "heavy guitar was lost" following Bowie's input on the final mix. Recalling the song's creation, May said "Under Pressure" was the result of spontaneous late nights in the studio, with the initial cut featuring a "pretty heavy backing track." At first, May said he was "beaming" over the heavier guitar sound because it reminded him of <strong>The Who</strong>. May raised that comparison to Bowie, who said "'it's not going to sound like The Who by the time I've finished with it.'" May continued: "[Bowie] didn't want it to be that way." The guitarist said that the changes were made because "we all had different ideas of how ["Under Pressure"] should be mixed," specifically naming Bowie and Queen frontman <strong>Freddie Mercury</strong>. "I do recognise that it works. It's a point of view, and it's done very well," he added. "People love it... David was an awesome creative force, but you can't have too many awesome creative forces in the same room. It starts to get very difficult." In live shows, the guitarist said he now performs "Under Pressure" "quite a bit different" to the released version, leaning into its more guitar-heavy origins. "It is a lot heavier and I think it benefits from it," May said. He also told <cite>Total Guitar</cite> that he struggles to play the complex guitar riff on the iconic Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody." He said the lick of the band's 1975 hit is so "unusual" he finds contorting his hand into the notes and chords when his adrenaline is pumping in front of fans. May says it's not a riff that he would naturally play. "And that's a double-edged sword. It's difficult for the guitar to get a hold of it, it's very unusual. And to be honest, I still don't find it easy!" - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/13/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/Tina_Turner/images/Tina_Turner15.gif" ALT="Tina Turner" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVHCPT17/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">30th anniversary 4-CD/1 DVD box set edition</a> of the 1993 <strong>Tina Turner</strong> biopic <cite>What's Love Got to Do with It</cite> will eature the remastered original album on CD1, with CD2 sporting a compilation of edits, remixes and acapella tracks. CD3 and CD4 are comprised of Turner's 1993 live show at Blockbuster Pavilion in San Bernardino, Calif. This remastered footage can also be watched on the DVD along with three music videos. The boxed set also boasts a poster and a 24-page booklet. Additional album formats include one LP and two CDs; it will also be available to stream digitally. The brand-new special edition collection will be released on Apr. 26 by Rhino. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/14/24...... Reviews of the new <strong>Bob Marley</strong> biopic <cite>One Love</cite> have been less than enthusiastic since the reggae legend's biopic debuted in US theaters on Feb. 14, with many critics stating it is something of a well-intentioned failure. Many reviewers felt the movie, made with the full cooperation of Bob's family, was too reverent of its subject to be truly engaging. "This is a reverent Hallmark Channel-type film," <strong>Peter Bradshaw</strong> wrote in <cite>The Guardian,</cite> while <strong>Michael O'Sullivan</strong> in <cite>The Washington Post</cite> described the film as "an effort to render Marley's story in more messianic terms: His music, we're told, was not just something to get high to but a gospel-like message of unity, peace and love." <strong>Owen Gleiberman</strong> for <cite>Variety</cite> kept it simple: "<cite>One Love</cite> flirts with complexity but slides into the banality of hero worship." - <cite>Music-News,</cite> 2/15/24...... <strong>KISS</strong> bassist/vocalist <strong>Gene Simmons</strong> is among a wide-ranging group of more than 400 musicians, actors, agents and managers and studio executives signed an open letter to the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest rejecting attempts by some participating countries to bar Israel from participating in this year's event. Among others lending their names to the letter from the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community for Peace were: <strong>Boy George, Sharon Osbourne, Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, Debra Messing, Diane Warren</strong> and <strong>Selma Blair</strong>, among many others. The letter supports the European Broadcasting Union's commitment to including Israel in this year's contest amid calls last month from Swedish and Finnish artists demanding Israel's exclusion from the contest over their belief that including the country "undermines" the spirit of the competition. The letters cited Israel's ongoing response to the deadly Oct. 7 surprise assault on the nation from Hamas militants in which more than 1,200 Israelis -- mostly civilians -- were murdered, sexually assaulted and attacked and more than 250 were taken hostage. Simmons, who was born in Israel to a Holocaust survivor mother, wrote, "Music unites people from all backgrounds. It's the one language that everyone can understand. It's a beautiful thing and a great way to bring people together. Those advocating to exclude an Israeli singer from Eurovision don't move the needle towards peace, but only further divide the world." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/14/24...... <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>'s ex-wife <strong>Priscilla Presley</strong> is facing a lawsuit that claims she illegally turned her back on a former business partner who had helped her "dig herself out of impending financial ruin" and played a key role in getting the recent <cite>Priscilla</cite> biopic movie made. The lawsuit, filed in 2023, claims that Priscilla partnered with a woman named Brigitte Kruse in 2022 to help develop and monetize her name and likeness rights -- a move that came as Presley was allegedly "60 days from insolvency" and facing $700,000 in unpaid tax debt. But Kruse claims that in Aug. 2023, Presley and two new advisors suddenly sent her a cease-and-desist letter and "cut off all communication" with her former partner. She claims the sudden about-face came as her extensive and time-consuming efforts on Presley's behalf were finally paying off. "Though [Kruse's company] was integral to the <cite>Priscilla</cite> movie, all individuals other than Priscilla were excluded from the premiere of the <cite>Priscilla</cite> movie at the Venice Film Festival," reads the October lawsuit, which was first reported on Feb. 14 by DailyBeast.com. Presley's lawyers are seeking to toss out the case on the grounds she has no connections to the Florida county where Priscilla Presley Partners filed the lawsuit, meaning the court lacks jurisdiction to hear it. A hearing on Presley's motion to dismiss is scheduled for May. Attorneys for PPP did not immediately return a request for comment. Morgan, who was not named as a defendant or accused of any wrongdoing, could not immediately be located for comment. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/14/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/N/Neil_Young/images/Neil_Young45.gif" ALT="Neil Young" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Feb. 14 <strong>Neil Young and Crazy Horse</strong> announced their first tour together in a decade and shared details of their new album. Young and his longtime backing band will reunite to play the upcoming 16-date 2024 "Love Earth" tour, which gets underway on Apr. 24 in San Diego. After a second show there on Apr. 25 they'll also visit such major markets as Phoenix (4/27), Dallas (5/2), Atlanta (5/7), Queens, NY (5/14) and Toronto (5/22) before wrapping in Chicago on May 23. The band also revealed their upcoming album <cite>FU##IN' UP,</cite>, which will contain songs from the band's 50 year career, freshly recorded for 2024. The album will have its initial release on Record Store Day (Apr. 20); it will arrive in all formats on Apr. 26. Young said of the new album: "In the spirit it's offeredmade this for the Horse lovers. I can't stop it. The horse is runnin'. What a ride we have. I don't want to mess with the vibe. I am so happy to have this to share." Neil Young and Crazy Horse last reunited in 2014, where they played London's Hyde Park BST. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/14/24...... The inaugural 2024 "Fool in Love Festival" featuring <strong>Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Santana, Al Green, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Gladys Knight, The O'Jays, Dionne Warwick, The Stylistics, The Chi-Lites, Kool & The Gang, George Clinton</strong> and <strong>Smokey Robinson</strong> will take place Aug. 31 at Sofi Stadium-adjacent Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. Also slated to perform at the show are <strong>Santana, Eric Burdon & the Animals, the Jacksons, War</strong> and <strong>The Spinners</strong>. The full lineup can be viewed on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3TjGfZP_fJ/">Instagram.com</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/14/24...... <strong>Robert Plant</strong> and <strong>Alison Krauss</strong> have announced they're returning to the road, two years after their "Raise the Roof" tour, for nearly 30 headline dates and counting. Beginning June 2 with a centennial celebration for the legendary Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Okla., their ambitious 28-date "Can't Let Go Tour" will also see Plant and Krauss hit such cities as Lincoln, Neb. (6/5), Madison, Wisc. (6/8), Toledo, Oh. (6/14), Vancouver, B.C. (8/13, 14), Seattle (8/16, 17) Stanford, Calif. (8/22), Santa Fe, NM (8/28, 29) and Colorado Springs, Col. (8/31) before wrapping in Vail, Col. on Sept. 1. Drawing from their <strong>T Bone Burnett</strong>-produced LP <cite>Raising Sand</cite> and 2021's chart-topping <cite>Raise The Roof,</cite> Plant and Krauss will deliver a cosmic collision of early blues, country deep cuts, revolutionary folk-rock and lost soul music. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/13/24...... The first photo of <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>'s nephew <strong>Jaafar Jackson</strong> portraying the late singer in the forthcoming biopic <cite>Michael</cite> has been shared on <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/michael-jackson-movie-first-look-1235909338/">Variety.com</a> .The pic sees Jaafar performing as Jackson during his Dangerous Tour from 1992-93. "With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael," producer <strong>Graham King</strong> told <cite>Variety.</cite> "He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could." Jaafar and nine-year-old <strong>Juliano Krue Valdi</strong> will play an adult and child version of Michael respectively in the forthcoming biopic. <cite>Michael</cite> has been confirmed to receive a theatrical release in the U.S. on Apr. 18, 2025 - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/13/24...... <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> has broken her silence about the recent controversial performance by country singer <strong>Elle King</strong> on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville on Jan. 19. During the Grand Ole Opry's tribute concert for Parton's 78th back in January, King appeared on stage, where she declared that she was "f--king hammered" and forgot the lyrics to Parton's song "Marry Me." During a recent interview with <cite>Extra,</cite> offered forgiveness and support to the "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home) singer, telling fans: "So let's just forgive that and forget it and move on, 'cause she felt worse than anybody ever could." Following King's performance, the Grand Ole Opry issued an apology via X, responding to one disgruntled attendee's comment, and saying, "We deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used during last night's second Opry performance." King has yet to comment publicly on the incident. Shortly after the Grand Ole Opry performance, King postponed a series of shows, including a concert at famous dancehall Billy Bob's Texas. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/12/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Mavis_Staples/images/Mavis_Staples7.gif" ALT="Mavis Staples" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Music legend <strong>Mavis Staples</strong> will celebrate her 85th birthday in style, with a star-studded celebration to be held on Apr. 18, at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif. The lineup features a who's who of artists who have been inspired and influenced by the soul/gospel/R&B pioneer and civil rights activist, including <strong>Black Pumas, Chris Stapleton, Grace Potter, The War and Treaty</strong> and <strong>Keb' Mo'</strong>. The lineup also includes <strong>Hozier, Jackson Browne, Jeff Tweedy, Michael McDonald, Nathaniel Rateliff, Norah Jones, Robert Randolph</strong> and <strong>Taj Mahal</strong>, with more artists to be announced. Staples herself will also take the stage during the event. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/12/24...... On Feb. 12 <strong>AC/DC</strong> announced dates for their summer U.K./European tour, a 21-show swing in 10 countries slated to kick off with the first of two dates at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on May 17, followed by shows in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland before hitting London's Wembley Stadium for a pair of shows (July 3, 7), Germany, Slovakia and Paris and then winding down with a gig at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 17. The European tour follows AC/DC's long-awaited return to the stage last year at the all-star hard rock Power Trip festival in Indio, Calif. The band began teasing their 2024 return on socials earlier in February, posting images of a lightning bolt and a countdown cued to a snippet of "Are You Ready" from 1990's <cite>The Razors Edge.</cite> The band's announcement and the full schedule of tour dates can be viewed on <a href="https://twitter.com/acdc/status/1756951803730546981">X</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/12/24...... <strong>ABBA</strong> have announced a 50th anniversary reissue release of their breakthrough 1974 album <cite>Waterloo</cite> in a host of formats along with brand new merchandise. The album will be released as a Half-Speed mastered 45RPM 2LP Vinyl, along with a limited edition box set of the three vinyl singles originally released by Polar Records in 1974. The singles -- which as well as the title track include classics such as "Honey, Honey" and "Hasta Maana" -- will also be made available as separate picture discs and a 10-inch vinyl featuring the title track in four different languages will also be released. The 50th anniversary reissue of <cite>Waterloo</cite> is due for release on Apr. 5. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/15/24...... <strong>Frankie Beverly</strong>, frontman of the legendary '70s R&B group <strong>Maze</strong>, has announced that a Maze farewell tour will kick off in Atlanta at the State Farm Arena on Mar. 22 and wrap in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum on May 12. Other stops include Mobile, Ala, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles. "I want to share with my lifelong fans and associates that I'll be going out on the road one last time, then retire," Beverly said in a statement. "Thank you so much for the support given to me for over 50 years as I pass on the lead vocalist torch to <strong>Tony Lindsay</strong>. The band will continue on as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly. It's been a great ride through the decades. Let the music of my legacy continue." Throughout its 54-year-long career, Maze has scored nine gold albums and a string of hits including "Before I Let Go" -- which <strong>Beyoncé</strong> lovingly covered on her live album <cite>Homecoming.</cite> Among Beverly and Maze's early mentors was <strong>Marvin Gaye</strong>. After relocating to San Francisco and meeting Gaye in 1971, the group began touring as the R&B/pop legend's opening act. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/14/24...... <strong>Damo Suzuki</strong>, a member of the experimental German group <strong>Can</strong>, died on Feb. 9, the group posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3K2VpDoBQq/">Instagram</a> on Feb. 10. He was 74. "It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing of our wonderful friend Damo Suzuki, yesterday, Friday 9th February 2024," Can wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of Suzuki. "His boundless creative energy has touched so many over the whole world, not just with Can, but also with his all continent spanning Network Tour. Damo's kind soul and cheeky smile will be forever missed." Suzuki officially joined Can in 1970 and appeared on the band's classic run of albums, including <cite>Tago Mago</cite> (1971), <cite>Ege Bamyasi</cite> (1972) and <cite>Future Days</cite> (1973). He was known for his improvisational singing style, mixing words in English and Japanese, which helped define the group's sound. Suzuki left Can in 1973 after marrying a German woman and converting to Jehovah's Witness. He returned with several new musical projects in the 1980s, including <strong>Damo Suzuki's Network</strong> and <strong>Damo Suzuki Band</strong>. With a rotation of vocalists, Can continued on a path of unabated experimentation for 20 years, releasing its swansong, <cite>Rite Time,</cite> in 1989. The group has proven amongst the most influential in rock history, particularly for subsequent generations of experimental acts such as the <strong>Talking Heads, Brian Eno, Sonic Youth</strong> and <strong>Tortoise</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/11/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/James_Brown/images/James_Brown4.gif" ALT="James Brown" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Cable TV channel A&E will celebrate <strong>James Brown</strong> with a two-night documentary event entitled <cite>James Brown: Say It Loud</cite> on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Across four hours, the special traces the incredible trajectory of the "Godfather of Soul"'s life and career -- from a 7th grade drop-out arrested and jailed at the age of 16 for breaking into a car in the Jim Crow-era South, to an entertainment legend whose groundbreaking talent and unique perspective catapulted him to become a dominant Black creative and cultural force in the 1960s and forward. The special examines Brown's legacy through exclusive interviews, never-before-seen archival footage and his beloved music catalog. Directed by <strong>Deborah Riley Draper</strong>, <cite>James Brown: Say It Loud</cite> was executive produced by <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> and <strong>Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson</strong>. The series will also be available on demand and to stream on the A&E App and aetv.com. A sneak peek can be viewed on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEkkZ2rzIW4">YouTube</a>. - <cite>aetv.com,</cite> 1/18/24...... BBC Radio legend <strong>Steve Wright</strong>, who spent over 40 years as one of the most popular presenters on BBC Radio, has died at the age of 69. The news was confirmed in a statement by his family, who wrote: "It is with deep sorrow and profound regret that we announce the passing of our beloved Steve Wright... As we all grieve, the family requests privacy at this immensely difficult time." Wright began on BBC Radio 1 in 1980, settling into his <cite>Steve Wright in the Afternoon</cite> show the following year. He remained at the station until 1995, briefly hosting the <cite>Breakfast Show,</cite> and later became an institution at BBC Radio 2, presenting in his trademark time slot from 1999 to 2022. He also hosted the show <cite>Sunday Love Songs</cite> on Radio 2 up until his death, and recently replaced the veteran broadcaster <strong>Paul Gambaccini</strong> on the station's <cite>Pick of the Pops</cite> in late 2022. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/13/24.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-17533013117990394112024-02-06T14:58:00.000-08:002024-02-14T15:37:59.206-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on February 11th, 2024</b>
<P>The <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> have shared that they have "cut back" on their backstage rider requests. Bassist <strong>Darryl Jones</strong> revealed on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C267D9bNBaz/">Instagram</a> on Feb. 8 that the iconic band no longer have big asks for their backstage area such as gigantic gaming rooms but did say that they do keep plenty of food around including guitarist <strong>Keith Richards</strong>' favorite dish, shepherd's pie. "They would make a room out of curtains and things. We had the banks of video racing games, where you sit, that was around for a while," Jones says. "They kinda cut back on that stuff now. Keith still has what he loves, shepherd's pie. There's so much food backstage, me and the keyboard player have our own rider," he added. The Stones will launch the spring 2024 leg of their "Hackney Diamonds" tour on Apr. 28 in Houston, also playing New Orleans (5/2), Glendale, Ariz. (5/7), Las Vegas (5/11), Seattle (5/15), East Rutherford, N.J. (5/23, 26) and Foxboro, Mass (5/30). They're also set to play at this year's edition of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside <strong>Foo Fighters</strong> and <strong>Neil Young and Crazy Horse</strong> and more. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 2/8/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Peter_Frampton/images/Peter_Frampton14.gif" ALT="Peter Frampton" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/faq_rockrollhalloffame.html">Rock & Roll Hall of Fame</a> unveiled its class of 2024 nominees on Feb. 10, with a larger than usual roster of 15 artists up for induction into the Cleveland-based hall and museum. Seventies musicians nominated include arena-filling guitar pro <strong>Peter Frampton</strong>, metal god <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong>, half-century-plus pop icon <strong>Cher</strong>, stadium rock hitmakers <strong>Foreigner</strong>, and R&B/funk legends <strong>Kool & the Gang</strong>. Two thirds of the names on the 2024 Rock Hall ballot are first-timers, despite years of eligibility (particularly in the cases of Frampton, Cher and Foreigner). Frampton says he's "happy to finallly have his name in the hat" after being eligible since the early '90s based on his first recordings; Osbourne issued a statement saying he is "deeply honored to receive this news from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame"; and Foreigner's <strong>Mick Jones</strong> said being nominated was "an incredible endorsement of what we have achieved over time." The 2024 nominees, which also include <strong>Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Dave Matthews Band, Eric B. & Rakim, Jane's Addiction, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Sinéad O'Connor, Sade</strong> and <strong>A Tribe Called Quest</strong>, will be decided by a voting body of 1,000+ "artists, historians and members of the music industry," per a press release. The Rock Hall's Class of 2024 will be announced in late April. This year's induction ceremony returns to Cleveland, home of the RRHOF, this fall. For the second consecutive year, the 2024 RRHOF induction ceremony will live stream on Disney+. It will air on ABC at a later, to-be-announced date, and be available on Hulu the following day. Industry observers are saying those most likely to get an induction nod include Osbourne, followed by O'Connor, Kravitz, Cher and Carey. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/10/24...... Speaking of <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong>, the <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> co-founder is infuriated that rapper <strong>Kanye West</strong> has recently sampled a section of a 1983 live performance of Sabbath's "War Pig" in West's new song "Talking/Once Again." "@KAYNEWEST ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A [SECTION] OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF 'WAR PIG' FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS," Osbourne posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3JC7kpy93G/">Instagram</a> on Feb. 9, going on to say that West was "REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY. HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM LISTENING PARTY LAST NIGHT. I WANT NO ASSOCIATION WITH THIS MAN!" West has raised eyebrows in the music industry with his controversial antisemite statements and the slogan "White Live Matter," which led to his dismissal from many of his lucrative business partnerships and caused him to lose his billionaire status. In December, West extended an apology to the Jewish community for "any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions... Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/9/24...... <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> has added 12 additional solo dates to her 2024 tour across North America, in which she has been co-headlining with <strong>Billy Joel</strong> in various cities. Nicks took to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2-WHXbLYHy/">Instagram</a> on Feb. 6 to make the official announcement with a photo of her updated tour dates list. "It's a new year& Let's keep this thing going! I've added 12 more shows to my 2024 tour. I can't wait to see you all soon," the caption says. Additional cities the former <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> frontlady will be visiting include St. Louis, MO; Thackerville, OK; Nashville; San Antonio; Highland, CA; Salt Lake City; Denver; Indianapolis; Uncasville, CT; Albany, NY; Hershey, PA; and Grand Rapids, MI. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/9/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Bob_Marley/images/Bob_Marley8.gif" ALT="Bob Marley" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">As the <strong>Bob Marley</strong> biopic <cite>Bob Marley: One Love</cite> hits US theaters on Feb. 14, titular actor <strong>Kingsley Ben-Adir</strong> says "at first, I didn't think it was right" that he was chosen to portray the iconic Jamaican musician, but Marley's family, led by son <strong>Ziggy Marley</strong>, was persistent. "What I needed to do was try and find Bob's humanity," Ben-Adir says, and that they didn't want Ben-Adir to try and mimic Marley; they wanted him to tap into his spirit. "What I needed to do was try and find Bob's humanity," Ben-Adir says. It was while he was working on <strong>Greta Gerwig</strong> summer blockbuster <cite>Barbie,</cite> in which he played one of the many Kens, that he prepped for the role. "I got the gig when I was on <cite>Barbie</cite> and I just started doing the preparation when we were on downtime," he says. Not a cradle to the grave project, <cite>One Love</cite> zeroes in on a small part of Marley's life as he tried to organize the One Love Peace Concert in the late-1970s to unite his warring home country of Jamaica. As he rose to worldwide musical fame, we see how despite a failed assassination attempt in 1976 his message of love and unity triumphed over forces that sought to keep his fellow Jamaicans divided. Directed by <strong>Reinaldo Marcus Green</strong> (<cite>King Richard</cite>) and co-produced by Ziggy, Marley's widow Rita, sister Cedella and Oscar winner <strong>Brad Pitt</strong>, the film delves into the recording of the classic <strong>Wailers</strong> album <cite>Exodus</cite> (widely considered one of the best albums of the 20th century). Many months after filming wrapped on the film, Ben-Adir describes the experience of shooting <cite>One Love</cite> as transformative in his burgeoning acting career (he has previously portrayed the likes of <strong>Malcolm X</strong> and <strong>Barack Obama</strong>). "(Marley's) music speaks for itself. It plays everywhere and it's been part of all our lives. I can't even remember when I first heard of Bob; he's just always been there," Ben-Adir says. "But to get to know Bob as a father and as a human -- that process was extraordinary." - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 2/10/24...... As <strong>Elton John</strong> continues to downsize after announcing his retirement from touring, the Rocket Man has announced he is liquidating his museum-worthy collection of art, photography and personal effects he collected in the sprawling 13,000-square foot penthouse/gallery on Peachetree Road, which he recently sold. On Thursday Feb. 8, John's husband and manager, <strong>David Furnish</strong>, spoke to <cite>Good Morning America</cite> about the sale while spotlighting some of the most interesting pieces going under the gavel starting Feb. 9. "This has brought Elton a lot of joy. He always liked to go out to do shows to earn money to collect more things that he loved and that inspired him," Furnish told <cite>GMA,</cite> while standing in the museum-like space and showing off pieces headed for the "Goodbye Peachtree Road" Christie's auction that lasts through Feb. 21. The collection comprised of photography, art and objects collected by John since 1991 at his Peachtree Road apartment in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood includes everything from pieces by British artists <strong>Damien Hirst</strong> and <strong>Banksy</strong>, as well as ones from iconic American artists <strong>Julian Schnabel, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe</strong> and <strong>Keith Haring</strong>, a pair of John's silver leather platform boots from 1971. Also on the list is the Yamaha grand piano from 1992, on which the Emmy/Grammy/Oscar/Tony honoree wrote his Tony-winning score to the "Aida" Broadway musical and the score to the <strong>Billy Elliott</strong> musical. Other highlights include his first outrageously colorful custom concert outfits from 1971, Rolex watches, a sapphire ring, a Versace set of Rosenthal china and hundreds of individually printed silk shirts by his late friend <strong>Gianni Versace</strong>. Furnish's <cite>GMA</cite> interview can be viewed on <a href="https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1755584563495981500">X</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/8/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Michael_Jackson/images/Michael_Jackson53.gif" ALT="Michael Jackson" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Sony Music Group has closed an agreement to buy half of <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>'s publishing and recorded masters catalog in a deal that sources say valued those music assets somewhere above $1.2 billion, what could be the largest valuation of a musician's music assets. Other sources have suggested it might be as much as $1.5 billion. At those valuations, Sony will pay at least $600 million for its stake of the legendary rights. As English prog-rockers <strong>Queen</strong> are finally getting close to selling their catalog, according to sources -- and may even already be in an exclusive period with an undisclosed suitor and are reportedly seeking a $1.2 billion payday -- the Jackson deal, which closed in late 2023, is at a bigger valuation than the $1.2 billion that Queen is currently seeking. And whereas the Queen valuation includes, sources say, royalties from income streams beyond the masters and publishing, including from the <strong>Freddie Mercury</strong> biopic, <cite>Bohemian Rhapsody,</cite> and theatrical productions using Queen's music, Sony's deal with the Jackson estate does not include royalties from the Broadway play and other theatrical productions featuring Jackson's music. Sales and streams of Jackson's music grew steadily from 1.07 million album equivalent units in 2020 to 1.47 million in 2023 -- up 37% over those three years -- according to Luminate. That outpaced the overall U.S. music market for album consumption units, which grew 22.9% during that time period. Outside the U.S., Jackson is arguably even more popular. In 2023, consumption of his music grew 38.3% to 6.5 billion on-demand streams, up from 4.7 billion streams in 2021. In 2025, a Jackson biopic called <cite>Michael</cite> will be released, likely fueling even more growth to his fanbase, boosting consumption and triggering more revenue to flow to his estate and any other rights holder. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/9/24...... <strong>John Travolta</strong> reprised some of his best <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#Saturday Night Fever"><cite>Saturday Night Fever</cite></a> dance moves on stage during the Sanremo 2024 festival in Italy on Feb. 7. Announced as the international guest of the second night of the three-night Sanremo 2024, Travolta was involved in a series of sketches in which -- rather than speaking -- he was just asked to replicate with host <strong>Amadeus</strong> the dance moves that made him famous, from <cite>Saturday Night Fever</cite> to <cite>Pulp Fiction,</cite> ending with the "Chicken Dance" (where he refused to wear a beak-shaped hat). It is not clear whether he had been made aware of all this. Travolta will celebrate his milestone 70th birthday on Feb. 18. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/8/24...... A re-release of <strong>Mark Knopfler</strong>'s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTL21LW8/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">"Going Home (Theme from <cite>Local Hero</cite>)"</a> will feature the final recording of late guitar great <strong>Jeff Beck</strong>. "Going Home" is Knopfler's legendary soundtrack to the 1983 Scottish comedy-drama film, and will raise funds for the UK's Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. Compacted to nine minutes long, almost all the world's most iconic guitarists take turns on the history-making anthem, with <strong>Pink Floyd</strong>'s <strong>David Gilmour, Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, Guns N' Roses' Slash, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi</strong>, <strong>Eagles</strong> member <strong>Joe Walsh, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, The Who</strong>'s <strong>Pete Townshend, Nile Rodgers, Joan Jett</strong> and <strong>Queen</strong>'s <strong>Brian May</strong> also contributing. Beck -- who died after contracting bacterial meningitis in Jan. 2023 aged 78 -- opens the song with an emotional solo. <strong>Sting</strong> completes the rhythm section on bass. Legendary graphic designer <strong>Sir Peter Blake</strong>, best known for his work for <strong>The Beatles, The Who</strong> and <strong>Paul Weller</strong>, designed the artwork featuring cutouts of all the contributors squeezed into the backdrop of Hanks guitar shop. "What I really want to do, more than anything else, is just to thank each and every one for this sterling response," Knopfler said. "I really had no idea that it was going to be like this. It hit (producer) <strong>Guy (Fletcher)</strong> and I quite early on that we had to extend this piece somehow, to take in the number of people who joined in." "Local Hero" is due out on Mar. 15. - <cite>Music-News.com</cite> 2/8/24...... Actor <strong>Paul Giamatti</strong> says <strong>Cher</strong> keeps calling him and he doesn't know why. Appearing on <strong>Howard Stern</strong>'s SiriusXM radio show, Giamatti said, "Every now and then, I get a message from somebody that says Cher really needs to talk to me, like it's important, like it's crucial that she talks to me. And I'm like, 'What the f---?! Why does Cher want to talk to me?' Nobody will tell me!" He continued: "And then I never hear anything and a year will go by, and it happens again... I don't know what she could possibly want to talk to me about. And it's killing me, I'm dying to know what she wants to talk to me about. I mean, it would be great! I'd love to talk to her about anything. I don't care, it'd be fantastic," he explained to Stern. Giamatti is a strong contender for a Best Actor Oscar for is performance in <cite>The Holdovers.</cite> He's up against alongside <strong>Cillian Murphy, Bradley Cooper, Colman Domingo</strong> and <strong>Jeffrey Wright</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/8/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/images/Englebert_Humperdinck4.gif" ALT="Engelbert_Humperdinck" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">70s crooner <strong>Engelbert Humperdinck</strong> is aiming to become the oldest ever performer at the UK's Glastonbury festival, Glastonbury's oldest ever performer this year, beating the record help by the late <strong>Burt Bacharach</strong>, who was 87 when he played the festival in 2015. The 87-year-old Humperdinck -- who will be 88 in May -- said: "I wouldn't mind doing Glastonbury. I'd have to have the right songs for that show. But my new project may give me that opportunity. It's out of my comfort zone and taking me into a different style, which may lead to Glastonbury." Englebert also revealed one of his career regrets is when his manager turned down a collaboration with <strong>Gorillaz</strong> in 2010. He said: "That was a terrible mistake. I would've jumped at the chance if they'd spoken to me. "Hopefully, with this new project, I'll be able to work with these sort of people. I want to record with them," he said. Humperdinck's 2024 tour itinerary includes a Feb. 11 show in Detroit, a June 13 concert in Englewood, N.J., and UK dates in London (9/8), Manchester (9/9), Birmingham (9/10) and Glasgow (9/12). - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/10/24...... In a new interview with the <cite>London Times,</cite> <strong>Rod Stewart</strong> took a veiled swipe at contemporary singer <strong>Ed Sheeran</strong> by admitting he doesn't know any of his songs. Asked if timeless songs are still being made, he told <cite>The Times</cite>: "I'm sure they are. You mean like Maggie May? Songs that will be played in 50 years? I like whatshisname. Oh great, Rod. Well done. He's British, really talented and his songs will be around. Erm." Asked if he meant Sheeran, he replied: "No, not Ed, I don't know any of his songs, old ginger [redacted]. Jesus." Stewart, 79, then when on to heap praise on pop star <strong>George Ezra</strong>, 30, for penning "really tremendous songs" that he believes will stand the test of time. Stewart also took a pop at "kids" in music today just wanting fame and money and not caring about their craft. "We were brave in those days to go into the music business," he said. "We didn't know where it would take us but record companies were different. They would give you a try." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/9/24...... <strong>Mojo Nixon</strong>, the unpredictable rock and roller behind the 1987 MTV-favorite novelty song "Elvis Is Everywhere," died on Feb. 7 at age 66. According to a statement on his Facebook page, Nixon (real name: Neill Kirby McMillan Jr.) died after suffering a "cardiac event" during an Outlaw Country Cruise on which he was a performer. Nixon also hit the <cite>Billboard</cite> charts with "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two-Headed Love Child," a No. 16 Alternative Airplay hit from his Root Hog or Die album with Skid Roper (No. 151 on the Billboard 200 in 1989), as well as "Don Henley Must Die," a savage song that takes aim at the <strong>Eagles</strong> frontman from Mojo's 1990 solo album <cite>Otis</cite> -- which was a No. 20 hit on Alternative Airplay. In addition to his music career, Nixon also worked as an actor, appearing in the 1989 <strong>Jerry Lee Lewis</strong> biopic <cite>Great Balls of Fire!</cite> and starring as Toad in the 1993 <cite>Super Mario Bros.</cite> movie. A documentary about Nixon, <cite>The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon,</cite> debuted at the 2022 South by Southwest film festival and was released digitally in March 2023. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/7/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/H/images/Henry_Farmbrough.gif" ALT="Henry Farmbrough" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Henry Farmbrough</strong>, the last surviving original member of the iconic R&B group <strong>The Spinners</strong>, died peacefully of natural causes on Feb. 7 in his northern Virginia home, spokesperson Tanisha Jackson said in a statement. He was 85. In May 2023, Mr. Fambrough took a tour of Motown's Studio A in Detroit as part of a ceremony that included the donation to the Motown Museum of 375 outfits worn by The Spinners during performances. It "was a long time ago," Mr. Fambrough said at the time of the 1960s, when he first walked into the studio. "I used to dream about this place." He told reporters that he had to convince his wife that the studio was where he was going for 3 a.m. rehearsals and recording sessions with other members of the group. Their first big hit for Motown was "It's A Shame," which peaked at No. 14 on the pop chart in 1970. The Spinners would later sign with Atlantic Records and turn out a string of hits that included "Then Came You," which featured singer <strong>Dionne Warwick</strong> and reached No. 1 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 in 1974. Their other hits include "It's a Shame," "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" and <a href="sw_therubberbandman.html">"The Rubberband Man."</a> Their songs received six Grammy Award nominations and earned 18 platinum and gold albums. Originally called The <strong>Domingoes</strong>, the group was formed in 1954 just north of Detroit in Ferndale. The Spinners joined Motown Records 10 years later. Mr. Fambrough's survivors include his wife of 52 years, Norma, and daughter Heather Williams. - <cite>AP,</cite> 2/8/24...... <strong>J.M. "Jimmy" Van Eaton</strong>, a pioneering rock 'n' roll drummer who played behind the likes of <strong>Jerry Lee Lewis</strong> and <strong>Billy Lee Riley</strong> at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn., died on Feb. 9. He was 86. Mr. Van Eaton, a Memphis native who came to the famous record label as a teenager, died at his home in Alabama after dealing with health issues over the last year. He was known for his bluesy playing style that the newspaper said powered classic early-rock hits at Sun like "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Lewis and "Red Hot" by Riley. He also played with <strong>Bill Justis</strong> and <strong>Charlie Rich</strong>. Mr. Van Eaton drifted away from the music business in the 1960s, but he resumed performing by the 1970s, particularly as interest in rockabilly grew following the death of <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>. By the early 1980s, he began four decades of working in the municipal bond business. But he also was part of the team that played the music for the film <cite>Great Balls of Fire,</cite> about Lewis, and he put out a solo album in the late 1990s. He was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and Memphis Music Hall of Fame. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son and daughter. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/10/24.
<P><strong>Alice Cooper</strong> has returned to the airwaves with <cite>Alice's Attic,</cite> the follow-up to his long-running <cite>Nights with Alice Cooper</cite> broadcast which wrapped in 2022. Cooper, who turned 76 on Feb. 4, has teamed up with Superadio to syndicate the show, which runs Monday through Thursday. "To all of my insane radio minions, I'm BACK," the shock rocker said in a statment. "And if you thought 20 years of 'Nights with Alice Cooper' was weird, just wait until you get into 'Alice's Attic!' Just think about who or what could be lurking in all these dusty old boxes. We've got the same team behind the new show and so you'll find the show fairly familiar, but we're all looking forward to getting a little more creative with introducing new elements to keep things from getting stale. Speaking of stale what IS that smell??!" Alice promises a "curated mix of classic and some obscure rock, with an occasional 'future classic' song," plus his own stories and commentary about the music and artists he features. Listeners in the US and Australia are already able to access the show, with local stations in Canada and the UK also set to get the show soon. Cooper's interviewees in past years include <strong>Joe Perry, Brian Johnson, Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie</strong> and the late <strong>Meat Loaf</strong>. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 2/6/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/Sammy_Hagar/images/Sammy_Hagar12.gif" ALT="Sammy Hagar" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The restaurant management company owned by <strong>Sammy Hagar</strong> is demanding that a federal judge shut down an allegedly unauthorized Hollywood location of his Cabo Wabo Cantina, claiming that a former franchisee has gone rogue and is damaging the rock star's reputation. Attorneys for Hagar's company, Red Head Inc., sued in January, claiming that franchisee Robert Azinian had opened a new Cabo Wabo on Hollywood Blvd across from the TCL Chinese Theatre even though his licensing deal had been terminated. A new Feb. 5 filing asks for an immediate injunction blocking Azinian from continuing to use the name or any other company branding on his new eatery. "Every day that the Cabo Wabo Cantina at the new Hollywood location continues to operate under the 'Cabo Wabo' brand, it soils the name, reputation, and goodwill that Red Head has developed," the company's lawyers write. "Defendants were instructed to discontinue any and all use of the marks, but they have ignored that request." Hagar and his then <strong>Van Halen</strong> bandmates opened Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 1990, after buying out his partners, he later launched a line of tequila under the same name. Hagar sold the liquor brand to Italian beverage company Gruppo Campari for $101 million, but his Red Head Inc. continues to operate the restaurant in Cabo and later franchised locations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/6/24...... Meanwhile, Sammy Hagar was among those paying tribute to rocker <strong>Jon Bon Jovi</strong> on Feb. 2 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Bon Jovi was named the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year, an in addition to Hagar, the event was also attended by Bon Jovi's pals <strong>Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Melissa Etheridge, Jelly Roll</strong> and <strong>Shania Twain</strong>, among others. "We were buddies forever, and I don't ever remember having any kind of Internet argument or anything with Jon," Hagar said on the red carpet before the event. "We came from the same school, we sing the same kind of way, we're screamers, we write big choruses that make people want to sing along. He's just younger and better looking than me," he added. When asked if there are any Bon Jovi songs he wishes he could have written instead, the former <strong>Van Halen</strong> vocalist was upfront. "Yeah, all of 'em," he said, smiling. "'Wanted Dead or Alive,' I really love that song. It's so cool. But hey, 'You Give Love a Bad Name' it's a damn good song." During the ceremony, Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi jammed together on a rendition of Bon Jovi's "Who Says You Can't Go Home," as well as the Boss' "The Promised Land," Bon Jovi also debuted a new song by the name of "Legendary." Footage of the performances can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/I18EIMIvDy4">YouTube</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/5/24...... In a new interview with <strong>Conan O'Brien</strong>'s SiriusXM radio show, former <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> member <strong>Lindsey Buckingham</strong> reflected on his time in the platinum-selling group and revealed that he would rejoin the line-up "in a heartbeat." "If there's more to come [from Fleetwood Mac], if there's a way to heal that, that would be great. It would be very appropriate to close on a more circular note," Buckingham, who departed from Fleetwood Mac in 2018, told O'Brien. Currently, the future of Fleetwood Mac hangs in the balance, following the death of longtime member <strong>Christine McVie</strong> in Nov. 2022 at the age of 79, "following a short illness." It was later revealed that her death was primarily caused by suffering an ischemic stroke. In Feb. 2023, founding member <strong>Mick Fleetwood</strong> said that the loss of McVie meant he had drawn a "line in the sand" in terms of playing with the band again, but would be happy if the members continued to make music as part of other projects. Later, <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> shared a similar sentiment, claiming that "there's no reason" to keep the band going as they could never replace McVie. Elsewhere in the interview, Buckingham went on to recall the circumstances that led to him being fired from the outfit in 2018, adding that while he doesn't blame anyone for the issues that led to his departure, he does see his replacement as something that "disrespected the legacy" the members built. "There's no fingers to point at anyone, really. That's rock and roll, right?," he said. Buckingham posted to <a href="https://twitter.com/LBuckingham/status/1750244140451803552">X</a> on Jan. 24 saying his fans can catch the <cite>Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend</cite> podcast with his interview on the SiriusXM app. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 2/6/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Beatles/images/Beatles4.gif" ALT="The Beatles" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">To commemorate the 60th anniversary of <strong>The Beatles</strong>' legendary Feb. 9, 1964 appearance on America's <cite>The Ed Sullivan Show,</cite> toymaker MEGA/Mattel is releasing a one-of-a-kind construction set that replicates the "arrows" stage that was specially made for the broadcast, and includes four 2-inch posable micro-figures of <strong>John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison</strong> and <strong>Ringo Starr</strong>, complete with swappable instruments. The 681-piece set is currently available for $79.99 at select Walmart stores, online at Walmart.co, and on the Beatles official website. The Beatles' performance on <cite>The Ed Sullivan Show</cite> launched the "British invasion" and birthed Beatlemania Stateside as the show received more than 50,000 ticket requests for the 728-seat studio. By comparison, <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> drove more than 7,000 ticket requests for his Sullivan show debut in 1957. The Beatles appeared on the show three times in 1964 and several other times over the next four years but stopped performing live on the show in 1966, opting instead for pre-taped performances. The band's final appearance on Sullivan show, a pre-taped performance, was on Mar. 1, 1970. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/5/24...... The <strong>Grateful Dead</strong> has just broken the record for the most top 40-charting albums in the nearly 68-year history of the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart. The group's latest archival live release, <cite>Dave's Picks, Volume 49: Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford U., Palo Alto, CA (4/27/85 & 4/28/85)</cite>, debuted at No. 25 on the chart dated Feb. 10. It's the 59th Top 40-charting set for the San Francisco-based band, surpassing the 58 top 40s earned by both <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> and <strong>Frank Sinatra</strong>. <cite>Dave's Picks, Volume 49</cite> is from the band's long-running archival release series, named for the group's archivist, <strong>David Lemieux</strong>. The series launched in 2012 and has granted the group 41 of its 59 top 40-charting sets on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200. In other GD-related news, the GD spinoff band <strong>Dead & Company</strong> has revealed the dates for its summer residency at Las Vegas' Sphere venue. Dubbed "Dead Forever," the six-week run will kick off on May 16, with other May dates on May 17, 18, 24, 25, 24, 25 and 26. In June, the band will perform on June 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22. July dates include July 4, 5, 6, 11 and 12 before wrapping on July 13. The gigs will run Thursday-Saturday, and, according to a release, "feature never-before-seen visual storytelling from Dead & Company, providing fans with the ultimate connection to the music through these innovative and immersive shows." Dead & Company -- which includes Grateful Dead founding member guitarist/singer <strong>Bob Weir</strong> and longtime drummer/percussionist <strong>Mickey Hart</strong>, as well as <strong> John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti</strong> and <strong>Oteil Burbridge</strong> -- formed in 2015. Co-founder drummer <strong>Bill Kreutzmann</strong> was originally part of the band as well, but he exited in 2023, before the band kicked off what it called its "final tour" last summer. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/5/24...... The 2024 Grammys award ceremony held at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena on the evening of Feb. 4 featured a long-overdue return from 30-years-gone <strong>Billy Joel</strong> and a spellbinding rendition of "Both Sides Now" from legendary singer-songwriter <strong>Joni Mitchell</strong>. Mitchell was introduced by <strong>Brandi Carlile</strong>, who saluted her importance and influence as "the matriarch of imagination" and her own personal hero -- as well as for the struggles she had to go through after suffering a brain aneurysm (including having to learn how to walk again three separate times), among other issues. "Joni just turned 80, my friends," Carlile raved, "but we all know she's timeless." Mitchell then performed her signature ballad "Both Sides Now" seated from a large cushioned throne. Despite her voice of course being huskier and octaves lower than it was on the original 1969 recording, and the arrangement significantly slower, her performance of the classic song was absolutely stunning and thoroughly indelible. Attendees from <strong>Beyoncé</strong> to <strong>Meryl Streep</strong> to <strong>Dua Lipa</strong> were caught rapt in attention, visibly overpowered by the moment. Carlile assisted on the performance on the guitar, with further backing from <strong>Alison Russell, Lucius</srong> and Jacob Collier</strong>. Mitchell has won 11 Grammys in her career, including one at this year's ceremonies -- dating all the way back to 1969, when her "Both Sides" parent album Clouds won best folk performance. She also took home best folk album earlier in this year's ceremonies for her <cite>Joni Mitchell at Newport</cite> live set. Although her own version of "Both Sides Now" never charted on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100, <strong>Judy Collins</strong>' contemporaneous version of the song reached No. 8 in late 1968. <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Billy_Joel/images/Billy_Joel40.gif" ALT="Billy Joel" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Toward the end of the ceremony, <strong>Billy Joel</strong> took the stage to perform his latest single "Turn the Lights Back On." The performance -- the first time Joel has played at the Grammys in 30 years -- was preceded by a video package explaining the new song's origin story, with co-writer <strong>Freddy Wexler</strong> saying his dream of meeting Joel was fulfilled when his wife introduced him "to a doctor who knew another doctor who once knew Billy Joel." This loose association led to a long lunch meeting between Wexler and the icon who, Wexler says, became "unlikely friends" and ultimately wrote the song together. "It took him awhile to talk me into it," says Joel, who says he did a recording and "didn't hate my voice, and I usually do." Joel, who has scored 33 top 40 hits on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100, ended up co-writing "Turn the Lights Back On" with Wexler, <strong>Arthur Bacon</strong> and <strong>Wayne Hector</strong>. Wexler also produced the track, which is Joel's first song released with words since 2007's "All My Life." The song has also entered the <cite>Billboard</cite> Adult Contemporary chart dated Feb. 10 at No. 11, his first entry on the survey since 1998. Joel later closed the 2024 Grammys with a rousing rendition of his 1980 classic "You May Be Right." Other '70s stars featured in the 2024 Grammys include <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong>, who honored the late, legendary performer <strong>Tony Bennett</strong> with a rendition of Bennett's hit "The Best Is Yet To Come," and a "duet" with Bennett on "For Once in My Life" with footage of the late artist performing on a big screen. Bennett recorded "For Once in My Life" in 1967, with Wonder's version of the song releasing in 1968. On Feb. 3, '70s R&B great <strong>Gladys Knight</strong> was also honored with the Recording Academy's Special Merit Award at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. Knight spoke emotionally about family in accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award. She noted that her mother would never allow her to sing "easy.... It had to come from a deeper place." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/4/24...... <strong>AC/DC</strong> have teased a return to touring by dropping a teaser on <a href="https://twitter.com/acdc/status/1754776949447184527">X</a> on Feb. 6 that asks fans whether they are "ready." The Aussie rock vets hinted to fans that plans to hit the road are underway by sharing a cryptic update on X and other social media channels. The 20-second-long clip that shows their iconic lightning bolt symbol flickering against a dark background, before the words 'ARE YOU READY' abruptly flash onto the screen. In the background, their 1990 song 'Are You Ready' plays, and the band's logo later fills up the screen. If their hints prove to be true, it will mark their first shows on the European continent since their slot at Dusseldorf Espirit Arena in June 2016 -- back when <strong>Axl Rose</strong> was acting as frontman for the band. It will also mark some of their first live gigs since they made their comeback at the huge Power Trip festival in Indio, Calif., in October 2023. The slot saw the band close out the second of three nights at the rock festival and featured a massive 24-song set with <strong>Brian Johnson</strong> and <strong>Cliff Williams</strong> returning to the line-up. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/6/24...... <strong>Tom Bahler</strong>, the arranger who "We Are the World" producer <strong>Quincy Jones</strong> tasked with arranging the vocals on the iconic 1985 charity single, has weighed in on the discussion and suggested that the late <strong>Prince</strong> may have turned down the opportunity to sing on the record because he was "afraid" of <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>, who co-wrote and sang on the song with <strong>Lionel Richie</strong> and a star-studded lineup of other singers. "I had a feeling Prince had a problem with men. With him, everything was with women. It made him feel good," Bahler recently told Rolling Stone's <cite>Music Now</cite> podcast. Bahler also said he thinks the disagreement about the lyric in "Bad," on which Prince also turned down the opportunity to collaborate with Michael because of his reluctance to sing the line "Your butt is mine," was "one of his excuses" to not work with Jackson later. "I think if anything, he was afraid of Michael," Bahler said. "This is pure conjecture on my part. Michael was not afraid of him. Michael wasn't afraid of anybody. He loved everybody." Alternate theories have also suggested that Prince didn't take part in the "We Are the World" recording because he wanted to play the guitar on the track instead -- a decision which Jones allegedly turned down. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/2/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Elvis_Presley/images/Elvis_Presley15.gif" ALT="Elvis Presley" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a wild post on his social media channels, 2024 Republican presidential candidate <strong>Donald Trump</strong> has claimed he looks like <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>. Trump surprised followers when he shared a photo to <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1067187644918980608">X</a>, Instagram and his Truth Social platform that showed his face spliced with Presley's. "For so many years, people have been saying that Elvis and I look alike," Trump wrote in the post. "Now this pic has been going all over the place. What do you think?" His message garnered over 620,000 likes on both social media platforms but sparked a tidal wave of jokes. Democratic strategist Johnny Palmadessa claimed Trump "clearly has dementia" after he shared the image. "He just compared himself to Elvis because he believes they 'look alike,'" Palmadessa wrote on X. "He needs to seek help." "Trump says he's an Elvis look alike. Hopefully he will soon be doing the Jailhouse Rock. #TrumpIsNotWell," another social media user wrote on X. Former MSNBC host <strong>Keith Olbermann</strong> piled on, writing, "Dementia J. Trump now trying to convince his cult he's somehow like Elvis Presley. You mean both brain dead since 1977? You bet!" Another X user tweeted, "If you believe Trump looks like Elvis do yourself a favour and stay out of any bar near closing time." At a 2018 rally in Presley's hometown of Tupelo, Miss., Trump claimed he'd been compared to Presley for years. "I shouldn't say this. You'll say I'm very conceited 'cause I'm not," Trump told the crowd as he campaigned for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. "But other than the blonde hair, when I was growing up, they said I looked like Elvis. You see that? Can you believe it? I always considered that a great compliment We love Elvis," said Trump, who awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Presley during his tenure in office in Nov. 2018. - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 2/5/24...... Original <cite>NBC's Saturday Night Live</cite> cast member <strong>Garrett Morris</strong> was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on his 87th birthday, Feb. 1. Morris, a New Orleans native, became a TV legend during his run on <cite>SNL</cite> through 1980 and went on to stack his resume with TV roles on shows like <cite>The Jeffersons</cite> and <cite>2 Broke Girls.</cite> "There have been highs and lows," says Morris, who spent some time homeless in New York City in the '50s and recalls experiencing more of a "hidden racism" in Hollywood early in his career. "But I'm so grateful for it." - <cite>People,</cite> 2/12/24...... <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> is mourning the loss of his mother <strong>Adel Springsteen</strong>, who passed away on Jan. 31 at age 98. Springsteen, 74, shared the news with his followers via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C20aKzMIGVW/">Instagram</a> on Feb. 1, posting a sweet throwback video of him dancing with his mother to a recording of <strong>Glenn Miller</strong>'s "In the Mood." "Adele Springsteen -- May 4, 1925-January 31, 2024," he captioned the clip. The Boss also fittingly paired the video with lyrics from his 1998 song "The Wish." "I remember in the morning mom hearing your alarm clock ring," he wrote in his post. "I'd lie in bed and listen to you getting ready for work, the sound of your makeup case on the sink. And the ladies at the office all lipstick, perfume and rustling skirts, how proud and happy you always looked walking home from work." In addition to Bruce, Adele leaves behind two daughters, Pamela and Virginia. Their father Douglas Springsteen, whom Adele married in 1948, died in 1998. A Brooklyn, New York, native, Adele was a proud champion of her son's music and sometimes joined him onstage at his concerts to dance. "My mother loves to dance," Bruce once said in a July 2021 Broadway performance. "She grew up in the '40s & [with] the big bands and the swing bands, and that was a time when dancing was an existential act. She's 95 and she's 10 years into Alzheimer's and that's taken a lot away from us. But the need to dance hasn't left her," he added. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/1/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/W/images/Wayne_Kramer.gif" ALT="Wayne Kramer" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Wayne Kramer</strong>, the co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the <strong>MC5</strong> that thrashed out such hardcore anthems as "Kick Out the Jams" and influenced everyone from <strong>The Clash</strong> to <strong>Rage Against the Machine</strong>, died on Feb. 2 at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 75. From the late 1960s to early 1970s, no band was closer to the revolutionary spirit of the time than the MC5, which featured Kramer and <strong>Fred "Sonic" Smith</strong> on guitars, <strong>Rob Tyner</strong> on vocals, <strong>Michael Davis</strong> on bass and <strong>Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson</strong> on drums. Managed for a time by <strong>White Panther</strong> co-founder <strong>John Sinclair,</strong> they were known for their raw, uncompromising music, which they envisioned as the soundtrack for the uprising to come. "Brother Wayne Kramer was the best man I've ever known," Rage Against the Machine guitarist <strong>Tom Morello</strong> wrote via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C20aKzMIGVW/">Instagram</a> on Feb. 2. "He possessed a one of a kind mixture of deep wisdom & profound compassion, beautiful empathy and tenacious conviction. His band the MC5 basically invented punk rock music." "Kick Out the Jams" was their most famous song, peaking at No. 82 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 and marking their only appearance on the chart, and opened with an unprintable call to arms: "Kick out the jams mother-----r!" A live album of the same name peaked at No. 30 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 in 1969, their highest-charting release. They also released the studio albums <cite>Back in the USA</cite> and <cite>High Time</cite> before breaking up at the end of 1972. Kramer would lead various incarnations of the MC5 over the following decades, and perform with <strong>Was (Not Was) </strong>among other groups. But for a time he sank into the life of what he called "a small-time Detroit criminal." He was arrested on drug charges in 1975 and sentenced to four years in prison. "Jail Guitar Doors" is named for a Clash song that refers to his struggles: "Let me tell you 'bout Wayne and his deals of cocaine." Survivors include his wife, Margaret Saadi, and son, Francis. Dennis Thompson is now the MC5's only surviving member. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/2/24...... <strong>Aston "Family Man" Barrett</strong>, the bassist best known for playing with <strong>Bob Marley & The Wailers</strong>, died on Feb. 3. He was 77. Born on Nov. 22, 1946, Barrett became a key figure in the early development of reggae music, first gaining fame as a member of <strong>The Upsetters</strong>, the house band of the visionary producer and singer <strong>Lee Perry</strong>. In 1970, he and his brother, the drummer <strong>Carlton Barrett</strong>, joined The Wailers' backing band, shortly before they signed a landmark record deal with Island Records. Barrett remained a member of the band for the remainder of Marley's life, playing on the legendary albums <cite>Catch a Fire, Burnin'</cite> and <cite>Exodus,</cite> among others. He was credited with defining the dub-influenced bass-heavy sound of the music that the Wailers produced, and later became a mentor for <strong>Robbie Shakespeare</strong> of <strong>Sly & Robbie</strong>. News of Barrett's death arrives less than two weeks before the release of <cite>Bob Marley: One Love,</cite> the biopic of Marley in which Barrett will be played by his own son, <strong>Aston Barrett Jr.</strong> The film hits theaters on Feb. 14. - <cite>NME,</cite> 2/3/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/images/Carl_Weathers.gif" ALT="Carl Weathers" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Actor <strong>Carl Weathers</strong>, the former NFL star known for his roles as Apollo Creed in the <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#Rocky"><cite>Rocky</cite></a> franchise and Derick "Chubbs" Peterson in <cite>Happy Gilmore,</cite> died on in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 1. He was 76. During his time as a football player, Weathers played for the NFL's Oakland Raiders from 1970 to 71 and for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League from 1971 to 73. Soon after, he landed the role of Apollo Creed -- inspired by <strong>Muhammad Ali</strong> -- in the <strong>Sylvester Stallone</strong>-starred 1976 smash <cite>Rocky,</cite> and continued to play him throughout the franchise. He also had roles in <cite>Predator</cite> and <cite>The Mandalorian,</cite> in addition to portraying golfer Derick "Chubbs" Peterson in <cite>Happy Gilmore.</cite> "Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life," his manager Matt Luber said. "Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/2/24...... It was revealed in early February that <strong>Charles Osgood</strong>, the calm and dignified anchor of <cite>CBS Sunday Morning</cite> from 1994 to 2016, died of dementia on Jan. 23. He was 91. Mr. Osgood, who managed to appear on nearly all of CBS's major news shows in his 45 years with the network, began his career on CBS Radio in 1972. He was known for his engagingly calm presence, and the relaxed pace of <cite>CBS Sunday Morning</cite> proved a perfect fit for the newsman. He is survived by his wife, Jean Crafton, and their five children. - <cite>People,</cite> 2/12/24.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-11598462638840160772024-01-27T05:25:00.000-08:002024-02-14T15:39:57.995-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on February 1, 2024</b>
<P><strong>Billy Joel</strong> shared his first new lyrical single in nearly 20 years, "Turn the Lights Back On," on <a href="https://youtu.be/hexZ5hwia08">YouTube</a> on Feb. 1. A wistful, swaying piano ballad, the song recalls the intimate conversation the Piano Man has been having with his fans for nearly six decades. "Nothing is different, we've been here before/ Pacing these halls, trying to talk/ Over the silence," Joel sings over his familiar, warm piano playing. And pride sticks out its tongue/ Laughs at the portrait/ That we've become/ Stuck in a frame, unable to change," he continues in lines that hint at grappling with accepting ourselves as we are. Produced by Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer <strong>Freddy Wexler</strong>, the song was composed by Joel, Wexler, <strong>Arthur Bacon</strong> and <strong>Wayne Hector</strong>. The 74-year-old pop legend will perform the song live for the first time during the 2024 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 4, which will air live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. EST. Joel's last pop effort was 2007's "All My Life," which he wrote with his then-wife, Katie Lee; the song reached No. 1 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 Singles chart. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 2/1/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/Joni_Mitchell/images/Joni_Mitchell33.gif" ALT="Joni Mitchell" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Due to "overwhelming demand," <strong>Joni Mitchell</strong> has added a second show the following evening to her previously announced concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 19. Marking the veteran Canadian singer-songwriter's first shows in Los Angeles since 2000, the "Joni Jam" will also feature Mitchell's longtime fan and friend <strong>Brandi Carlile</strong> on the Oct. 19 and 20 dates. The latest concert announcement for Mitchell, 80, comes ahead of her performance at the Grammys in L.A. on Feb. 4, a first for the singer who won the first of nine competitive Grammys in 1970 and, in 2002, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. Mitchell is nominated in the best folk album category for her <cite>Joni Mitchell at Newport</cite> album, which captures her surprise 2022 performance at the Newport Folk Festival, her first public performance following an aneurysm suffered in 2015. It was her first full public concert since the turn of the century. In June 2023, another Joni Jam happened in Quincy, Wash. with special guests <strong>Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan, Marcus Mumford</strong> and <strong>Wynonna Judd</strong>, among others. It was her first ticketed show in 20 years. January marked the 50th anniversary of Mitchell's seminal 1974 LP <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spmitchelljoni.html"><cite>Court and Spark</cite></a>, a critical and commercial success which is still winning over new fans and influencing new generations of artists. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/31/24...... Guitars owned and used by former <strong>Dire Straits</strong> frontman <strong>Mark Knopfler</strong> have sold for over a staggering £8 million at a Christie's auction in London, which was much higher than had been estimated. More than 120 of Knopfler's guitars and amps -- including the 1983 Gibson Les Paul used to record "Money For Nothing" and "Brothers In Arms," which was also played at the iconic Live Aid concert in 1985 -- were sold on Jan. 31 with 25% of the proceeds being donated to various charities, including the Red Cross, wildlife advocates Tusk, and children's non-profit, Brave Hearts of the North East. The sale attracted bidders and buyers form 61 countries, with a final total including buyer's premium, confirmed at £8,840,160. Knopfler was able to set a new auction record with his 1959 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard which was sold for £693,000, making it the highest sale for that specific guitar model. "I am so pleased that these much-loved instruments will find new players and new songs as well as raising money for charities that mean a lot to me," Knopfler said of the auction. "It has been heart-warming to witness how much these guitars mean to so many people and I am also pleased that they will continue to give joy to many through the songs recorded over the years with me," he added. Formed in 1977, Dire Straits briefly split in 1988 before reforming to release one more studio album, 1991's <cite>On Every Street.</cite> They permanently disbanded in 1995, after a total of six records. Knopfler then pursued a solo career, where he experimented with folk and roots music in albums including 2004's <cite>Shangri-La</cite> and 2006's <cite>All The Roadrunning,</cite> a duets album with Emmylou Harris. He is currently working on his tenth solo album. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 2/1/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/A/images/AC-DC2.gif" ALT="AC-DC" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">They're "Back (and Back and Back and Back) in Black." <strong>AC/DC</strong>'s music video for the title track of their 1980 album has become the Aussie headbangers' second visual to reach one billion views on <a href="https://youtu.be/pAgnJDJN4VA">YouTube</a>, following their hit "Thunderstruck." In the video, the group performs the high-energy hit on a small stage, as new frontman <strong>Brian Johnson</strong> belts out, "Back in black / I hit the sack / I've been too long, I'm glad to be back." <cite>Back in Black</cite> is AC/DC's biggest-selling LP, in which they re-teamed with <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spacdc.html"><cite>Highway to Hell</cite></a> producer <strong>Robert John "Mutt" Lange</strong> in the Bahamas to pick up the pieces, just months after frontman <strong>Bon Scott</strong> died Feb. 19, 1980 at the age of 33. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/31/24...... A federal judge ruled on Jan. 31 that a tribute band sued by <strong>Earth, Wind & Fire</strong> for trademark infringement can continue to try to prove its bold counterargument: That the legendary R&B group abandoned the intellectual property rights to its name. Faced with a lawsuit for using the name "Earth Wind & Fire Legacy Reunion" at concerts, the tribute band first argued in 2023 that the original group had allowed plenty of other tribute bands to use its name without repercussion -- so many, in fact, that it could no longer claim any exclusive legal rights to it. Lawyers for EWF have called that argument meritless and demanded that it be dismissed, but in his decision, Judge Federico A. Moreno refused to do so. Though he said EWF Legacy Reunion might ultimately find it "difficult" to prove that "abandonment" argument, he said they had "done enough" to avoid having it tossed out entirely in the early stages of the case. EWF has continued to tour since founder <strong>Maurice White</strong> died in 2016, led by longtime members <strong>Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson</strong> and White's brother, <strong>Verdine White</strong>. The band operates under a license from an entity called Earth Wind & Fire IP, a holding company owned by Maurice White's sons that formally owns the name. In a March 2023 lawsuit, that company accused Legacy Reunion of trying to trick consumers into thinking it was the real EWF. Though it called itself a "Reunion," the lawsuit said the tribute band contained only a few "side musicians" who briefly played with EWF many years ago. Tribute acts -- groups that exclusively cover the music of a particular band -- are legally allowed to operate, and they often adopt names that allude to the original. But they must be clear that they are a tribute band, and they can get into legal hot water if they make it appear that they are affiliated with or endorsed by the original. In 2021, <strong>ABBA</strong> filed a similar case against a what it called a "parasitic" band called ABBA Mania. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/31/24...... The premium cable channel Showtime was sued in Delaware court on Jan. 31, claiming their 2022 <strong>George Jones</strong> and <strong>Tammy Wynette</strong> series <cite>George & Tammy</cite> unfairly portrays Wynette's final spouse <strong>George Richey</strong> as "a devious husband" who abused and manipulated her. "The series depicts Richey as a devious husband who abused Wynette and Richey's prior wife, facilitated and encouraged Wynette's addiction to prescription painkillers, and engaged in financial and managerial manipulation of Wynette," write attorneys for Richey's widow, Sheila Slaughter Richey. The case is not a defamation lawsuit, but actually accuses Showtime of violating a 2019 settlement agreement that allegedly barred Wynette's daughter, Georgette Jones, from making disparaging statements about Richey. Since <cite>George & Tammy</cite> was based on Georgette's 2011 memoir about her parents, the lawsuit claims that Showtime committed so-called tortious interference with contract -- meaning the network essentially encouraged Georgette to breach her settlement with Richey's estate. "The defendant [was] specifically told, in a written letter delivered prior to the broadcast of the Series, that the Series was based on and featured disparaging information that was the ill-gotten product of Georgette's violation of the agreement," the estate's lawyers wrote. "Nonetheless, Showtime chose to broadcast the Series anyway." A Showtime spokesperson has denied the lawsuit's allegations, saying "We see no plausible basis for any claim against Showtime." Released in Dec. 2022, <cite>George & Tammy</cite> was well-received by critics -- particularly <strong>Michael Shannon</strong> and <strong>Jessica Chastain</strong>'s respective portrayals of Jones and Wynette. Both were later nominated for Emmy Awards for their performances. The six-episode limited series was based on <cite>The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George,</cite> <strong>Georgette Jones</strong>' 2011 memoir, and she's listed in credits as a "consulting producer" on the series. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/31/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Ramones.gif" ALT="The Ramones" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In other legal news, a long-simmering feud between the families of <strong>Joey Ramone</strong> and <strong>Johnny Ramone</strong> has erupted into a new lawsuit over a proposed Netflix biopic about the legendary NY punk band. Joey and Johnny Ramone -- who were very much not actual brothers -- didn't like each other much in life, and it appears their heirs don't like each other much either. In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan court, Johnny's widow, Linda Ramone, sued Joey's brother, Mickey Leigh, over allegations that he had "covertly" developed a planned Netflix movie starring <strong>Pete Davidson</strong> as Joey. She says that any movie based on the pioneering punk band requires her sign-off. "To permit defendants alone to tell the authoritative story of the Ramones would be an injustice to the band and its legacy," Linda's lawyers wrote. The case is the latest in years of battles between Linda and Mickey, who split 50-50 ownership of the Ramones IP. And it raises interesting legal questions about so-called life rights deals -- and how they raise unique challenges in the context of musical biopics. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/30/24...... Elsewhere on the legal front, a London judge has issued a ruling that the heirs of <strong>Jimi Hendrix</strong>'s former bandmates could continue to sue Sony Music over the rights to three classic albums, clearing the way for a trial next year to resolve the contentious lawsuit. The estates of bassist <strong>Noel Redding</strong> and drummer <strong>Mitch Mitchell</strong> say they own a share of the rights to three albums created by the trio's <strong>Jimi Hendrix Experience</strong>, and they've been battling in court for more than two years to prove it. Sony had argued that the case should be dismissed because Redding and Mitchell both signed away their rights in the early 1970s shortly after Hendrix died, but a judge on London's High Court ruled on Jan. 29 that the dispute -- over "arguably the greatest rock guitarist ever" -- must be decided at trial. "My overall conclusion is that the claims in respect of copyright and performers' property rights survive and should go to trial," Justice Michael Green wrote in his ruling, obtained by Billboard. The judge wrote that Redding and Mitchell's heirs had "a real prospect of succeeding" on their argument that the decades-old releases "do not provide a complete defence" for Sony. It's unclear when the trial will take place. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/29/24...... The <strong>Grateful Dead</strong> spin-off band <strong>Dead & Company</strong> announced on Jan. 31 it was reuniting for a Las Vegas residency at the Sphere. "In 2023, Dead & Company played their final tour. But there are other ways to make sure the music never stops," the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deadandcompany/reel/C2xbfGiMHE4/">Instagram video</a> begins as audio of screaming fans can be heard. "And it's gonna be a ball." As music kicks in, a nighttime view of the Sphere appears with the band's red, white and blue skull logo slowly appearing on the side of the massive, 20,000 capacity state-of-the art venue. Dead & Company -- comprised of original GD members <strong>Bob Weir</strong> and <strong>Mickey Hart</strong>, as well as <strong>John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti</strong> and <strong>Oteil Burbridge</strong> -- formed in 2015. (<strong>Bill Kreutzmann</strong> was originally part of the band as well, but exited in 2023, before the band kicked off its last trek.) Its "final tour" in 2023 grossed nearly $115 million, and sold nearly 850,000 tickets across 28 shows. That made the trek the supergroup's highest tour gross, with its previous best being the $53.7 million earned during the Fall Tour 2021. <strong>U2</strong> opened up Las Vegas' Sphere in Sept. 2023 with its "U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere" show. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/31/24...... A <strong>Talking Heads</strong> tribute album has been announced by A24 Music in commemoration of the 40-year anniversary of the New York New Wave quartet's <cite>Stop Making Sense</cite> concert film and accompanying soundtrack. The tribute album's track list mirrors that of the original LP, with fresh, new takes on the 16 tracks from a genre-spanning array of artists including <strong>Paramore, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, The National, Teezo Touchdown, Kevin Abstract</strong> and <strong>Jean Dawson</strong>, among others. The new compilation specifically celebrates the recent re-release of <cite>Stop Making Sense</cite> to theaters nationwide. Originally filmed and released in 1984, the acclaimed <strong>Jonathan Demme</strong>-helmed concert film chronicles four nights of performances on the band's 1983 tour in support of their <cite>Speaking in Tongues</cite> album, which reached No. 15 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 that year. A sneak peak of Paramore's blazing "Burning the House Down" cover can be viewed on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/74XFHRwlV6OrjEM0A2NCMF">Spotify.com</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/31/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Brian_Wilson/images/Brian_Wilson31.gif" ALT="Brian and Melinda Wilson" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Beach Boys</strong> principal <strong>Brian Wilson</strong> is mourning the death of his longtime wife <strong>Melinda Ledbetter Wilson</strong>, who has died aged 77. Wilson took to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2vSn-zO_32/">Instagram</a> on Jan. 30 to share the devastating news, alongside two photos of his wife. "My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning," he wrote, without indicating the cause of death. "Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her." The caption also featured a joint statement from the couple's five children -- Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash. "It is with a heavy heart that we let everyone know that our mom, Melinda Kay Ledbetter Wilson passed away peacefully this morning at home," they wrote. "We will miss her but cherish everything she has taught us. How to take care of the person next to you with out expecting anything in return, how to find beauty in the darkest of places, and how to live life as your truest self with honesty and pride." Brian and Melinda first met in 1986, when she sold him a Cadillac. They dated for three years, but rekindled their relationship in 1992 and tied the knot in 1995. Melinda's efforts to save Brian from the grips of mental illness were immortalized in the 2014 film <cite>Love & Mercy</cite>, when she was played by <strong>Elizabeth Banks</strong>, with <strong>John Cusack</strong> and <strong>Paul Dano</strong> playing Brian at different ages. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/30/24...... On Jan. 29 a Los Angeles Superior Court judge rejected <strong>Cher</strong>'s request that her adult son be put into a court conservatorship controlling his money. had argued in a petition that 47-year-old <strong>Elijah Blue Allman</strong>'s large payments from the trust of his late father, rocker <strong>Gregg Allman</strong>, are putting him in danger because of his struggles with mental health and substance abuse. But Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed and declined the petition, though she will still consider a larger, long-term conservatorship at a hearing in March. Cher observed the hearing remotely, appearing on a large screen in the courtroom throughout, but did not take part in the arguments. Allman was in the courtroom with his his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife. "We are thrilled that the court saw that he does not need a temporary conservatorship," Allman's lawyer said as he stood alongside him outside the courthouse. "He's got a lot of support, he's doing great." Cher's attorneys argued that the support Allman was getting was from people who tell him what he wants to hear and downplay the size of his problems. They said his current apparent sobriety and mental health were illusory. They said he suffers from bipolar disorder, has been recently homeless, and that having large amounts of money might lead to access to drugs that could endanger his life. Allman and his attorneys have consistently argued since the petition was first filed in December that none of this is true. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/30/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/H/images/Heart2.gif" ALT="Heart" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Jan. 29 <strong>Heart</strong> announced they'll launch a 2024 "Royal Flush" tour with a huge run of shows planned across North America, the UK and Europe. Sisters <strong>Ann</strong> and <strong>Nancy Wilson</strong> will kick off their tour on Apr. 20 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., and will visit several cities including Portland, Montreal, Detroit, London and Stockholm as well as New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Col. They will also play a handful shows in stadiums opening for <strong>Def Leppard</strong> and <strong>Journey</strong>. "We're excited and all geared up to hit the road in 2024 to perform for our devoted fans," lead vocalist Ann Wilson said in a press release. "The exceptional talent of the band -- Ryan, Ryan, Paul, Tony and Sean -- brings a whole new level of energy to Heart's live performance." Nancy Wilson added: "I am incredibly proud of the show that our band has crafted and am looking forward to reconnecting with our fans. We can't wait to share our music with everyone and celebrate the big electric energy of a completely live on the spot rock show." The sisters recently reunited for their first live shows together in almost half a decade, in California and their hometown of Seattle, around and on New Year's Eve. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/29/24...... <strong>Elton John</strong> and his longtime songwriting partner <strong>Bernie Taupin</strong> have been named 2024 recipients of the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The renowned songwriting duo is only the third pair to receive the prestigious award, following <strong>Burt Bacharach</strong> and <strong>Hal David</strong> in 2012, and <strong>Gloria</strong> and <strong>Emilio Estefan</strong> in 2019. Established in 2007, the Gershwin Prize honors artists whose creative works are collected and made accessible by the Library and acknowledges popular song's vital role in society. The prize is named for another legendary songwriting team, <strong>George</strong> and <strong>Ira Gershwin</strong>, whose papers are held by the Library. Other past recipients include <strong>Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Lionel Richie</strong> and <strong>Garth Brooks</strong>. John and Taupin will accept the prestigious honor on Mar. 20 at Washington, D.C.'s Daughters of the American Revolution's Constitution Hall. The invitation-only, all-star concert will premiere on PBS stations Apr. 8. Meanwhile, John's TV special <cite>Elton John AIDS Foundation: Let Your Inner Elton Out</cite> is among the recipients of a 2024 Anthem Award, which were launched in 2021 to highlight social impact work across the globe. This year's Anthem winners were selected from a pool of more than 2,000 submissions from 44 countries by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/30/24...... The <strong>Eagles</strong> have announced yet more additions to their "Long Goodbye Tour" on Jan. 22, marking the fifth time since first announcing their tour that the band has added additional dates to its lineup. The newly added dates are for the European leg of the tour, which now includes a three-show residency in Manchester, UK, on May 31, June 1 and June 4, as well as a show in Arnhem, Netherlands, on June 13. The group took to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2Zf8GCqDIO/">Instagram</a> on Jan. 29 to make an announcement about the final tour extension and when to score tickets. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/29/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/images/Chaka_Khan4.gif" ALT="Chaka Khan" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Chaka Khan</strong> has been confirmed as the curator of the UK's 2024 Meltdown Festival, set for ten days between June 14 and 23 at London's Southbank Centre. Khan, 70, will be in charge of putting on a lineup of artists to celebrate her 50 years in music for this year's Meltdown. "The Southbank Centre's about to light up! We're going to funk it up, rock every crowd, and touch every soul. It's a community celebration, an all-ages bash. Join us and immerse yourself in a world that's vibrant, diverse, and absolutely unforgettable," said the Grammy-winning singer who fronted the funk group <strong>Rufus</strong> before she went on to have a tremendous solo career propelled by the R&B hit "I'm Every Woman" in 1978. During her stay in England, Khan will also be performing in Woodstock (6/13) and Lewes (7/5,6 and 7). - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 1/29/24...... Stop, in the name of chic!....<strong>Diana Ross</strong>, 79, has been selected as the face of fashion house Yves Saint Laurent's spring 2024 campaign. "My mama is on fire! Hoping to mature in this direction," gushed her daughter <strong>Tracee Ellis Ross</strong>. - <cite>People,</cite> 1/29/24...... Renowned British photographer and <strong>Depeche Mode</strong> collaborator <strong>Brian Griffin</strong> died "peacefully" in his sleep on Jan. 29. He was 75. Throughout his career, the Birmingham native famously worked with artists such as <strong>Siouxsie Sioux, Kate Bush, Ultravox, R.E.M., Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, Ringo Starr, Queen</strong> and <strong>Peter Gabriel</strong>. However, he was most widely recognised for his work with Depeche Mode. In 1989, <cite>The Guardian</cite> named Griffin "photographer of the decade," and later that year he left still photography behind to focus on TV commercials, music videos, and films. He also went on to acquire a production company, where he worked as a commercial director. He returned to still work around the turn of the century, and famously directed a documentary for <strong>Sir Paul McCartney</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/30/24.
<P><strong>Gary Glitter</strong> appeared in front of a UK parole board in the fourth week of January as the "Rock and Roll Part 2" performer and convicted pedophile made a bid to be freed from prison. The 79-year-old Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was jailed for 16 years in Feb. 2015 after being found guilty of sexually abusing three young girls between 1975 and 1980. Glitter was sentenced for attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one for having sex with a girl under 13. During sentencing, Judge Alistair McCreath said he could find "no real evidence" that he had atoned for his crimes. In Feb. 2023, the disgraced star was automatically freed from prison after serving half his 16-year sentence. The following month, however, Gadd was returned to custody after breaking his bail license conditions. Richard Scorer, a lawyer who is representing one of Gadd's victims, said the board would not hear from her or read his letter detailing the singer's "total lack of remorse." "She hasn't been given any opportunity to read her witness impact statement," Scorer explained, adding"We do not know what information has in fact been provided to the panel hearing regarding the matter today -- the process is shrouded in secrecy despite previous promises from the Parole Board to adopt a more open approach." Scorer said however he "hopes the board take this matter very seriously as it is yet more evidence of Gadd's lack of remorse, and contempt for his victims." Parole board decisions in the UK are usually made public 14 days after the hearing. In October, a request for Gadd's parole hearing to take place in public was rejected because it was too difficult to contact all his victims. In March 2023, it was announced that Netflix was developing a three-part documentary series about Gary Glitter. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 1/25/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/James_Brown/images/James_Brown12.gif" ALT="James Brown" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In conjunction with Black History Month, cable channel A&E will premiere a new two-night <strong>James Brown</strong> documentary, <cite>Say It Loud,</cite> on Feb. 19 and 20. "He [James] was a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning and was deeply committed to the civil rights movement," <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> frontman <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> said about the late "Godfather of Soul," who died in 2007. "I've always admired James and learned so much from him." Jagger also served as one of the documentary's executive producers, and reflects on the musician's impact in a trailer for the documentary, which has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/iqaTuMpS09s">YouTube</a>. Featuring never-before seen archival interviews and performances, the documentary chronicles Brown's hard-fought journey from seventh-grade dropout to being crowned the "hardest working man in show business." In addition to Jagger, the film also features insights from the likes of <strong>Questlove, Bootsy Collins, LL Cool J, Chuck D, Jimmy Jam, Rev. Al Sharpton</strong> and Brown's children Deanna, Yamma and Larry. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/26/24...... <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> will be among the artists performing at a MusiCares Person of the Year gala tribute to his fellow New Jersey native <strong>Jon Bon Jovi</strong> on Feb. 2 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, two nights before the 66th annual Grammy Awards at the adjoining Crypto.com Arena. "I'm looking forward to seeing these talented musicians take the stage for the MusiCares gala. I'm honored they are able to be with us for such a wonderful night," Bon Jovi, who is also scheduled to perform, said in a statement. Springsteen received the honor in 2013, and other past recipients include <strong>Tom Petty</strong> (2017), <strong>Bono</strong> (2003) and <strong>Don Henley</strong> (2007). Comedian <strong>Jim Gaffigan</strong> will host the 33rd annual benefit gala, which will also feature performances from <strong>Jelly Roll, Melissa Etheridge, Jason Isbell, Shania Twain, Brandy Clark</strong> and <strong>Goo Goo Dolls</strong>, among others. In addition to his musical achievements, the 61-year-old Bon Jovi is being recognized for his philanthropic work. In 2006, he established the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which is dedicated to disrupting the cycle of hunger, poverty and homelessness. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/26/24...... In a new interview with the UK's <cite>MOJO</cite> magazine, <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> credited <strong>Johnny Cash</strong> for inspiring him to form his '70s band <strong>Wings</strong>. "After the end of <strong>The Beatles</strong> I was faced with certain alternatives," Sir Paul says. "One was to give up music entirely and do God knows what. Another was to start a super-band with very famous people, <strong>Eric Clapton</strong> and so on. I didn't like either so I thought: 'How did The Beatles start?' It was a bunch of mates who didn't know what they were doing," he continued. "That's when I realised maybe there is a third alternative: to get a band that isn't massively famous, to not worry if we don't know what we're doing because we would form our character by learning along the way. It was a real act of faith. It was crazy, actually." Macca then said he watched Johnny Cash one night with his wife, Linda, and found his idea for a new band. "We were in bed one night," he said, "newly married, when Johnny Cash came on the telly with a new band he'd formed with <strong>Carl Perkins</strong>, a big hero of mine. There they were, playing with some country musicians I had never heard of, looking like they were having fun. I thought: here's Johnny, he's back, he's doing it. So I turned to Linda and said: Do you want to form a band? And she went: 'Sure.' That's how our relationship was. Do you want to go and live on a farm in Scotland? 'Why not?'" Wings are set to release the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP88THXH/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">50th anniversary reissue</a> of their seminal album, <cite>Band On The Run</cite>, including some new "underdub" mixes, on Feb. 2. "This is <cite>Band on the Run</cite> in a way you've never heard before," said McCartney of the new mixes. "When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that's an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed." The new <cite>Band on the Run</cite> comes two months after the death of former Wings member <strong>Denny Laine</strong> on Dec. 5. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/26/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Mark_Knopfler/images/Mark_Knopfler6.gif" ALT="Mark Knopfler" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Former <strong>Dire Straits</strong> leader <strong>Mark Knopfler</strong> will release his tenth solo album, <cite>One Deep River</cite>, on Apr. 12 via his own EMI-distributed label, British Grove. Knopfler has already shared the album's lead single, "Ahead of the Game," which tells the tale of a struggling musician. Knopfler says the album's title track is about the River Tyne in his home city of Newcastle in the North East of England. "Crossing the Tyne is always on your mind," he says. "It's what you were doing when you were leaving as a youngster and that feeling is always the same every time you do it. You're heading out or you're coming back, and it just connects with your childhood. The power of it doesn't go away." Meanwhile, on Jan. 31, Knopfler is selling 120 of his guitars to benefit multiple charities, including the British Red Cross, Tusk and Brave Hearts Of The North East. The sale will take place at Christie's in London, with estimates ranging from £300 to £500,000. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 1/25/24...... If anyone could lay claim to the old saying "always the bridesmaid but never the bride" when it comes to the best original song Oscar award, it's veteran songwriter <strong>Diane Warren</strong>. Warren is getting up there on the all-time list of top Oscar nominees for the award, and her nod this year for "The Fire Inside," sung by <strong>Becky G</strong> in <cite>Flamin' Hot,</cite> is her 15th -- a tally equaled by only five other songwriters in the 90-year history of the category. Moreover, this is the seventh year in a row Warren has been nominated, the longest continuous streak of nominations in this category since <strong>Sammy Cahn</strong> was nominated eight years running from 1954-61. "I'm so excited about being nominated for 'The Fire Inside'!!," Warren said in a statement after her nomination was announced on Jan. 23. "This song is all about passion. It's the theme song not only for the movie Flamin' Hot but a theme song for dreamers everywhere with that Fire Inside to make their dreams come true." Previous best song Oscar nods for Warren include "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (1987, from <cite>Mannequin</cite> performed by <strong>Starship</strong>), "Because You Loved Me" (1996, from Up <cite>Close & Personal</cite> performed by <strong>Celine Dion</strong>, "How Do I Live" (1997, from <cite>Con Air</cite> performed by <strong>Trisha Yearwood</strong>, and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (1998, from <cite>Armageddon</cite> performed by <strong>Aerosmith</strong>). - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/25/24...... Former <strong>Van Halen</strong> frontman <strong>David Lee Roth</strong> has slammed <strong>Wolfgang Van Halen</strong>, VH latest bass player and son of VH guitarist <strong>Eddie Van Halen</strong> and actress <strong>Valerie Bertinelli</strong>, in an audio clip he posted to <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidLeeRoth/status/1750202559271460881">X</a> and also shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/J2XTcdXgm1A">YouTube</a>. "This f----n' kid," Roth says, "he's complaining the entire tour like I'm not paying enough attention to him on stage. He's complaining to everybody around me -- the business manager, the security guy, the clothing lady -- 'Dave's not paying enough attention to me.'" The clip opens with a throwback to Roth's brief stint helming The David Lee Roth Show, as he launches into an imaginary chat with a comedy-voiced "Jesus Christ," a thinly-veiled barb at Wolfgang securing the gig with VH thanks to him being of the son of guitar "god" Eddie Van Halen. Roth also recounts touring tales where, in New York, Wolfgang "commandeered a couple of monkeys to go in back, behind my back, over to the side of the stage and throw out these two great dames that I invited to be my guests to the show... In fact, you aren't gonna believe this shit. This f----n' kid, what he doesn't know is that these two dames work for the accounting firm that represent him, not me. But as usual, he, just like his uncle and his uncle's brother, stiffed them for tickets." It's unclear what ticked-off Roth, and Wolfgang, who now leads the band <strong>Mammoth WVH</strong>, has yet to respond. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/25/24...... In other <strong>Van Halen</strong>-related news, former VH vocalist <strong>Sammy Hagar</strong> found out some shocking news on the newest episode of the PBS genealogy series <cite>Finding Your Roots.</cite> In a preview clip of the episode (shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/TEPvn2zsTtE">YouTube</a>), the rocker finds out that his DNA does not match any men with the last name Hagar, meaning that genetically, that is not his last name. "Get out of here. This is nutty as anything I've ever imagined," Hagar said, before confirming that he did want to find out what his real biological surname is. After discovering that his DNA matches 27 men with the last name Belcher, Hagar was blown away. "What a trip," he said, visibly shocked. <cite>Finding Your Roots</cite> is hosted by educator <strong>Henry Louis Gates Jr.</strong>, and features DNA diagnosticians analyzing genetic code, tracing bloodlines and occasionally debunking beliefs. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/22/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Elton_John/images/Elton_John106.gif" ALT="Elton John" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Jan. 24 <strong>Elton John</strong> announced a new book that will chronicle his half-century on the road. The 256-page <cite>Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour</cite> arrives on Sept. 24 through the Disney publishing imprint Hyperion Avenue, and promises readers "an epic visual journey through the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour while Elton reaches back in time to reflect on key moments in his astounding touring history and reminisces about the beginning of his career... Fans also get a rare glimpse at Elton's personal archive of posters, sketches, and never-before-seen photographs and postcards." Writing on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2fZm5GiAFU/">Instagram</a>, Sir Elton said: "I am incredibly excited to announce my new book, Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life On Tour, which goes behind the scenes on my final tour, from Allentown, PA, to Stockholm, Sweden and everywhere in between." John also revealed the technicolor book cover, which finds him standing next to a psychedelic piano in a trippy forest. Elton wrapped his epic Farewell Yellow Brick Road outing on July 8, 2023, five years after its launching -- and being delayed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, illness and injury. It earned grosses of $939.1 million and 6 million tickets sold over 330 shows, according to <cite>Billboard Boxscore.</cite> The 76-year-old singer has said that he does not want to tour again, but noted he might play sporadic shows in the future. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/25/24...... <strong>Cher</strong> has been accused of "abusive behaviour" in a conservatorship battle over her son <strong>Elijah Blue Allman</strong>'s estate. Recently released court documents reveal that Allman claims that he has refrained from the use of illicit substances that "have historically caused the incidents that have given rise to my mother's concern." His estranged wife, Marieangela King, has also claimed that Cher "categorically unfit to serve as conservator," and alleged that she has "witnessed and experienced abusive behavior coming mostly from Elijah's mother." In the original petition filled by the "Believe" singer, the documents alleged that Allman's estranged wife, is not fit to be conservator because of "their tumultuous relationship has been marked by a cycle of drug addiction and mental health crises." Allman, however, claims that he is fully capable of controlling his own life. "I have been living a sober life, reconciling with my spouse, paying my bills, and paying attorneys to secure my ability to maintain independent of my mother's control," he declared in court documents. "I remain free of illicit substances, capable of and committed to managing the money I receive quarterly from the trust left by my late father." Earlier in January, Cher was denied a request for an emergency temporary conservatorship over Allman. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/25/24...... The Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) announced on Jan. 24 that it will honor late <strong>The Band</strong> co-founder <strong>Robbie Robertson</strong> and acclaimed director <strong>Martin Scorsese</strong> with their Spirit of Collaboration Award at the fifth Annual SCL Awards to be held on Feb. 13 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The award recognizes a composer/director relationship which has resulted in a prodigious body of work. Robertson worked in various capacities on 11 films Scorsese directed over a 45-year period, including <cite>The Last Waltz, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, The Color of Money, Casino, Gangs of New York, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman</cite> and <cite>Killers of the Flower Moon.</cite> Robertson died last August at age 80. On Jan. 23, he received a posthumous Oscar nod for best original score for <cite>Killers of the Flower Moon.</cite> He was the first composer to receive a posthumous Oscar nod in that category in 47 years, since <strong>Bernard Hermann</strong> received a pair of posthumous nods for his scores to <cite>Taxi Driver</cite> and <cite>Obsession.</cite> - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/24/24...... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's primetime awards show airing on ABC on Jan. 1 was a hit for the ABC television network, drawing 13 million total viewers and a 0.38 rating among people people aged 18 to 49, according to Nielsen data. <strong>Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine</strong> and <strong>The Spinners</strong> were among the inductees, and highlights included a surprise pop-in by <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong>'s <strong>Jimmy Page</strong> and Elliott's raucous closing medley, among other choice moments. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/24/24...... On Jan. 24 <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> announced a run of U.S. dates on his Never Ending Tour in support of his 2020 album <cite>Rough and Rowdy Ways.</cite> The trek kicks off with a pair of dates at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Mar. 1 and 2. The mostly Southern gigs will then hang in the state for gigs in Clearwater, Fort Myers, Orlando and Jacksonville, before moving on to Athens (GA), Charlotte, Fayetteville and Asheville (N.C.), Louisville (KY), Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis (TN) before winding down with gigs in Springfield (MO), Wichita (KS) and a final gig at the Music Hall of Fair Park in Dallas on Apr. 4. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/24/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/Rick_Wakeman/images/Rick_Wakeman10.gif" ALT="Rick Wakeman" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Saying it's time to "call it a day," former <strong>Yes</strong> keyboardist <strong>Rick Wakeman</strong> has announced his final U.S. tour will kick off on Mar. 19 at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Conn. He'll then visit Montclair, N.J. (3/20), Huntington, N.Y. (3/22), Collingswood, N.J. (3/23), Derry, N.H. (3/24), Red Bank, N.J. (3/26), and Vienna, VA (3/27 and 28), before wrapping in Albany, N.Y.'s Egg Center for the Performing Arts on Mar. 29. On his official website, Wakeman also announced a 7-date tour of Mexico and South America in April, which he noted would mark the start of his last-ever concerts as a "one-man show." The statement however, suggests that the keyboardist will not be retiring yet, noting that he will spend the future "[concentrating] on composing, recording and collaborating with other musicians." To clarify any confusion, Wakeman took to <a href="https://twitter.com/GrumpyOldRick/status/1749718559863828747">X</a> to explain: "In March I perform 9 shows in the USA which will be the beginning of the very last one man show tours there. The main bulk of shows will be in October [and] November [and] if demand is there, may carry on into 2025." In the statement on his website, Wakeman stated that he had always intended to stop touring by his 77th birthday.... I have thoroughly enjoyed performing the various one-man shows, but it's time to call it a day." To commemorate the musician's final solo tour, he will premiere a new piece of music during the performances. Entitled "Yessonata," the 30-minute work will weave melodies from Yes material into a cohesive sonata form. Wakeman was a member of Yes for most of the band's career, being featured every album from their classic 1972 LP <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/yes2.html"><cite>Fragile</cite></a>, to their 1997 live album <cite>Keys to Ascension 2.</cite> In addition, Wakeman served as a sessionist for various artists including <strong>Elton John, Lou Reed, Black Sabbath</strong> and most notably, <strong>David Bowie</strong>. His work appears appears on several of Bowie's most iconic songs and albums, including "Space Oddity," his 1971 album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spbowie.html"><cite>Hunky Dory</cite></a>, and his magnum opus, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/bowie1.html"><cite>Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars</cite></a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/24/24...... <strong>The Doobie Brothers</strong> have announced a 38-date 2024 U.S. tour, with special guests <strong>Steve Winwood</strong> and the <strong>Robert Cray Band</strong> set to open on select dates. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, featuring <strong>Michael McDonald</strong> (vocals/keyboards), <strong>Tom Johnston</strong> (vocals/guitar), <strong>Pat Simmons</strong> (vocals/guitar) and multi-instrumentalist <strong>John McFee</strong>, will kick off the run with a June 15 gig at the White River Amphitheatre in Seattle, WA. Visiting a number of cities they haven't played for years, the tour will hit Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Knoxville, New York, Boston, Detroit, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Denver before winding up in Seattle. The 2024 outing follows on the heel's of the Doobies' 2023 50th anniversary swing, which reunited McDonald, Johnston, Simmons and McFee on stage for their first tour in 25 years. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/22/24...... On Jan. 22 the <strong>Eagles</strong> announced on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2Zf8GCqDIO/">Instagram</a> what they're calling their final-ever U.K. shows as part of the veteran country-rock group's Long Goodbye final tour. Eagles members <strong>Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit</strong>, with <strong>Vince Gill</strong> and <strong>Deacon Frey</strong> -- announced a three-show residency run at the new Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester on May 31, June 1 and June 4. The gig at the U.K.'s largest indoor arena will feature support from the group's fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, <strong>Steely Dan</strong>. Due to high demand, on Jan. 25 the band announced the addition of two shows in Manchester, on June 7 and 8. The Eagles are scheduled to hit the road again on Feb. 2 for the first of two shows at the Moody Center in Austin, TX, followed by a run of North American stops in St. Louis, Omaha, Tulsa, Houston, New Orleans, Hollywood (FL), Orlando, Toronto and Charlotte before heading overseas. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/22/24...... <strong>John Fogerty</strong> has announced he will visit Australia for the first time since 2012 when he headlines the Country Fest Queensland this easter. <strong>Morgan Evans, Lee Kernaghan, James Johnston</strong> and many others are also on the bill, set for March 30 and 31. According to a post by festival reps on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2TOAyghFfR/">Instagram</a>, the rock legend will perform a set of his own songs, then a second set playing <strong>Creedence Clearwater Revival</strong> classics -- something he hasn't done in Oz since 1972. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/22/24...... <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong>'s wife <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> has revealed that Ozzy is planning "two more shows to say goodbye" before he fully retires from performing live. Speaking about her husband's future during her "Cut The Crap" show at London's Fortune Theatre on Jan. 21, Sharon told journalist Jane More: "He won't tour again but we are planning on doing two more shows to say goodbye as he feels like, 'I have never said goodbye to my fans and I want to say goodbye'." Sharon continued: "His voice is still absolutely perfect. And all the time he has been off he still does his singing lessons. Even if you don't like his music, you can't not like Ozzy." She reportedly hinted that Osbourne, 75, would stage the pair of farewell concerts at the Villa Park football stadium in his home city of Birmingham. "We will do it in Aston Villa where Ozzy is from," Sharon told Moore and the audience in attendance. Ozzy announced his retirement from touring in Feb. 2023, calling off his scheduled European and UK tour dates in the process. Later that month, however, he said he hoped to return to the stage at some point in the future. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/23/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Billy_Joel/images/Billy_Joel31.gif" ALT="Billy Joel" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Billy Joel</strong> announced on <a href="https://twitter.com/billyjoel/status/1749486732653797725">X</a> on Jan. 22 that he's putting out his first pop single in nearly two decades, "Turn the Lights Back On," on Feb. 1. Columbia Records, Joel's longtime label, will release the song on Feb. 1 to all digital service providers and on limited edition 7" vinyl. It will be accompanied by a lyric video on Joel's YouTube channel. The song, which Joel wrote with <strong>Freddy Wexler, Arthur Bacon</strong> and <strong>Wayne Hector</strong> and was produced by Wexler -- includes the lyrics, "Did I wait too long to turn the lights back on?" It's Joel's first song released with words since 2007's "All My Life," a lush, Sinatra-like ballad Joel wrote for his then wife, Katie Lee, that reached No. 1 on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Hot Singles Sales chart. There is no word yet if "Turn the Lights Back On" is a one-off or a precursor to more material, but the artist has been open about his hesitation to return to his pop heyday, making the new song all the more welcome. "I'm not ruling out the possibility of writing songs again," he told <cite>Billboard</cite> in 2007, a few months after "All My Life's" release. "I suppose if I had the motivation to write a song, I'm not gonna stop myself from doing it. I just haven't felt the compulsion to write songs in pop form. I guess these days I just think of myself as a composer." Meanwhile, Joel has been added to the lineup of performers at the 2024 Grammy Awards, set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Joel is the seventh performer announced to perform on the Grammy telecast, following <strong>Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott, Luke Combs</strong> and <strong>Burna Boy</strong>. Joel is the first of the announced performers who isn't a current Grammy nominee. He is, however, a five-time Grammy winner, winning each of the Big Three awards in a two-year span in 1979-80 -- album of the year for <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/joelbilly3.html"><cite>52nd Street</cite></a> and record and song of the year for "Just the Way You Are." He also received a Grammy Legend Award in 1991. The 74-year-old Joel has sold over 160 million albums around the world, emerging as "the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States," and garnering six Grammys out of 23 nominations. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/22/24...... The estate of late counterculture comedian <strong>George Carlin</strong> filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles on Jan. 25 against the media company behind a fake hourlong comedy special that purportedly uses artificial intelligence to recreate the late standup comic's style and material. The suit asks that a judge order the podcast outlet, Dudesy, to immediately take down the audio special, <cite>George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead,</cite>" in which a synthesis of Carlin, who died in 2008, delivers commentary on current events. Carlin's daughter, Kelly Carlin, said in a statement that the work is "a poorly-executed facsimile cobbled together by unscrupulous individuals to capitalize on the extraordinary goodwill my father established with his adoring fanbase." The Carlin estate and its executor, Jerold Hamza, are named as plaintiffs in the suit, which alleges violations of Carlin's right of publicity and copyright. The named defendants are Dudesy and podcast hosts Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen. "None of the Defendants had permission to use Carlin's likeness for the AI-generated 'George Carlin Special,' nor did they have a licence to use any of the late comedian's copyrighted materials," the lawsuit says. The defendants have not filed a response to the lawsuit and it was not clear whether they have retained an attorney. They could not immediately be reached for comment. The AI issue was a major sticking point in the resolution of 2023's Hollywood writers and actors strikes. Josh Schiller, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement that the "case is not just about AI, it's about the humans that use AI to violate the law, infringe on intellectual property rights, and flout common decency." - <cite>AP,</cite> 1/26/24...... <strong>David Beckwith</strong>, the veteran publicist whose crowning achievement was his work representing <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>'s Graceland museum since it opened more than four decades ago, died on Jan. 19 in Phoenixafter his hip replacement surgery was followed by sepsis. He was 67. When Presley's home in Memphis, Tenn., was first opened to the public in July 1982, Beckwith helped manage the 700-plus members of the media there for the opening news conference with <strong>Priscilla Presley</strong>. He continued his work with Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises until his death. Beckwith was a pioneer in the LGBTQ+ community, serving on the local and national boards of the Human Rights Campaign, and was instrumental in creating Los Angeles' Outfest, the world's largest LGBTQ+ film festival. Survivors include Dietrich Nelson, his partner of 42 years and husband of 15 years, and his pets Edie, Arlen, Daisy and Doris. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/23/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/N/images/Norman_Jewison.gif" ALT="Norman Jewison" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Norman Jewison</strong>, the Canadian-born director of such acclaimed films as <cite>In the Heat of the Night, Fiddler on the Roof</cite> and <cite>Moonstruck</cite>, died on Jan. 20 at his home. He was 97. A seven-time Oscar nominee, Mr. Jewison received the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences in 1999. Known for his ability to coax great performances out of his actors -- 12 of his players were nominated for Oscars, while five of his features made the cut for best picture -- the most distinguished film director in Canadian history often used conventional genre plots to take on social injustice. Mr. Jewison earned best director and best picture nominations for <cite>Fiddler on the Roof</cite> (1971) and <cite>Moonstruck</cite> (1987); received another nom for helming <cite>In the Heat of the Night</cite> (1967), a winner for best picture; and added two others for producing the wacky Red Scare comedy <cite>The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming</cite> (1966) and <cite>A Soldier's Story</cite> (1984). Other directoral credits include <cite>Send Me No Flowers</cite> (1964), <cite>The Cincinnati Kid</cite> (1965), <cite>Jesus Christ Superstar</cite> (1973), <cite>Rollerball</cite> (1975), <cite>F.I.S.T.</cite> (1978), <cite>And Justice for All </cite>(1979), <cite>Agnes of God</cite> (1985) and <cite>Other People's Money</cite> (1991). Frederick Jewison was born on July 21, 1926, in Toronto, where his parents ran a general store/post office. He developed an early interest in the arts, studying piano and music theory at the Royal Conservatory, and staged and appeared in shows and musical comedies in high school. Following graduation, Mr. Jewison made his professional debut in a minstrel show, which he also directed and co-wrote, then served in Canada's Navy during World War II. Back home, he graduated from the University of Toronto's Victoria College in 1949 with a B.A. in general arts. He worked as a cab driver in Toronto and occasionally performed as a radio actor for the CBC. In 1950, he moved to London for a two-year work-study stint with the BBC. In 1950, CBS invited Mr. Jewison to New York to update the venerable TV musical <cite>Your Hit Parade.</cite> After he booked African-American singer <strong>Tommy Edwards</strong>, who had a hit with "It's All in the Game," to be on the program, he was called to a Madison Avenue meeting with a representative from Lucky Strike cigarettes, the show's South Carolina-based sponsor. The CBC called him back to work in the new medium of television, and Mr. Jewison wrote, directed and produced some of his country's most popular shows and specials. Mr. Jewison served as producer of the 1981 Academy Awards, which were rescheduled after <strong>President Reagan</strong> was shot, and he earned an Emmy nomination in 2002 for directing the HBO telefilm <cite>Dinner With Friends.</cite> Mr. Jewison returned to Toronto in 1978 and lived on a 240-acre farm in Ontario. He hosted a gala picnic for years at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 1982, Mr. Jewison was made an officer of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian decoration, then set out to establish the Canadian equivalent of the American Film Institute. Survivors include his second wife, Lynne St. David, and three children. - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 1/22/24.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-63875821639042393082024-01-22T02:14:00.000-08:002024-01-27T11:56:37.077-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on January 25th, 2024</b>
<P><IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/images/Melanie4.gif" ALT="Melanie" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Melanie Safka</strong>, the beloved '70s singer-songwriter behind such hits as <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/1972_4singles.html">"Brand New Key,"</a> <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_laydown.html">"Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"</a> and "Look What They've Done to My Song Ma," passed away "peacefully" on Jan. 23 at her home in central Tennessee, according to her publicist Billy James. She was 76 and the cause was not immediately revealed. "We are heartbroken, but want to thank each and every one of you for the affection you have for our Mother, and to tell you that she loved all of you so much!," Melanie's children Leilah, Jeordie and Beau Jarred, said in a post on her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/therealmelaniesafka">Facebook page</a> announcing her death. "Our world is much dimmer, the colours of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today," the post continued. "She was one of the most talented, strong and passionate women of the era and every word she wrote, every note she sang reflected that. Our world is much dimmer, the colors of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today, but we know that she is still here, smiling down on all of us, on all of you, from the stars." With a voice that could shift from high-pitched and coy to a deep soulful rasp, Melanie scored a No. 1 U.S. hit in 1971 with "Brand New Key," a song from her 1971 album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spmelanie.html"><cite>Gather Me</cite></a> that she wrote about about a girl who bikes and skates past the house of a boy she longs for. With echoes of the quaint popular songs of the 1920s and 1930s, "Brand New Key" combined a youthful simplicity with a winking adult sophistication in its chorus: "Well, I've got a brand-new pair of roller skates, you've got a brand-new key, I think that we should get together, and try them on to see." Melanie would say in later interviews that she didn't necessarily intend sexual innuendo in the song, but those who heard it weren't necessarily wrong. "I probably have a quirky way of writing, and I think I was misunderstood," the wholesome-looking singer told the <cite>Nashville Tennessean</cite> newspaper in 2014. "I had this smiling, cherubic thing, and I think that worked against me. Girls with guitars who were relevant were angst-filled and angular." "Brand New Key" had several revivals in the decades since, being featured in director <strong>Paul Thomas Anderson</strong>'s 1997 film <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/seventiesrelatedmovies.html#Boogie Nights">"Boogie Nights"</a> and was lip-synced by <strong>Jimmy Fallon</strong> on <cite>The Tonight Show</cite> in 2016. Born in Queens, New York on Feb. 3, 1947, Melanie was the daughter of a jazz singer and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and performed in the coffee houses of Greenwich Village and other New York folk hubs. She released her self-titled debut album in 1969, and had hit songs in Europe with "Bobo's Party" and "Beautiful People."<IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/images/Melanie3.gif" ALT="Melanie" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"> That summer, she was one of only three female solo performers, along with <strong>Joan Baez</strong> and <strong>Janis Joplin</strong>, to perform at the generation-defining Woodstock Music and Art Fair in upstate New York. The candles the crowd held up during her opening-night set at the festival inspired her first U.S. hit, 1970's "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" which went to No. 6 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100. That same year came "Look What They've Done to My Song Ma," which would be covered by artists from <strong>Ray Charles</strong> to <strong>Miley Cyrus</strong> and adapted into commercial jingles for decades after. The artist later released the single "Peace Will Come (According To Plan)" and a cover version of <strong>The Rolling Stones</strong> "Ruby Tuesday." The latter release earned her a top 10 in the UK. Melanie founded her own record label, Neighborhood Records, in 1971. Its biggest hit was "Brand New Key," which went to No. 1 in the US, and No. 4 in the UK. "People in the Front Row," a danceable jam from her 1971 LP <cite>Garden in the City,</cite> got prominent placement in the most recent season of the series <cite>Black Mirror.</cite> By the mid-1970s Melanie's popularity waned, but she would maintain a following and keep recording and playing live into the 2010s. Melanie was married to her manager and producer <strong>Peter Schekeryk</strong> from 1968 until his death in 2010. According to <cite>Variety,</cite> Melanie had been in the studio earlier in January working on a new album of covers called <cite>Second Hand Smoke,</cite> which would have marked her 32nd full-length LP. She had reportedly already recorded some songs for the new album, including new versions of <strong>Morrissey</strong>'s "Ouija Board Ouija Board," <strong>Radiohead</strong>'s "Creep"' and <strong>Depeche Mode</strong>'s "Enjoy The Silence." It is due to be released via Los Angeles-based label Cleopatra, which had also planned to reissue the majority of her back catalog. Melanie is survived by their children, Leilah, Jeordie and Beau Jarred, who requested that on Jan. 24 fans "light a candle in honor of Melanie... Raise, raise them high, high up again. Illuminate the darkness, and let us all be connected in remembrance of the extraordinary woman who was wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to so very many people." - <cite>AP/New Musical Express,</cite> 1/25/24.
<P><strong>KISS</strong> co-founder <strong>Gene Simmons</strong> has announced his first solo show since KISS retired from touring with the final show on their "End of the Road" farewell tour at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2. Simmons, 74, will headline the Apr. 26 show of Brazil's Summer Breeze festival alongside <strong>Mr. Big</strong> and <strong>Sebastian Bach</strong>. Simmons' band will reportedly include <strong>Corey Taylor</strong>'s guitarist <strong>Zach Throne</strong> and Sebastian Bach's axeman <strong>Brent Woods</strong> as well as session drummer <strong>Brian Tichy</strong>, who has played with acts such as <strong>Whitesnake, Billy Idol</strong> and <strong>Foreigner</strong>. Simmons last toured as a solo act back in 2018. KISS recently surprised fans by debuting digital versions of themselves created by the teams behind <strong>ABBA</strong>'s lucrative <cite>Voyage</cite> hologram show. They declared the avatars signal the start of a "new era" and Simmons has claimed millions of dollars are being pumped into the project. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 1/20/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/images/George_Clinton6.gif" ALT="George Clinton" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>George Clinton</strong>, the mastermind behind the legendary bands <strong>Parliament/Funkadelic</strong>, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Jan. 19. Acknowledging all the members of his bands over the years, Clinton (a.k.a. "Dr. Funkenstein") said, "Lots of them are here, lots of them not. But for all of them I say thanks and I'm blessed to be representing a bunch of funky mothers. Thank you, Hollywood!" Clinton's star, the walk's 2769th, is located at 6752 Hollywood Blvd. in front of the Musicians Institute. Also speaking at the ceremony were <strong>Anthony Kiedis</strong> of the <strong>Red Hot Chili Peppers</strong>, civil rights attorney <strong>Ben Crump</strong> and songwriter <strong>Janie Bradford</strong>. As the leader of Parliament/Funkadelic, Clinton steered the way across the cosmos to such classics as "(I Wanna) Testify," "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)," "Star Child (Mothership Connection)," "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)," "Flash Light," "Aqua Boogie," "One Nation Under a Groove," "(Not Just) Knee Deep" and "Atomic Dog," from such notable albums as Parliament's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spparliament.html"><cite>Mothership Connection</cite></a> and Funkadelic's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spfunkadelic2.html"><cite>Maggot Brain</cite></a> and <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spfunkadelic.html"><cite>One Nation Under a Groove</cite></a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/21/24...... <strong>Sting</strong> and <strong>DEVO</strong> will be among the headliners at the upcoming BeachLife Festival 2024, set for Redondo Beach, Calif., on May 3-5. The high-end live music, art and culinary event is celebrating its fifth year as the South Bay's premiere event, and is organized and promoted by local promoter and restauranteur <strong>Allen Sanford</strong>. Also among the headliners are <strong>My Morning Jacket, Trey Anastasio</strong> and <strong>Dirty Heads</strong>. The full lineup can be viewed on BeachLife Festival's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2SrJ_QvV5o/">Instagram page</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/19/24...... In other festival news, the New Orleans Jazz Festival has confirmed a litany of huge names for its annual two-weekend event, this year occurring between Apr. 25 and May 5 at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. <strong>The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and Crazy Horse</strong> and <strong>Foo Fighters</strong> will top the bill along with such famous acts as <strong>The Beach Boys, Bonnie Raitt, Heart</strong> and <strong>Earth, Wind & Fire</strong>. The full lineup can be viewed on the NO JazzFest's <a href="https://twitter.com/jazzfest/status/1748018833028231181">X page</a>. The JazzFest will be just one of the stops on the Rolling Stones' huge 2024 North American tour, which gets underway in Houston on Apr. 28. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/19/24...... <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> celebrated her 78th birthday on Jan. 19 by dropping a deluxe version of her 2023 debut rock-themed album, <cite>Rockstar</cite>. "It's my Birthday so I'm going to give you a present!" Parton wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/DollyParton/status/1748235614531600676">X</a>. "I'm releasing four never released songs for my birthday, to go with the Rockstar album, and a few others that you may have heard before that were not on the album. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope you all have a happy birthday for me! LOL." Her nine fresh tracks include a live version of her originals "Rockin' It," "Mama Never Said" and the golden oldie "Stay Out of My Bedroom," featuring <strong>Sylvester Stallone</strong> from the 1984 <cite>Rhinestone</cite> soundtrack. Other bonus tracks include songs originally by <strong>Pat Benatar, Eddie Money, Billy Joel, Eurythmics</strong> and <strong>Simon & Garfunkel</strong>. A preview of the deluxe version of <cite>Rockstar</cite> can be streamed on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/337iOvlhWakFamgb6x2vKN">Spotify.com</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/19/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/David_Lee_Roth/images/David_Lee_Roth19.gif" ALT="David Lee Roth" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A running feud between former <strong>Van Halen</strong> lead singers <strong>David Lee Roth</strong> and <strong>Sammy Hagar</strong> has escalated after Roth claimed that Hagar was "sex probed by aliens." Roth and Hagar have been locked in a war of words for the past several months, with Hagar recently stating their was "no f---ing way" he would want to do a full tour with Roth in honor of <strong>Eddie Van Halen</strong> who died at age 65 in Oct. 2020 after long battle with cancer. Roth's latest retort came in the form of a <a href="https://youtu.be/WH29LFIFC_k">YouTube video</a> titled "The Ballad of Popsicle Sam," in which he made the claims about Hagar, referencing a 2011 story in which Hagar claimed he was abducted by aliens. "In the face of a constant fart gas aimed in our direction here at the Mojo Dojo Diamond Dave Laboratories, I think we've arrived at both the technical and the medical answer that may explain some of Sammy Hagar's conduct and his constant spew of diarrhea vitriol in our direction," Roth says. "Sammy Hagar was abducted by aliens and he was sex probed." Hagar replaced original VH vocalist Roth in 1985 and continued to front the band until 1996, returning between 2003 and 2005. In Oct. 2023, Hagar joined <strong>The Killers</strong> on stage at the Ohana Festival in California for a version of VH's "Why Can't This Be Love." Roth, meanwhile, announced his retirement back in 2021. "I am throwing in the shoes. I'm retiring. This is the first, and only, official announcement You've got the news. Share it with the world," he said at the time. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 1/19/24...... Organizers of a <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> Las Vegas tribute act called <strong>MJ Live</strong> filed a complaint in Nevada federal court on Jan. 17 asking a judge to rule that they could continue to stage their concerts featuring an MJ impersonator, which are held six nights per week at the Tropicana in addition to other venues around the country. MJ Live and Jackson's estate have been embroiled in a dispute, with MJ Live charging the late King of Pop's attorneys have unfairly begun threatening to sue over a show that's been performed nightly on the Vegas Strip for more than a decade. Despite the fact that the show has allegedly been performed more than 3,600 times since 2012, MJ Live says the Jackson estate has only recently begun threatening to sue -- including sending cease-and-desist letters to other venues demanding that they cancel upcoming tour dates. Their lawsuit is primarily what's known as a "declaratory judgment action" -- a type of case aimed at proving that you've done nothing wrong. In the complaint, MJ Live's lawyers argue that the group has not infringed any trademarks held by the estate, nor has it violated his likeness rights by impersonating him. Notably, Nevada's state likeness laws have an unusual carveout the allows for the legal use of a celebrity's likeness by "impersonators in live performances" -- likely a nod to the long-standing and beloved tradition of <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> look-alikes in Las Vegas. Citing that statute, as well as the First Amendment's protections for free speech, MJ Live says it has a clear legal right "to impersonate Michael Jackson" in its shows. MJ Live is even claiming it's actually the Jackson estate that's infringing intellectual property. By using the "MJ Live" name for more than a decade, MJ Live's lawyers maintain the group has developed its own trademark rights to that particular name -- and that the estate's recent use of "MJ The Musical" on a Broadway show is infringing of those rights. An attorney for the Jackson estate described MJ Live's lawsuit as "beyond frivolous," and that they, "as always, will vigorously defend all intellectual property rights of Michael Jackson." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/19/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/images/Earth_Wind_Fire3.gif" ALT="Earth Wind and Fire" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Earth, Wind & Fire</strong> are among the first wave of performers being announced for CBS's upcoming <cite>Super Bowl Soulful Celebration 25th Anniversary special,</cite> set to air on the network on Feb. 10 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Hosted by <strong>Cedric the Entertainer</strong> and <strong>Tichina Arnold</strong>, stars of the CBS series <cite>The Neighborhood,</cite> the special will be taped on Feb. 7 during Super Bowl LVIII week in Las Vegas. The taping will take place at the Pearl Theater in the Palms Casino Resort. Also performing will be <strong>The Players Choir</strong>. The ensemble of NFL talent has been a staple of the league's Super Bowl weekend festivities for 16 seasons. Additional Super Bowl Soulful Celebration performers, honorees and partners will be announced in the coming weeks. Launched in 1999 during Super Bowl XXXIII, the <cite>Super Bowl Soulful Celebration</cite> was formerly known as the <cite>Super Bowl Gospel Celebration</cite>, and has previously welcomed such entertainers as <strong>Snoop Dogg, Gladys Knight</strong> and <strong>Fantasia</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/18/24...... Speaking of <strong>Earth, Wind & Fire</strong>, the legendary rock-soul troupe have extended their co-headlining "Sing A Song All Night Long Tour" with <strong>Lionel Richie</strong> into the first half of 2024. The pair's joint tour kicked off last year with a 20-date run around the United States, and they have now extended it for 13 more shows this spring. New dates include Knoxville, Tenn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Birmingham, Al.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Orlando, Fla. in May, and 11 shows in June in such cities as San Antonio, Tex.; Kansas City, Mo.; Tulsa, Okla.; Omaha, Neb.; and Louisville, Ky. The full tour intinerary can be viewed on Richie's <a href="https://twitter.com/LionelRichie/status/1747286576928096514">X page</a>. Richie will then go straight into a Las Vegas residency that will take him through until the middle of November. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/17/24...... <strong>Steely Dan</strong> are among the latest inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the SHOF announced on Jan. 17 on CBS's morning program. Also being inducted are <strong>R.E.M., Timbaland, Carrie Underwood</strong> and <strong>Lady Gaga</strong>, with non-performing writers <strong>Hilary Lindsey</strong> and <strong>Dean Pitchford</strong> rounding out the 2024 class. The 2024 Songwriters Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will take place on June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The SHOF's website states that more honorary inductees will be announced soon. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/18/24...... The Ray Charles Foundation has donated $2 million to the Grammy Museum Foundation to fund the museum's Campaign for Music Education. The Campaign, launched in Oct. 2022, will expand access to the museum's educational programs, including the Grammy in the Schools programming. The Ray Charles Foundation provides funding in the area of hearing disorders and in empowering young people through educational institutions and non-profit education programs. In honor of the donation, the Grammy Museum is renaming its rooftop terrace The Ray Charles Terrace at the Grammy Museum. The renaming will take place as an official Grammy week event on Jan. 29 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by <strong>Jimmy Jam</strong>. The terrace, which offers views of downtown LA and the Hollywood sign and hosts more than 150 events each year. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/18/24...... <strong>Marlena Shaw</strong>, the jazz and soul singer best known for her 1969 recording of "California Soul," died of as yet undisclosed causes on Jan. 19 at the age of 81. Ms. Shaw is known for her release of "California Soul," which was written by <strong>Ashford & Simpson</strong> and made available in 1969 under Cadet Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records. There, she released the albums <cite>Out of Different Bags</cite> (1967) and <cite>The Spice of Life</cite> (1969), the latter of which featured the oft-sampled songs "California Soul" and "Woman of the Ghetto." Ms. Shaw also released several recordings under Blue Note Records, and music on labels including Columbia and Verve. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/20/24...... British composer <strong>Laurie Johnson</strong>, whose theme for <cite>The Avengers</cite> was among the most famous of 1960s spy-show signatures, died in his sleep on Jan. 16, in North London, according to a statement from the family. He was 96. Mr. Johnson was among the last of the prominent English film composers active during the 1950s, '60s and '70s. He also scored "Dr. Strangelove" for <strong>Stanley Kubrick</strong> in 1964, along with such features as "Tiger Bay" (1959), the <strong>Werner von Braun</strong> biopic <cite>I Aim at the Stars</cite> (1960) and sci-fi and fantasy films <cite>First Men in the Moon</cite> (1964) and <cite>Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter</cite> (1972). But it was his music for <cite>The Avengers,</cite> the lighthearted and stylish teaming of troubleshooters John Steed and Emma Peel, winningly played by <strong>Patrick Macnee</strong> and <strong>Diana Rigg</strong>, that gave him star status. Mr. Johnson came aboard for the fourth season of the British-made series, which aired in America starting in 1966. He remained with the series after Rigg's departure and the arrival of <strong>Linda Thorson</strong> as Tara King in the series' sixth season. Mr. Johnson scored virtually every episode, "an unheard-of extravagance," he once said. "Sometimes there would be as much as 30 minutes of music to be recorded and synchronized every week. Over the whole series I must have composed around 50 hours of music." The Hampstead, England native became active in the British music industry in the 1950s and contributed considerable music to the KPM music library (some of which could be heard, decades later, in the cartoons <cite>Ren and Stimpy</cite> and <cite>SpongeBob SquarePants</cite>). He is survived by his wife Dot, a daughter, son-in-law and grandson. - <cite>Variety,</cite> 1/17/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/images/Talking_Heads2.gif" ALT="Talking Heads" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">If you missed the big screen re-release of <strong>Talking Heads</strong>' acclaimed 1984 concert film <cite>Stop Making Sense</cite> you're in luck. The movie will be back in select theaters in the U.S., Canada and U.K. starting Jan. 27 after its well-received 2023 4K re-release. The latest reboot is thanks to independent film company A24 (<cite>Everything Everywhere All At Once, Uncut Gems</cite>), which snagged the worldwide rights to the film to coincide with its 40th anniversary. According to <cite>Variety,</cite> the film will have residencies in a number of cities during the run, including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and others. Tickets and screening locations and dates can be found at <a href="https://tickets.stopmakingsense.movie">tickets.stopmakingsense.movie</a>. Talking Heads, which split in 1991, reformed for one night for their 2002 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and came back together in 2023 to promote the re-release of the <cite>Stop Making Sense,</cite> which pulled in $5 million at the box office during last year's A24 re-release, besting the haul for its initial 41-week run ($4.95 million) in 1984. A collector's edition Blu-ray of the film will be on sale at the screenings. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/18/24...... <strong>Mary Weiss</strong>, lead singer of the 1960s pop girl group <strong>The Shangri-Las</strong>, died on Jan. 20. She was 75. In 1964, when Weiss was just 14, her singing group -- which also included her older sister <strong>Elizabeth "Betty" Weiss</strong> and friends <strong>Marguerite "Marge"</strong> and <strong>Mary Ann Ganser</strong> -- met producer and songwriter <strong>George "Shadow" Morton</strong>. Working with him, they broke through with their recording of <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/lyrics/song.php?sid=175426&aid=13120">"Remember (Walking in the Sand)"</a> released in 1964 via Red Bird Records and subsequently covered by <strong>Aerosmith</strong>, followed by singles like the chart-topping <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/lyrics/song.php?sid=175425&aid=13120">"Leader of the Pack"</a> and "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" the same year, and "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" in 1965. As Weiss was a minor, her mother signed her contracts. The group released only two studio albums before shifting to Mercury Records and disbanding in 1968 amid litigation. The Shangri-Las shared concert bills with the likes of <strong>The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Brown</strong> and more famed acts, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honored "Leader of the Pack" in its singles category in 2019. After her time performing with The Shangri-Las, Weiss went on to pursue a career as a commercial interior designer and consultant in New York City. Weiss is survived by her husband, Ed, and sister, Liz, who is the last living member of The Shangri-Las. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/20/24...... Actress <strong>Lynne Marta</strong>, who played Lulu Warnicker in the hit 1984 film <cite>Footloose</cite>, passed away at her Los Angeles home from cancer on Jan. 18. She was 78. The New Jersey-born actress and singer appeared on episodes of smash TV shows including <cite>The Mod Squad, Starsky & Hutch</cite> and <cite>The Streets of San Francisco.</cite> She started her career on the syndicated teen dance series <cite>The Lloyd Thaxton Show</cite> and also appeared in episodes of <cite>Gidget</cite> and <cite>The Monkees</cite> in 1966. In 1973 she starred in a pilot for an ABC sci-fi series, <cite>Genesis II,</cite> written by <cite>Star Trek</cite> creator <strong>Gene Roddenberry</strong>, which was not picked up. Her other TV roles included parts on <cite>Kojak, The Rockford Files, Knight Rider, Law & Order</cite> and soap operas such as <cite>The Young and the Restless</cite> and <cite>Days of Our Lives.</cite> She also appeared in the 1990 box office hit <cite>Three Men and a Little Lady.</cite> - <cite>Bang Showbiz,</cite> 1/16/24.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-43036781436176626592024-01-11T21:04:00.000-08:002024-01-27T15:18:51.371-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on January 17th, 2024</b>
<P><strong>Elton John</strong> says he's "on cloud nine" after becoming a member of the exclusive "EGOT club" -- the winner of at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in competition. On Jan. 15, the Rocket Man was awarded an outstanding variety special (live) Emmy for his <cite>Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodgers Stadium</cite> broadcast. "We won an Emmy and I am on cloud nine!! Receiving this recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication of everyone involved, and I am so deeply grateful," John wrote in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2JUbOFCnuf/">Instagram post</a> featuring the special's poster and an image from his wild, piano-jumping 1970s heyday as an explanation for why he could not be there in person. "Whilst I am gutted that I couldn't be there to accept this award in person -- I recently underwent a knee operation, a gentle reminder, perhaps, of a lifetime spent jumping off pianos (see pic 2!) -- my heartfelt thanks go out to the @televisionacad and all those who took the time to vote. This award reflects the collective effort and creativity of an amazing team," he added. The statement went on to thank streamer Disney+, as well as his partner and one of the special's executive producers, David Furnish and others involved in the event. One of the special's executive producers, <strong>Gabe Turner</strong>, accepted the award on John's behalf at the ceremony, noting that the 76-year-old singer had recently undergone a knee operation. The Emmy made John the 19th performer to do a clean-sweep of the top entertainment awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Sir Elton is 76 years and nine months old, making him the second-oldest performer to complete the EGOT; English actor <strong>Sir John Gielgud</strong> was 87 years and four months when he completed the sweep in 1991. Ahead of the Emmy Awards, the Television Academy released a list of the 75 most impactful television moments on Jan. 15. Among the '70s artists represented on the list are <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> for his 1983 "Thriller" video, <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> and the <strong>Beatles</strong> for their respective performances on <cite>The Ed Sullivan Show</cite>, and Elton John's 1997 "Candle in the Wind" tribute to <strong>Princess Diana</strong> at her funeral. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/17/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/N/images/Nitty_Gritty_Dirt_Band.gif" ALT="The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Jan. 16 <strong>The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band</strong> announced they'll launch a 31-city farewell tour on Mar. 21 in Bowling Green, Ky. Their "All the Good Times: The Farewell Tour" will mark the conclusion of multi-city runs that aided the band during the recording of their classic <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spnittygritty.html"><cite>Will the Circle Be Unbroken</cite></a> series, which featured <strong>Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm</strong> and more. "'All the Good Times' perfectly describes our career," the band said in a press release. "Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience -- that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That's the very spirit we'll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We're really looking forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!" <strong>Hank Williams Jr.</strong> will be the group's special guest for the final show, on Sept. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. The group's first gig was 1966 in Southern California, with their breakthrough coming in 1970 with "Mr. Bojangles." In 1972, they released the first of three <cite>Will the Circle Be Unbroken</cite> records, working with pre-eminent names in bluegrass, country and folk. In 1984, the group's "Long Hard Road" reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, followed another chart-topper, "Modern Day Romance," in 1985 as well as 1987's "Fishin' in the Dark," which in recent years has been covered by artists including <strong>Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan</strong> and <strong>Dierks Bentley</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/16/24...... <strong>Robert Plant</strong>'s latest project, <strong>Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian</strong>, has announced a UK tour set to launch on Mar. 13 at the Bristol Beacon. Further dates are scheduled for Ipswich Regent, London Palladium and the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells. Plant and co. are then set to visit Peterborough, Nottingham, Hastings, Liverpool, Sheffield and Blackburn later in March before resuming the tour in Harrogate on Apr. 30. From there, the group will make stop-offs in Stockton and Warwick in May ahead of gigs in Southend and Woking in July. Per a press release, the upcoming concerts will be "a rare opportunity to witness the collective's unique blend of folk, Americana, and blues." The former <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong> frontman formed Saving Grace in 2019. Its line-up is completed by <strong>Oli Jefferson</strong> (percussion), <strong>Tony Kelsey</strong> (mandolin, baritone, acoustic guitar) and <strong>Matt Worley</strong> (banjo, acoustic, baritone guitars, cuatro). <strong>Taylor McCall</strong> will open on the tour as a special guest support act. Plant's Saving Grace played a run of UK shows last November, and October saw Plant perform Led Zep's classic track "Stairway To Heaven" live for the first time since 2007 during a charity event. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 1/16/24...... It has been revealed that the upcoming <strong>Linda Ronstadt</strong> biopic will be directed by five-time Oscar nominee <strong>David O. Russell</strong>. The film will star <strong>Selina Gomez</strong> in the titular role be produced by <strong>James Keach</strong> (who also produced the Oscar-winning <strong>Johnny Cash</strong> biopic <cite>Walk the Line</cite> and the Grammy-winning Ronstadt documentary <cite>The Sound of My Voice</cite>) along with Ronstadt's manager, <strong>John Boylan</strong>. - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 1/14/24...... A baby grand piano owned by the late <strong>Christine McVie</strong>, a Fender Stratocaster guitar belonging to <strong>Joe Walsh</strong>, and a signed hardcover edition of <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>'s two-volume <cite>The Lyrics: 1965 to Present</cite> are among the more than 75 unique collectibles that will be offered during this year's annual Grammy MusiCares Charity Relief Auction. The auction will take place live for the first time ever from the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles (and online) on Feb. 4. All auction proceeds will benefit the MusiCares program, which provides the music community with services in physical and mental health, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief. The 2024 Grammy Awards are set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/11/24...... The upcoming <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> biopic <cite>Michael</cite> has been given an Apr. 18, 2025 release date. The Lionsgate project will be directed by <strong>Antoine Fuqua</strong>, with Jackson's nephew <strong>Jaafar Jackson</strong> playing the King of Pop in a film about the singer's remarkable life. <strong>Graham King</strong>, the seasoned producer behind the <strong>Queen</strong> biopic <cite>Bohemian Rhapsody</cite>, will be producing along with <strong>John Branca</strong> and <strong>John McClain</strong>, who are the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. <strong>John Logan</strong>, who penned <cite>Gladiator</cite> and <cite>The Aviator,</cite> wrote the script. According to Lionsgate, the film will cover all aspects of Jackson's life, though it is unclear how -- or even if -- it will address the many controversies involving the late music icon, given that the biopic is being made in conjunction with his estate, which has defended him against accusations of sexually abusing children. Those accusations were returned to the public discourse thanks to the 2019 HBO documentary <cite>Leaving Neverland.</cite> - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 1/11/24..... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/images/Eagles3__w.197_.gif" ALT="The Eagles" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The <strong>Eagles</strong> played four shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on their "Long Goodbye Final Tour" on Jan. 5, 6, 12 and 13. "It's good to be back here at the Forum," band co-founder <strong>Don Henley</strong> told the audience. "We consider the Forum to be our home field. They've improved the place a lot since then. Remember all those ugly yellow and orange seats?" he said with a laugh, recalling the slightly different color scheme when the Lakers played at the Forum before moving to Staples Center in 1999. Throughout their 21-song set, the Eagles sprinkled in tributes to peers they've lost, including bandmates <strong>Glenn Frey</strong> and <strong>Randy Meisner</strong>. Frey passed away in 2016, and his son <strong>Deacon Frey</strong>, now 31, has been filling in for his late dad, alongside Country Music Hall of Famer <strong>Vince Gill</strong>, in the band since their Classic West performance at Dodger Stadium in 2017. Founding member <strong>Randy Meisner</strong> -- who left the band after 1976's <cite>Hotel California</cite> album -- died this past summer, so this is the band's first tour since. "We're going to dedicate this to the memory of Mr. Randy Meisner," Henley said to introduce "Take It to the Limit," which was the band's only single to feature the bassist on lead vocals and peaked at No. 4 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 in 1976 and spent 23 weeks on the chart -- their longest-charting hit on the tally. "Sing it with him," Henley implored, as Gill took over on Meisner's sky-high vocals. The band also played Henley's 1984 solo hit "The Boys of Summer," dedicating it to their "dear friend," the late <strong>Jimmy Buffett</strong>, who died in Sept. 2023. <strong>Steely Dan</strong> served as the opening act, doing a robust 12-song set and remembering some friends of their own, with leader <strong>Donald Fagen</strong> making sure to shout out his band co-founder <strong>Walter Becker</strong>, who died in 2017. The Eagles will wrap their winter 2024 tour on Mar. 16 in Charlotte, N.C. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/15/24...... <strong>Blondie</strong> have announced an extra show on their 2024 UK tour at Halifax Piece Hall this summer due to huge demand. The US new wave band's first outdoor show at the Halifax venue, taking place June 9 has sold out. They have now added a second on June 7, 2024 at the same venue. <strong>Debbie Harry</strong> and co. have also been announced for the very first Plymouth Summer Sessions, alongside <strong>Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Madness</strong> and <strong>Sting</strong>. This year they're also set to headline Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, Calif. with <strong>Duran Duran</strong> and <strong>Interpol</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/15/24...... <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>'s younger brother <strong>Mike McCartney</strong> has shared a health update after spending his 80th birthday in hospital. On Jan. 8, Mike shared a photo of himself on <a href="https://twitter.com/_MikeMcCartney_/status/1744345610445082820">X/Twitter</a>, aged 22, saying: "I'm now 80..can u believe! and haven't changed at all! You won't believe how I spent my 80th!" A week later, he then explained more on the same platform, telling followers: "I mentioned you wouldn't believe HOW I spent my 80th birthday didn't I? "The glorious celebrations were spent in our local hospital! The NHS nurses, doctors & staff were, as always magnificent. I'm now, thankfully out. Thanks to the NHS very much." In 2022, Mike McCartney backed plans to open up the pair's childhood home in Liverpool for unsigned artists to use as a base to write, perform and gain inspiration from. The Forthlin Sessions initiative will see artists chosen by Mike and local partners to write music at the same place where Paul and <strong>John Lennon</strong> forged their distinguished songwriting partnership. 20, Forthlin Road in Liverpool is where the pair wrote hits including "Saw Her Standing There" and "When I'm 64." The property is now owned by the National Trust. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/15/24...... <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> is reportedly working on a film adaptation of the making of his bare-bones 1982 studio album <cite>Nebraska.</cite> Springsteen is said to be consulting about the possible film alongside director <strong>Scott Cooper</strong>, who is known for his films including <cite>Out of the Furnace, Black Mass</cite> and, most appropriately, <cite>Crazy Heart,</cite> about a washed-up country singer played by <strong>Jeff Bridges</strong>. One entertainment outlet, World of Reel, reports that the new film may be based on author <strong>Warren Zanes</strong>' book <cite>Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska.</cite> The Boss's sixth album, <cite>Nebraska</cite> stands out in his catalogue due to the stripped back nature of the recordings. He was going through a dark psychological period, and had recorded a batch of songs as demos on a 4-track recorder, intending to re-record them with the <strong>E Street Band</strong>. Ultimately, the singer decided to release the demos as they were, and the album became a critically acclaimed and commercial smash. Springsteen, 74, fell ill with a then-undisclosed illness back in August that resulted in two cancelled Philadelphia shows. Three weeks later, all of Springsteen's September tour dates were postponed when it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. In early October, he rescheduled the affected US gigs and confirmed to fans that he'd be embarking on the tour between March and September 2024 instead. The first date of his 2024 UK/Ireland and European tour will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on May 5. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/14/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/Tony_Orlando/images/Tony_Orlando7.gif" ALT="Tony Orlando" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">'70s hitmaker <strong>Tony Orlando</strong> has announced his forthcoming tour will be his last and kick off with dates across three consecutive nights at South Point Casino in Las Vegas on Jan. 19-21; followed by shows at Niagara Falls, Ontario (2/27, 28); Des Plaines (3/2) and St. Charles, Ill. (3/3); Atlantic City, NJ (3/16); and Uncasville, Conn. (3/22). Orlando's final performance in Vegas should be an emotional one, wrapping 51 years as a headliner on the Strip. "Performing live shows for 63 years has been a "glorious dream-come-true run," the 79-year-old recounts. "And man oh man I will miss the audiences, friends, and fans who have stuck by me for these last sixty-three incredible years OMG I will miss them for sure! But now it's time to grow and turn a new page in my life. How exciting." Travel today is "grueling," he notes. "And then when you add the overhead the cost to travel with eight band members on the road and then you add five and six hours of delays or cancellations at airports. And not many non-stops, and then your connections end up being canceled." All of that, approaching the age of 80, "well this is not a smart or good match. So, it's time."It's "time for a new journey," he adds. Part of that trip involves the launch of Tony Orlando Productions and Explosive Film and Entertainment companies. "I also plan to pay more attention to writing a Broadway show," he adds, and "pitching my ideas for films and writing my next book. And maybe even managing the careers of some new and young talent." Orlando's '70s group, <strong>Tony Orlando & Dawn</strong>, charted three No. 1 singles from 1971-75 -- <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/1971_10singles.html">"Knock Three Times,"</a> <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/1973_1singles.html">"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"</a> and "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)." Also, the act received a Grammy nod for best pop vocal performance by a duo, group or chorus for "Tie a Yellow Ribbon," which was also nominated for song of the year. Orlando says he will continue his broadcasting career with New York City's 77 WABC, but he's done with the rigors of the road. "I can still hit the ball," he quips. "I just can't run the bases." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/16/24...... <strong>Smokey Robinson</strong> has responded to a viral TikTok highlighting his curiously-titled 2023 album, <cite>Gasms.</cite> On Jan. 13, the Motown veteran posted a response message to TikTok, clarifying the meaning behind the album's title. "Okay guys, I figured it's time for me to comment on the comments that I've been getting about calling my album 'Gasms'," began Robinson. " Gasms' is any good feeling you might have. Get your mind off of sex, because that's what you're connecting it to." He continued: 'Gasms' is not only a sexual word. It's a word that means 'whatever makes you happy. And people are saying, at my age, I shouldn't be talking about 'gasms' you know, I still have gasms! And I hope I always do. So I just wanted to kind of clear that up for you guys who are thinking or making negative comments about it, and all that." He ended his message by sharing a few words about the album's title track: "And for the title song of the album, 'Gasms', if you listen to it, you'll know that it's not something dirty or whatever you're trying to make it. Just listen to the song." The track's hook notably sees the former <strong>Miracles</strong> frontman repeatedly singing the word "gasms", crediting his "gasms" to an unspecified lover: "You give me gasms / Eyegasms / You're the one responsible for my gasms / Gasms." The album of the same name was released in Apr. 2023, marking the 83-year-old singer's first album of new material since 2009's <cite>Time Flies When You're Having Fun.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/15/24...... A year after the legal battle over <strong>Prince</strong>'s estate was finally settled, the music legend's heirs are now suddenly back in court again, fighting amongst each other over allegations that certain family members are trying to wrongfully seize control. The lawsuit, made public on Jan. 10 in Delaware court, amounts to a civil war among the members of Prince Legacy LLC, one of the two holding companies created to run the star's $156 million estate. (Primary Wave, which owns the other half of the estate, is not involved in the dispute.) The case was filed by L. Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer, two longtime Prince friends who serve as managers for Prince Legacy, over allegations that four of Prince's family members have been improperly trying to force them out of the company. They say such a move not only violates the group's operating agreement but would cause massive damage to efforts "to preserve and protect Prince's legacy." The lawsuit targets Prince's half-sisters Sharon Nelson and Norrine Nelson, as well as his niece Breanna Nelson and his nephew Allen Nelson. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/11/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Patti_Smith/images/Patti_Smith20.gif" ALT="Patti Smith" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Patti Smith</strong> has made her first public appearance since her late 2023 hospitalization, to honor <strong>Lily Gladstone</strong>. In December, the punk poetess as forced to cancel a show in Bologna after a "sudden illness" prompted her to be rushed to the hospital. A few days later, it was reported that the singer was "in good health," with Smith taking to social media: "I am resting, as the doctor ordered, grateful to have had such care, though being painfully aware that many are not so fortunate." Nearly a month later, Smith has made her first public appearance to present Gladstone with the award for Best Actress at the National Board of Review Awards Gala. She won the honor with her performance in <strong>Martin Scorsese</strong>'s <cite>Killers Of The Flower Moon,</cite> for which she also won a Golden Globe. Smith praised the film in her speech, saying: "It pierces the vein of human weakness, greed, cowardice, and betrayal. And what is more piercing than the face of Lily Gladstone as the camera captures the shifting tones of her interior process seamlessly embodying the courageous Mollie Burkhart?" "Within the fabric of the film, even off-screen, Lily is like the new moon that can be felt, but not seen," she continued. "She has always felt." - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/13/24...... <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>'s ex-wife <strong>Priscilla Presley</strong> paid tribute to the couple's daughter <strong>Lisa Marie Presley</strong> on the first anniversary of her death, who died from an intestinal obstruction that constricted blood supply to her digestive tract at age 54 on Jan. 12, 2023. "Today is a very solemn day. It's been a year since your passing and not a day goes by where I don't think about and miss you. Rest in peace, Lisa. You are in the arms of your beloved father now. Only that& gives me comfort. Mom," Priscilla posted to <a href="https://twitter.com/Cilla_Presley/status/1745863444203548710">X/Twitter</a> on Jan. 12. Presley was born in 1968 as the only child to her parents Elvis and Priscilla, and was the sole heir to the Graceland estate, which she inherited in 1980. She went on to pursue her own music career, within which she released three studio albums in 2003, 2004, and 2012, the former two peaking in the Top 10 of the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album charts. Her mother's tribute comes after it was revealed her daughter's memoir will be released later this year. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/13/24...... <strong>Annie Nightingale</strong>, a pioneering DJ for BBC Radio 1, died on Jan. 11 at her home in London after a short illness, according to a statement shared by her family the following day. She was 83. Ms. Nightingale was the first female DJ on BBC Radio 1, where she started in 1970, ultimately becoming the station's longest serving DJ. In 2010, Ms. Nightingale entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest serving female radio presenter, a record she still holds. Her last broadcast was in late Dec. 2023. Born near London in 1940, Ms. Nightingale began her career as a journalist and television presenter, later launching a line of clothing shops. She first came on the BBC Radio 1 airwaves in Feb.1970. BBC Radio 1 reflected on Ms. Nightingale's career and her impact. "Annie was a world class DJ, broadcaster and journalist, and throughout her entire career was a champion of new music and new artists," <strong>Aled Haydn Jones</strong>, Head of BBC Radio 1, said in a statement posted to BBC Radio 1's Instagram account. "She was the first female DJ on Radio 1 and over her 50 years on the station was a pioneer for women in the industry and in dance music. We have lost a broadcasting legend and, thanks to Annie, things will never be the same." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/12/24...... Soap opera actor <strong>Bill Hayes</strong>, who originated the role of Doug Williams on <cite>Days of Our Lives</cite> in 1970, has died at age 98. "It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved Bill Hayes," a rep for the television series told <cite>People</cite> magazine in a statement. "One of the longest-running characters on <cite>Days of Our Lives,</cite> Bill originated the role of 'Doug Williams' in 1970 and portrayed him continuously throughout his life." The rep added that Mr. Hayes and his real-life wife, <strong>Susan Seaforth</strong> (who played Doug's spouse Julie on the program), "remained the foundation of the Williams-Horton family spanning more than 50 years." Doug and Julie were immensely popular characters on the sudser and the couple's wedding, which took place on the series in 1976, was viewed by about 16 million viewers. Mr. Hayes is survived by Seaforth Hayes, their five children, 12 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 1/15/24...... Sitcom actress <strong>Joyce Randolph</strong>, who played Trixie Norton on the television classic <cite>The Honeymooners,</cite> died on Jan. 13 at her home in New York City, according to multiple reports. She was 99 years old and in hospice care at the time of her death, which was from natural causes. Ms. Randolph played the wife of sewer worker Ed Norton, played by <strong>Art Carney</strong>. The couple were the best friends and neighbors of Ralph Kramden (<strong>Jackie Gleason</strong>), and Alice Kramden (<strong>Audrey Meadows</strong>). <cite>The Honeymooners</cite> debuted in 1951 as a sketch on DuPont Network's <cite>Calvacade of Stars.</cite> It later moved to <cite>The Jackie Gleason Show</cite> on CBS. <cite>The Honeymooners</cite> was not a breakout hit, finishing its lone season in 1955-56 at No. 19 in a three-network universe. But its "Classic 39" CBS episodes have lived on in syndication, reaching multiple new generations of fans. Ms. Randolph was the last surviving member of the main cast of <cite>The Honeymooners,</cite> which is still regarded as one of the classics of television. - <cite>Deadline.com,</cite> 1/14/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/L/images/Leon_Wildes.gif" ALT="Leon Wildes" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Leon Wildes</strong>, a prominent immigration lawyer best known for his landmark, yearslong fight in the 1970s to prevent <strong>John Lennon</strong> from being deported and enable the former Beatle to receive permanent residency in the U.S., died on Jan. 8 at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. He was 90. Mr. Wildes' son -- immigration attorney and Englewood, N.J. <strong>Mayor Michael Wildes</strong> -- said his father had been in failing health after a series of strokes. "Dad felt he effectively lived the American Dream for a kid from Olyphant PA and spent his life facilitating the same experience for scores more," said Michael Wildes, who is also the managing partner for the firm his father helped start, Wildes & Weinberg. "He was beloved by his family, was extraordinarily humble, and beloved by our Bar." Leon Wildes was a graduate of the New York University School of Law who co-founded Wildes & Weinberg in 1960 and, by the end of the decade, had gained enough stature to serve as president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. His name would become part of musical and political history after an old law school classmate, Alan Kahn, called in 1972 and told him that Lennon and <strong>Yoko Ono</strong> needed his help getting their visas extended. Mr. Wildes agreed to meet with the couple at the Manhattan offices of Apple Records, the label founded by the <strong>Beatles</strong> in the late 1960s. But he did have one embarrassing confession about Lennon and his artist wife. "I have no idea who these people are," he told Kahn, later saying he misheard their names as "Jack Lemmon and Yoko Moto." What Mr. Wildes initially thought would be a formality turned into one of the most dramatic legal struggles of the era. John and Yoko had moved from England to New York City, trying to track down Ono's daughter from a previous marriage, Kyoko Chan Cox, whom her ex-husband had abducted. The couple also were active in the New Left politics of the time, opposing the Vietnam War and backing efforts to defeat <strong>Pres. Richard Nixon</strong> in his bid for re-election. With the minimum voting age lowered from 21 to 18, Lennon's plans included a 1972 tour of the U.S. that would potentially attract millions of young people. As government files later revealed, some Nixon supporters feared that Lennon could damage Nixon politically. In a Feb. 1972 memo sent to <strong>Sen. Strom Thurmond</strong>, a South Carolina Republican and a member of a Senate subcommittee on internal security, aides recommended a "strategic countermeasure," terminating Lennon's visa. The government would also try to deport Ono, a Tokyo native, but she was granted permanent residency in 1973. Descended from European Jews, Mr. Wildes grew up in a small Pennsylvania community where he was often the only Jew in his class. He attended Yeshiva College as an undergraduate and became interested in immigration law after working with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in the late 1950s. Mr. Wildes published articles in the Cardozo Law Review among other journals and wrote a book on the Lennon case, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_16_9.html"><cite>John Lennon Vs. the USA</cite></a>, that was published in 2016. An opera fan when he was young, he would become fully vested in the Beatles universe, to the point of using "Imagine" as music when a caller to his office was placed on hold. He remained close to Yoko, appeared in the 2006 documentary <cite>The U.S. vs. John Lennon</cite> and even attended some Beatles conventions, among them the Chicago-based Fest for Beatles Fans. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/13/24.
<P>A memoir by <strong>Elvis</strong> and <strong>Priscilla Presley</strong>'s late daughter <strong>Lisa Marie Presley</strong> was announced on Jan. 11 by publisher Random House. The memoir, due later in 2024, is still untitled and was produced in collaboration with Lisa Marie's actress daughter, <strong>Riley Keough</strong>. Described as a "raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir (that) will lift the veil on one of America's most storied families," the book was finished by Keough after Lisa Marie requested her help before she died on Jan. 12, 2023, at the age of 54. According to a press release, the <cite>Daisy Jones in Daisy Jones & The Six</cite> actress had listented to hours of tapes recorded by Lisa Marie in preparation for the book. "Few people had the opportunity to know who my mom really was, other than being Elvis's daughter," Keough, 34, said in a statement. "I was lucky to have had that opportunity and working on preparing her autobiography for publication has been a privilege, albeit a bittersweet one. I'm so excited to share my mom now, at her most vulnerable and most honest, and in doing so, I do hope that readers come to love my mom as much as I did." The memoir, due Oct. 15, will cover topics including "Lisa Marie's complicated relationship with her mother Priscilla," as well as "the shattering loss of her son, Riley's brother <strong>Benjamin Keough</strong>, to suicide." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 1/11/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/images/Selena_Gomez.gif" ALT="Linda Ronstadt and Selena Gomez" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">It has been confirmed that singer/actress <strong>Selena Gomez</strong> will portray <strong>Linda Ronstadt</strong> in an upcoming biopic about the "You're No Good" singer. According to Great Eastern Music, a music publisher founded by Ronstadt's manager <strong>John Boylan</strong>, Gomez is "attached to play Linda" and the "long-rumored Linda Ronstadt biopic is now up-and-running." According to an announcement on <a href="https://www.greateasternmusic.com/projects.htm">Great Eastern's "Projects" page</a>, "the two recently spent a few hours at Linda's home discussing the project and getting to know each other." Ronstadt, 77, also appeared to confirm the news on her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lindaronstadtmusic/">Instagram account</a>, sharing screenshots of <cite>Variety</cite> and <cite>Rolling Stone</cite>'s reports that the 32-year-old Gomez will be portraying her to her Instagram Stories. On her verified Facebook page, she also shared one of those reports, captioning it, "It all started with a simple dream," recalling her chart-topping 1977 album <cite>Simple Dreams.</cite> Fan speculation about Gomez's new role kicked off on Jan. 9 after Gomez shared a photo of Ronstadt's book <cite>Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir</cite> to her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/selenagomez/3276921709964070814">Instagram Stories</a>. Ronstadt announced her retirement in 2011, citing her Parkinson's disease diagnosis, but later sharing that she actually has a brain disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy, which resembles Parkinson's. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2016. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/10/24...... German electronic pioneers <strong>Kraftwerk</strong> have announced a nine-show residency in Los Angeles in May that will cover the group's decades-long catalog and mark their 50th anniversary. Each show will feature the band playing one of their classic albums, including <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spkraftwerk2.html"><cite>Autobahn</cite></a>, 1975's <cite>Radio-Activity</cite> and 1977's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spkraftwerk.html"><cite>Trans Europe Express</cite></a>. The final show will span five decades of the Kraftwerk repertoire. Hosted by the <strong>Los Angeles Philharmonic</strong>, the nine shows will take place between May 21-30 at downtown L.A.'s iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall, where the group also performed a celebrated residency in 2013. It will mark the first performances by the influential group, who were nto the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, in North America since a 2022 run of their 3-D show. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/10/24...... Accepting a best motion picture Golden Globes award for the film <cite>Poor Things</cite> during the 2024 Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills on Jan. 7, director/producer <strong>Yorgos Lanthimos</strong> gave a shout-out to audience member <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong>. "I just wanted to speak to Bruce Springsteen the whole night," Lanthimos said as he took the stage and grabbed the mic. "We have the same birthday -- the 23rd of September!" As <cite>Poor Things</cite> star <strong>Emma Stone</strong> and the rest of the cast and crew laughed behind him, the camera cut to The Boss, who was flashing a thumbs up from his table. Springsteen was a 2024 Golden Globe nominee for writing "Addicted to Romance" for <cite>She Came to Me,</cite> which was up for best original song, but lost to <strong>Billie Eilish</strong> and <strong>Finneas O'Connell</strong>'s "What Was I Made For?" from the blockbuster <cite>Barbie</cite> film. Lanthimos went on to thank Searchlight Pictures for making the film, his cast and his crew ("Emma, she's the best," he said), but couldn't walk away without one more shout-out to The Boss: "Thank you, Bruce Springsteen, for making me grow up the way I did." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/7/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/images/Prince3.gif" ALT="Prince" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><cite>The Hollywood Reporter</cite> is reporting that a stage adaptation of <strong>Prince</strong>'s original 1984 film <cite>Purple Rain</cite> is under development, with a world premiere in the works. Forty years after the funk/pop icon unleashed his <cite>Purple Rain</cite> film and soundtrack album, the adaptation is set to feature a score by the late Prince, with a book by Pulitzer Prize-finalist <strong>Branden Jacobs-Jenkins</strong>, who is currently enjoying the Broadway run of his acclaimed drama "Appropriate." Jacobs-Jenkins' book will be based on the original <cite>Purple Rain</cite> screenplay, which was written by <strong>Albert Magnoli</strong> (who also directed the original film) and <strong>William Blinn</strong>. The 1984 film version starred Prince as The Kid, a burgeoning Minneapolis rock musician who trudges his way through rival bands, fleeting romances, and a gritty home life. To date, the film has grossed nearly $70 million worldwide, and, in 1985, it won the Academy Award for best original song score. The accompanying soundtrack of the same name was also smash success, spending 24 weeks atop the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart and spawning five Top 40 hits including the No. 1 "When Doves Cry." - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 1/8/24...... Appearing on the popular SiriusXM podcast <cite>Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk</cite>, <strong>Rush</strong> guitarist <strong>Alex Lifeson</strong> revealed his arthritis is "slowly getting worse," but he is now "used to it." Lifeson, 70, has suffered from psoriatic arthritis -- a form of arthritis with a skin rash -- for nearly 20 years, but says the medication he is on to deal with it has been "very effective" over the years. "I'm on two biologics, so sort of like a double whammy in dealing with it. And it's been very, very effective," Lifeson said. "Despite the side effects and all of that, it's been a really effective regimen for me, and it's really helped my hands. I have times where the inflammation has its own mind, and that's when you'll see me shaking my hands [while I am playing]. But it is what it is, and I can still get by, and I'm so used to it, I don't really even think about it that much anymore." He added that he's no longer "interested" in hitting the road with his guitar "after 40 years of touring." "I enjoyed it when we did it. There were lots of ups and downs," he noted. In June 2020, Lifeson admitted to a WFAN radio host that he hadn't felt "inspired or motivated" to play music since drummer <strong>Neil Peart</strong>'s death aged 67, six months earlier in Jan. 2020."After Neil passed in January, I've played very little guitar. I don't feel inspired and motivated.... Every time I pick up a guitar, I just aimlessly kind of mess around with it and put it down after 10 minutes. Normally, I would pick up a guitar and I would play for a couple of hours without even being aware that I'm spending that much time. So I know it'll come back." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 1/10/24...... During the latest episode of <cite>The Osbournes Podcast</cite>, <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> shared that his recovery is going well, but it's going to "take time." Chatting with fellow musician <strong>Billy Morrison</strong>, Osbourne said that "I just came back from the doctor today and my blood clots are gone, everything's back to normal. I can bend my neck. I just gotta get my balance going now." Ozzy, 75, underwent his fourth and final spinal surgery in Sept. 2023 and is now focusing on managing his Parkinson's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2003. "I'm not seeing so many doctors anymore," Osbourne continued. "I'm just seeing the Parkinson's doctor but I'm not having surgery or anything. I had seven surgeries in five years." He added, "It's a slow recovery because I'm not as young as I used to be so recovery of anything is gonna take time." Osbourne had metal plates inserted into his neck after he suffered a fall in 2019. They were later removed as were causing him further pain. Osbourne and <strong>Corey Taylor</strong> of <strong>Slipknot</strong>, along with the likes of <strong>Billy Idol, Steve Vai</strong> members of <strong>Run-DMC</strong> and <strong>4 Non Blondes</strong>, are set to appear on Billy Morrison's new album. It will be released on Apr. 19, with lead single "Drowning" coming on Feb. 23. - <cite>Music-News,</cite> 1/10/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/W/images/Who.gif" ALT="The Who" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Roger Daltrey</strong> announced on Jan. 8 that he'll close out the nearly quarter-century run of his Teenage Cancer Trust fundraising gigs in March with a week-long series of all-star shows benefitting the British charity dedicated to helping young people needing nursing care and support after diagnosis. Taking place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the shows will feature Daltrey's legendary band <strong>The Who</strong> taking the stage on Mar. 18 and 20 with an orchestra, with support from <strong>Squeeze</strong>. <strong>Noel Gallagher</strong> has been tapped to headline on Mar. 21 with support from <strong>Blossoms</strong>. There will also be an as-yet-unannounced lineup of stand-up comedians on Mar. 19, a Mar. 22 gig by <strong>Young Fathers</strong> and a Mar. 23 lineup featuring the <strong>Chemical Brothers</strong> and <strong>DJ Paul Holroyd</strong>. The final show -- dubbed "Ovation" -- on Mar. 24 will be a blow-out celebrating the 24 years of TCT shows featuring Daltrey, <strong>Pete Townshend, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, The Stereophonics' Kelly Jones, Pearl Jam</strong>'s <strong>Eddie Vedder</strong> and <strong>Paul Weller</strong>. Daltrey has been hosting and curating the fundraising shows since 2000, raising more than $40 million to date, which the organization said has paid for more than a million hours of specialist care from TCT nurses, or 13 TCT hospital care units. Daltrey has announced that beginning in 2025 the concert series will continue with a series of guest curators. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/8/24...... In other Who-related news, <strong>Pete Townshend</strong> admitted in a new interview with Guitar.com that "all guitarists are intimidated" by the young guitarists who post videos of themselves shredding on social media. Townshend spoke of using the guitar as a technical tool when it comes to composing music. "I think one of the things that all guitarists of today are intimidated by is these young guys on Instagram that shred to hell and back, or to heaven and back, I should say, who started when they were six. But we are just our fingers." The veteran axman added that despite the "intimidation," he's happy that he has developed his own style rather than focusing on "flashy runs": "What I'm happy about is I can do two days of practice and learn some really flashy runs if I want to, though I'm still stuck with the old order, which is trying to make sure I don't let my fingers play a series of cliches." Meanwhile, the future of The Who remains unclear, as Townshend said that they have to "have a chat about what happens next" following the conclusion of their final orchestral tour date at the Sandringham Estate over the summer. "I think it's time for Roger and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next. Because Sandringham shouldn't feel like the end of anything but it feels like the end of an era," he said recently. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/9/24...... American alternative rock band <strong>Wilco</strong> have shared a cover of <strong>David Bowie</strong>'s classic track "Space Oddity" to celebrate what would have been the late star's 77th birthday on Jan. 8. The live recording of the cover, which can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/NeeHySOuo44">YouTube</a>, is the first taste of a new Wilco compilation album from a live performance on radio station Mountain Stage. "As a gratefully, if not begrudgingly, Earth-bound band, it's always an honor and a challenge to tackle any of David Bowie's space-soaring arrangements," Wilco said of their "Space Oddity" cover. Their new album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers</cite></a>, will be released in full on Apr. 19 via Oh Boy Records. It features four songs not on the seminal 1972 album, including a <strong>Chuck Berry</strong> cover, as well as contributions from <strong>Margo Price, John Prine, Jason Isbell</strong> and more. In other <strong>David Bowie</strong>-related news, a new "Ziggy Stardust"-era Bowie album is set to be released on Apr. 20 as part of this year's Record Store Day. <cite>Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth)</cite> is a collection of recordings from Trident Studios in 1971, and features the majority of songs that would go on to form the legendary 1972 <cite>The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars</cite> album. Artwork and a tracklist can be viewed on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C10hL2ySpmT/">Bowie's Instagram page</a>. "Wating In The Sky" is the latest in a host of Bowie rarities have been released for Record Store Day in recent years. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/8/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/Cher/images/Cher33.gif" ALT="Cher" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Cher</strong> has shared the cuddly picture of herself with latest beau <strong>Alexander "AE" Edwards</strong> on <a href="https://twitter.com/cher/status/1743508965772947848">X/Twitter</a>. In the photo, she sits on Edwards' lap and embraces him, with one hand on his back and the other affectionately touching his chin. Cher, 77, first met Edwards, 37, at Paris Fashion Week in Sept. 2022. She opened up about their romance and its 40-year age gap on <cite>The Kelly Clarkson Show</cite> in Dec. 2022, noting, "On paper, it's kind of ridiculous. But in real life, we get along great. He's fabulous. And I don't give men qualities that they don't deserve." She added that Edwards is "very kind, very smart, he's very talented, and he's really funny, before adding, "And I think he's quite handsome." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/6/24...... <strong>Tony Clarkin</strong>, the guitarist and founder of Birmingham UK hard rock band <strong>Magnum</strong>, died on Jan. 7. He was 77. Clarkin's passing was confirmed by a statement shared to the band's official <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C14q6JxiFSw/">Instagram account</a>, which read: "On behalf of the family, it is with profound sadness that daughter Dionne is sharing the news of the passing of Tony Clarkin. Following a short illness, he died peacefully surrounded by his girls on Sunday 7th January 2024." Clarkin co-founded Magnum in 1972 alongside singer <strong>Bob Catley</strong>, and they were initially set to be the house band for the Rum Runner club in Birmingham. He served as the band's sole songwriter across all 22 of their albums -- including their commercial zenith starting from 1982's <cite>Chase The Dragon</cite> through to 1990's <cite>Goodnight LA</cite> -- and guitarist for over 50 years. His death came a few days ahead of the release of Magnum's 23rd LP <cite>Here Comes The Rain</cite>, which drops Jan. 12 via SPV/Steamhammer, and a week after the band's new single, "The Seventh Darkness," was released. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/11/24...... <strong>James Kottak</strong>, a former drummer for the German hard rock group <strong>Scorpions</strong>, died on Jan. 9 in his birthplace of Louisville, Ky. of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 61. Joining the Scorpions in 1996, Kottak appeared on all of their albums from 1999's <cite>Eye II Eye</cite> to 2015's <cite>Return to Forever</cite> during his 20-year run with the band. He was kicked out of the band for alcoholism in 2016 and later replaced by <strong>Motörhead</strong>'s <strong>Mikkey Dee</strong>, who remains in the line-up. Before joining the band, Kottak was an original member of <strong>Kingdom Come</strong> in the '80s. He rejoined the band a couple of years after he was dismissed from Scorpions and remained in the group up until his passing. Elsewhere, he had also toured with bands including <strong>Warrant</strong> and <strong>Dio</strong>, and also took on vocal duties for the '90s band <strong>Krunk</strong>. "Very sad news& our dear friend & Drummer for 20 yrs," reads a post on the <a href="https://twitter.com/scorpions/status/1744844450055037262">Scorpions' X/Twitter page</a>. "James Kottak has passed at the age of 61. James was a wonderful human being, a great musician & loving family man. He was our "Brother from another Mother" & will be truly missed. Rock'n Roll Forever. RIP James." - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/10/24.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-45647437945275147242024-01-02T11:32:00.000-08:002024-01-13T19:41:10.666-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on January 7th, 2024</b>
<P>On Jan. 5 a Los Angeles Superior Court judge declined to immediately put <strong>Cher</strong>'s son <strong>Elijah Blue Allman</strong> into the legal conservatorship that Cher is seeking and Elijah Blue is opposing, but the court will take up the issue again within weeks. Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui ruled that Cher's attorneys had not given Elijah Blue and his lawyers the necessary documents to give them sufficient time to make their case, and scheduled another hearing for Jan. 29. In late December, Cher filed a petition for control of the finances of her 47-year-old son with the late <strong>Gregg Allman</strong>, claiming his struggles with addiction and mental health have left him unable to manage his money and potentially put his life in danger by making him able to buy drugs. Elijah Blue receives money from a trust left by his late father, and an attorney for Cher said during the hearing that a payment from the trust is pending, and the immediate establishment of a conservatorship is "a life-and-death proposition." However Judge Uzcategui said that she was "not persuaded," citing Cher's unwillingness to share material with Allman's attorneys. Cher's lawyers said they had confidentiality concerns and shared the documents instead with Allman's court-appointed lawyer. Allman acknowledged his struggles with addiction and irresponsible spending, but said he is under the care of a doctor, has been sober for more than three months, is attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and is willing to submit drug tests. "While I understand that my mother, the proposed conservator, believes she is looking out for my best interests and I appreciate her love and support, I do not need her unsolicited help or support at this time," the filing said. Allman attended the hearing but spoke only to briefly answer the judge's questions. His lawyers declined comment after the hearing. Cher did not attend. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/5/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/David_Bowie/images/David_Bowie60.gif" ALT="David Bowie" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">It appears that France will have a street named after <strong>David Bowie</strong> before the late rock legend's own home country of the UK. On Jan. 8 -- what would have been Bowie's 77th birthday -- a new road near Austerlitz train station in Paris will be named after Bowie, rather than a pre-existing one that has been renamed. According to Paris <strong>Mayor Jorme Coumet</strong>, the idea for the "rue David Bowie" emerged as the "Space Oddity" singer had "a strong link with the city of lights." Bowie's ties to France not only include his countless shows across the country, but also his time recording music at the legendary Miraval studio -- which is now owned by actor <strong>Brad Pitt</strong>. An inauguration party is also set to be held at Salle des Fetes that same day to celebrate the launch, and a variety of photographs and paintings related to the singer will be showcased at the Galerie Athna until Jan. 14. While the UK does not yet have a street named after the late music legend, his birthplace of Brixton does have a famous mural of the singer, painted by Australian artist <strong>James Cochran</strong>. Bowie died in 2016, following a cancer diagnosis. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 1/5/24...... On Jan. 4 <strong>Billy Joel</strong> announced several dates at stadiums across the U.S. in 2024, with <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> and <strong>Sting</strong> opening for him on select different dates. The Piano Man will play Tampa, Fla. (2/24), Arlington, Tex. (3/9), San Diego (4/13), Seattle (5/24), Chicago (6/21), Denver (7/12), and St. Louis (9/27). On Aug. 9, he'll play a UK date in Cardiff, Wales. Sting will open for Joel on the Tampa, San Diego and St. Louis dates, while Nicks -- who toured with Billy in 2023 as part of their "Two Icons One Night" outing -- will be the opener for the Arlington and Chicago shows. The gigs will come amid Joel's historic sold-out run at NYC's Madison Square Garden, where he will fire up his keys on Jan. 11, Feb. 9, March 28, April 26, May 9, June 8 and July 25, marking the end of a decade-long, 150-show run. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/5/24...... <strong>Dionne Warwick</strong> is denying involvement in a campaign fundraiser for 2024 presidential candidate <strong>Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</strong>. "This is absolutely ridiculous. If you are going to lie on my name, at least lie about something cool," Warwick posted on <a href="https://twitter.com/dionnewarwick/status/1742680909944615300">X/Twitter</a> on Jan. 3. Her response was to an X/Twitter post on DailyMail.com that read: "Superstar tenor @AndreaBocelli will perform at fundraiser for US presidential hopeful @RobertKennedyJr with 'well wisher' guests including Martin Sheen, @MikeTyson and @dionnewarwick." In response, Warwick posted: "I don't know anything about this event. I did not agree to it and I certainly won't be there." When a person in the comments responded "Damn Dionne I almost got my respect back for you," she retorted, "That's okay, baby. Keep it." Sheen has also denied any participation in Kennedy's campaign, requesting a surrogate post that he "wholeheartedly support[s] <strong>President Joe Biden</strong> and the democratic ticket in 2024." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/5/24...... The Grammys' Recording Academy announced on Jan. 5 that <strong>Donna Summer, Gladys Knight, Laurie Anderson, Tammy Wynette</strong> and <strong>N.W.A.</strong> will be the recipients of the academy's 2024 lifetime achievement award. Also announced were <strong>Peter Asher, DJ Kool Herc</strong> and <strong>Joel Katz</strong> as trustees award recipients; <strong>Tom Kobayashi</strong> and <strong>Tom Scott</strong> are technical Grammy award honorees; and "Refugee" as the best song for social change award. The Recording Academy's 2024 Special Merit Award honorees, as they are collectively known, will be saluted at a Grammy Week ceremony on Feb. 3 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Summer, Wynette, <strong>Eazy-E</strong> of N.W.A, and sound engineer Kobayashi are being honored posthumously. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/5/24...... <strong>Heart</strong> played their first live shows together in almost half a decade during on and around the New Years Eve holiday. The first date took place on Dec. 27 at a more intimate venue, the Yaamava Theatre in Highland, Calif. The band then played two other arena shows in California and their hometown of Seattle on Dec. 28 and 31 respectively. These were Heart's first shows since 2019 and featured a career-spanning setlist including hits such as "Barracuda, "Magic Man" and "Crazy on You." Heart then finished the evening with a cover of <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong>'s "Stairway To Heaven" reprising their famous performance of the song at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012 which brought former Led Zep frontman <strong>Robert Plant</strong> to tears. Heart has announed they will continue their reunion in 2024 by supporting <strong>Def Leppard</strong> and <strong>Journey</strong> on select dates across their co-headlining run of the U.S. later this year. "We're gonna see how it works with the Heart thing, whether it feels like a level up," remarked singer <strong>Ann Wilson</strong> of the reunion shows in a recent interview with 96.1 KLPX out of Tucson, Arizona. "If it does feel like a level up, then we'll keep doing it. But that's what it has to be. It can't just slide down into jukebox time. Fan-shot footage of the Seattle reunion show has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/j1K2-a3czDY">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/2/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/images/Jeffrey_Epstein.gif" ALT="Michael Jackson and Jeffrey Epstein" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Michael Jackson</strong>'s name has surfaced in recently unsealed court documents tied to accused sex trafficker <strong>Jeffrey Epstein</strong> -- though Jackson was not accused of any wrongdoing in the documents. On Jan. 3, the files were unsealed as part of the 2015 lawsuit victim Virginia Giuffre filed against <strong>Ghislaine Maxwell</strong>, the now deceased financier's girlfriend, who was convicted in 2021 of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse underage victims. Maxwell is serving a 20 year prison sentence. According to the documents, Jackson's name comes up during the deposition of a witness, which took place May 18, 2016. Epstein accuser Giuffre, when questioned by her lawyer, says that she "met Michael Jackson" when asked if she ever met anybody famous when she was with Epstein. "At his house in Palm Beach. At Jeffrey's house in Palm Beach." McCawley also asked whether the witness had given Jackson a massage, which she denied doing, and for a second time later in the deposition. Epstein, 66, died by apparent suicide in Aug. 2019. He was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York while awaiting trial. He had been charged with sexually abusing multiple underage girls. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/4/24...... During a recent stay at Scotland's famous Gleneagles Hotel, <strong>Rod Stewart</strong> gave its stave a tip of £10,000, as well as some advice on how he thinks they should spend it. Stewart was staying at Gleneagles to celebrate Hogmanay (the last day of the year) with his wife <strong>Penny Lancaster</strong> and their two sons, and caught staff working over the festive period off-guard by offering them the generous tip. Given to them in thanks for working over the holidays, he reportedly suggested they should use the amount to make a bet that Scotland will win the Euros this summer. "I've been lucky enough to stay in some of the top hotels in the world and the service at Gleneagles is second to none," he reportedly said. "The staff do a terrific job at a very hectic time of the year and deserve every penny. It's Scottish hospitality at its very best. I advised the boys and girls at Gleneagles to invest the money wisely," he added. "Stick the lot on Scotland to win the Euros." Stewart also posted a photo of his stay at Gleneages -- which became famous for hosting the first international match between American and British professional golfers -- on his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1ifENRNHf6/">Instagram page</a>, showing him and his sons wearing kilts to welcome in the new year. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/4/24...... <cite>Elvis Evolution,</cite> an immersive <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> AI hologram show, is being prepped by the U.K. company Layered Reality for an opening date in London in Nov. 2024. In a statement announcing the special event, Layered Reality promised that the mind-blowing "concert finale" featuring the King of Rock will feature a "jaw-dropping" performance and a "personal invite to the After Party." "The show peaks with a concert experience that will recreate the seismic impact of seeing Elvis live for a whole new generation of fans, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy," according to a press release. "A life sized digital Elvis will share his most iconic songs and moves for the very first time on a UK stage," it adds. <cite>Elvis Evolution</cite> promises to use Layered Reality's patented blend of "technology, augmented reality, theatre, projection and multi-sensory effects" to reproduce the late rock icon for his first-ever shows outside of North America nearly half a century after Presley's 1977 death. The Elvis AI show will follow on the heels of the hit London show <cite>ABBA Voyage,</cite> which digitally recreated the beloved Swedish pop band via digital avatars. A preview clip of <cite>Elvis Evolution</cite> can be viewed on <a href="https://player.vimeo.com/video/896547869?h=ca68b2c262">Vimeo.com</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/4/24...... Speaking on the latest edition of <cite>The Osbournes Podcast,</cite> <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> said she is open to reviving the Ozzfest as a heavy metal touring festival. <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> asked the the Osbournes matriarch about bringing the festival back, asking "Not just one [at] the f---ing Forum, but a whole Ozzfest [tour]?" Sharon replied: "Yeah, sure. Of course." Their daughter <strong>Kelly Osbourne</strong> then commented that artist managers need to be "realistic" when it comes to booking fees. In response Sharon said: "Why is it when it comes to us that everybody thinks that we are trillionaires, and so that every manager who wants their band on our festival wants one of the f---ing trillions they think we've got to put on the festival?" The last Ozzfest took place in 2018 and was headlined Ozzy, alongside <strong>Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Jonathan Davis</strong> of <strong>Korn</strong> and <strong>Body Count</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/3/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/A/images/Ace_Frehley7.gif" ALT="Ace Frehley" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Co-founding former <strong>KISS</strong> member <strong>Ace Frehley</strong> has told <cite>Guitar World</cite> magazine that his forthcoming album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPB3VPFF/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>10,000 Volts</cite></a>, will make his former KISS bandmates "look like imbeciles." Drama between the guitarist and his former bandmates began in 2023, after <strong>Paul Stanley</strong> explained why the band didn't perform when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame back in 2014. Among the reasons was the "demanding" nature of the Rock Hall, which wanted KISS to take to the stage with its original members -- Frehley, Stanley, <strong>Gene Simmons</strong> and <strong>Peter Criss</strong>. Stanley said the move would be "demeaning" to the band, adding: "'Cause if you saw people onstage who looked like KISS but sounded like that, maybe we should be called PISS." Frehley subsequently threatened to release "dirt" on KISS if Stanley didn't apologize, later sharing that he didn't apologize, but called to say "f--- you." "Paul and Gene have tried to destroy my reputation over the years -- we know that," Frehley told <cite>Guitar World.</cite> And unfortunately for them, '10,000 Volts' is going to make them look like imbeciles. KISS hasn't put out a record since 2012 [<cite>Monster</cite>], and here I am, 17 years sober, and it's my sixth record since leaving KISS. I keep chugging along, and nobody can stop me. Creating amazing music is the best way to combat someone putting you down. That's how I shut them up." <cite>10,000 Volts</cite> will drop on Feb. 23. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/4/24...... In a new interview with <cite>Record Collector</cite> magazine, '60s pop singing-songwriting legend <strong>Donovan</strong> revealed he used to hang out with the <strong>Beatles</strong> and pulled guitarist <strong>George Harrison</strong> to one side to teach him "a few tricks" so he could pen his own tunes after being "in the shadow" of <strong>John Lennon</strong> and <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>. "I became George's mentor for songwriting," the Scottish musician said. "He was in the shadow of John and Paul for so many years and I said, 'Look, I'll show you a few tricks, how to encourage the songs.' There's a way to encourage the song to come. You can tease it, like fishing. I told him how to play a chord then put your ear on the guitar, listen to the open chord and try a tempo. You can hear melodies, believe it or not. Melodies appear, but you've got to be quick to catch them." The "Sunshine Superman" hitmaker -- who was a prominent figure of the Flower Power era of the late '60s -- also recalled how "dangerous" it was playing shows with little security to stop fans ramming toward him or The Fab Four. "As soon as the last song was over, they'd turn the lights on, say goodnight, and get in their cars. And what would happen? The whole audience would swarm towards the stage. That became a big problem." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 1/6/24...... <strong>Elton John</strong> has allegedly completed a new album with American singer <strong>Brandi Carlile</strong>. During a recent roundtable conversation with the UK's <cite>Clash Music</cite> magazine, Elton's good friend <strong>Pete Townshend</strong> of <strong>The Who</strong> shared that John has been at a loss following the end of his farewell tour, and ended up reaching out to Carlile to begin working on a project. "Elton is so fraught with loss at not knowing what to do next. He's just gone over to LA to make an album with Brandi Carlile. They made an album together in two weeks. He says it's one of the best things they've ever done," Townshend told the publication. Speaking about her relationship with John, Carlile told <cite>People</cite> magazine in 2023: "I think we find ourselves in a position of being soulmates. Our friendship is an amazing one." The two musicians appeared onstage together back in 2022 at the Dodgers Stadium for a rendition of Elton's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (available on <a href="https://youtu.be/89Fihb-shRU">YouTube</a>), and have remained incredibly close. Elsewhere in the interview, Townshend also reflected on his friendship with the Rocket Man and said: "He's great company. And he's very smart. But he's also a wonderful musicologist, you really keep some with what's new." - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/2/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/David_Leland.gif" ALT="David Leland" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>David Leland</strong>, a writer, director and actor who worked with <strong>George Harrison, Paul McCartney</strong> and the <strong>Travelling Wilburys</strong> over his five-decade career, passed away on Christmas Eve surrounded by his family, according to a press release. He was 82. Initially trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama and later moving into stage management and direction at the Crucible Theatre, Mr. Leland collaborated with British actors including <strong>Michael Palin</strong> and <strong>Terry Jones</strong> early in their careers, as well as an as-yet-undiscovered <strong>Victoria Wood</strong>, who wrote her first play, "Talent," for him to direct. He also gave <strong>Pierce Brosnan</strong> his first opportunity to act on stage in the British premiere of <strong>Tennessee Williams</strong>' "The Red Devil Battery Sign," which Mr. Leland directed. Mr. Leland was a close friend of George Harrison's and worked with him on several occasions, directing several Traveling Wilburys videos including "Handle With Care" and the 1988 film <cite>Checking Out,</cite> on which Harrison served as a producer. His other music video work included <strong>Tom Petty</strong>'s "I Won't Back Down" (which also featured Harrison and <strong>Ringo Starr</strong>), and McCartney's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man." He also directed the documentary <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_11_3.html"><cite>Concert For George</cite></a> (2003) following Harrison's own death, which was a concert film of a memorial concert event which took place at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring the remaining <strong>Beatles</strong>, Petty and <strong>Eric Clapton</strong>. Mr. Leland won a Grammy Award for his work, while the DVD was certified platinum eight times over. He also worked extensively as a screenwriter for both TV and film, with his film credits including <cite>Made In Britain</cite> (1982), <cite>Birth Of A Nation</cite> (1983) and <cite>Wish You Were Here</cite> (1987). The UK's BAFTA Awards posted a tribute to Mr. Leland on X/Twitter, saying they were "saddened" to hear of his death. Other tributes came from Pierce Brosnan, <strong>Liam Neeson</strong> and <cite>Monty Python</cite>'s <strong>Terry Gillam</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 1/2/24...... English actress <strong>Glynis Johns</strong>, best known for playing the daffy suffragette mother Mrs. Banks opposite <strong>Julie Andrews</strong> in the classic film <cite>Mary Poppins,</cite> died on Jan. 4 at an assisted living home in Los Angeles. She was 100 years old. Ms. Johns' greatest triumph was playing Desiree Armfeldt in the play "A Little Night Music," for which she won a Tony in 1973. <strong>Stephen Sondheim</strong> wrote the show's hit song "Send in the Clowns" to suit Ms. Johns' distinctive husky voice, but she lost the part in the 1977 film version to <strong>Elizabeth Taylor</strong>. "I've had other songs written for me, but nothing like that," Ms. Johns told the AP in 1990. "It's the greatest gift I've ever been given in the theater." "Send in the Clowns" brought Sondheim a Grammy Award for song of the year in 1976, and is the most recent song from a Broadway musical to win in that marquee category. The fourth generation of an English theatrical family, Ms. Johns was a dancer at 12 and an actor at 14 in London's West End. Her breakthrough role was as the amorous mermaid in the title of the 1948 hit comedy "Miranda." She also starred in the 1989 Broadway revival of "The Circle," <strong>W. Somerset Maugham</strong>'s romantic comedy about love, marriage and fidelity, opposite <strong>Rex Harrison</strong> and <strong>Stewart Granger</strong>. In 1960's <cite>The Sundowners,</cite> with <strong>Deborah Kerr</strong> and <strong>Robert Mitchum</strong>, she was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar, losing out to <strong>Shirley Jones</strong> in <cite>Elmer Gantry.</cite> Ms. Johns lived all around the world and had four husbands. The first was the father of her only child, the late Gareth Forwood, an actor who died in 2007. "Today's a sad day for Hollywood," Ms. Johns' manager Mitch Clem said of her passing. "She is the last of the last of old Hollywood." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/4/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/David_Soul3.gif" ALT="David Soul" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Actor-singer <strong>David Soul</strong>, who rose to fame as Sergeant Kenneth Richard "Hutch" Hutchinson in the 1970s TV detective series <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_N-W.html#Starsky and Hutch"><cite>Starsky & Hutch</cite></a>, died on Jan. 4, his wife Helen Snell announced on his website. He was 80. "David Soul -- beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother -- died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family," she wrote. "He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist, and dear friend. His smile, laughter, and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched." Born in Chicago on Aug. 28, 1943, Mr. Soul started acting on stage in the '60s and began pursuing his passion for music. In 1967, he sang on <cite>The Merv Griffin Show,</cite> receiving major attention, and landed his first TV role on <cite>Flipper.</cite> That led to signing a contract with Columbia Pictures and playing Joshua Bolt, a lumberjack and brother of lead character Jason Bolt (<strong>Roger Brown</strong>), on <cite>Here Comes the Brides.</cite> The show ran from 1968 to 1970 and made Soul a major star. In 1971, he made his film debut in <cite>Johnny Got His Gun</cite> and then appeared opposite <strong>Clint Eastwood</strong> in <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_F-O.html#Magnum Force"><cite>Magnum Force</cite></a> (1972), the second in Eastwood's <cite>Dirty Harry</cite> franchise. After more guest roles, the actor landed the biggest role of his career on <cite>Starsky & Hutch,</cite> alongside <strong>Paul Michael Glaser</strong> as Sergeant David Michael Starsky. The two played Southern California police detectives, originally in a 1975 pilot movie and then in a weekly TV series that ran on ABC until 1979. Starsky and Hutch drove around in their iconic red-and-white-striped Ford Gran Torino and had a brotherly love, us-against-the-world attitude that was different than typical cop shows. The overly affectionate buddy cops became a staple of the '70s and oftentimes the punchline to erotic jokes, with Glaser even later admittiing that <cite>Starsky and Hutch</cite> had some "homoerotic elements." Amid rising concerns about TV violence, <cite>Starsky & Hutch</cite> toned down the blood and played up the social themes and friendship in Season 3. Ratings declined soon after, and Glaser often publicly discussed leaving the show, which finished its run with Season 4. It wasn't the last time fans would see the two cops, however. Director <strong>Todd Phillips</strong> made a prequel film, starring <strong>Ben Stiller</strong> as Starsky and <strong>Owen Wilson</strong> as Hutch, in 2004, with Mr. Soul and Glaser making cameo appearances. Mr. Soul returned to his singing roots in the '70s with the popular songs <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_dontgiveuponus.html">"Don't Give Up on Us,"</a> which reached No. 1 on the hit parade in Apr. 1977, and "Silver Lady." He released five studio albums beginning in 1976 and seven compilations during his career. He also starred in the miniseries adaptation of <strong>Stephen King</strong>'s "Salem's Lot" in 1979, playing Ben Mears, a writer who returns to his small hometown of Salem's Lot, Maine, only to discover it's become infested by vampires. In the '90s, Mr. Soul moved to the United Kingdom and began a career in West End theatre and British TV. He obtained citizenship in 2004, and his later credits included the films <cite>Farewell</cite> and <cite>Filth</cite> and shows like <cite>Poirot, Dalziel and Pascoe</cite> and <cite>Lewis.</cite> "David was a brother, a friend, a caring man. We shall never see his like again," Paul Michael Glaser told <cite>People</cite> magazine. I find it difficult to comprehend David's passing... saying goodbye to such a dear friend and important part of my life I suspect that I will let myself feel his loss, our loss, only gradually." Mr. Soul is survived by his wife Helen Snell and his six children. - <cite>Variety,</cite> 1/5/24...... Veteran music exec <strong>Bob Fead</strong>, who held key positions with such powerhouse labels as Liberty Records and A&M Records from the 1960s into the 2000s, died on Jan. 2 at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 89. Mr. Fead thrived at Liberty Records in the 1950s and 1960s and helped drive radio airplay for such artists as <strong>Bobby Vee, Gene Pitney, Jackie DeShannon, Willie Nelson, Jan and Dean, Del Shannon</strong> and <strong>Vikki Carr</strong>. He worked alongside famed producer (and longtime friend) <strong>Snuff Garrett</strong>. After five years at Liberty, Mr. Fead was recruited by <strong>Herb Alpert</strong> and <strong>Jerry Moss</strong> to join them at their fledgling A&M Records, where he eventually rose to senior vp of sales and marketing. While there, Fead worked with such legendary acts as <strong>Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, Quincy Jones, the Carpenters, Cat Stevens</strong> and <strong>Peter Frampton</strong>. "Bob Fead was a gentleman and the key person who organized a national sales team for A&M's huge sales success in the late 1960's/early 1970's," Alpert said in a statement. "His personality and kindness is a huge part of the A&M legacy." He is survived by his wife, Beverlye, and their two children. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/4/24.
<P><strong>Elvis Presley</strong>'s record of 67 weeks for a solo artist topping the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart has been broken by -- you guessed it -- <strong>Taylor Swift</strong>. The "Cruel Summer" singer's re-release of her early LP <cite>1989</cite>, <cite>1989 (Taylor's Version)</cite>, returned to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart for a fifth time in the last week of 2023, putting her ahead of Presley's record of 67 weeks at the top spot. With 68 weeks, the 34-year-old superstar now holds the record as a solo artist, but she is second overall behind the <strong>Beatles</strong>. The Fab Four are significantly ahead of her with 132 weeks atop the Hot 200 chart. Presley and Swift are currently tied for the most No. 1's in a calendar year, with them both having three in a year twice. The "Shake It Off" singer is currently third for the record of the most chart-topping albums overall. The Beatles are first with 19, followed by <strong>Jay-Z</strong> with 14 and Swift with 13. Thanks in part to her album re-releasing project, Swift also holds the record for the most albums to debut consecutively at No. 1 with 13. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 1/1/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Elton_John/images/Elton_John109.gif" ALT="Elton John" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Elton John</strong> has shared the favorite songs on his Christmas listening list for 2023 as part of a Christmas edition of his <cite>Rocket Hour</cite> show on Apple Music. The 17 songs on the list include his own 1973 festive hit "Step Into Christmas" along with seasonal songs and covers by <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> ("Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me"), <strong>Greg Lake</strong> ("I Believe in Father Christmas"), <strong>James Brown</strong> ("Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto"), <strong>The Ronettes</strong> ("I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus") and the <strong>Pretenders</strong> ("2000 Miles"). John took to his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1PJUuRCt73/">Instagram account</a> ahead of the show to write: "It's the <cite>Rocket Hour</cite> Christmas Special! This year I have selected an eclectic mix of old and new, ranging festive classics from The Ronettes, Elvis Presley and Greg Lake, to some of my favourite new Christmas songs and covers from contemporary artists including <strong>RAYE, Phoebe Bridgers</strong> and <strong>Sufjan Stevens</strong>, as well as some lesser-known deep cuts. Hope some of these make it onto your Christmas playlist these holidays. Wishing all my <cite>Rocket Hour</cite> listeners Happy Holidays and I look forward to bringing you more shows and the latest new music in the New Year!" It comes after Elton previously shared his favorite 15 songs of 2023 which included songs from <strong>The Last Dinner Party, Gabriels, boygenius, Romy</strong> and <strong>The Chemical Brothers</strong>. John, who wrapped his years-long "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour earlier in 2023 with a final headline slot at the UK's Glastonbury festival, will appear in an upcoming sequel to the classic rock "mockumentary" <cite>This Is Spinal Tap,</cite> along with <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 12/30/23...... <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> recently made a deserving fan's bucket list wish come true by serenading him with her classic song "I Will Always Love You" as he struggles with stage four colorectal cancer. In 2021, a Utah man named LeGrand Gold made a bucket list of final wishes that included meeting and talking with the country superstar. A video of Dolly, 77, was posted to <a href="https://youtu.be/MNCdYXxFK-0">YouTube</a> showing Gold lying in bed as the star chats with him over speakerphone. "I'm just happy to know I've got a fan that devoted and that I've had a chance to walk that journey all these years," Parton tells Gold. "I heard you've been a fan of mine for many years, and I just want to thank you for that." Dolly continued: "I'm just happy that we got to kind of have our journey together in this lifetime. I always want to make people happy with my music and with the things I do and the things I say and I'm just happy to know that I've touched your life in some way. So thank you for honoring me with that." To close out her conversation, she sang a snippet of one of her most famous compositions, adding in his nickname at the end. "I will always love you, I always love LG," she crooned. Gold explained to local media that after receiving his cancer diagnosis in 2021, he and his wife, Alice, took a pen to a napkin to list out his biggest dreams as a way of keeping hopes high. The No. 7 item was to meet the "9 to 53 singer -- "I thought, 'Well, it's never going to happen,'" he told KSL, a local NBC affiliate. "She sang me a song, put my name in the song," he added. "I feel like I'm immortal now." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/27/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/images/Chaka_Khan5.gif" ALT="Chaka Khan" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a new interview with <cite>Rolling Stone,</cite> <strong>Chaka Khan</strong> says she "will not do another tour" because "I got this rich-ass life." Khan, who charted 10 Top 40 <cite>Billboard</cite> hits from 1974 to 1983 as part of <strong>Rufus featuring Chaka Khan</strong> including the No. 3 "Tell Me Something Good," said that she wasn't planning on completely retiring from performing live, but intends on stopping touring because she now had more going on in her life than just music. "Some people, that's all they have, you know? I got this rich-ass life. I've got great-grandchildren I want to get to know better. So I will not do another tour. I'll do dates, but it won't look like a tour. They'll be far enough apart that I can have time to sleep in between." When asked if she'd ever retire entirely, the 70-year-old said: "Well, I might do that three or four times, like other bitches do." Khan added that as far as her legacy goes, she doesn't really care about that but would hope some of her material has some longevity. "I just hope that the art form doesn't get so screwed up with stupid shit -- kids today think that every instrument can be played on a keyboard," she said. "Instruments have to be introduced once again to these kids." Khan recently teamed up with <strong>Bombay Bicycle Club</strong> for the track "Tekken 2," which frontman <strong>Jack Steadman</strong> said he initially felt "embarrassed" about recording at an upmarket sound studio near Chaka's home but she was "really down to earth.... I immediately felt relaxed." She is next scheduled to perform in Los Angeles in January and she has several shows lined up in the U.K. in June and July. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/28/23...... <strong>Micky Dolenz</strong>, the sole surviving member of <strong>The Monkees</strong>, has told <cite>Record Collector</cite> magazine that he doesn't remember having any control over The Monkees' musical output in the mid-1960s, nor does he remember wanting much. Dolenz, 78, admitted some of his bandmates -- which included <strong>Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork</strong> and <strong>Davy Jones</strong> -- were frustrated over the lack of input they were allowed into their careers, he was happy to just do what was asked of him. "They put everything together. I don't remember having any control, nor do I remember wanting much," Dolenz told the magazine. "I mean, that was the big bugbear especially for Nesmith. I can only speak for myself. I was cast into this as a singer, a guitar player -- they made me the drummer. We had no control over the song selection, the musicians, who was going to sing what. Who knows why they made the choices they did? We had very little, if any control over the first two albums." He continued: "Nez managed to write and play on a couple of things. Sometimes after 12 hours of filming, I would do a couple of lead vocals at night. I don't remember having any control over the artwork, the liner notes, the sequencing, the song selection, nothing. Having said that, I'm very, very proud of those first two albums. I put an enormous amount of that material in my shows because they were the big hits." Despite their frustrations, Micky said the group loved to play live. "Nez used to say, when we hit the stage live playing this music, that it was like Pinocchio becoming a real little boy and it was," Dolenz explained. "There's a wonderful CD out, 'Monkees Live in 67' that was not recorded to be an album. Somebody found the tape and it's really raw. We were a garage band. But funnily enough, that's what 'The Monkees' was about -- the TV show was about a garage band, before the term even existed." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 12/27/23...... Jazz pianist/vocalist/composer <strong>Leslie "Les" McCann</strong>, the musician credited for discovering a young <strong>Roberta Flack</strong> and whose own works have been sampled by countless hip-hop artists, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 88. A self-taught pianist, Mr. McCann was an innovator in the soul jazz style, fusing jazz with funk, soul and world rhythms. He mastered all instruments before him, and enjoyed an unusual breakthrough, by winning a Navy talent contest, opening the door to an appearance on <cite>The Ed Sullivan Show.</cite> An early hit came with "The Shampoo," the 1963 instrumental cut with his trio for Pacific Jazz Records. Later he would enjoy a fruitful relationship with Atlantic Records, releasing a dozen albums on the label from the late-'60s through to the mid-'70s. <cite>Swiss Movement,</cite> his album featuring frequent collaborator, saxophonist and labelmate <strong>Eddie Harris</strong>, and trumpeter <strong>Benny Bailey</strong>, earned a Grammy nomination for best jazz performance -- small group or soloist with small group, and included the protest song, "Compared to What," which Mr. McCann and Co. performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1969. Another career highlight came 1971, when he appeared with a cast of famous artists, including <strong>Wilson Pickett, The Staple Singers, Santana</strong> and <strong>Ike & Tina Turner</strong>, for an historic 14-hour concert in Accra, Ghana. The event was captured for the concert film <cite>Soul To Soul.</cite> After a stroke in the 1990s slowed his musical output, the Lexington, Ky. native channeled his energies into painting and photography, and he recovered for a string of music releases, including <cite>Pump It Up</cite> from 2002. "Les McCann was one of jazz music's most gifted and influential artists," Warner Music Group exec <strong>Kevin Gore</strong> said in a statement. "While we deeply mourn his passing, his music will live on in the hearts of millions of music fans across the globe." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 1/2/24...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/L/images/Les_McCann.gif" ALT="Les McCann and Shecky Greene" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Shecky Greene</strong>, the legendary Las Vegas comedian who became the consummate Vegas lounge headliner and who was revered by his peers and live audiences as one of the greatest standup acts of his generation, died on Dec. 31 of natural causes at his home in Las Vegas. He was 97 years old. Those who saw Mr. Greene in his decades of comedy dominance on the Vegas Strip in the 1950s, '60s and '70s said that with a mic in his hand he could roam a room and work a crowd like no other, abandoning written jokes for the shared thrill of improv. "I've never had an act," Mr. Greene told the <cite>Las Vegas Sun</cite> in 2009. "I make it up as I go along." With a body like a linebacker's, a wit as quick as lightning and a voice that suggested he could've been a lounge singer instead of a lounge comic, Mr. Greene in the course of a night would plow through dozens of impressions, do extended riffs at audience members' tables and turn musical standards into parody songs on the spot. He made appearances in films including 1967's <cite>Tony Rome</cite> with <strong>Frank Sinatra</strong>, 1981's <cite>History of the World Part I</cite> with <strong>Mel Brooks</strong>, and 1984's <cite>Splash</cite> with <strong>Tom Hanks</strong>, and showed-up on network sitcoms including <cite>Laverne & Shirley</cite> and <cite>Mad About You,</cite> and was a constant guest on talk and variety shows. He did his first show in Las Vegas in 1953, and places like the Riviera and the Tropicana became his regular haunts for the next 30 years. Mr. Greene could also fill Carnegie Hall, and guest-hosted both <strong>Johnny Carson</strong>'s <cite>Tonight Show</cite> and <cite>The Merv Griffin Show.</cite> He grappled with addictions to both drinking and gambling -- neither ideal for a man who spent most of his time in Las Vegas -- and also struggled with what were later diagnosed as severe depression and panic attacks, both of which made it increasingly difficult to perform as he got older. Mr. Greene moved to Palm Springs in an attempt at retirement in his late 70s in 2004, but the stage still had appeal, and he returned for a stint in Las Vegas at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in 2009. Returning to a city now dominated by the likes of <strong>Celine Dion</strong> and <strong>Cirque du Soleil</strong>, Mr. Greene found he could stroll through casinos anonymously. "I'm a legend," he told the <cite>Sun</cite> in 2009, "but nobody knows me in Vegas anymore." Mr. Greene was married to nightclub dancer <strong>Nalani Kele</strong> from 1972 to 1982, and is survived by his wife of 41 years, <strong>Marie Musso</strong>, daughter of jazz saxophonist <strong>Vido Musso</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/31/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-1947960206345907402023-12-23T08:38:00.000-08:002023-12-28T16:44:02.374-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on December 28th, 2023</b>
<P>Speaking on his <cite>Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics</cite> podcast, <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> has admitted the <strong>Beatles</strong> classic "Let It Be" was subconsciously inspired by <strong>William Shakespeare</strong>'s "Hamlet." "In those days [at school], I had to learn [Shakespeare] speeches off by heart. So I could still do a bit of 'to be or not to be', or 'O that this too too solid flesh'. And it had been pointed out to me recently that Hamlet, when he has been poisoned, he actually says, 'Let it be' - act five, scene two. He says 'Let be' the first time, then the second time he says, 'Had I but time -- as this fell sergeant, Death, Is strict in his arrest -- oh, I could tell you. But let it be Horatio.'" He added: "I was interested that I was exposed to those words during a time when I was studying Shakespeare so that years later the phrase appears to me in a dream with my mother saying it." Sir Paul, 81, previously explained how the idea for the song came to him in a dream about his mother during the intense writing sessions for the Beatles' 1968 "White Album." His mother Mary Patricia McCartney died of cancer in 1956, when he was 14. He later said: "It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing 'Let It Be'." In another interview, he clamed she said to him in the dream: "'It will be all right, just let it be.'" - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 12/28/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/X/images/XTC.gif" ALT="XTC" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">English post-punk legends <strong>XTC</strong> have expressed mixed opinions about the possibility of reforming, with each member offering different perspectives about the prospect. In a rare new interview with their hometown newspaper, <cite>The Swindon Advertiser</cite>, the quartet -- frontman <strong>Andy Partridge</strong>, bassist <strong>Colin Moulding</strong>, drummer <strong>Terry Chambers</strong> and guitarist <strong>Dave Gregory</strong> -- reflected on their legacy and looked to the future. "I think we've all got our own things going as I do sessions at the moment and I'd want to do another EP probably next year as well of my own," said Moulding. "As for reforming now, I can't see it really because we've all got different agendas because Terry wants to tour and Andy doesn't and nor do I so it's hard to reconcile that really. Never say never I suppose because with the internet you're able to record remotely with one another and that could quite feasibly happen with the memories of XTC." Chambers, who still tours with his band <strong>EXTC</strong>, playing covers of the band's original songs, shared: "It wouldn't be a problem for me as I'm still playing live regularly but as for the others, ask them. My feeling is no, it will never happen." Gregory also agreed that it would be dependant on a number of factors. "If everyone was into it, I would join in but I'm not going to force it and I'm not even going to suggest it," he said. As for Partridge, the frontman stated that it would "horrify" him, unless it was "just a kickabout." "Some of the saddest sights you will see, and hear, are old, fat, bald, hoarse pop groups, waddling around a stage, in front of people trying to relive their youth," he explained. "Move on folks, get your feet out of the nostalgia swamp, it's deadly. I'd leave XTC as it is, a perfectly flawed historical event that left much good music in our vapour trail... The future belongs to the young." The band, known for songs like "Making Plans for Nigel," "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" and "Senses Working Overtime," formed in 1972 and split in 2006. They released 12 original albums between 1977 and 1992, starting with their debut <cite>White Music</cite> in 1978 and bookending their Virgin discography with <cite>Nonsuch</cite> in 1992. They released their final two albums, <cite>Apple Venus Volume 1</cite> (1999) and <cite>Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)</cite> (2000), through Cooking Vinyl. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 12/28/23...... <strong>Hall and Oates</strong>' <strong>John Oates</strong> has reflected on his musical partnership with <strong>Daryl Hall</strong> amid their ongoing legal battle. In November it was revealed that Hall was granted a restraining order against his longtime former musical partner, though details of their legal dispute were unknown at the time. Hall later said he was suing Oates after claiming that he was left "blindsided" by his plan to sell a business stake -- while the latter described the claims as "inaccurate." In a court statement about Oates' alleged breach of their business partnership agreement, Hall accused his bandmate of making a "completely clandestine and bad faith move" by trying to sell a share of their business without consent. Speaking on <strong>David Yontef</strong>'s <cite>Behind the Velvet Rope</cite>, Oates said: "You can't ignore the fact that the Hall & Oates catalogue of hits and the 50-year career will always trump almost anything that Daryl does on his own or I do on my own, which is okay because I'm very proud of that music. I'm really proud of what Daryl and I created together." Oates said that he doesn't like to "live in the past", adding: "I make the analogy of what it's like when you go to a great museum and you're really excited to go and see all the beautiful paintings or the exhibits or whatever it might be, and then near the end, your feet start to hurt and you say, 'You know what? I can't wait to get out of here.' That's kind of how I feel about it. It's just a matter of living in my present." Earlier in December, Oates was revealed to be "Anteater" on the US version of <cite>The Masked Singer.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/28/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/Cher/images/Cher32.gif" ALT="Cher" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">It appears that <strong>Cher</strong> has filed for a conservatorship of her youngest son, <strong>Elijah Blue Allman</strong>, over fears of alleged "severe" substance abuse issues. According to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by <cite>People,</cite> the singer is requesting to be the sole conservator of her son's estate, claiming he is "substantially unable to manage his financial resources." The doc also states that a conservator is "urgently needed" to "protect Elijah's property from loss or injury," because he is "currently unable to manage his assets due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues." It adds that Allman's estranged wife, Marie Angela King, is not fit to be conservator because of "their tumultuous relationship has been marked by a cycle of drug addiction and mental health crises." It continues: "Elijah is entitled to regular distributions from the Trust, but given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues, [Cher] is concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah's life at risk." The filing concludes that Cher has reportedly "worked tirelessly to get Elijah into treatment and get him the help he needs... [she] loves Elijah immensely and has always acted with his best interests in mind." A hearing for a temporary order is currently set for Jan. 5, 2024, while the hearing for a permanent order will follow on March 6, 2024. In September, Cher was accused of hiring four men to kidnap Allman, 47, as a way to prevent him from seeing King and get him clean from drugs. Cher subsequently denied allegations that she orchestrated a kidnapping. "That rumour is not true," she told <cite>People.</cite> While the singer declined to comment further, she did confirm that the situation was related to Allman's addiction issues. "I'm not suffering from any problem that millions of people in the United States aren't," she added. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/28/23...... In other Cher news, the pop legend has entered the U.K. history books twice as her new holiday single "DJ Play a Christmas Song" has rocketed to No. 20 from No. 41 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. This makes Cher the first solo artist to land top 40 hits with new material in seven consecutive decades in the U.K., and at 77 years old she becomes the oldest female to snag a top tier hit in the country. Cher beats the previous mark set by <strong>Shirley Bassey</strong>, who was 70 when "The Living Tree" peaked at No. 37 in 2007. "DJ Play" has also broken records across the pond -- when the single jingled to the top of the Dec. 2-dated Dance/Electronic Song Sales survey, she became the first solo artist to earn a new No. 1 on a <cite>Billboard</cite> songs chart; the only other act to have at least one new No. 1 on a <cite>Billboard</cite> songs chart in each of the seven decades from the 1960s through the 2020s is the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/27/23...... Speaking of the Rolling Stones, the band has scored a Christmas No. 1 with their latest album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a>, which jumped from 6-1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Dec. 22, for its second non-consecutive week at the top. Featuring collaborations with <strong>Lady Gaga, Elton John, Stevie Wonder</strong> and <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>, <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> is the band's first album of original material in 18 years since <cite>A Bigger Bang,</cite> which peaked to No. 2 in 2005. Meanwhile, the Stones have announced they've hired a <strong>Tina Turner</strong> impersonator as a backing singer for their upcoming US tour. They will joined by former "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" star <strong>Chanel Haynes</strong>, who joined the band onstage at their show in Milan in June 2022 to perform "Gimme Shelter" together. A source told the U.K.'s <cite>The Sun</cite> newspaper's "Bizarre" column: "The Stones had a very close relationship with Tina and Chanel blew them away when she got up on stage with them. Chanel has now been booked as one of their backing singers and will be going out on tour with them across America in the spring." - <cite>Billboard/Music-News.com,</cite> 12/26/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/O/Ozzy_Osbourne/images/Ozzy_Osbourne31.gif" ALT="Ozzy Osbourne" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> has referenced a scene from the 1975 comedy <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_F-O.html#Monty Python and the Holy Grail"><cite>Monty Python and the Holy Grail</cite></a> to squash an online rumor that he had died. "The thing on YouTube, it's got 'Celebrities Who Died Today', and there's a picture of me," Ozzy exclaimed on the Dec. 26 edition of his <cite>The Osbournes Podcast.</cite> "I'm not dead! I'm not really dead, just a little flesh wound," he said, recalling <cite>Monty Python</cite>'s Black Knight, played by <strong>John Cleese</strong>, who declares, "Tis but a scratch" and "Just a flesh wound" when Arthur (<strong>Graham Chapman</strong>) severs his arm. The singer's wife <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> called those who spread the death hoax "sick f**kers." Ozzy, 75, has experienced ill health in recent years and in September, he announced he'd undergone his "final" surgery on his spine, admitting he couldn't "do it anymore." In addition to a spinal injury suffered in a 2003 ATV accident which required metal rods installed in his body, he revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in Feb. 2019. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 12/27/23...... On Dec. 22 <strong>KISS</strong> shared a teaser clip on <a href="https://twitter.com/kiss/status/1738272394601533602">X/Twitter</a> revealing the date when their digitized avatar characters will make their debut. "50 years is a long time, and what the future holds is in the making," Kiss captioned the clip. The 25-second teaser includes previously seen footage of KISS digital avatars and concludes with the message, "2027 - A Show Is Coming." During their the last concert of their "End of the Road" farewell tour at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2, KISS made a surprise announcement that they will continue on as digitized versions of themselves going forward with a two-minute video on <a href="https://youtu.be/Yl5PGoy5X6g">YouTube</a>. "The future is so exciting," Simmons says in the clip amid behind-the-scenes snippets of the band wearing motion capture suits to develop their high-tech avatars. Stanley adds, "We can live on eternally." KISS avatars were created by <strong>George Lucas</strong>' Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Sweden's Pophouse Entertainment Group, according to the Associated Press. The companies recently collaborated on the <strong>ABBA</strong> <cite>Voyage</cite> show in London, a virtual concert performed by the Swedish pop group. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/23/23...... In an interview with the U.K.'s <cite>HELLO!</cite> magazine, <strong>Rod Stewart</strong> and wife <strong>Penny Lancaster</strong> have joked that they will need a large marquee tent to be able to host their "huge" family Christmas. "We've got such a huge family Christmas that Rod's been talking about getting a marquee just for the dining table," Lancaster said. Stewart shares eight children with five mothers and now has three grandchildren. The couple, who wed in 2007, did not divulge which of his older children will be visiting them and their sons Alistair, 18, and Aiden, 12. Stewart revealed after Christmas they plan to travel up to Scotland to celebrate Hogmanay. "We've never done a Hogmanay, so this will be our first in Scotland," Rod noted. "There will be whisky galore." While he is now 78, Rod insisted that he is feeling as energetic and agile as ever as he rings in the New Year. "I don't feel my age -- I feel great," he gushed. "I work out a lot and look fantastic." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 12/25/23...... On Dec. 27 authorities at North Kern State Prison in California confirmed that <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/that70sshow.html"><cite>That '70s Show</cite></a> actor <strong>Danny Masterson</strong> has been admitted to their prison, and released his first prison mug shot. The photo shows him wearing orange prison attire, with long hair and a beard. In June, the 47-year-old Masterson was convicted of raping two women in his Los Angeles home in 2003. In September, a judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison. His wife, actor <strong>Bijou Phillips</strong>, filed for divorce in the weeks that followed after a marriage of nearly 12 years. Masterson had been held in Los Angeles County jail in the months since while post-sentencing hearings were held and issues resolved, including the turnover of all the guns he owned, some of which had to be located. It will be more than 25 years before he will be eligible for parole. His lawyers said they plan to appeal the conviction. - <cite>AP,</cite> 12/27/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/images/Tommy_Smothers.gif" ALT="Tommy Smothers" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Tommy Smothers</strong>, one half of the comedic folk duo <strong>The Smothers Brothers</strong>, died "peacefully at home with his family" on Dec. 26 following a "recent battle with cancer," according to a statement released by his younger brother, <strong>Dick Smothers</strong>. He was 86. "Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner," Dick said in the statement. "I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage -- the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed." With Tommy on acoustic guitar and Dick on double bass, the duo performed satiric and farcical folk music with a socio-political bent beginning in the late '50s. By the early '60s, they were making regular appearances on various variety programs, from <cite>The Judy Garland Show</cite> to <cite>The Jack Paar Show.</cite> The duo released their first album, <cite>The Smothers Brothers at the Purple Onion,</cite> in 1961, and followed it with several other popular comedy LPs. The <cite>Billboard</cite> Top 40 1966 album <cite>Mom Always Liked You Best!</cite> was titled after Tommy's signature phrase, which was often delivered in the midst of staged feuds with his brother, who would play the smarter straight man to Tommy's sillier, innocent persona. <cite>Mom Always Liked You Best!</cite> and 1963's <cite>(Think Ethnic!)</cite> were both nominated for the best comedy performance Grammy. Following a one-season sitcom from 1965-1966, <cite>The Smothers Brothers Show,</cite> the duo landed a network variety show, <cite>The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,</cite> which aired on CBS from 1967-1969. CBS hoped the show would bring in a younger, savvier audience during a decade marked by massive generational change but ended up getting more than it bargained for. Despite playing an unworldly, stammering goof on television, Tommy was the more liberal and politically driven of the two behind the scenes, pushing their comedy in a direction that gently skewered American culture, religion and the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Following complaints from viewers and sponsors, CBS censors and network execs clashed with the Smothers Brothers, but Tommy was steadfast in refusing to self-censor or kowtow. The show, which boasted performances from edgier acts than what you'd find on most network variety shows, including <strong>Cream, Joan Baez, Buffalo Springfield</strong> and <strong>The Who</strong>, was canceled in Apr. 1969 despite the Smothers Brothers having a contract through 1970; the duo filed a breach-of-contract suit against CBS, which they won in 1973 to the tune of $776,300. In June, the same month the show's final episode aired, it won an Emmy for outstanding writing achievement in comedy, variety or music for its platoon of writers, which included a young <strong>Steve Martin</strong> and the versatile writer/musician <strong>Mason Williams</strong>, who scored a No. 2 pop hit in 1968 with "Classical Gas." In 1968, cast member <strong>Pat Paulsen</strong> won an Emmy for special classification of individual achievements for his appearances on the show. He ran for president that year under the slogan "If nominated I will not run, and if elected I will not serve." The duo made a few other TV shows in the '70s, which were less successful than their highly influential <cite>Comedy Hour,</cite> which is now celebrated as an essential piece of television and cultural history that paved the way for the arrival of NBC's irreverent variety show <cite>Saturday Night Live</cite> in 1975. They appeared sparingly over the ensuing decades, popping up for a televised 1988 anniversary special and a 2009 episode of <cite>The Simpsons</cite>. The Smothers Brothers officially retired from touring in 2010, over a half century after their live debut. Tommy Smothers is survived by his children Bo and Riley Rose Smothers, grandson Phoenix, Marcy Carriker Smothers, sister-in-law Marie Smothers, and several nephews and a niece. His son Tom and sister Sherry Smothers preceded him in death. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/27/23.
<P>Late <strong>The Band</strong> frontman <strong>Robbie Robertson</strong> has been shortlisted for a Best Original Score Oscar for his work on the film <cite>Killers of the Flower Moon.</cite> <cite>Killers</cite> was the 12th and final film Robertson and director <strong>Martin Scorsese</strong> collaborated on. Robertson, who died in June at age 80, is vying to become the first composer to be nominated in this category posthumously since the legendary <strong>Bernard Herrmann</strong> was cited in 1976 for both <cite>Obsession</cite> and <cite>Taxi Driver.</cite> Also nominated for Best Original Score was legendary <cite>Star Wars</cite> composer <strong>John Williams</strong> for <cite>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.</cite> This would be Williams' record-extending 49th nod in a scoring category and his fourth for a film in the Indiana Jones franchise. A total of 148 scores were eligible, from which this shortlist was culled by members of the music branch, who will also vote to determine the nominees. The final nominations for the 2024 Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 23, and the awards will be presented on Mar. 10. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/21/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/David_Gilmour/images/David_Gilmour19.gif" ALT="David Gilmour" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>David Gilmour</strong>'s wife <strong>Polly Sampson</strong> has been sharing photos on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1HcnhiKZq9/">Instagram</a> of her <strong>Pink Floyd</strong> legend husband working on a "new album" in his recording studio in Brighton, UK. Sampson, an author and lyricist, has posted pics of Gilmour with various artists such as <strong>Brian Eno</strong>'s brother, pianist <strong>Roger Eno</strong> and <strong>Guy Pratt</strong> -- who has worked with both Pink Floyd and Gilmour on various occasions. Though there is no exact reason as to what Gilmour's studio sessions are for, the Pink Floyd fansite Neptune Pink Floyd recently reported that Samson had told an Romanian entertainment website that Gilmour is working on an album of original material. If the sessions result in a new album, it would be Gilmour's first since 2015's <cite>Rattle That Lock.</cite> Since then, he released the standalone single "Yes, I Have Ghosts"' in 2020, and revived Pink Floyd with <strong>Nick Mason</strong> for the charity track "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" His last live performance was back in 2016 for his six-night residency at London's Royal Albert Hall. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 12/22/23...... Rising starlet <strong>Sydney Sweeney</strong> is reacting to claims she was "objectified" for the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong>' music video for their lead single from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a>, "Angry." Sweeney told the UK's <cite>Glamour</cite> mag that she "felt hot" in the video, which can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/_mEC54eTuGw">YouTube</a>, and wore a bustier and studded chaps. "I picked my own outfit out of racks and racks of clothes. I felt so good in it." The <cite>Euphoria</cite> actress also revealed that the dance moves she performed in the video were unprompted, and that she felt honored to be part of the Rolling Stones' videography. "I'm in a Rolling Stones video. How cool and iconic is that?," Sweeney said. "I felt so good. All the moves, everything I was doing was all freestyle. I mean, who else gets to roll around on the top of a convertible driving down Sunset Boulevard with police escorts? It's the cool things in this career that I had no idea I'd get to do," she added. The music video for "Angry" was released on Sept. 6. The album arrived on Oct. 20 and peaked at No. 3 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart dated Nov. 4. The Stones have claimed the UK's Official Christmas Number 1 album for 2023 with <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite>. "It's a wonderful way to round off 2023," the band told Official Charts. "Thank you to everyone for listening to <cite>Hackney Diamonds.</cite> Have a very happy Christmas and New Year!" Meanwhile, the Stones have shared the official video for their latest single from <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite>, "Mess It Up," on <a href="https://youtu.be/vTUKj4e3vd4">YouTube</a>. The clip features British actor <strong>Nicholas Hoult</strong> and was filmed in the US and helmed by Grammy award-winning director <strong>Calmatic</strong>. In still more Rolling Stones news, <strong>Keith Richards</strong> wished his wife <strong>Patti Hansen</strong> a happy 40th anniversary with a throwback wedding photo he posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0_p0h9oNBy/">Instagram</a> on his 80th birthday, Dec. 18. "For Patricia, Happy 40th Anniversary! I love you. Keith," Richards captioned the post, which featured a photo of him and Hansen dressed in their wedding attire on the beach and cutting into their cake. Richards adding a black heart emoji to the caption. - <cite>Billboard/NME/Music-News.com,</cite> 12/21/23...... According to a new report from UK financial sources, <strong>ABBA</strong>'s <cite>Voyage</cite> avatar concert experience boosted London's economy with nearly £323 million in spending turnover within a one year period. <cite>Voyage</cite> -- which is continuing to run until at least Nov. 2024 at the 3,000-capacity ABBA Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park -- provided a huge financial boost to London and the East London area around the venue. "The operation and attendee spending are ongoing generators of economic contribution to the local and city-wide economies, demonstrating that as long as ABBA <cite>Voyage</cite> is in London, it has the potential to contribute to the economic wealth of the city," read the report. Contributing factors included spending on accommodation, food and beverage, transport, shopping and entertainment. Additionally, <cite>Voyage</cite> has provided employment opportunities to 5,075 workers in London. That includes those directly connected to the concert and sectors impacted by the show including staff in restaurants, sales, hotels and more. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/22/23...... <strong>Cher</strong> took to X/Twitter on Dec. 19 to gush over <strong>Kelly Clarkson</strong> recent "Kellyoke" cover of Cher's Christmas single "DJ Play a Christmas Song" on Clarkson's eponymous talk show. "KELLY,,,,U ACED IT," Cher wrote. "U GOT THE GIRL VERSION OF MY VOICE. BABE, I AM OUT OF MY MIND OVER UR VERSION.. THE MODULATION GAVE ME & I DONT KNOW, I JUST LOST MY MIND. SISTER U GOT IT." Cher released "DJ Play a Christmas Song" as the lead single from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a> her first holiday album. The single topped the <cite>Billboard</cite> Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart in November -- giving Cher a record for having a <cite>Billboard</cite> chart-topper in the last seven decades -- while <cite>Christmas</cite> debuted atop <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Top Holiday Albums chart earlier in December. Clarkson's take on "the hit "DJ Play a Christmas Song" has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/HPtWlI5kJak">YouTube</a>. Meanwhile, Cher has expressed an interest in playing the esteemed "legends" slot at the UK's Glastonbury festival. Appearing on BBC Radio 2 on Dec. 20 to promote her new <cite>Christmas</cite> album, host <strong>Rylan Clark</strong> asked: "There are so many rumours, you haven't done it yet, Glastonbury. Are we ever going to see Cher take on that Legends slot at Glastonbury?" Cher confirmed she would "like to" perform at the festival one day. Clark reiterated: "So hang on, you're saying if I manage to make this happen you'll be on that stage?," to which she replied "Yes." The 2024 Glastonbury fest is set for June 26-30 at Worthy Farm. - <cite>Billboard/NME,</cite> 12/20/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/Ted_Nugent/images/Ted_Nugent18.gif" ALT="Ted Nugent" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Controversial rocker <strong>Ted Nugent</strong> has set his sights on <strong>Taylor Swift</strong>, accusing the superstar singer of churning out "poppy nonsense" with "no fire" and "no sensuality." Nugent, who has been a musician since the 1970s and later became a right-wing commentator, was asked his opinions on modern music during an appearance on the <cite>The Joe Pags Show</cite> podcast, and his thoughts on Swift were particularly unsparing. "So I'm afraid to say in this world that's gone down the toilet in all aspects, I'm afraid the success of Taylor Swift, and God bless her work ethic, God bless her musical dreams, but that's cartoon music," Nugent said. "I mean, it doesn't have any piss and vinegar. There's no fire, there's no sensuality in that. It's all poppy nonsense as far as I'm concerned, and it's the most popular stuff in the world, which is an indictment to the music industry and music fans. They're not looking for that fire from a <strong>ZZ Top</strong> or from a <strong>Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels</strong> or from a <strong>Brownsville Station</strong> or an <strong>Amboy Dukes</strong> [Nugent's own band from the '60s]. And I miss that. Thank God I'm still around. We still deliver the fire that the <strong>Beatles</strong> did [at clubs] in Germany." In June, Nugent had also voiced his displeasure for Swift's music -- also labelling it "cartoon music" -- on an episode of his <cite>Nightly Nuge</cite> podcast. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/22/23...... <strong>Denny Tedesco</strong>, the director/producer of the acclaimed documentary <cite>The Wrecking Crew!</cite> about an earlier generation of studio musicians who backed '60s pop giants from <strong>Frank Sinatra</strong> to <strong>The Beach Boys</strong>, has come out with a follow-up film about five other prominent session musicians titled <cite>Immediate Family.</cite> <cite>Immediate Family</cite> showcases <strong>Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Postell</strong> and <strong>Russ Kunkel</strong> who have played with the likes of <strong>Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Phil Collins, Carole King</strong> and hundreds of others since the '70s. Shortly after Tedesco's crew started filming in 2019, Wachtel, Sklar, Kortchmar and drummer Russ Kunkel, who'd been known for nearly 50 years as The Section, rebranded themselves as a new band called the <strong>Immediate Family</strong>. They began playing gigs on their own and added a longtime collaborator, guitarist Steve Postell, for a self-titled 2021 album. Producer <strong>Peter Asher</strong>'s decision to credit the studio musicians on the album covers in the early '70s was a "quantum change" from The Wrecking Crew days, says Sklar, 76. The Section, collectively and individually, went on to perform on Browne's "Running On Empty," <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong>' "Edge of Seventeen," <strong>Hall & Oates</strong>' "Rich Girl," <strong>Warren Zevon</strong>'s "Werewolves of London," <strong>Don Henley</strong>'s "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" and thousands of other classic tracks. "Unlike the Wrecking Crew, we got credit for it as it was happening, not necessarily later," Kunkel adds. "It changed all of our careers. It made us who we are today." <cite>Immediate Family</cite> documents the band's evolution, complete with funny stories like Zevon insisting on 61 straight studio takes of "Werewolves," before settling on the second take for his album. Conspicuously absent are the usual recollections of drug and alcohol excess that accompany many documentaries about rock touring in the '70s and '80s. "We did talk about drugs here and there, and there are things that are very painful for those guys," Tedesco says. "They took in a lot of things and they survived -- some did, some didn't." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/20/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Brian_May/images/Brian_May27.gif" ALT="Brian May" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Brian May</strong> has shared that he is concerned over the increase in copyright strikes issued against <strong>Queen and Adam Lambert</strong> concert videos posted on social media. On Dec. 18, May took to his official <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1AHHlWMxxp/">Instagram page</a> to share a screenshot of a fan's post in which she claimed to have received a strike from both Universal and YouTube over Queen concert videos she posted on the platform. "Hi guys, it looks like Universal and YouTube are now coming for everyone who posts concert videos of Queen and Adam [Lambert]. I got a strike and deleted most of my concert videos. If you get multiple strikes you may lose your channel. Be careful!," she wrote. In the caption of his post which featured the screenshot of the fan's claim, May wrote: "Hi Folks - - i've been watching this for a few days, and I'm very concerned. I've asked our management to look into it, and try to figure out if there is a reason for Instagram and Universal suddenly becoming so Draconian. The decision to take these videos down certainly hasn't come from us, the band. Hopefully we will get an answer soon. Meanwhile, be extra careful and I'm sorry you good folks of good intentions have been put in this position." - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/19/23...... An unreleased <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> song is set to feature in a new box set compilation chronicling the British-Irish folk rock band <strong>The Waterboys</strong>' album <cite>This Is The Sea.</cite> The track, an instrumental titled "Meridian West," came about in 1985 when The Waterboys were invited to play with Dylan at a session in North London recording studio Church Studios. Dylan had been working on the piece with the musician <strong>Dave Stewart</strong> when The Waterboys joined in, and the band's frontman <strong>Mike Scott</strong> happened to record the jam session. When compiling the upcoming re-release project, Scott contacted Dylan and received his authorization to include the track on the box set. The six-CD, 90-track collection is set to be released in 2024. The original album came out in 1985 and featured the band's signature song, "The Whole of the Moon." Meanwhile, Dylan ecently secretly released a 28-track CD of studio outtakes from the soundtrack to 1973's <cite>Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid,</cite> with copies of the CD popping up at record stores scattered around Europe. Dylan's <cite>50th Anniversary Collection</cite> features an alternative rendition of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" along with multiple takes of tracks "Billy Surrenders," "And He Killed Me Too" and "Final Theme." Dylan fanatics have reportedly lined up to buy the disc online for prices over $500. <cite>NME,</cite> 12/21/23...... <strong>Billy Joel</strong> was joined by his two daughters -- eight-year-old Della and six-year-old Remy -- during the latest of his Madison Square Garden shows on Dec. 19 for a rendition of "Jingle Bells." The two girls sang the festive classic with their father joining on piano, in a show that also featured Christmas favorites such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Silent Night" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." At the same show, the Piano Man was joined by <strong>Elvis Costello</strong> to play a version of Joel's "Allentown" and Costello's "Pump It Up." The show was part of Joel's decade-long monthly concert residency at the legendary New York venue, which is due to come to an end in July 2024. That show will mark the 104th show of the residency and Joel's 150th overall at the venue. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/21/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/N/images/Noddy_Holder6.gif" ALT="Noddy Holder" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Former <strong>Slade</strong> frontman <strong>Noddy Holder</strong> has revealed the real inspiration behind Slade's festive 1973 hit <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/lyrics/song.php?sid=177212&aid=13386">"Merry Christmas Everybody."</a> Arguably one of Slade's biggest hits, "Merry Christmas Everybody" has become so famous that strangers regularly shout the iconic "IT'S CHRISTMAAAAAAS!" line back to Holder in the street. It still generates £500,000 in royalties every year, 50 years after its original release. However, Holder has now revealed he and bandmate <strong>Jim Lea</strong> were never intending to write a Christmas song, explaining that its first iteration was conceived in the band's "hippy dippy psychedelic days" in 1967, when it was called "Buy Me A Rocking Chair," and was later discarded. Their label later pushed them to release a Christmas song, prompting them to revive the track and use its melody for "Merry Christmas Everybody." The song was also partly inspired by the success of <strong>John Lennon</strong> and <strong>Yoko Ono</strong>'s "Merry Christmas (War Is Over)." "I went to the local pub in Wolverhampton and went back to my mum and dad's after and I sat up all night with a bottle of whisky and wrote the total lyrics that night," Holder told the BBC. Holder said the record company "were making serious dough from us" after the song sold 500,000 records through pre-orders alone before it topped the charts. Despite this, Holder said it was the "hardest song we ever had to record" after drummer <strong>Don Powell</strong> narrowly escaped death in a car crash in Wolverhampton earlier that year and had to re-learn his instrument. At the time, he could only play the drums for a short while at a time, but their engineer was a "clever cookie" and was able to stitch together the sections of the song they recorded, so that afterwards "you couldn't tell." - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/16/23...... <strong>Julian Lennon</strong> has spoken out about his relationship with his half-brother <strong>Sean Ono Lennon</strong>, saying that rumours of an alleged feud between them are "such bull." The elder son of <strong>John Lennon</strong> reflected on his relationship with his sibling during a new interview with <cite>Esquire,</cite> and shut down speculation that there was any feelings of rivalry between them. The conversation arose as he looked back at the red carpet premiere of the <strong>Beatles</strong>' 2021 documentary series <cite>Get Back,</cite> which he attended with Sean. Recalling the event, he explained that Sean initially had reservations about attending. "He felt overwhelming pressure. And I didn't particularly want to go. But he said he felt obligated to go," he told the magazine. "So, because I love him so much I said, 'Listen, I'm coming with you. We'll face the demons together.' And it's funny because there's always been, especially in the U.K. press, 'Lennon Sons Feuding,' this, that. We've never had a fight in our life. It's such bull." Julian also revealed that he's been "driven up the wall" by the Beatles' classic "Hey Jude." <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> wrote the 1968 non-album single about John's break-up with Julian's mother, Cynthia. The couple had separated and John began a relationship with <strong>Yoko Ono</strong>, whom he married in 1969. "It's a beautiful sentiment, no question about that, and I'm very thankful - but I've also been driven up the wall by it," he told <cite>Esquire.</cite> "I love the fact that he wrote a song about me and for Mum, but depending on what side of the bed one woke up on, and where you're hearing it, it can be a good or a slightly frustrating thing." - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/20/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/images/Jim_Ladd.gif" ALT="Jim Ladd" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Jim Ladd</strong>, the legendary Los Angeles-based disc jockey whom <strong>Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers</strong> immortalized in their 2002 song <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/lyrics/song.php?sid=201798&aid=14491">"The Last DJ,"</a> died suddenly on Dec. 17 of a heart attack. He was 75. A fixture in the L.A. radio market, Ladd worked up and down the radio dial, including stints at KNAC, KMET and KLOS. He was considered the last "freeform DJ" in the country, allowed to pick his own song selections. Ladd started his career at Long Beach, Calif.'s KNAC in 1969 as FM radio was burgeoning and quickly established himself as one of Southern California's leading rock voices. From KNAC, Ladd moved to KLOS in 1971 and then had stops at Los Angeles stations KMET, KMPC and KLSX before returning to KLOS in 1997, where he stayed for 14 years. After leaving KLOS in 2011, he was quickly picked up by SiriusXM's "Deep Tracks" channel, where he appeared until his death. Over the decades, he was well known for his interviews with such artists as <strong>John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Stevie Nicks</strong> and <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong>. <strong>The Doors</strong> drummer <strong>John Densmore</strong> paid tribute to Ladd on social media, posting on X/Twitter, ""The Last DJ' has crossed the tracks. There wasn't a more soulful spinner of music. The songs he played were running through his blood, he cared so much for rock n' roll. Irreplaceable & a very sad day, which can only be handled by carrying his spirit forward." Densmore's Doors bandmate <strong>Robby Krieger</strong> also posted, "Rest in peace, Jim Ladd. He was the best friend in radio The Doors ever had. Even when people forgot about us in the late '70s, he kept playing our music." Ladd inspired "The Last DJ" song, which Petty once told journalist <strong>Jim DeRogatis</strong> was "about a DJ who becomes so frustrated with his inability to play what he wants that he moves to Mexico and gets his freedom back." SiriusXM is airing tributes to Ladd, who is survived by wife Helene, on "Deep Tracks" as well as other classic rock channels. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/18/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-29456011348925726792023-12-13T04:44:00.000-08:002024-01-08T12:41:06.923-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on December 18th, 2023</b>
<P><strong>ABBA</strong> was spoofed during the Dec. 16 episode of NBC's <cite>Saturday Night Live</cite> in a skit that featured the cast performing Christmas spins on classic ABBA songs. <strong>Kate McKinnon</strong> was joined by fellow SNL alumni <strong>Kristen Wiig</strong> and <strong>Maya Rudolph</strong> along with current cast member <strong>Bowen Yang</strong> as the quartet were decked out in shiny red and green outfits to perform Christmas spins on such classic ABBA songs as "Dancing Queen ("Santa Queen") and a new take on "Chiquitita" called "Frostitita." The cast also staged the performance with ABBA's "signature 'standing close, facing different directions'," and could be seen laughing as they sang with their faces pressed right up against each other. The full sketch can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/20iB2jyB4Ec">YouTube</a>. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 12/17/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Elton_John/images/Elton_John110.gif" ALT="Elton John" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Elton John</strong> unveiled his 15 favorite songs from 2023 during his <cite>Rocket Hour</cite> radio program on Dec. 15. "I'm looking back and choosing some of my favorite songs that I've played on the show this year," he said on the show, before adding on his Instagram account that "2023 has been a fantastic year for new artists and great songs." Among those included on the "Cold Heart" singer's list are artists such as <strong>Boygenius</strong> ("Not Strong Enough"), <strong>Mitski</strong> ("My Love Mine All Mine"), <strong>Chappell Roan</strong> ("Red Wine Supernova"), <strong>Stormzy and Raye</strong> ("The Weekend") and <strong>James Blake</strong> ("Loading"), among several others. Elton's list comes at the end of a banner year for the superstar -- his years-long "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour, which officially wrapped in July, became the highest grossing tour in history and the first to ever earn $900 million dollars, according to <cite>Billboard</cite> Boxscore. John's full list of his favorite 2023 song can be viewed on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C01qaoACbk2/">Instagram</a>. Meanwhile, Elton and his good English pal pop idol <strong>Ed Sheeran</strong> posted a sweet video on <a href="https://twitter.com/edsheeran/status/1734937686941614312">X/Twitter</a> on Dec. 13 of their annual gift exchange. The 82-second clip opens with Sheeran in a dark blue puffer jacket preparing to go watch a soccer match between Ipswich Town and Watford with John. The two exchange ugly soccer-themed Christmas sweaters before hitting the stands, where they perform an impromptu bit of John's "Your Song" and Sheeran steals John's famous spectacles as a prank -- before Ed raises his first in victory after his team bested Watford 2-1. In still more "Elton Christmas" news, celebrity chef <strong>Massimo Bottura</strong> has revealed he's cooking a Christmas banquet for the Rocket Man when Elton plays Venice, Italy on Dec. 19. "This Christmas, the 19th of December, I have to cook Christmas lunch in Venice, in Venice theatre, 'cause it's gonna be a big Elton John concert," Massimo, 61, told <cite>The Dish</cite> podcast. "It's going to be a big party and you know - they're ask me to cook like a Christmas, like with tortellini, zampone, lenticchie, everything. So [Elton's] gonna be there." - <cite>Billboard/Music-News.com,</cite> 12/15/23...... The <strong>Grateful Dead</strong> spinoff band <strong>Dead & Company</strong> are reportedly in talks for a 2024 residency at the impressive new music venue The Sphere in Las Vegas. Dead & Company members <strong>Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge</strong> and <strong>Jeff Chimenti</strong> are in talks for a potential residency that would take place "next summer," however the <cite>New York Post</cite> story stressed that negotiations are "still in the works and not 100%." Dead & Company embarked on a supposed "farewell" tour this summer but Weir posted on Twitter: "Well it looks like that's it for this outfit; but don't worry we will all be out there in one form or another until we drop." The Sphere opened in September with a residency featuring <strong>U2</strong> playing its classic LP <cite>Achtung Baby</cite> in full, which was recently extended into March. <strong>Phish</strong> will be playing a week-long residency later that month, while <strong>Beyoncé</strong> has also reportedly been involved in talks. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/16/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/Cher/images/Cher31.jpg" ALT="Cher" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Cher</strong> has scored her first Top 40 hit on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Pop Airplay chart for the first time since 2002 with her new holiday single "DJ Play a Christmas Song." "DJ" debuted at No. 40 on the survey dated Dec. 23 with radio support in such major markets as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Cher last appeared on the chart, which began in 1992 and ranks weekly plays on over 150 mainstream top 40 radio stations, in Mar. 2002 with "Song for the Lonely," which reached No. 38. The carol is from Cher's first holiday LP, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a>, which chimed in at No. 1 on the Nov. 4-dated Top Holiday Albums chart. "DJ" is also spending a third week at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In other Cher news, the "Believe" legend appeared on <cite>The Kelly Clarkson Show</cite> on Dec. 15 and told host <strong>Kelly Clarkson</strong> that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can "you-know-what-themselves" after repeatedly snubbing her since she's been eligible for induction since 1991. "It took four of (the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong>) to be one of me," the 77-year-old icon told Clarkson, prompting Kelly to jump out of her seat and clap. "And I'm not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!" Cher added. After the studio audience let out a collective groan, Cher told them it was okay. "You know what, I wouldn't be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I'm not kidding you," she said, laughing that she almost dropped an f-bomb in her answer. "I'm never going to change my mind. They can just you-know-what themselves," Cher said to applause, while casually noting that she "changed music forever" with her 1998 dance pop hit "Believe," one of the best-selling singles of all time and the track that is widely credited with introducing the world to AutoTune. Cher's interview with Clarkson has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/K1D-5JMYRCw">YouTube</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/15/23...... Speaking of the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong>, the band has shared a live video of their performance of their <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> track "Whole Wide World" on <a href="https://youtu.be/8kWt8ELuDOc">YouTube</a>. The song is featured on the forthcoming <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNHD215G/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds (Live Edition)</cite></a> 2-CD set recorded live at the studio album's launch event in October at Racket in New York. It hits stores in the US on Jan. 19. The band recently announced they'll be touring North American behind <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> in 2024, hitting 16 cities across the U.S. and Canada. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/15/23...... Warner Chappell Music has signed founding <strong>Foreigner</strong> member <strong>Mick Jones</strong> to a global publishing deal. Foreigner's recorded music is already being looked after by Warner's Rhino Entertainment, so this deal unites publishing and records for Jones under one roof. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/15/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/images/Phil_Manzanera2.gif" ALT="Phil Manzanera" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Former <strong>Roxy Music</strong> guitarist <strong>Phil Manzanera</strong> has announced his memoir, titled <cite>Revolución to Roxy,</cite> will be published in early 2024. With over 100 color and black and white photographs, the book not only covers Manzanera's life and times with Roxy Music, <strong>David Gilmour</strong> and many of the luminaries of popular music, but also his family history, dating back to the expulsion of the Sephardic Jews from Spain in 1492, via the 1959 revolution in Cuba and the discovery of a Neapolitan Opera musician grandfather. "I've written this memoir for my English and Colombian family, dear friends and music fans, who've followed my musical twists and turns for over half a century," Manzanera notes. "It's a memoir that spans my '50's childhood in Cuba, Hawaii and Venezuela, when everything seemed in the brightest technicolor, to monochrome but very cool '60's London and the start of a music career that continues to enrich my life. Roxy Music is an important part of the story but I hope the reader will find my family history every bit as fascinating as my music adventures: I'm proud to be related to the most famous 17th century Sephardic Jewish pirate of the Caribbean, a British spy and an Italian opera musician." <cite>Revolución to Roxy</cite> will be published on Mar. 22. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 12/17/23...... A new <strong>Willie Nelson</strong> documentary titled <cite>Willie Nelson & Family</cite> will debut on the Paramount+ streaming platform on Dec. 21 as a four-part series. The film captures the complexity of Nelson, who dreamed in his boyhood of becoming a singing cowboy like his movie idols, and became one of the most acclaimed songwriters and singers of his age, as well as a celebrated actor, author and activist, living through decades of tragedies and triumphs. Nelson speaks throughout the film, in both current and archival interviews (with aging audio often supplemented by helpful subtitles). But the filmmakers also present extraordinary insights from numerous family members, friends and fellow artists, including <strong>Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris</strong>, Nelson's longtime bandmate and harmonica player <strong>Mickey Raphael</strong> and more. "Dad has been homeless, he's had his house burned down, he's been through four marriages, he's been up and down, he's been broke, he fought the IRS, he's lost a child that's what makes him inspiring to me, his resilience in the face of adversity," says Willie's son <strong>Lukas Nelson</strong> in the film. "Willie Nelson is someone who not only has covered every genre of music, but also has really united people from all sides of the political conflict. All sides of every conflict," says co-director <strong>Oren Moverman</strong>. "So, yeah, we need him. We need his healing." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/14/23...... <strong>John Oates</strong> of <strong>Hall & Oates</strong> was revealed as "the anteater" on the Dec. 13 episode of reality talent series <cite>The Masked Singer</cite>. Oates performed a rendition of <strong>Chuck Berry</strong>'s "Johnny B Goode" (shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/wgWc6UKL0Kc">YouTube</a>) before having his identity shared (also shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/2AifaiehGvQ">YouTube</a>). The anteater costume was a reference to Hall & Oates' 1982 hit "Maneater." No one on the judging panel -- made up of <strong>Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger</strong> and <strong>Robin Thicke</strong> -- were able to guess who the anteater could be. After his reveal, Oates said: "I'll tell you what, I've done a lot of crazy stuff in my career. This is one of the best things I've ever done so thank you very much." Speaking to <cite>Variety</cite> about being on the show, Oates said he agreed to take part in the show after he realized there was an opportunity to perform without any preconceived Hall & Oates notions from the audience. "...I realized that it was a huge platform. It's such a successful show. I'm doing a lot of charity work and things like that for some great organizations. And I thought, if I can get the word out, I can reach a lot of people," Oates said. The reveal of the musician as the anteater comes weeks after it was shared that he was being sued by his former bandmate <strong>Daryl Hall</strong>. Hall recently explained why he is suing Oates -- claiming that he was left "blindsided" by his plan to sell a business stake -- while the latter described the claims as "inaccurate" and saying that he was "tremendously disappointed" to hear about the filing. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/14/23...... <strong>Barbra Streisand</strong> has been named the recipient of the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, which is presented annually to an actor who exhibits what the guild describes as the "finest ideals of the acting profession." In Streisand's case, it joins a lengthy list of accolades including her two Academy Awards, eight Grammys (plus the Grammy Legend and Lifetime Achievement Awards), five Emmys and an honorary Tony. She is the 59th recipient of the tribute; she follows <strong>Sally Field</strong>, who received it during the 2023 telecast. "[Barbra's] enduring career is a testament to her genuine performances, connecting with audiences on a profound level," said SAG-AFTRA president <strong>Fran Drescher</strong>. "She is a colossal icon with a relentless work ethic, evolving with each stage of her remarkable journey. We celebrate Barbra Streisand not just for her achievements but for the enduring legacy she has carved." The SAG Awards will stream live for the first time on Netflix. The nominees for this year's event, which is being held at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, will be unveiled early next year. - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 12/14/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Pete_Townshend/images/Pete_Townshend23.gif" ALT="Pete Townshend" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A graphic novel version of <strong>The Who</strong>'s <strong>Pete Townshend</strong>'s legendary <cite>Lifehouse</cite> rock opera is hitting stores on Dec. 19. Townshend has been trying to bring his sprawling, dystopian sci-fi epic <cite>Lifehouse</cite> to life since he first wrote the follow-up to the band's iconic rock opera <cite>Tommy</cite> in 1970. Through several re-writes, false starts and re-imaginings, Townshend has struggled to bring his epic vision of a future world in which music is outlawed by the tyrannical despot Jumbo 7 -- and saved by a group of idealistic underground rock rebels via a massive, mind- and spirit-melding concert -- to the masses. "I'd gone back to it a few times and tried to get it to make sense and several times I've worked with other creative people, producers and writers who, in a sense, tried to 'fix' what they thought was wrong with it," Townshend says. "But in the case of this graphic novel what happened is people who trusted the original idea and used those [original scripts I wrote in 1971 and a 1978 revision] to create the bulk of the story." The bulk of the original songs Townshend wrote for <cite>Lifehouse</cite> ended up on The Who's 1971 album, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/who2.html"><cite>Who's Next</cite></a>, including such iconic tracks as "Behind Blue Eyes," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and the song that provides the beating human heart of the graphic novel, "Baba O'Riley." A limited-edition run of 1,000 copies of the project -- which is being released in a square, vinyl-sized box -- signed by Townshend and Who singer <strong>Roger Daltrey</strong>, will be released by Tower Records on Jan. 20 and Rockbox Studios, with standard and deluxe versions coming from Rockbox and Image Comics on Dec. 19. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/13/23...... <strong>Patti Smith</strong> is reportedly "resting, as the doctor ordered" following a brief stay in an Italian hospital to deal with what's been described as a sudden, unnamed illness. "This is thanking all at the hospital for their help and guidance," Smith wrote in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C01graxOMqb/">Instagram post</a> on Dec. 14 in which she is pictured standing in the middle of a group of eight hospital workers in scrubs. "I am so sorry that we had to cancel concerts in Bologna and Venice. I will return to fulfill my happy obligations. This is also to thank all the medical teams globally, who attend to the people's needs, especially those altruistically serving under fire, all healers, physicians, nurses, attendants," she continued. Italian media reported that Smith was taken to the Maggiore Hospital on Tuesday due to a "sudden illness" that resulted in the cancellation of her planned show at the Teatro Duse in Bologna that night; she was reportedly released after the short visit to the ER. The artist/poet's planned Dec. 14 show t the Teatro Malibran in Venice was also cancelled. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/14/23...... In a new interview with <cite>The New York Times,</cite> former <strong>Talking Heads</strong> frontman <strong>David Byrne</strong> admitted that he "harboured a lot of racial biases" on an unconscious level when was younger. "Well, I realized quite a few years ago that as much as I might like to deny it, I harbored a lot of racial biases," Byrne told the <cite>Times.</cite> "At that point, a younger liberal person would say, 'Oh, I'm not racist, or I believe in equality'. But at the same time, I was aware that I was also harboring these inner biases that I could occasionally sense." Byrne continued: "Overcoming those is more difficult than just rationally saying, 'Oh, no, that's not right' Those beliefs and biases, whether they're about race or women's rights or whatever they might be, those things can take a long time to fundamentally change within us." He went on to explain how he's used his art to widen his perspective on life, drawing reference to his recent "American Utopia" show. Byrne added: "I would like to think that I've been engaged in that process and was trying in 'American Utopia' to demonstrate that that can be done. That kind of change can happen, but it doesn't happen with this snap of fingers." - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/13/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/images/Colin_Burgess.gif" ALT="Colin Burgess" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Colin Burgess</strong>, the original drummer for <strong>AC/DC</strong>, has died at age 77. AC/DC announced Burgess' death in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C05uBvUgf_v/">Instagram post</a> on Dec. 16. A cause of death was not given. "Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess," AC/DC captioned a photo of the drummer on Instagram. "He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin." Burgess had been the drummer for Australian rock band <strong>Masters Apprentices</strong>, and after the group's split in 1972, he joined AC/DC alongside founding members, brothers <strong>Angus</strong> and <strong>Malcom Young</strong> and singer <strong>Dale Evans</strong>. Four months after being recruited, he was fired in Feb. 1974 for supposedly performing while intoxicated. He served as the drummer on AC/DC's debut single "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl," which became a minor hit in Australia. Burgess was later replaced on drums by <strong>Phil Rudd</strong>, but he played a handful of shows in 1975 while Rudd recovered from a hand injury. "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" was later re-recorded for AC/DC's 1975 album, <cite>T.N.T.,</cite> with Rudd on drums and new singer <strong>Bon Scott</strong> on vocals. After his time with AC/DC, Burgess went on to perform in the groups <strong>His Majesty, Good Time Charlie</strong> and <strong>Dead Singer Band</strong>. Burgess wasn't one of the AC/DC members to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, but he was inducted into Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame for his contributions to Masters Apprentices. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/16/23...... <strong>Jeffrey Foskett</strong>, a longtime guitarist for the <strong>Beach Boys</strong>, died on Dec. 11, bandmate <strong>Brian Wilson</strong> confirmed. Foskett, who was diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid cancer in 2019, was 67. - <cite>People,</cite> 1/8/24.
<P>Distinguished British actor <strong>Sir Ian McKellan</strong> and <strong>ABBA</strong>'s <strong>Bjorn Ulvaeus</strong> have recorded another festive clip, this time the ABBA hit "Gimme Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" celebrating their new ABBA-themed socks. Sir Ian and Ulveaus been recording Christmas knitting clips since 2021, when a silent video of the pair knitting sweaters went viral online. In 2022 they returned with another video, this time promising to create some knitwear for the legendary <strong>Kylie Minogue</strong>. Now, McKellen and Ulvaeus have teamed up again to promote some ABBA-themed socks, which are sold as part of the virtual ABBA <cite>Voyage</cite> production. All four pairs cost £35, and can be purchased either at the ABBA Arena or the ABBA <cite>Voyage</cite> online store. The video of the pair dancing to "Gimme Gimme! Gimme!" has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/rOiDEq26G9I">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/8/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/Z/images/ZZ_Top2.gif" ALT="ZZ Top" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Dec. 12 <strong>ZZ Top</strong> announced they'll be launching their first UK and European tour in five years next summer. The Texas-based rockers will performing in nine countries across the continent including festivals and indoor headline shows, starting in Sweden on June 28 before hitting Norway (6/29), Denmark (7/1), Austria (7/3), Germany (7/5, 6), Paris (7/9), London (7/11) and Germany (7/13, 14), then wrapping at Switzerland's Sion Festival on July 16. "It's been a while since we've been able to check in with our European fans, so it goes without saying that we're excited about coming back this summer," frontman <strong>Billy Gibbons</strong> said in a press release. "We're looking forward to a good time and that goes for both those in the audience and on stage." Meanwhile, Gibbons teamed up with <strong>Slash</strong> and <strong>Myles Kennedy</strong> for a nearly 10-minute cover of <strong>Lynyrd Skynyrd</strong>'s "Simple Man" with <strong>Warren Haynes</strong>' band <strong>Gov't Mule</strong> at Haynes' 2023 Christmas Jam on Dec. 9. The cover featured vocals from Haynes and Kennedy, along with an extended guitar solo from Slash. The concert marks the 32nd edition of Haynes' annual Christmas Jam, and took place at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Asheville, N.C. The charity event raised funds to benefit local non-profits, Asheville Area Habitat For Humanity and BeLoved Asheville. Gibbons also treaed the crowd to a set a ZZ Top songs, including "Jesus Just Left Chicago," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "La Grange." The "Simple Man" cover has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/FKhmP6x2Pl4">YouTube</a>. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 12/12/23...... Lawyers representing <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>'s estate have sent a legal threat letter over the recent release of a rare <strong>Jackson 5</strong> recording from 1967 touted as "Michael Jackson's first ever studio recording," claiming the release by the Swedish company Anotherblock "violates" the estate's trademark and likeness rights for Michael, and that the company was potentially "misleading the public" by claiming the song was the "first-ever Jackson recording." "We have serious doubts that Michael would have ever wanted these recordings released and commercialized," the estate's attorneys wrote. "What you are doing is the opposite of honoring Michael Jackson." A subsequent version of "Big Boy" as commercially released in 1968, and the earlier version is called the "One-derful Version" because it was recorded at Chicago's One-derful Studios. According to <cite>Rolling Stone,</cite> that version of the song first surfaced in 2009 and was released in 2014 on vinyl. On Dec. 6, Anotherblock said it would release the track for the first time in digital format, doing so in partnership with Jackson's mother, <strong>Katherine Jackson</strong>, and with a company called Recordpool, which purportedly controls the intellectual property rights to the recording. The sale, which included $25 and $100 packages with various other goodies, was planned to continue through the weekend via the Anotherblock site. But in its letter of Dec. 7, the estate warned that whatever deals Anotherblock had struck to facilitate the "Big Boy" sale could be invalid if they covered rights that were controlled solely by Michael's estate, like his trademark rights. The estate's lawyers also strongly questioned the claim that the "One-derful Version" was Jackson's first studio recording. The estate also sharply criticized the decision to publish previously unreleased songs, telling Anotherblock that Jackson was "was the consummate perfectionist" and that he had been "very careful about what recordings he released to the public." At the bottom of the letter the estate warned that it reserved "all of the Jackson Estate's rights and remedies," including the right to seek monetary damages and an injunction blocking further sales. A spokeswoman for Anotherblock declined to comment. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/12/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Pete_Townshend/images/Pete_Townshend24.gif" ALT="Pete Townshend" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a new interview with <cite>Record Collector</cite> magazine, <strong>Pete Townshend</strong> said <strong>The Who</strong> will have a talk about "what happens next" after the English rock icons wrapped their final orchestral tour date at the Sandringham Estate over the summer. "I think it's time for <strong>Roger [Daltrey]</strong> and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next," Townshend said. "Because Sandringham shouldn't feel like the end of anything but it feels like the end of an era. It's a question of, really, what is feasible, what would be lucrative, what would be fun? So, I wrote to Roger and said, 'Come on, let's have a chat and see what's there.'" Townshend's comments come after he recently revealed that he is currently working on creating a new rock opera, that will see him take his novel <cite>The Age Of Anxiety</cite> to the stage, and see it performed alongside a variety of new songs. Townshend released the novel in 2019, and it explored themes of societal anxiety, triggered by things such as global warming and the threat of terrorism. It also saw the musician depict the detrimental consequences of social media on modern life, and how mental health issues are becoming more prominent across younger generations. Meanwhile, The Who's "Tommy" musical is set to return to Broadway in 2024, with previews starting on Mar. 8 at New York's Nederlander Theatre, ahead of the official opening on Mar. 28. Daltrey has also revealed he's working on a biopic about the band's late drummer <strong>Keith Moon</strong>, who died aged 32 in 1979 from an accidental drugs overdose. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/10/23...... After reaching the top of the <cite>Billboard</cite> album charts with her first ever holiday collection <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a>, <strong>Cher</strong> is embarking on her first ever trip to the "metaverse." In the latest collaboration between Warner Music Group and leading metaverse game developer Gamefam, Cher will head to WMG's music-themed Roblox world <a href="https://www.roblox.com/games/11707114324/Harmony-Hills-RP-Xmas-UGC-sold-out-til-12-15?AssetId=11707114324">Harmony Hills</a> for a limited-time Cher store of virtual merchandise. It will feature some of the superstar's most iconic looks with tinsel hair, winter fairy wings, diamond antlers and a winter crown. The activation will spotlight three of Cher's new Christmas tracks: "Drop Top Sleigh Ride" with Tyga, "Angels in the Snow," and her historic new No. 1 <cite>Billboard</cite> single, "DJ Play a Christmas Song." Alongside a virtual Cher NPC (non-playable character) designed to match her new album cover, players can earn the wearable avatar merch by successfully completing tasks like delivering presents, climbing up Christmas trees and participating in snowball fights. Roblox currently has 70 million daily active users, and the new project marks a unique opportunity for Cher to reach across generations, including an entirely new audience and demographic, via festive and familiar holiday music. Cher's Christmas event on Roblox, which launched on Dec. 8), joins her heavy promo run for the holiday LP that's included performances at the iHeartRadio Z100 Jingle Ball, the Rockefeller Center Tree-Lighting Special and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/8/23...... <strong>Lou Reed</strong>'s final solo album, <cite>Hudson River Wind Meditations</cite>, will be getting its first vinyl release in January. Originally released in 2007, the LP is a collection of ambient and drone recordings from the late <strong>Velvet Underground</strong> frontman, and was his last solo studio album. Helmed by Seattle independent label Light In The Attic, in conjunction with the Lou Reed Archive and Reed's wife, <strong>Laurie Anderson</strong>, the vinyl release marks the album's first-ever, and is scheduled to drop on Jan. 12. The album is not currently available on streaming platforms. The package comes with remastered audio, liner notes from yoga instructor <strong>Eddie Stern</strong>, and an unreleased interview with Anderson. Deluxe versions of the vinyl will also come with five 810 photographs of New York City's Hudson River by Reed himself. In the album's original liner notes, Reed wrote: "I first composed this music to play in the background of life to replace the everyday cacophony with new and ordered sounds of an unpredictable nature." In a statement for the re-release, Anderson elaborated further: "I guess by 'life,' he meant something like what Brian Eno might mean ambient music that colors the air in very interesting ways. For me, it resets my brainwaves." In Feb. 2023, Reed's fourth album with VU, <cite>Loaded,</cite> received a limited-edition re-release as a nine-LP box set containing stereo, mono and "full-length" mixes of the album alongside demos, outtakes and live recordings. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/1/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Ryan_O'Neal.gif" ALT="Ryan O'Neal" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Ryan O'Neal</strong>, the boyish leading man who kicked off an extraordinary 1970s run in Hollywood with his Oscar-nominated turn as the Harvard preppie Oliver in the legendary romantic tearjerker <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_F-O.html#Love Story"><cite>Love Story</cite></a>, died on Dec. 8. He was 82. O'Neal's death was reported by his son <strong>Patrick O'Neal</strong>, sportscaster with Bally Sports West in Los Angeles, on Instagram. O'Neal had been diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012. Born Patrick Ryan O'Neal on Apr. 20, 1941, in Los Angeles, O'Neal was the older son of novelist-screenwriter <strong>Charles "Blackie" O'Neal</strong> (<cite>The Three Wishes of Jamie McRuin</cite>) and actress <strong>Patricia Callaghan</strong>. He competed in Golden Gloves events in L.A. in 1956 and 1957 and compiled a boxing record of 18-4 with 13 knockouts, according to his website. In the late 1950s, O'Neal and his family moved to Munich, and he became infatuated with the syndicated TV series <cite>Tales of the Vikings,</cite> which shot in Europe and was produced by <strong>Kirk Douglas</strong>' company. He went on to perform as a stuntman on the series. After appearing on such shows as <cite>The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Untouchables, Leave It to Beaver</cite> and <cite>My Three Sons,</cite> O'Neal co-starred opposite <strong>Richard Egan</strong> on <cite>Empire,</cite> a 1962-63 NBC Western set in New Mexico. The sandy-haired O'Neal then made the ladies swoon for five seasons when he starred as Rodney Harrington on more than 500 episodes of the hit <cite>Peyton Place,</cite> the 1964-69 serialized ABC melodrama spawned by the <strong>Lana Turner</strong> movie. As <cite>Peyton Place</cite> was drawing to a close, he made his big-screen debut in <cite>The Big Bounce</cite> (1969), an <strong>Elmore Leonard</strong> adaptation that also starred then-wife <strong>Leigh Taylor-Young</strong>, then played a marathon runner in <strong>Michael Winner</strong>'s <cite>The Games</cite>. Author <strong>Eric Segal</strong> adapted the screenplay, and that led to their <cite>Love Story</cite> collaboration. In the 1970 <strong>Arthur Hiller</strong>-directed film, O'Neal played a college kid from a wealthy family who sacrifices his riches as he falls for <strong>Ali MacGraw</strong>'s lovely Jenny, a wisecracking, working-class girl, only to watch her agonizingly succumb to a rare blood disease. The drama, a box-office smash, also received seven Oscar nominations, including one for best picture, and won for best score. (O'Neal lost out to George C. Scott of Patton in the best actor race.) The actor then signed up to star with auteur <strong>Peter Bogdanovich</strong> opposite <strong>Barbra Streisand</strong> in the screwball farce <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#What's Up Doc?"><cite>What's Up, Doc?</cite></a>, an homage to the fabled <strong>Cary Grant-Katharine Hepburn</strong> 1938 comedy <cite>Bringing Up Baby.</cite> Next came <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#Paper Moon"><cite>Paper Moon</cite></a> in 1973, in which he portrayed a good-natured con artist in the Midwest in the 1930s. O'Neal's daughter with first wife <strong>Joanna Moore</strong>, <strong>Tatum O'Neal</strong>, starred as his youthful partner in crime and went on to make history as the youngest winner of a competitive Oscar, taking home the best supporting actress prize. Also in the 1970s, O'Neal starred with <strong>Jacqueline Bisset</strong> as a computer programmer turned crook in <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#The Thief Who Came To Dinner"><cite>The Thief Who Came to Dinner</cite></a> (1973); played a general in the World War II-set <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_A-E.html#A Bridge Too Far"><cite>A Bridge Too Far</cite></a> (1977); portrayed a getaway driver in <strong>Walter Hill</strong>'s <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_A-E.html#The Driver"><cite>The Driver</cite></a> (1978); and returned as a widower in the <cite>Love Story</cite> sequel <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_F-O.html#Oliver's Story"><cite>Oliver's Story</cite></a> (1978). <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Ryan_O'Neal2.gif" ALT="Ryan O'Neal" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Later roles include <cite>So Fine</cite> (1981), <cite>Partners</cite> (1982), <cite>Irreconcilable Differences</cite> (1984), <cite>Fever Pitch</cite> (1985), <cite>Tough Guys Don't Dance</cite> (1987), <cite>Chances Are</cite> (1989), <cite>Zero Effect</cite> (1998) and <cite>Knight of Cups</cite> (2015). Recently, he had recurring roles on the TV series <cite>Miss Match and Bones</cite>. O'Neal's relationship with <strong>Farrah Fawcett</strong> began after they were introduced by her then-husband, actor <strong>Lee Majors</strong>, in 1979. They lived together for years in Malibu; had a son, Redmond, who went on to battle drug addiction (he and his father were arrested at home for drug possession in 2008); and starred together in the 1989 ABC dramatic telefilm <cite>Small Sacrifices</cite> and as co-anchors on the 1991 CBS sitcom <cite>Good Sports.</cite> They broke up for a spell after Fawcett caught him in bed with a younger actress but reunited after O'Neal was diagnosed with leukemia. In 2012, he published a memoir, <cite>Both of Us: My Life With Farrah,</cite> and three years later, he was back with MacGraw for a national tour in <cite>Love Letters.</cite> O'Neal was married to and divorced from actresses Moore and <cite>Peyton Place</cite> co-star Taylor-Young before beginning an on-and-off 30-year relationship with Fawcett that ended with her death at age 62 on June 25, 2009. O'Neal had Tatum and a son, <strong>Griffin O'Neal</strong>, with Moore. Patrick is his son with Taylor-Young. His younger brother, <strong>Kevin O'Neal</strong>, a regular on the TV version of <cite>No Time for Sergeants</cite> in the 1960s, died in Jan. 2023. "[My father] meant the world to me," said Tatum O'Neal, who like Redmond often did not get along with her father, in a statement to <cite>People.</cite> "I loved him very much and know he loved me too. I'll miss him forever, and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms," she added. "My dad was 82 and lived a kick ass life," Patrick O'Neal wrote on social media. "I hope the first thing he brags about in Heaven is how he sparred 2 rounds with <strong>Joe Frazier</strong> in 1966, on national TV, with <strong>Muhammad Ali</strong> doing the commentary, and went toe to toe with Smokin' Joe. YouTube has it, and trust me, it's so awesome. Ryan by a majority decision." - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 12/8/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-24287647105829708302023-12-03T02:36:00.000-08:002023-12-18T03:29:49.625-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on December 8th, 2023</b>
<P><strong>Billy Joel</strong> announced on Dec. 8 he'll be performing a huge gig in Cardiff, Wales on Aug. 9, 2024 -- his only show in the UK and Europe set for 2024. The show will see the Piano Man take to the stage at Cardiff's Principality Stadium and feature opening support from <strong>Chris Isaak</strong>. It will mark Joel's first gig in the UK since his slot at the 2023 edition of the BST Hyde Park concert series in London, which was also headlined by the likes of <strong>Bruce Springsteen, Guns N' Roses, Lana Del Rey</strong> and others. Tickets for Joel's Cardiff show go on sale on Dec. 15 at Ticketmaster-UK. Joel's last U.S. show of 2023 will be a special New Year's Eve concert on Dec. 31 at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., his first show back on his native Long Island since 2018. He has also confirmed that the final show ongoing 9-year residency at Madison Square Garden will take place on July 25, 2024, his 150th appearance at the prestigious NYC venue. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 12/8/23...... <strong>Tom Petty</strong>'s 1989 <cite>Full Moon Fever</cite> album was a career highlight of the late Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rocker. One of its deep cuts, "Love Is a Long Road," is up over 8,000 in streams following its inclusion in the recently released trailer for the highly anticipated upcoming <cite>Grand Theft Auto VI,</cite> which set viewership records in its first 24 hours of release on YouTube. Petty's first LP recorded without usual backing band the <strong>Heartbreakers</strong>, <cite>Full Moon Fever</cite> was certified 5x platinum by the RIAA in the U.S., and spawned the massive radio and MTV hits "Free Fallin'," "I Won't Back Down" and "Runnin' Down a Dream." In 1989, "Love Is a Long Road" made it to No. 7 on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, despite never being released as an A-side in the U.S. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/7/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/Def_Leppard2.gif" ALT="Def Leppard" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Dec. 7, <strong>Def Leppard</strong> and <strong>Journey</strong> took to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0jkBJ3pWwm/">Instagram</a> to announce a massive co-headining "Summer Stadium Tour 2024" which will see the bands perform in 23 different cities, beginning with Saint Louis' Busch Stadium on July 6, continuing through cities including Atlanta (7/13), Detroit (7/18), Nashville (7/20), Pittsburgh (7/27), Boston (8/5), New York (8/7), Minneapolis (8/19) and San Francisco (8/28) before concluding on Sept. 8 at Denver's Coors Field. The bands will have opening support from <strong>Steve Miller Band, Cheap Trick</strong> and <strong>Heart</strong> at different dates on the tour. The Summer Stadium tour follows Def Leppard's lengthy co-headlining world tour with <strong>Motley Crüe</strong>, which took place between February and August 2023. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/8/23...... The audio from <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>'s first ever studio session in 1967 is set to be released as a limited-edition package. The recording was made 56 years ago, when Michael was aged just nine and entered One-derful Studios in Chicago for the very first time with his brothers in <strong>The Jackson Five</strong>. In the session -- which took place on July 13, 1967 -- The Jackson Five produced a song titled "Big Boy," and it has been confirmed that this was the first time that the late King of Pop's voice was put on tape. The song is now getting shared in a digital format for the first time, and will be available as part of a limited-edition release. Available on Dec. 7, the packages are shared in collaboration with the song's owner, Recordpool, and Swedish blockchain-based music and royalty marketplace Anotherblock. "Big Boy" comes in two formats -- the "open edition" and the more expensive "limited edition. The former is available for $25 (£19.85) and includes the track, named "Big Boy (One-derful Version)." It is accessible through Anotherblock's player, and also comes with images of master tape and agreements, downloadable song stems, and a digital vinyl B-side including "Michael the Lover" and "My Girl" along with their stems. More information can be found at https://anotherblock.io, and a portion of the sale revenue will go to the non-profit Legacy Foundation. "Big Boy" can also be streamed on <a href="https://youtu.be/ktyU1Wkz-gk">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/6/23...... A 50th anniversary edition of <strong>Paul McCartney & Wings</strong>' acclaimed 1973 LP <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/mccartney5.html"><cite>Band on the Run</cite></a> has been announced that will be available in a range of formats, including a set of "Underdubbed" mixes. These new unreleased rough mixes were made by <strong>Geoff Emerick</strong> and <strong>Pete Swettenham</strong> at AIR Studios on Oct. 14, 1973. "This is <cite>Band on the Run</cite> in a way you've never heard before," McCartney says of the new remixes. "When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that's an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed." The <cite>Band On The Run</cite> reissue will be available in vinyl, CD, digital and Dolby ATMOS formats. McCartney formed Wings in 1971, with himself and his wife <strong>Linda McCartney</strong> as the two permanent members. <cite>Band On The Run</cite> was Wings' third album, and went on to win multiple Grammy Awards and topped the charts in several countries including the UK. McCartney has been playing tracks from <cite>Band On The Run</cite> such as "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five" and "Jet" on his current tour. He is now playing the South American leg of his international "Got Back" tour until Dec. 16, where he will finish in Rio de Janeiro. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/4/23...... A new clip from the forthcoming <strong>Bob Marley</strong> biopic <cite>Bob Marley: One Love</cite> has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/GQJexSBBNDw">YouTube</a>. In the clip, Marley's son <strong>Ziggy Marley</strong> gives actor <strong>Kingsley Ben-Adir</strong> the stamp of approval for his portrayal of his father. "In the audition, I saw Kingsley, who plays my father. He was the one who kept my attention," Ziggy says in the video shared by Paramount Pictures. "Kingsley did a great job in an artful way, not trying to mimic my father. To be true to who Bob was, how he speaks, how he acts, how he sees the world, I think Kingsley is bringing that human element. Not just the legend or the artist, but the human side, the emotional side." According to the official synopsis, <cite>One Love</cite> "celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity" and tells the tale of the singer-songwriter "overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music." Produced in partnership with the Marley family and directed by <strong>Reinaldo Marcus Green</strong>, <cite>One Love</cite> hits theaters on Jan. 12, 2024. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/5/23...... Sixty-five years after its 1958 release, pop singing legend <strong>Brenda Lee</strong>'s "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has finally hits the No. 1 spot on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 chart. The Christmas classic, which rose to No. 2 each of the last four holiday seasons but was previously unable to unseat <strong>Mariah Carey</strong>'s equally beloved "All I Want for Christmas Is You," rose all the way to the top of the Hot 100 on the chart dated Dec. 9 -- marking Lee's third career No. 1, after "I'm Sorry" and "I Want to Be Wanted" both reached pole position in 1960. It comes after a major promotional push from both Lee and her UMG Nashville label, including a new music video, a new holiday EP, and a whole lot of new Brenda Lee TikTok videos, all timed to the song's 65th birthday celebration this year. Lee, whose indomitable spirit and powerful voice, even as a child, earned her the nickname "Little Miss Dynamite," recorded "Rockin'" when she was just 13. Now, at age 78, she's watching as the song, promoted by major label UMG Nashville, has reached the pinnacle of <cite>Billboard</cite>'s all-genre chart. In the process, the song has become only the third holiday song to reach No. 1 ever on the Hot 100. "I like that God has given me that favor that I can stand aside and look and know that it wasn't just me; that it's a conglomerate of a lot of people that made the song what it is," Lee says. I'm happy for everybody here that's worked so hard to make this happen because in today's world, everything moves so fast and furious. But I'm telling you this: My label has come to bat," she added. Produced by <strong>Owen Bradley</strong>, "Rockin'" was initially released in 1958, though the song's initial chart impact was modest, reaching an original peak of No. 14 in Dec. 1960. Between Dec. 2019 and last year, the song would spend nine weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100, behind only Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." <strong>Johnny Marks</strong>, the songwriter behind other holiday classics including "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas," also wrote "Rockin'," with Lee in mind for the song. "He was such a gentle soul," Lee recalls of the late songwriter, who died in 1985. "He was Jewish and didn't even believe in Christmas, and all that would come out of him was Christmas music. In 1990, "Rockin'" became a favorite holiday song for a new generation when it was featured in the <strong>Macaulay Culkin</strong> film <cite>Home Alone</cite>. Lee marked the 65th anniversary of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by filming the song's first official video, featuring cameos from Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. It can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/TFsZy9t-qDc">YouTube</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/5/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/Geddy_Lee/images/Geddy_Lee7.gif" ALT="Geddy Lee" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Rush</strong> bassist/vocalist <strong>Geddy Lee</strong> has released two new songs which were recorded during the sessions of his 2000 solo album, <cite>My Favourite Headache.</cite> Lee released the recordings on Dec. 5 through Elektra Records under the title <cite>The Lost Demos,</cite> and the tracks -- "Gone" and "I Am You Are" -- grant fans a deeper look into the writing sessions of Lee's only solo album so far. "I loved the songs when they were written and in some ways they feel as fresh and perhaps more relevant all these years later," said Lee in a press release about the new tracks, which were given fresh mixes by Rush's longtime producer and engineer, <strong>David Bottrill</strong>. <a href="https://youtu.be/Jt2D2KoeuDo">"Gone"</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/3XGH2KPTBzU">"I Am You Are"</a> have also been shared on YouTube. Meanwhile, Lee has a new TV show, <cite>Are Bass Players Human Too?,</cite> streaming on Paramount+. The show came about when Toronto filmmaker <strong>Sam Dunn</strong> approached him about doing some kind of documentary resulting from Lee's 2018 <cite>Beautiful Big Book of Bass</cite> in which he interviewed other bassists like <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong>'s <strong>John Paul Jones</strong> and the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong>' <strong>Bill Wyman</strong>. Lee, who does everything from landscaping to fishing with <strong>Primus' Les Claypool</strong> to making preserves and flying with <strong>Nirvana</strong>'s <strong>Krist Novoselic</strong>, said he isn't sure if there will be more episodes yet but he enjoyed the experience. "We had to go through a combination of people I wanted and people that were available and also people that were up for letting me invade their lives for three days," said Lee. "If I had been asked as a bass player to let some other bass player into my house, (starts chuckling) I'm not so sure I would have said yes." - <cite>NME/Canoe.com,</cite> 12/6/23...... <strong>Cher</strong> announced on Dec. 5 she'll be joining the "Jingle Ball Party" event in NYC. The legendary singer is joining the lineup for the iHeartRadio Z100 Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 8. She will join previously announced performers <strong>Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, OneRepublic, Sabrina Carpenter, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, Pentatonix</strong> and <strong>David Kushner</strong>. Meanwhile, the singer said that she is "close with all" of her ex-boyfriends during an appearance on the Dec. 6 episode of the <cite>Table Manners</cite> podcast. During the program, Cher was asked to name co-stars who she would invite to her last supper. he name-dropped <strong>Meryl Streep, Nicolas Cage, Sam Elliott</strong> and <strong>Val Kilmer</strong>, who she dated in the '80s. After co-host <strong>Jessie Ware</strong> expressed her admiration for Cher inviting exes to the table, the 77-year-old replied, "I'm close with all of them. I have a feeling that you have to like someone a lot before you go to bed with them because if you don't, then when you break up, then there's nothing, you can never be friends because you weren't friends before." Cher was previously married to musicians <strong>Sonny Bono</strong> and <strong>Gregg Allman</strong>. Her famous ex-boyfriends also include <strong>Warren Beatty, Tom Cruise, Gene Simmons</strong> and <strong>Bon Jovi</strong> guitarist <strong>Richie Sambora</strong>, among others. - <cite>Billboard/Music-News.com,</cite> 12/5/23...... <strong>Nile Rodgers & CHIC</strong> will be among the performers during the 2023 <cite>Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve</cite> special, set to air live on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. EST on Dec. 31. In his 19th year as host, <strong>Ryan Seacrest </strong>will lead the traditional countdown to midnight alongside global superstar <strong>Rita Ora</strong> live from Times Square. Also joining this year's broadcast is Emmy-winning TV personality <strong>Jeannie Mai</strong>, who will co-host the Hollywood portion of the broadcast in the Pacific time zone. In 2022, the countdown -- which has been the top-rated NYE programming special for more than 30 years -- attracted 13.8 million total viewers. ABC and Dick Clark Productions recently extended their agreement for the annual special for another five years. The show, which will now air on the network through Jan. 1, 2029, was created in 1972 by <strong>Dick Clark</strong>, who conceived it as a younger-skewing competitor to veteran bandleader <strong>Guy Lombardo</strong>'s long-running New Year's Eve broadcasts on CBS. The special first aired on Dec. 31, 1972. Its first two editions were broadcast by NBC, and hosted by <strong>Three Dog Night</strong> and <strong>George Carlin</strong>, respectively, with Clark anchoring coverage from Times Square. The show moved to ABC in 1974, and Clark took over as host. In Dec. 2004, Clark suffered a stroke. Due to lingering speech impediments from the stroke, Clark ceded hosting duties to Seacrest the following year, but he continued to make limited appearances on the show until his death in Apr. 2012 at age 82. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/7/23...... <strong>Blondie</strong> will be among the headliners of the Cruel World Festival 2024, set for Brookside at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on May 11, 2024. Also on the bill are <strong>Duran Duran, Simple Minds, Placebo, Soft Cell, Adam Ant, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Gary Numan</strong> and <strong>Ministry</strong>, among others. Last year's edition was headlined by <strong>Siouxie Sioux</strong> and <strong>Iggy Pop</strong>. Sioux' set was thwarted by severe weather, which halted the festival during sets by Pop and <strong>The Human League</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/5/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/K/images/Kiss4.gif" ALT="KISS" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">During the encore of their last ever show on Dec. 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York, <strong>KISS</strong> made a surprise announcement that the band will live on as digital avatars. "KISS Army, your love, your power, has made us immortal!," vocalist/guitarist <strong>Paul Stanley</strong> said in a video revealing the digital characters as the virtual band launched into a performance of "God Gave Rock and Roll to You." "The new KISS era stars now!" After the concert, part of the KISS' "End of the Road" farewell tour, the quartet shared a two-minute video on <a href="https://youtu.be/Yl5PGoy5X6g">YouTube</a> teasing their next chapter. "The future is so exciting," Simmons says amid behind-the-scenes snippets of the band wearing motion capture suits to develop their high-tech avatars. He pointed out that the forthcoming digital band will be able accomplish things the original members couldn't dream of doing. "We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we've never dreamed of before," the bassist said. "The technology is going to make Paul jump higher than he's ever done before." Stanley adds, "We can live on eternally." KISS' avatars were created by <strong>George Lucas</strong>' Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Sweden's Pophouse Entertainment Group. The companies recently collaborated on the <strong>ABBA</strong> <cite>Voyage</cite> show in London, a virtual concert performed by the Swedish pop group. "KISS could have a concert in three cities in the same night across three different continents. That's what you could do with this," Pophouse CEO told the AP. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/3/23...... New biographies of two of the '70s most intriguing musicians are available for the holiday season. <strong>Karen Carpenter</strong> was remembered as much for the anorexia that led to her death as for her crystalline voice. The singer gets her due as an artist to be reckoned with in <strong>Lucy O'Brien</strong>'s immersive biograpy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/153818446X/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Lead Sister</cite></a>. Singer-songwriter <strong>Nick Drake</strong> left a trove of breathtakingly lovely songs when he died at 26 in 1974. <strong>Richard Morton Jack</strong>'s exhaustively researched bio <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0306834952/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Nick Drake: The Life</cite></a> celebrates their power and brings him to life. - <cite>People,</cite> 12/11/23...... <strong>Myles Goodwyn</strong>, frontman of Canadian rock band <strong>April Wine</strong>, has died at the age of 75. News of his death was confirmed by his publicist, who hailed Goodwyn's "distinctive and immediately recognizable" voice and prolific songwriting. No cause of death has been announced. April Wine was formed in 1969, with its original line-up consisting of Goodwyn, brothers <strong>David</strong> and <strong>Ritchie Henman</strong> and their cousin Jim. They moved to Montreal and released their self-titled debut album in 1971 before following it up with <cite>On Record</cite> the next year, which became their commercial breakthrough and featured a successful cover of <strong>Hot Chocolate</strong>'s "You Could Have Been A Lady." It took April Wine slightly longer to crack the US market, but they did so with 1979's <cite>Harder Faster</cite> and then scored their biggest hit in 1981 with "Just Between You And Me," which was taken from the album <cite>The Nature Of The Beast</cite>. By the middle of the '80s, the band's fortunes were waning and they parted ways in 1985. Goodwyn released a solo album in 1988 but the band later reformed for the 1993 album <cite>Attitude.</cite> Their last album together was 2006's <cite>Roughly Speaking</cite>. Goodwyn was hospitalised for months in 2007 after suffering internal bleeding caused by long-term alcoholism. He later went to rehab when he had recovered. April Wine continued touring until last year when Goodwyn retired, saying: "Touring has been very difficult in recent years because of my diabetes and my health comes first, so unfortunately, my touring days are officially over." Goodwyn also wrote two books, the memoir <cite>Just Between You and Me,</cite> and a novel, <cite>Elvis and Tiger.</cite> Earlier in 2023 he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is survived by wife Kim Goodwyn and their two children, plus another child from a previous marriage. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/4/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/Denny_Laine4.gif" ALT="Denny Laine" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">English rock musician <strong>Denny Laine</strong>, a co-founding former member of <strong>The Moody Blues</strong> and a member of the <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>-led '70s band <strong>Wings</strong>, died on Dec. 5 of a bacterial infection that followed a serious bout of Covid-19. He was 79. Laine's wife <strong>Elizabeth Hines</strong> posted the announcement on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0endijr_aN/">Instagram</a>, stating that her husband had passed away due to Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). "My darling husband passed away peacefully early this morning," she began. "He and I both believed he would overcome his health setbacks and return to the rehabilitation center and eventually home. Unfortunately, his lung disease, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), is unpredictable and aggressive; each infection weakened and damaged his lungs. He fought everyday. He was so strong and brave, never complained. All he wanted was to be home with me and his pet kitty, Charley, playing his gypsy guitar." Hines said Laine was "so very thankful" for the love and support he had received during his "health crisis." "It was my absolute honor and privilege to not only be his wife, but to care for him during his illness and vulnerability," she added. Born on Oct. 29, 1944 in Birmingham, Laine played in his first band <strong>The Diplomats</strong> (which featured <strong>ELO</strong> drummer <strong>Bev Bevans</strong>). From there, he would go on to found The Moody Blues in 1964 with singer <strong>Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas</strong> and drummer <strong>Graeme Edge</strong>, who died in 2021 aged 80. He sang on the band's cover of "Go Now," which would eventually top the UK charts and solidify their success. From there, Laine formed the <strong>Electric String Band</strong>, and would also play with <strong>Ginger Baker's Air Force</strong>. But it was a call from Paul McCartney that would see Laine join Wings, becoming a constant member of the band. It was he, Paul and his wife Linda that would go on to make their most celebrated album, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/mccartney5.html"><cite>Band on the Run</cite></a>, in 1973. Wings officially wrapped by the 1980s, but Laine and McCartney stayed in touch, with Laine playing on Macca's <cite>Tug of War</cite> (1982) and <cite>Pipes of Peace</cite> (1983), in addition to co-writing the "Ebony and Ivory" B-side, "Rainclouds." After learning of Laine's death, Paul McCartney took to Instagram to mourn the loss: "I have many fond memories of my time with Denny: from the early days when The Beatles toured with the Moody Blues," he wrote alongside a throwback picture of Laine. "Our two bands had a lot of respect for each other and a lot of fun together. Denny joined Wings at the outset. He was an outstanding vocalist and guitar player. His most famous performance is probably 'Go Now' an old <strong>Bessie Banks</strong> song which he would sing brilliantly. He and I wrote some songs together the most successful being 'Mull of Kintyre' which was a big hit in the Seventies. We had drifted apart but in recent years managed to re-establish our friendship and share memories of our times together." He continued, "Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humour and was always ready to help other people. He will be missed by all his fans and remembered with great fondness by his friends. I send my condolences and best wishes to his wife, Elizabeth and family. Peace and love Denny. It was a pleasure to know you. We are all going to miss you." Laine is survived by his widow Hines and his five children. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/5/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/N/images/Norman_Lear.gif" ALT="Norman Lear" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Norman Lear</strong>, the legendary TV writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with such shows as <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_A-G.html#All in the Family"><cite>All in the Family</cite></a>, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_H-M.html#The Jeffersons"><cite>The Jeffersons</cite></a> and <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_H-M.html#Maude"><cite>Maude</cite></a>, propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of TV sitcoms, died in his sleep on the evening of Dec. 5 surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles. He was 101 years old. A liberal activist with an eye for mainstream entertainment, Mr. Lear fashioned bold and controversial comedies that were embraced by viewers who had to watch the evening news to find out what was going on in the world. His shows helped define prime time comedy in the 1970s, launched the careers of <strong>Rob Reiner</strong> and <strong>Valerie Bertinelli</strong> and made middle-aged superstars of <strong>Carroll O'Connor, Bea Arthur</strong> and <strong>Redd Foxx</strong>. Mr. Lear "took television away from dopey wives and dumb fathers, from the pimps, hookers, hustlers, private eyes, junkies, cowboys and rustlers that constituted television chaos, and in their place he put the American people," the late <strong>Paddy Chayefsky</strong>, a leading writer of television's early "golden age," once said. Mr. Lear's work transformed television at a time when old-fashioned programs such as <cite>Here's Lucy, Ironside</cite> and <cite>Gunsmoke</cite> still dominated. CBS, Mr. Lear's primary network, would soon enact its "rural purge" and cancel such standbys as <cite>The Beverly Hillbillies</cite> and <cite>Green Acres.</cite> The groundbreaking sitcom <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_H-M.html#The Mary Tyler Moore Show"><cite>The Mary Tyler Moore Show</cite></a>, about a single career woman in Minneapolis, debuted on CBS in Sept. 1970, just months before <cite>All in the Family</cite> started. But ABC passed on <cite>All in the Family</cite> twice and CBS ran a disclaimer when it finally aired the show: "The program you are about to see is <cite>All in the Family.</cite> It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter we hope to show, in a mature fashion, just how absurd they are." By the end of 1971, <cite>All In the Family</cite> was No. 1 in the ratings and Archie Bunker was a pop culture fixture, with <strong>Pres. Richard Nixon</strong> among his fans. Some of his putdowns became catchphrases. He called his son-in-law "Meathead" and his wife "Dingbat," and would snap at anyone who dared occupy his faded orange-yellow wing chair. It was the centerpiece of the Bunkers' rowhouse in Queens, and eventually went on display in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. <cite>All in the Family,</cite> based on the British sitcom, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_uk.html#Till Death Us Do Part"><cite>Til Death Us Do Part</cite></a>, was the No. 1-rated series for an unprecedented five years in a row and earned four Emmy Awards as best comedy series, finally eclipsed by five-time winner <cite>Frasier</cite> in 1998. Born in New Haven, Conn. on July 27, 1922, Mr. Lear dropped out of Emerson College 1942 to enlist in the Air Force and flew 52 combat missions in Europe as a turret gunner, earning a Decorated Air Medal. After World War II, he worked in public relations. Mr. Lear began writing in the early 1950s on shows including <cite>The Colgate Comedy Hour</cite> and for such comedians as <strong>Martha Raye</strong> and <strong>George Gobel</strong>. In 1959, he and <strong>Bud Yorkin</strong> founded Tandem Productions, which produced films including "Come Blow Your Horn," "Start the Revolution Without Me" and "Divorce American Style." Mr. Lear also directed the 1971 satire <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_A-E.html#Cold Turkey"><cite>Cold Turkey</cite></a>, starring <strong>Dick Van Dyke</strong> about a small town that takes on a tobacco company's offer of $25 million to quit smoking for 30 days. In his later years, Mr. Lear joined with <strong>Warren Buffett</strong> and <strong>James E. Burke</strong> to establish The Business Enterprise Trust, honoring businesses that take a long-term view of their effect on the country. He also founded the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, exploring entertainment, commerce and society and also spent time at his home in Vermont. In 2014, he published the memoir <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_14_11.html"><cite>Even This I Get to Experience</cite></a>. Tributes poured in on social media after Mr. Lear's death: "I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family," Rob Reiner wrote on X/Twitter. "More than anyone before him, Norman used situation comedy to shine a light on prejudice, intolerance, and inequality. He created families that mirrored ours," <strong>Jimmy Kimmel</strong> said. - <cite>AP,</cite> 12/6/23.
<P>Rare and long-lost photos, contact sheets & original negatives of rock music legends including <strong>Paul and Linda McCartney, John Lennon, Joan Baez, The Supremes, The Carpenters, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Cliff</strong> and more are up for auction through Dec. 10 at <a href="https://entertainment.ha.com/c/search-results.zx?N=53+793+794+791+792+2088+4294938613&Nf=&Ntk=SI_Titles-Desc&Nty=1&Ntt=shepard&ic4=KeywordSearch-A-K-071316">entertainment.ha.com</a>. Bidding is open on the Heritage Auction sale, which also features a treasure-trove of rare and some previously unseen images of music legends including <strong>Creedence Clearwater Revival, Donovan, Marianne Faithful, Tim Buckley</strong> and others shot by renowned music photographer and photojournalist <strong>Shepard Sherbell</strong>. Some of the items include the original negatives. The auction closes Dec. 10, 2023. All items come with a certificate of authenticity (COA) from Heritage Auctions. - <cite>M4G Media,</cite> 12/5/23...... <strong>The Beatles</strong> are back at No. 1 on a <cite>Billboard</cite> airplay chart for the first time in over 50 years as their "final song" "Now and Then" jumped from the second to the top spot on the Adult Alternative Airplay tally dated Dec. 9. It's the band's first No. 1 on that particular survey, which began in 1996. The Beatles previously peaked at No. 11 on that chart with "Free as a Bird" that same year. The last time the group notched a No. 1 on a <cite>Billboard</cite> radio chart was 1970, when "Let It Be" (the Fab Four's sole other airplay leader) ruled Adult Contemporary for four weeks beginning that April. However the Beatles can boast their share of chart-toppers elsewhere, including a record 20 No. 1 singles on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100. Billed as the Beatles' final song, "Now and Then" was recorded as a demo in 1977 by <strong>John Lennon</strong> and finished at last by surviving Beatles <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> and <strong>Ringo Starr</strong>, among others, after multiple attempts via new technology to extract Lennon's vocals from the original demo, along with guitar parts from <strong>George Harrison</strong>. It's included on the reissues of the group's <cite>1962-1966</cite> and <cite>1967-1970</cite> compilations, initially released in 1973 and re-released Nov. 10. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/1/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/John_Lennon/images/John_Lennon31.gif" ALT="John Lennon" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In other <strong>Beatles</strong>-related news, a new documentary series about the Dec. 8, 1980 assassination of <strong>John Lennon</strong> has a claim that Lennon's murderer Mark David Chapman apologized to his group after shooting Lennon dead outside of his New York City apartment block. According to a witness interviewed for the Apple TV+ docuseries, which begins streaming on Dec. 6, Chapman "actually apologized to us... He said: 'Gee I'm sorry I ruined your night'." The witness responded: "You gotta be kidding me, you just ruined your whole life." First announced in October, <cite>John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial</cite> examines the pre-meditated crime by the troubled Chapman and its aftermath, and its producers were "granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney's office." It also features interviews with Lennon's friends and Chapman's defense lawyers, psychiatrists, detectives and prosecutors. It also makes use of previously unseen photos from the scene of the crime. The three-part series is narrated by actor <strong>Kiefer Sutherland</strong>. Its trailer has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/dLUIEY2dDTk">YouTube</a>. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 11/29/23...... <strong>Cher</strong> has topped <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart for the week of Dec. 9 with "DJ Play a Christmas Song" from her new holiday collection <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a>. The carol is the 29th holiday No. 1 on the AC chart since 2000, around the time that most stations in the format began playing seasonal songs heavily, or 24/7, between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. "DJ Play a Christmas Song" also makes history for Cher, as it's her first AC No. 1 since "If I Could Turn Back Time," which led for a week in Sept. 1989. She ends the longest break between No. 1s in the chart's 62-year history: 34 years and two weeks. She surpasses <strong>Elton John</strong>, who went 23 years, 11 months and one week between "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" in 1997-98 and his own latest holiday hit, "Merry Christmas" with <strong>Ed Sheeran</strong> two Yuletide seasons ago. <cite>Christmas,</cite> meanwhile, has jingled in at No. 1 on the Nov. 4-dated Top Holiday Albums chart. After a festive performance at the recent Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Cher delivered another dazzling performance with <strong>Darlene Love</strong> during the <cite>Christmas in Rockefeller Center</cite> tree-lighting special at Radio City Music Hall on Nov. 29. Cher started with another performance of "DJ Play a Christmas Song," then joined forces with longtime friend Darlene Love to sing Love's signature holiday hit "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," of which they recorded a duet version for the new <cite>Christmas</cite> album. Cher and Love's performance can be viewed on <a href="https://twitter.com/nbc/status/1730039835518496865">X/Twitter</a>. In still more Cher news, the singer says she's finding it "very hard to cast" actors in a biopic about her life. During an appearance on the Dec. 1 episode of <cite>The Graham Norton Show,</cite> the 77-year-old music icon revealed that she is having a hard time creating her biopic. "It is the hardest thing," Cher said of the project. "I have lived too long and done so much, it is very hard to cast, and we haven't even finished the script." The "Believe" hitmaker noted that she will be providing her own music for the film. "I will do all the music myself because I don't like imitation," she told the host. - <cite>Billboard/Music-News.com,</cite> 12/1/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Rolling_Stones6.gif" ALT="The Rolling Stones" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>The Rolling Stones</strong> announced on <a href="https://twitter.com/RollingStones/status/1730309173559050732">X/Twitter</a> on Nov. 30 that they're releasing a live deluxe edition of their new <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> studio album. The live version will feature seven songs recorded live at the band's surprise show at New York's intimate Racket club on Oct. 19 as part of the launch for their 24th studio album. The brief set memorably featured such classics as "Shattered," "Tumbling Dice" and "Jumping Jack Flash," as well as the live debut of the soul blues burner "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," complete with a cameo from the track's guest, <strong>Lady Gaga</strong>. The double-disc set -- which will ship on Jan. 19 -- will also spotlight the Hackney tracks "Angry," "Whole Wide World" and "Bite My Head Off." The group has also just released a lyric video for the latter song on <a href="https://youtu.be/Mrjv_i_lVwo">YouTube</a>, which features additional vocals from <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>. Meanwhile, Stones principals <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> and <strong>Keith Richards</strong> have landed 2024 Grammy nods for a version of their rock classic "Paint It Black" which appears in the Netflix series <cite>Wednesday.</cite> Jagger and Richards arranged the classical-shaded treatment of "Paint It Black," hich was recorded for a memorable cello scene in the first episode of <cite>Wednesday.</cite> Jagger and Richards are now listed alongside Esin Aydingoz, Chris Bacon and Alana Da Fonseca, who had been listed as the arrangers of the track when the Grammy nominations for best arrangement, instrumental or a cappella were announced on Nov. 10. <cite>Wednesday</cite>, which debuted on Netflix in Nov. 2022, has also aired cello renditions of <strong>Metallica</strong>'s "Nothing Else Matters" and <strong>Dua Lipa</strong>'s "Physical." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 12/1/23...... <strong>Roger Waters</strong>' son <strong>Harry Waters</strong> has revealed that his father fired him from playing in his band, and he is now planning on playing his dad's music in a <strong>Pink Floyd</strong> tribute band instead. Interviewed by <cite>Rolling Stone,</cite> Harry claimed that it was in late 2016 that the ex-Floyd bassist let him know that he would no longer be required to play keyboards in his dad's touring band. "I was fired, it was pretty miserable," Harry said. "I think he just wanted a change of blood, something new, something fresh. I'm not sure of his exact reasoning, but everyone except two people got fired. But the other guys that got the sack weren't his son, so it was doubly hurtful for me." Harry had been part of his dad's band for 14 years, but was dropped ahead of the "Us + Them" tour. Nevertheless, Harry has continued to play the material that he is so familiar with, recently completing a tour with <strong>Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade</strong>, covering the Pink Floyd album <cite>Animals</cite> in its entirety. Now, Harry says he's accepted an offer to play three shows with Floyd tribute act <strong>Brit Floyd</strong>, alongside one of the band's former background singers <strong>Durga McBroom</strong> and a former saxophonist <strong>Scott Page</strong>. "I've never met any of them, but I'll just turn up and play," he said. "I've been playing this music for 30 years or so. I think we'll be OK without rehearsal. I think we all know the material pretty well." - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/1/23...... The Nashville judge overseeing the bitter lawsuit between <strong>Hall & Oates</strong> sided with <strong>Daryl Hall</strong> on Nov. 3, ruling that <strong>John Oates</strong> temporarily cannot sell his share of the band's joint venture to Primary Wave until a private arbitrator hears the case. Hours after attorneys for the two singers squared off in court, Chancellor Russell Perkins agreed to extend an existing restraining order that's been blocking Oates from selling his share of their joint venture to industry heavyweight Primary Wave. Without such an order in place, Perkins ruled that Hall might face the "irreparable harm" of the sale being finalized before he is able to prove his claim that the deal violates the terms of their partnership deal. "If the transfer goes forward before the arbitrator has an opportunity to consider and rule upon plaintiffs' application for interim injunctive relief in the arbitration, then it could, as a practical matter, render much of the relief Plaintiffs are seeking in the arbitration ineffectual," Perkins wrote. The new restraining order bars Oates from completing his sale to Primary Wave until Feb. 2024 or until an arbitrator can decide whether to impose a similar restraining order -- whichever comes first. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/30/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Michael_Jackson/images/Michael_Jackson48.gif" ALT="Michael Jackson" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a testament to the enduring popularity of <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>, the King of Pop's 1983 hit "Beat It" is the latest music video to reach one billion views on YouTube. The streaming giant announced on Nov. 29 that "Beat It" is Jackson's third music video to enter the Billion Views Club, following the Moonwalk-featuring "Billie Jean" and 1996's "They Don't Care About Us." For the period of Nov. 17-23, MJ ranked at #58 on YouTube's U.S. Top Artists chart and at #96 on their Global Top Artists chart. Nearly 15 years removed from his tragic passing, Jackson continues to earn new chart achievements off the strength of his timeless catalog. Earlier in November, Jackson's accidental Halloween anthem "Thriller" re-entered the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 at No. 21, marking the sixth consecutive year that the song has reappeared on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s marquee singles chart. During its original chart run, the track reached No. 4. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/29/23...... <strong>Mick Fleetwood</strong> has paid tribute to his late <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> bandmate <strong>Christine McVie</strong> on the one year anniversary of her death, while the Irish family band <strong>The Corrs</strong> have covered McVie's composition "Songbird" in her memory. In a post on <a href="https://twitter.com/MickFleetwood/status/1730134699778154523">X/Twitter</a>, Fleetwood wrote: "Dear Chris, a year ago today you flew away, and memories come flooding back. Too many to mention! I miss you.. Fleetwood Mac misses you & along with so many that loved your music. Always love, Mick Fleetwood." Meanwhile, The Corrs shared a rendition of "Songbird," one of McVie's best known contributions to Fleetwood Mac's discography, on <a href="https://t.co/XLl1bkqSF5">X/Twitter</a>. The keyboardist and vocalist died last November, aged 79, after suffering an ischemic stroke. She had also been diagnosed with "metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin," meaning cancer cells had been detected in her body. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/30/23...... During a pre-show soundcheck and Q&A session for <strong>KISS</strong>'s Indianapolis gig on Nov. 25, the band's <strong>Paul Stanley</strong> opened up about the illness that forced the band to cancel three recent shows. In the interview, which has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/UjY8eEhVVGw">YouTube</a>, Stanley revealed the extent of just how serious his condition was. "I've done shows with cracked ribs, I've done shows with a 102 [degree] fever," said Stanley. "I was wondering if it was my time." Three shows on KISS's "End Of The Road World Tour" had to be pulled after Stanley came down with the flu. They resumed the tour at the weekend in Indianapolis once he had fully recovered. Stanley announced the cancellation on <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulStanleyLive/status/1727408152759386121">X/Twitter</a>, posting a photo of himself attached to an IV drip. "I've done everything possible to get onstage and be a part of the incredible 2 1/2 hour celebration we planned but this flu has made it impossible. I along with Gene, Tommy and Eric couldn't be more disappointed and send our deepest apologies." KISS are due to bow out with a performance at Madison Square Garden in New York on Dec. 2. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/28/23...... <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> and <strong>Tom Waits</strong> are among the rock royalty paying tribute to <strong>Shane MacGowan</strong>, after the charismatic and controversial lead singer of the Celtic punk band <strong>The Pogues</strong> died at age 65 on Nov. 30, following ill-health and a recent hospital stay after being diagnosed with encephalitis. The singer also had well-documented problems with drugs and alcohol. "Over here on E Street, we are heartbroken over the death of Shane MacGowan," Springsteen posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0U3JgYv3Ee/">Instagram</a> the following day. "Shane was one of my all-time favorite writers," he continued. "The passion and deep intensity of his music and lyrics is unmatched by all but the very best in the rock and roll canon." The Boss also shared memories of his last time seeing the acclaimed singer in Dublin back in May, where he surprised MacGowan ahead of his headline shows in the city. "I was fortunate to spend a little time with Shane and his lovely wife Victoria the last time we were in Dublin," he wrote. "He was very ill, but still beautifully present in his heart and spirit. His music is timeless and eternal. I don't know about the rest of us, but they'll be singing Shane's songs 100 years from now." Meanwhile, Tom Waits has made a rare public comment by paying his own tribute to the life and work of MacGowan. Writing on <a href="https://twitter.com/tomwaits/status/1730722910829175071">X/Twitter</a>, Waits and his wife and co-writer <strong>Kathleen Brennan</strong> wrote: "Ah, the blessings of the cursed. Shane MacGowan's torrid and mighty voice is mud and roses punched out with swaggering stagger, ancient longing that is blasted all to hell. A Bard's bard, may he cast his spell upon us all forevermore." The couple added: "Let him go boys, let him go down in the mud where the rivers all run dry," quoting from The Pogues' song "If I Should Fall From Grace With God." "Love and condolences to Pogues, Victoria, family and all who loved Shane, Tom and Kathleen," they concluded. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/2/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/A/Aretha_Franklin/images/Aretha_Franklin17.gif" ALT="Aretha Franklin" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A judge overseeing the estate of <strong>Aretha Franklin</strong> has awarded real estate to the late Queen of Soul's sons, citing a handwritten will from 2014 that was found between couch cushions. The decision on Nov. 27 came four months after a Detroit-area jury said the document was a valid will under Michigan law, despite scribbles and many hard-to-read passages. Franklin had signed it and put a smiley face in the letter "A." The papers will override a handwritten will from 2010 that was found at Franklin's suburban Detroit home around the same time in 2019, the judge said. One of her sons, Kecalf Franklin, will get that property, which was valued at $1.1 million in 2018, but is now worth more. A lawyer described it as the "crown jewel" before trial last July. Another son, Ted White II, who had favored the 2010 will, was given a house in Detroit, though it was sold by the estate for $300,000 before the dueling wills had emerged. "Teddy is requesting the sale proceeds," Charles McKelvie, an attorney for Kecalf Franklin, said on Nov. 28. Judge Jennifer Callaghan awarded a third son, Edward Franklin, another property under the 2014 will. Franklin had four homes when she died of pancreatic cancer in 2018. The discovery of the two handwritten wills months after her death led to a dispute between the sons over what their mother wanted to do with her real estate and other assets. One of the properties, worth more than $1 million, will likely be sold and the proceeds shared by four sons. The judge said the 2014 will didn't clearly state who should get it. "This was a significant step forward. We've narrowed the remaining issues," McKelvie said of the estate saga. There's still a dispute over how to handle Aretha Franklin's music assets, though the will appears to indicate that the sons would share any income. A status conference with the judge is set for January. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/28/23...... Despite being often compared, <strong>Van Morrison</strong> has insisted that he and <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> are "worlds apart" in a new interview with <cite>Vintage Rock</cite> magazine. Morrison, 78, insists what they do because the 82-year-old Dylan is a "songwriter who sings" and he is a singer first. "Well, I'm just nothing like Bob Dylan, so I guess what I was trying to say was, like, I'm coming from the place that I'm a singer first. I'm a singer. Right? And I write songs. So Bob Dylan and I are, like, worlds apart. What he does and what I do, you know, it's nowhere near." He continued: "I am a singer who writes songs, so I was comparing myself more to the singer who writes songs, rather than a songwriter who sings." Morrison's latest project is the covers album <cite>Accentuate the Positive</cite>, and he insists he is only motivated to do things that inspire him, not what other people want him to do. I can do it, you know?" - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 12/1/23...... What is being touted as the "Holy Grail" of <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> jewelry -- the King of Rock & Roll's iconic and famous "Lion Claw" necklace -- is being auctioned on the <a href="https://www.gottahaverockandroll.com/Elvis_Presley_Owned___Stage_Worn_Iconic__Lion_Claw-LOT50690.aspx">GottaHaveRockandRoll.com</a> site through Dec. 15. Originally displayed at the Elvis Presley Museum in Memphis, the relic was later given to <strong>Jimmy Velvet</strong>, who was once described as "The Godfather of memorabilia" by <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine. Velvet has even described the Elvis Lion Claw as "the most iconic piece of Elvis Presley Jewelry ever worn by Elvis Presley." The amount of pictures that Elvis can be seen wearing this necklace is mind boggling, he wore it throughout his daily life, on and off stage. Elvis can be seen wearing the necklace on <strong>Lisa Marie Presley</strong>'s birthday, with girlfriend <strong>Linda Thompson</strong>, and most importantly, he can be seen wearing the necklace when he met boxing heavyweight champ <strong>Muhammad Ali</strong> both times. Debatably the most iconic photograph ever of Presley, he can be seen wearing this exact Lion Claw Necklace. He also wore the necklace many times in concerts, with over 30 shows Elvis can be seen wearing the same necklace. Bidding for the item ends on Dec. 15. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 11/29/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/H/images/Henry_Kissinger.gif" ALT="Henry Kissinger" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Henry Kissinger</strong>, a diplomatic powerhouse of the second half of the twentieth century whose roles as a national security adviser and secretary of state under two presidents left an indelible mark on U.S. foreign policy and earned him a controversial Nobel Peace Prize, died on Nov. 29 at age 100. During the 1970s in the midst of the Cold War, Mr. Kissinger had a hand in many of the epoch-changing global events of the decade while serving as national security adviser and secretary of state under Republican <strong>Pres. Richard Nixon</strong>. The German-born Jewish refugee's efforts led to the U.S. diplomatic opening with China, landmark U.S.-Soviet arms control talks, expanded ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors, and the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam. Mr. Kissinger's reign as the prime architect of U.S. foreign policy waned with Nixon's resignation in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal. Still, he continued to be a diplomatic force as secretary of state under Nixon's successor, <strong>Pres. Gerald Ford</strong>, and to offer strong opinions throughout the rest of his life. While many hailed Mr. Kissinger for his brilliance and broad experience, others branded him a war criminal for his support for anti-communist dictatorships, especially in Latin America. In his latter years, his travels were circumscribed by efforts by other nations to arrest or question him about past U.S. foreign policy. Mr. Kissinger had been active past his centenary, attending meetings in the White House, publishing a book on leadership styles, and testifying before a Senate committee about the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. In July 2023 he made a surprise visit to Beijing to meet Chinese <strong>Pres. Xi Jinping</strong>. Mr. Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut, according to a statement from his geopolitical consulting firm, Kissinger Associates Inc. No mention was made of the circumstances. It said he would be interred at a private family service, to be followed at a later date by a public memorial service in New York City. - <cite>Reuters,</cite> 11/30/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-3893435592425612762023-11-23T23:32:00.000-08:002023-11-28T15:43:34.629-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on November 28th, 2023</b>
<P>More details about the mysterious restraining order by <strong>Daryl Hall</strong> against his longtime former musical partner <strong>John Oates</strong> have been revealed. Many of the details of the dispute were kept under seal when first reported on Nov. 17, however more info obtained by the AP reveals that <strong>Hall & Oates</strong> have a joint venture and Oates intended to sell his share to a company called Primary Wave. Hall contended that the sale of Oates' share would violate the business terms the duo had agreed upon. In response, a judge temporarily blocked the sale and granted the temporary restraining order on Nov. 16. Legal proceedings and a previously initiated arbitration are still continuing, and the case will be taken up at a court hearing in Nashville Chancery Court on Nov. 30. Primary Wave has previously owned "significant interest" in Hall & Oates' catalogue for more than 15 years. Hall apparently alluded to his own disappointment in a 2021 interview: "Oh, in the early days, it got sold off for me and I didn't get the money," he said. In the same interview, he also told artists to retain their publishing rights: "all you have is that." On Nov. 23, Hall performed a string of Hall & Oates hits during a concert in Japan at Tokyo's Garden Theater despite his ongoing legal battle with Oates. In 2022, Hall described being in a duo as "annoying" to the <cite>Los Angeles Times,</cite> and told podcaster <strong>Bill Maher</strong> that "You think John Oates is my partner? He's my business partner. He's not my creative partner." - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 11/26/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/Dolly_Parton/images/Dolly_Parton11.gif" ALT="Dolly Parton" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Dolly Parton</strong>'s new star-studded rock-themed album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4FTN73N/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Rockstar</cite></a> has debuted at No. 1 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Top Album Sales Chart, giving the Country music queen her biggest sales week in the modern era. <cite>Rockstar</cite> bowed with 118,500 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 23, according to Luminate. Of <cite>Rockstar</cite>'s first-week sales of 118,500, physical sales comprise a little more than 96,000 (78,000 on CD, 18,000 on vinyl and a negligible sum on cassette) and download album sales comprise a little over 22,000. The album has also blasted in atop <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Top Country Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts, dated Dec. 2. The legend adds her ninth No. 1 on the former and her first on the latter. The LP was promoted as Parton's first rock album, and its recording was sparked by her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. The artist has primarily released country music in her nearly 60-year career, through has taken detours (with albums and/or songs) into such genres as Americana/folk, bluegrass, children's music, Christian, dance/electronic and pop. The album's first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across a variety of editions and formats, in addition to some non-traditional music retailers including Cracker Barrel, Dollar General and HSN. The album's CD edition was available in four editions -- a standard version and three variants, each with alternative cover art: for HSN, with three bonus tracks; a Dallas Cowboys version, and a Tennessee Volunteers edition with a bonus track. The latter two were tied to a pair of high-profile live TV performances from Parton: during the Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers football game on Nov. 19, and during halftime of the Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys football game on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23). Dolly dazzled the crowd during the latter event by appearing in a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader uniform. "Hello, Texas! Dolly does Dallas. How do you like my outfit?" Parton announced to the roaring crowd at Arlington's AT&T Stadium. "Hey, Cowboys and Commanders, stop fightin' long enough to sing along!" Her Thanksgiving halftime show can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/sFE6SNXoZuE">YouTube</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/27/23...... In a new interview with the UK edition of <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine, <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> revealed that he may never perform live again after a long string of medical procedures and surgeries. Osbourne said that though he hopes to return to the stage again one day, he might have to "accept the fact" that he might never get the chance to do so. "I'm taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will," he said. "But it's been like saying farewell to the best relationship of my life. At the start of my illness, when I stopped touring, I was really pissed off with myself, the doctors, and the world. But as time has gone on, I've just gone, 'Well, maybe I've just got to accept that fact.'" He continued: "I'm not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy. What's the f---ing point in that? I'm not going up there in a f---ing wheelchair. I've seen <strong>Phil Collins</strong> perform recently, and he's got virtually the same problems as me. He gets up there in a wheelchair! But I couldn't do that." Ozzy concluded: "If I can't continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi guys, thanks so much for my life.' That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man." In Sept. 2023, the former <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> frontman underwent what he said would be his "final surgery" after he had suffered a fall in 2019, which dislodged metal rods that were put into his body after a quad bike crash in 2003. Meanwhile, Osbourne recently told the UK paper <cite>The Sun</cite> that he has gone back to smoking weed as he fears he has only 10 years to live. The 74-year-old musician, who is afflicted with Parkinson's and pain from a string of surgeries, revealed his wife <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> recently told him off for puffing in a joint but he told her he does not think he has long left so it didn't matter. "I don't fear dying, but I don't want to have a long, painful and miserable existence. I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to Switzerland and get it done quickly," he said. "I saw my father die of cancer. I said to Sharon that I'd smoked a joint recently and she said, 'What are you doing that for? It'll kill you!' I said, 'How long do you want me to live for? At best, I've got 10 years left and, when you're older, time picks up speed.'" - <cite>NME/Music-News.com,</cite> 11/27/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/Cher/images/Cher37.gif" ALT="Cher" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Wowing the crowd during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on Nov. 23 was <strong>Cher</strong>, who turned the parade route into a dance club, performing on a silver stage flanked by dancers dressed like discofied toy soldiers. A troupe of silver-clad dancers also surrounded the stage and carried giant red hearts out for the grande finale. Cher performed "DJ Play a Christmas Song" from her brand new <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a> album, a yuletide club-banger that recalls one of the diva's biggest hits, 1998's "Believe," with its vocoder-assisted vocals and insistent beat. The holiday tune debuted at No. 3 on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart in October -- Cher's highest-peaking song on the chart -- while its parent album, <cite>Christmas,</cite> debuted atop <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Top Holiday Albums earlier in November. Fan shot footage of the performance can be viewed on <a href="https://twitter.com/TorelloSports/status/1727731871641993463">X/Twitter</a>. Meanwhile, Cher opened up about her long-anticipated memoir during a recent appearance on <cite>The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.</cite> Cher said she is now working on it again after "totally chickening out" on the endeavour in the past, and she found the process more challenging than anticipated. "I just totally chickened out," the singer told host <strong>Jimmy Fallon</strong>. "I didn't put in some things that needed to be put in. And they're not comfortable, but they need to be put in so I have to go back and man up." She continued: "I've lived too long and done too much and so it's like it should be the encyclopaedia." She then joked with the audience: "Not that you guys know what that is." Cher's interview can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/tDshqCw5_oY">YouTube</a>. - <cite>Billboard/NME,</cite> 11/23/23...... <strong>David Bowie</strong>'s handwritten lyric sheets for his <cite>The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars</cite> tracks "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and "Suffragette City" are estimated to potentially fetch up to £100,000 at auction when they go under the hammer during an Omega Auctions sale on Nov. 28. According to the letter of provenance, the page is from the final recording sessions of the album. Bowie allegedly gave the original owner the lyric sheets at Trident Studio, alongside some other pages of original lyrics, some of which have not survived. The letter of provenance also said the sheet was purchased by the current owner in the early 1980s, and loaned to the V&A in 2013 for an exhibition. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/26/23...... One of <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>'s iconic Hofner bass guitars from the 1960's that the former Beatle gifted to a music executive in the 1990's is up for auction at GottaHaveRockandRoll.com. A photograph accompanying this guitar shows McCartney playing the bass with a clear photo-match to the signature on the body of the guitar. The music legend has signed the body of the guitar, "Paul McCartney waz here." The gem can be viewed at <a href="https://www.gottahaverockandroll.com/The_Beatles__Holy_Grail__Paul_McCartney_s_Owned__P-LOT50693.aspx">GottaHaveRockandRoll.com</a>. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 11/27/23...... Meanwhile, it has been revealed that McCartney and <strong>Elton John</strong> are set to appear in the upcoming sequel to the classic 1984 "mockumentary" comedy <cite>This Is Spinal Tap</cite>. <strong>Rob Reiner</strong>, who directed the original film starring <strong>Christopher Guest, Michael McKean</strong> and <strong>Harry Shearer</strong>, confirmed various guest stars in the sequel during an appearance on the UK-based <cite>Leicester Square Theatre Podcast</cite> with host <strong>Richard Herring</strong>. Speaking on the podcast about the sequel, which was announced in May 2022, Reiner said: "We're going to start shooting in the end of February. Everybody's back. Paul McCartney is joining us, and Elton John. And a few other surprises, <strong>Garth Brooks</strong>." Along with directing the sequel, Reiner is set to reprise his role as filmmaker Marty DiBergi. McKean, Guest and Shearer will all return as the fictional metal band, comprised of David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls respectively. Regarding the plot, the sequel looks set to see DiBergi shoot a second film for the band in a bid for redemption. The <cite>Spinal Tap</cite> sequel was originally slated to be released in March 2024 to coincide with the original film's 40th anniversary. With filming set to begin in February, however, it's unclear when the sequel will be released. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/27/23...... In other <strong>Beatles</strong>-related news, the Fab Four's "Red" and "Blue" compilation albums have re-entered <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Top Album Sales chart (dated Nov. 25) at Nos. 6 and 5, respectively, following their expanded reissue on Nov. 10. The titles sold 22,000 and 24,000 in the week ending Nov. 16 in the U.S., according to Luminate. Each told sold less than 500 copies in the previous week. For both titles, it is their largest sales week since the week ending Dec. 24, 1994, when they sold 37,000 and 40,000, respectively. Upon their original release in 1973, the <cite>1962-1966</cite> album contained 26 songs, while <cite>1967-1970</cite> held 28 tunes. For the 2023 reissue, 21 songs were added to the two albums -- 12 songs on <cite>1962-1966</cite> and nine on <cite>1967-1970.</cite> The latter's additional cuts include the recently released new single "Now and Then," which debuted in the top 10 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 - marking the Fab Four's 35th top 10-charting hit. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/22/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Billy_Joel/images/Billy_Joel36.gif" ALT="Billy Joel" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Billy Joel</strong> recently told <cite>People</cite> magazine that he scored "cool dad points" after taking his daughters to a <strong>Taylor Swift</strong> concert in Tampa, Fla., back on March 15. "Oh, she's great. She's really very good," Joel told the magazine during his exhibit preview at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, which opened on Nov. 24 at the Stony Brook Village Center and features a <a href="https://www.limusichalloffame.org/billy-joel-exhibit">Billy Joel exhibit</a>, titled "My Life -- A Piano Man's Journey," in his honor. "We're going to probably go see her again." After Swift's concert, Joel took to Instagram to share a gallery of photos that included his wife, Alexis Roderick, and their two daughters, Della Rose, 8, and Remy Anne, 6. The Joel exhibit's designers said that approximately half of the exhibit's memorabilia came from Joel and the rest from fans when they learned it was planned. "It's a little overwhelming," Joel told the crowd. "Have you ever found yourself surrounded by you? It's kind of a nightmare," before concluding, "I guess I've lived." Joel added that he still plans on performing live after his the last show of his residency at Madison Square Garden ends in July 2024. "I'm not leaving [touring]. We'll still do the work -- we're just not going to keep working in the same place. We're going to different places." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/25/23...... On Nov. 24 <strong>Neil Young</strong> shared a video of himself performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on an electric guitar, urging viewers to "Stand For Peace." The track was shared for Thanksgiving 2023 and sees the Canadian-American songwriter share a <strong>Jimi Hendrix</strong>-style version of the US national anthem while standing next to an American flag. The video, which has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/RAH-MxpgjpI">YouTube</a>, was directed by Young's wife <strong>Daryl Hannah</strong> and concludes with "Be Brave" and "Stand For Peace" written on the screen. Despite being titled "Stand For Peace," it does not refer to any ongoing conflict in particular, however it does arrive just days after Young posted a separate statement to social media speaking against the conflict in Israel and Palestine. "For our many Palestinian friends and our many Jewish friends, we do need to start over in the present and release our terrible connections to the past," Young posted. "As bad as they are, they need to be forgotten so we can be free to move on in life together, all humanity, focused on saving our planet for future generations of all people." - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/24/23...... A court in Chile has ruled that <strong>Roger Waters</strong>' upcoming concerts in the country can go ahead, despite attempts to block them over accusations of antisemitism. The Representative Committee of Jewish Entities in Chile had sought to stop Waters' shows at the stadio Monumental in Santiago on Nov. 25 and 26 from taking place, citing what they describe as Waters' "history of incitement to antisemitic hatred." However, as reported by <cite>Cooperativa,</cite> the bid has been dismissed by Santiago's Court of Appeals, who ruled that "no facts have been mentioned that could constitute a violation of the constitutional guarantees." In response to the attempt to block the concerts, a group of over 60 Chilean artists wrote a letter to the country's Court of Appeals, imploring them to allow the shows to go ahead. Waters, who has repeatedly insisted he is not an antisemite, was recently the subject of a documentary, <cite>The Dark Side Of Roger Waters,</cite> which was produced by the Campaign Against Antisemitism and collates various incidents of alleged antisemitism perpetrated by the musician. The documentary makers put their findings to Waters but he reportedly did not respond. He has repeatedly denied all accusations of antisemitism and explained that his disdain is towards Israel, not Judaism. He also accused Israel of "abusing the term antisemitism to intimidate people like me into silence." - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/24/23...... <strong>Sir Tom Jones</strong> and rising UK singer <strong>Becky Hill</strong> have been confirmed for the UK's Forest Live 2024 festival in the summer of 2024. The Welsh music legend, 83, will headline High Lodge, Thetford Forest with support from <strong>Gabrielle</strong> on June 28, while UK chart-topper Hill heads to Delamere Forest on June 13. Rock legend <strong>Sting</strong>, 72, will top the bill on June 14, and <strong>Nile Rodgers and CHIC</strong> on June 15 at Delamere. The former is also playing Thetford on June 22. The concerts help raise funds for Forestry England to maintain beautiful natural areas. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 11/26/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/images/Marty_Krofft.gif" ALT="Marty Krofft" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">TV producer <strong>Marty Krofft</strong>, known for imaginative children's shows such as <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_09_9.html"><cite>H.R. Pufnstuf</cite></a> and primetime hits including <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_A-G.html#Donny and Marie"><cite>Donny and Marie</cite></a> in the 1970s, died of kidney failure on Nov. 25 in Los Angeles. He was 86. Mr. Krofft and his brother <strong>Sid Krofft</strong> were puppeteers who broke into television and ended up getting stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Along the way, they brought a trippy sensibility to children's TV and brought singing siblings <strong>Donny</strong> and <strong>Marie Osmond</strong> and <strong>Barbara Mandrell</strong> and her sisters to primetime. The Osmonds' clean-cut variety show, featuring television's youngest-ever hosts at the time, became a lasting piece of '70s cultural memorabilia, rebooted as a daytime talk show in the 1990s and a Broadway Christmas show in 2010. The Kroffts followed up with <cite>Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters,</cite> centered on the country music star; it ran from 1980-82. Like <cite>Donny and Marie,</cite> <cite>H.R. Pufnstuf</cite> proved to have pop culture staying power. Despite totaling just 17 episodes, the surreal show, featuring an island, a witch, a talking flute, a shipwrecked boy and a redheaded, cowboy boot-wearing dragon, came in 27th in a 2007 <cite>TV Guide</cite> poll ranking of all-time cult favorites. More than 45 years after the show's 1969 debut, the title character graced an episode of another Krofft brothers success, <cite>Mutt & Stuff,</cite> which ran for multiple seasons on Nickelodeon. The Canadian-born Krofft brothers first made their mark in television with <cite>H.R. Pufnstuf,</cite> which spawned the 1970 feature film <cite>Pufnstuf.</cite> Many more shows for various audiences followed, including <cite>Land of the Lost; Electra Woman and Dyna Girl; Pryor's Place,</cite> and <cite>D.C. Follies,</cite> in which puppets gave a satirical take on politics and the news. The pair were honored with a Daytime Emmy for lifetime achievement in 2018. They got their Walk of Fame star two years later. Sid Krofft said on Instagram that he was heartbroken by his younger brother's death, telling fans, "All of you meant the world to him." "I am so saddened by the passing of my dear friend, Marty Krofft," Donny Osmond posted in tribute to Mr. Krofft on Nov. 26. "His fingerprint is on generations of entertainment and the impact he's had in connecting people around the world is an astonishing legacy he leaves behind. Our best wishes and love go out to his family and loved ones. As Marie and I sang at the end of every show, 'May God keep you in His tender care, 'till He brings us together again.'" - <cite>AP,</cite> 11/26/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/images/Jean_Knight.gif" ALT="Jean Knight" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">'70s R&B star <strong>Jean Knight</strong>, best known for her funk hits <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_mrbigstuff.html">"Mr. Big Stuff"</a> and "Think It Over," died of natural causes on Nov. 22 in New Orleans. She was 80. Born Jean Caliste in New Orleans on Jan. 26, 1943, Ms. Knight began singing around town after graduating from high school and recorded her first single, a cover of <strong>Jackie Wilson</strong>'s "Stop Doggin' Me Around" in 1965, which got her a recording contract with the Jet Star/Tribe record label. Her climb to fame began when she met producer <strong>Wardell Quezerque</strong>; he took her to Jackson, Miss., where she recorded "Mr. Big Stuff," which became her first single and the title track from her debut studio album on Stax Records. The song earned a Grammy nomination for best female R&B vocal performance, and in July 1971, it reached the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it remained for five weeks; the song peaked at No. 2 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 the following month. The album itself reached a high of No. 60 on the <cite>Billboard 200</cite> in Sept. 1971. "Mr. Big Stuff" was used across films and covered many times, including in the 2005 movie <cite>Kinky Boots</cite> performed by soul singer <strong>Lyn Collins</strong>, and the 1994 Disney sports comedy-drama <cite>D2: The Mighty Ducks</cite> sung by <strong>Martha Wash</strong>. "She was the first person we appointed on the board when we took it over and we had a long relationship with her and she was just fabulous," said her friend and former Louisiana Music Commission director <strong>Bernie Cyrus</strong>. "She was always willing to get involved with good causes and help out." He continued: "'Mr. Big Stuff' -- it was just so universal. People remember it. And look, so many people covered it. But nobody did it like Jean." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 11/27/23.
<P>On Nov. 21, the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> announced the dates for an ambitious 16-date 2024 North American tour in support of their Grammy-nominated new album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a>. The core trio of <strong>Mick Jagger, Keith Richards</strong> and <strong>Ronnie Wood</strong> will be sponsored by the AARP and kick off on Apr. 28 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Tex. Other cities on the itinerary include New Orleans (5/2), Las Vegas (5/11), Seattle (5/15), Atlanta (6/7), Philadelphia (6/11), Denver (6/20), Chicago (6/27) and Los Angeles (7/10) before wrapping at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on July 17. Tickets will go on sale Dec. 1. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/21/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/Daryl_Hall/images/Daryl_Hall9.gif" ALT="Daryl Hall" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Axios.com reporter <strong>Nate Rau</strong> tweeted on Nov. 17 that <strong>Daryl Hall</strong> has been granted a restraining order against his former music partner <strong>John Oates</strong> in the midst of a confidential legal battle. "Members of the beloved pop rock duo <strong>Hall & Oates</strong> are locked in mysterious litigation," Rau posted. "Daryl Hall filed a lawsuit yesterday against John Oates in Nashville Chancery Court. At least for now, all of the filings in the litigation are under seal. Based on captions for the filings in the chancery clerk's system, a business trust is at the center of the dispute." Although very little information about the lawsuit is publicly available due to it being sealed, UltimateClassicRock.com is reporting that Hall "sued in his official capacity as trustee of the Daryl Hall Revocable Trust, naming Oates and fellow co-trustees Aimee Oates and Richard Flynn from the John W. Oates TISA Trust as defendants. Summons were issued on November 20, after the proceedings were placed under seal on November 16." Per <cite>Variety,</cite> the Nashville Chancery Court confirmed the lawsuit but did not comment further due to the lawsuit being sealed. Neither Hall or Oates have spoken about the lawsuit or shared any statement in regards to it. The platinum-selling duo have always had a weird relationship. In 1985, <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> described their relationship as "strange" with journalist <strong>Lynn Hirschberg</strong> writing that the pair "are a cross between business partners and brothers... Hall doesn't seem to really like Oates, and Oates seems removed, even distant, from the entire Hall and Oates organization." - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/22/23...... <strong>Rod Stewart</strong>, who is preparing to release a new album about his "latest passion" -- swing music -- says if his new swing collaboration with <strong>Jools Holland</strong> proves popular enough, he is looking to head back to Las Vegas for a special run of shows. "If I go back to Vegas -- and I'd like to -- if the album's a big success, maybe I could do a swing show, big band stuff," the 78-year-old Sir Rod told the <cite>Daily Star</cite>'s Wired column. Stewart added he finds live performing "highly addictive," although he's not the biggest fan of "sitting in hotel rooms" waiting for the next gig. "That two hours on stage is the most potent drug you can imagine. It's highly addictive. It's all the bloody in between time I don't like, sitting in hotel rooms. Although when I am sat around like that, I build my model railroad so that I'm not idle." Indeed, there was a time where his model railway hobby almost took over his future as a legendary musician. He recalled: "My dad was the first person who bought me a model railroad but also the first to buy me a guitar instead of a part for my train set. When I was young I said, 'Dad, I don't want a guitar -- I want that signal." After a date at The Colusseum at Caesars Palace in Vegas on Nov. 23, Stewart will return to the venue in 2024 for three dates in July and four dates in August. In February, he has gigs set for Thackerville, Okla., Gary, Ind., Hollywood, Fla., Tampa, Fla. and Jacksonville, Fla. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 11/21/23...... <strong>Rush</strong> guitarist <strong>Alex Lifeson</strong> joined the alternative band <strong>Tool</strong> on stage in Toronto on Nov. 20 for a surprise performance. As Tool wrapped up their North American headline tou two shows in Toronto earlier in the week, the band invited Lifeson, who grew up in the city, to the stage for a rendition of their song "Jambi." The performance also included Rush's "A Passage To Bangkok"' intro and guitar solo from their 1976 album <cite>2112.</cite> Footage of the surprise performance has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/hiZ2RZHgyI4">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/22/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/L/Lonnie_Jordan__War_/images/Lonnie_Jordan3.gif" ALT="Lonnie Jordan" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Among the music gems being released on Record Store Day on Black Friday (Nov. 24) is <strong>WAR</strong>'s <cite>The World Is a Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition.</cite> The <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spwar1.html">original album</a>, which was the top-selling album of 1973, has been remastered and repackaged as a deluxe, five-LP boxed set curated by founding WAR member/lead singer <strong>Lonnie Jordan</strong>, the band's longtime producer <strong>Jerry Goldstein</strong>, and <strong>Jeremy Levine</strong>. Limited to only 4000 copies, the set is comprised of the original 1972 album, featuring the gold-certified hits "The World Is a Ghetto" and "The Cisco Kid," six previously unreleased session bonus tracks and unreleased "the making of" recordings that reveal the origins of the album's six tracks. The original album (which topped the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 and R&B album charts) and bonus tracks are pressed on two gold-vinyl LPs; the making of tracks on three black-vinyl LPs. "War Is Coming," one of the bonus tracks, will also be available digitally on Black Friday. The entire project is being released through Rhino and Avenue Records/Far Out Productions. "[WAR] practically invented their own genre while addressing race, class issues and more," music reporter <strong>Adam Weisller</strong> said during a recent symposium with Jordan and Goldstein at the Grammy Museum. "They had people on their feet every night." Describing the Long Beach, Calif.-based WAR as a "universal street band," Jordan noted that the group "refused to be political... we just wanted to let people know what was going on outside of their box. We were their internet then. We were waging war against war, but we didn't shoot bullets. We shot rhythms and harmonies." Currently, three of WAR's surviving original core members -- <strong>Howard E. Scott, Lee Oskar</strong> and <strong>Harold Brown</strong> -- perform as the <strong>Lowrider Band</strong>. Lonnie Jordan continues to perform under the WAR moniker. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/21/23...... <strong>Pink Floyd</strong>'s <strong>David Gilmour</strong> has collaborated with the English electronic music group <strong>The Orb</strong> on a new project that lets fans reimagine their own versions of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C97M58CZ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Metallic Spheres in Colour</cite></a>, a newly released remix album from The Orb and Gilmour, based on their 2010 ambient album <cite>Metallic Spheres.</cite> The new remixing tool is by generative AI company Vermillio, which allows fans to type out how the music makes them feel and create a unique album cover based on their feelings. Plus, it can also generate a personalized version of one of the album tracks based on a few parameters: the unique album cover, mood, and tempo. "Fans in today's world are shifting from just consumption to creation. They want to co-create," says <strong>Dan Neely</strong>, co-founder and CEO of Vermillio, which can be achieved through creating remixes, covers, TikTok videos, or using generative AI. "The good news is ambient music has been a place where co-creation has existed for a while -- DJs have always looked to music like this. It's a good collaboration to start with." For now, these custom tracks based are limited to 30-second snippets that can be shared on Vermillio's website with other fans, but the team is considering giving fans the option to purchase a download of the full track in the future. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/21/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/N/Neil_Young/images/Neil_Young51.gif" ALT="Neil Young" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Neil Young</strong> says he's swearing off X/Twitter as he takes a firm stand against the popular social media platform's current owner, <strong>Elon Musk</strong>, after Musk recently urged Palestinian and Jewish people to band together in light of the war between Israel and Hamas. "We are stopping all use of X that we can control," Young wrote in a statement posted to his NeilYoungArchives.com website on Nov. 20. "For reasons that should be obvious to the richest man on Earth, we are taking action against his company." The post featured an image of Musk with the text "Tesla should fly flags of love, not hate" written over the billionaire's face. The statement continued: "For our many Palestinian friends and our many Jewish friends, we do need to start over in the present and release our terrible connections to the past. As bad as they are, they need to be forgotten so we can be free to move on in life together, all humanity, focused on saving our planet for future generations of all people." The statement comes after the tech mogul approved of a Nov. 17 tweet that accused Jewish people facing antisemitism due to the Israel-Hammas war of furthering the "exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them" and supporting "hordes of minorities" to become immigrants. Musk replied, "You have said the actual truth." Also joining Young in a boycott of X/Twitter is <strong>Gene Simmons</strong> of <strong>KISS</strong>. Simmons announced his departure on Nov. 18 by simply <a href="https://twitter.com/genesimmons/status/1725999596458103082">sharing on X</a>: "Friends, I've decided to end my X/Twitter posting. From now on find me on: instagram.com/genesimmons, tiktok/@genesimmons and threads.net/genesimmons." - <cite>Billboard/NME,</cite> 11/20/23...... Speaking of <strong>KISS</strong>, co-founding vocalist/guitarist <strong>Paul Stanley</strong> posted a message of himself in a hospital bed with an IV to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz9dgOxuLyh/">Instagram</a> on Nov. 22 with a caption saying: "Toronto And Ottawa, I've done everything possible to get onstage and be a part of the incredible 2 1/2 hour celebration we planned but this flu has made it impossible. Along with Gene, Tommy and Eric couldn't be more disappointed and send our deepest apologies." The New York shock-rockers were forced to cancel their final ever Toronto show after tanley continued to deal with the flu. That cancellation came after KISS also axed a show scheduled for the previous evening in Ottawa due to Stanley's illness. Refunds for both the Toronto and Ottawa shows will be available and there will be no rescheduling either concerts as KISS plans to end their farewell tour at New York's Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2. - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 11/22/23...... A video clip of legendary British pop singer <strong>Cliff Richard</strong> has gone viral after the musician recalled passing on an opportunity to meet <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> due to the King of Rock & Roll's weight gain in the late '70s. Interviewed on the UK daytime TV show <cite>This Morning with Alison Hammond</cite>, Richard was asked if he'd ever met Elvis, to which he responded by telling the story of his "one chance" to meet the music legend. He recalled a journalist with connections to Presley who wondered if he would like to meet him. However, he chose to put off meeting the rock'n'roll legend because he'd "put on a lot of weight," adding: "I thought, if I'm having a photograph taken with him and it's gonna be hanging on my refrigerator, he's gotta look good." He added: "And I put it off, and of course then he died." Richard then said that anyone should take the chance to meet someone they're a fan of, "even if they've put on weight." One fan posted on social media that the interview, which can be viewed on <a href="https://twitter.com/iamjonnyharvey/status/1726926504465224140">X/Twitter</a>, was "one of the most awkward, jaw-dropping things I've ever seen on TV." Richards is promoting a new memoir, <cite>A Head Full of Music</cite>, and new album, <cite>Cliff with Strings - My Kinda Life.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/21/23...... There is speculation that <strong>AC/DC</strong> will tour Europe in 2024 after Munich, Germany mayor <strong>Dieter Reiter</strong> accidentally let slip to a reporter that the Aussie rockers will be performing at the city's Olympic Stadium on June 12, 2024. "I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret," Reiter said after inadvertently leaking the date of the AC/DC concert during a city council meeting. If the show is confirmed by AC/DC and goes ahead next summer, it will mark their first performance in Europe since their slot at Dusseldorf Espirit Arena in June 2016 -- back when <strong>Axl Rose</strong> was acting as frontman for the band. It will also mark their first show since they made their comeback at the huge Power Trip festival in Indio, California back on October 7. The slot saw the band close out the second of three nights at the rock festival, and featured a massive 24-song set with <strong>Brian Johnson</strong> and <strong>Cliff Williams</strong> returning to the line-up. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/21/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/Tom_Waits/images/Tom_Waits7.gif" ALT="Tom Waits" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"<strong>Tom Waits</strong> is set to join <strong>Iggy Pop</strong> for a rare UK radio interview, which will span two hours on BBC 6 Music. The discussion will mark one of the first new interviews the iconic American singer-songwriter has taken part in during recent years, and will see him co-host a special show with punk veteran Pop. Taking place on Dec. 3, the show will air on BBC Radio 6 Music between 4pm and 6pm. It will also see the two converse about their time in the music industry, share anecdotes from their personal lives and spin some of the famous tracks that have influenced them over the years. Waits has rarely stepped into the public eye to discuss his music career since he released his last studio album, <cite>Bad As Me,</cite> back in 2011. Since then he has also celebrated the 50th anniversary of his 1973 debut LP <cite>Closing Time</cite>buy sharing a new vinyl reissue. He played one of his last live shows back in 2008, taking place in a tent venue in Dublin named the Rat Cellar. However, in the time since then, he turned his focus towards an acting career, appearing in such films as <cite>The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs</cite> (2018), the star-studded action film <cite>The Book Of Eli</cite> (2010) and the 2021 film <cite>Licorice Pizza.</cite> As for Iggy Pop, the punk icon released his latest studio album <cite>Every Loser</cite> in early 2023. His 19th full-length studio release, it featured contributions from <strong>Chad Smith</strong> of <strong>Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duff McKagan</strong> of <strong>Guns N' Roses,</strong> and <strong>Blink 182</strong>'s <strong>Travis Barker</strong>, among others. More recently, he joined forces with <strong>Trevor Horn</strong> to share a gritty cover of the <strong>Depeche Mode</strong> classic track, "Personal Jesus." - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/21/23...... <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> has revealed that she sent a "love note" to <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> and <strong>Ringo Starr</strong> asking them to contribute to a cover of the <strong>Beatles</strong> classic "Let It Be" for her new album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4FTN73N/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>RockStar</cite></a>. "I just sent them a love note through their managers, and I just said what I was doing. And I said, 'I didn't want to put you on the spot, but I'd love to have you sing with me on my rock album. And if you're interested, call me at this number'," Parton said in an interview with National Public Radio. "And [they] said, yes, we'd love to, and I was very honored and very proud and very humbled by that." A video for Dolly's version of "Let It Be" can be streamed on <a href="https://youtu.be/dXW-p4nKdDA">YouTube</a>. Meanwhile, the Beatles have launched an official Christmas sweater ahead of the festive season through their Apple Corps Ltd. company. It pays homage to the band's iconic <cite>Abbey Road</cite> album cover, with the Fab Four wearing red Santa hats as they stride across the crossing near Abbey Road Studios in London. As described in a press release, the top is also "set in a winter wonderland surrounded by a snowscape scene and traditional Fair Isle Christmas motifs with The Beatles logo above" and the "subtle and stylish grey knit is finished with red sleeves and hems for a festive touch." UK Christmas sweater dealer Notjust clothing and Earth Merch have teamed up with Apple Corps to launch the new ethically-made jumper to celebrate the release of the Beatles' latest No. 1 hit "Now And Then." Priced at £44.99, the jumper is available now at the <a href="https://notjustclothing.co.uk">Notjust clothing site</a>. In still more Fab Four news, Ringo Starr has dispelled the "terrible rumours" of <strong>John Lennon</strong> not singing on "Now and Then." Speaking with the AARP, the famous drummer also took a moment to dispel some rumors about the track's creation. "There were terrible rumors that it's not John, it's A.I., whatever bullshit people said," she said. "Paul and I would not have done that. It's a beautiful song and a nice way to finally close that door." "Now and Then" has become the group's first <cite>Billboard</cite> Top 10 since 1996. - <cite>New Musical Express/Billboard,</cite> 11/22/23...... One of <strong>Eric Clapton</strong>'s legendary guitars has fetched one of the highest prices for a guitar at auction ever. Slowhand's 1964 Gibson SG Les Paul Standard guitar -- named "The Fool" -- was sold for $1.27 million (£1.03 million) at a sale conducted by Julien's Auctions. The six-string instrument was sold as part of the three-day music auction event "Played, Worn and Torn: Rock N' Roll Iconic Guitars and Memorabilia" at the Hard Rock Café in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 16. Per <cite>Guitar World,</cite> the custom-painted psychedelic guitar is the same '64 SG that Clapton played when he and his <strong>Cream</strong> bandmates were creating their second LP, <cite>Disraeli Gears</cite>. The instrument was painted by the Dutch art collective from whom the SG got its name, and became an influential emblem of the psychedelic era as well as a symbol of the "Summer of Love" in 1967. According to Planet Rock, Clapton gifted the guitar to <strong>George Harrison</strong> following the disbandment of Cream. Harrison then passed it down to his Apple Records label mate <strong>Jackie Lomax</strong>. It was also owned by <strong>Todd Rundgren</strong> in the 70s and 80s who gave it the nickname "Sunny" after Cream's track "Sunshine of Your Love," until he sold it at auction in 2000. The axe was purchased by renowned memorabilia collector <strong>Jim Irsay</strong>, and a portion of the proceeds of "The Fool" will go towards Kicking The Stigma, The Indianapolis Colts and Irsay Family's mental health awareness initiative. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/20/23...... In related news, <strong>Dire Straits</strong> frontman <strong>Mark Knopfler</strong> has announced he's selling off 120 of his guitars, also for good causes. Knopfler's guitars, with estimates ranging from 300 to 500,000, will be sold at Christie's in London on Jan. 31, and the non-profits that will benefit from the sales include the British Red Cross, Tusk and Brave Hearts Of The North East. Knopfler, 74, said: "I'll be sad to see them go, but we've had wonderful times together and I can't play them all." He added: "It's exciting having those guitars that figured so big on that record be in the sale. Each one brings back loads of memories. If you would have asked me 20 years ago I'd have thought, No way! But I'm happy now that they're going to different homes." The axe expected to fetch the most, a whopping 300,000-500,000, is the 1959 vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard which the "Money For Nothing" hitmaker used on tours in 2001 and 2008. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 11/22/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/Gladys_Knight/images/Gladys_Knight14.gif" ALT="Gladys Knight" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">R&B legend <strong>Gladys Knight</strong> has announced she's extending her UK Farewell Tour, due to overwhelming public demand. A second date has been added Southend at the Cliffs Pavilion on July 4 and shows at Eastbourne Congress on July 6, and the Bristol Beacon on July 8. Knight's UK farewell tour already includes dates in Glasgow, Birmingham, London, Swansea, Bournemouth, Nottingham and Southend. The 79-year-old "Empress of Sou" is expected to play all her classics during her tour including standout gem <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_midnighttraintoga.html">"Midnight Train to Georgia,"</a> which was voted one of <cite>Rolling Stone</cite>'s greatest songs of all time. She's also set to play new material from her latest album <cite>Where My Heart Belongs.</cite> The icon will be joined by guest <strong>Mica Miller</strong>, 33, one of the UK's most critically acclaimed modern soul stars. Tickets for the recently added shows go on sale on Nov. 24. On Dec. 9, Knight launches an 11-city US tour in Phoenix, wrapping in Lincoln, Neb. on June 8. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 11/21/23...... Former <strong>First Lady Rosalynn Carter</strong>, a true life partner to <strong>Pres. Jimmy Carter</strong> who helped propel him from rural Georgia to the White House in a single decade and became the most politically active first lady since <strong>Eleanor Roosevelt</strong>, died on Nov. 19 in Plains, Ga. She was 96. The Carter Center in Atlanta announced the politically active former First Lady's death. It had disclosed on May 30 that Mrs. Carter had dementia. "She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones," a statement by the center said at the time. On Nov. 17, the center said she had entered hospice care at home. Jimmy Carter, 99, the longest-living president in American history, has also been in hospice care at their home, but so far he has defied expectations. The Carter Center had announced in February that he was stopping full-scale medical care "after a series of short hospital stays," and his family was preparing for the end. But he has hung on -- and celebrated his most recent birthday on Oct. 1. Although <strong>Bess Truman</strong> may have lived a bit longer than Rosalynn Carter, Mrs. Carter lived more years after her husband left office, and had a much higher profile. She is scheduled to be buried in Plains on Nov. 29. - <cite>The New York Times,</cite> 11/19/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-75244033672397025682023-11-13T09:22:00.000-08:002023-11-18T17:26:18.052-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on November 18th, 2023</b>
<P><strong>Bob Geldof</strong>, co-organizer of the legendary 1985 Live Aid benefit concert, has revealed their are plans to release a new Live Aid IMAX film. Recently speaking at the EnergaCamerimage cinematography film festival, Geldof reflected on his career as a concert organizer and frontman of the <strong>Boomtown Rats</strong> before revealing that an IMAX film about Live Aid could be on the way to cinemas soon. "As the media landscape spreads through streaming, etc., the need for content grows, I know for a fact that they're looking at doing an IMAX film on Live Aid, and there's a Disney series -- four-part or six-part series -- on Live Aid, and there's a musical about Live Aid at the end of January in opening in London," he said. "So, that stuff will just continue." Live Aid, held in two different venues on July 13, 1985 -- Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia -- was attended by a total of about 161,000 fans, and an estimated 1.9 billion peple from across 130 couintries watched the TV broadcast. Geldof, along with ex-<strong>Ultravox</strong> singer <strong>Midge Ure</strong>, organized the concert to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. A 20th anniversary event called Live 8 was held in 2005 at venues in G8 countries and South Africa. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 11/18/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/images/Chris_Stein2.gif" ALT="Chris Stein" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Blondie</strong> guitarist/songwriter <strong>Chris Stein</strong> announced details of a new memoir, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250286727/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Under a Rock</cite></a>, on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzrnLmJrQ0r/">Instagram</a> on Nov. 16. "OK here we go. I've been working on this memoir for two years and it'll show up allegedly in 2024," Stein said, adding he "wrote the whole... thing myself" and "it's got a lot of weird ass stuff that actually happened even if it might seem made up... I'm quite looking forward to people interacting with it." Described as a "no-holds-barred" memoir, a synopsis from publisher Macmillan added: "[Blondie frontwoman] <strong>Debbie Harry</strong> defined iconic band Blondie's look. Chris Stein her performing partner, lover, and lifelong friend was its architect and defined its sound.... Chris Stein knows how to tell a story. <cite>Under A Rock</cite> is his nothing-spared autobiography. It's about the founding of the band, ascending to the heights of pop success, and the hazards of fortune." Harry has written the foreword for the book, which will hit stores on June 12, 2024. This summer, Stein announced the news of his daughter Akira's tragic death in a Facebook post, revealing that she died from a drug overdose in May. Stein has been absent from tours with Blondie over the last year, including a slot on the Pyramid Stage at the UK's Glastonbury 2023 festival, due to what he described as "a dumbass condition called Atrial Fibrillation or AFib which is irregular heart beats and combined with the meds I take for it I'm too fatigued to deal." - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/17/23...... In a rare public remark from the stage during his concert at New York's Beacon Theatre on Nov. 16, <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> offered up unequivocal support for <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine <strong>Jann Wenner</strong>, who was bounced from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame foundation's board of directors in September after making sexist/racist remarks in a <cite>New York Times</cite> interview. "All right, like to say hello to Jann Wenner who's in the house. Jann Wenner, surely everybody's heard of him," Dylan can be heard saying in a recording <a href="https://twitter.com/TheFM_Dylan/status/1725406718916440113">tweeted out</a> by the Dylan.FM Podcast of his comments to the crowd at the show. "Anyway, he just got booted out of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame -- and we don't think that's right, we're trying to get him back in." Wenner sparked a huge backlash when he told the <cite>Times</cite> that women were not "as articulate enough on this intellectual level" about rock music and that Black artists "just didn't articulate at that level" in an interview about his new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316571059/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>The Masters</cite></a>. He later apologized, admitting they "diminished the contributions, genius, and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks." <cite>Rolling Stone</cite>, whose president and CEO is Wenner's son, <strong>Gus Wenner</strong>, has issued a statement amid the controversy distancing itself from the RS founder. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/17/23...... <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> has shared a video for "World on Fire," her first single from her new rock-themed album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4FTN73N/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>RockStar</cite></a>, on <a href="https://youtu.be/MLIGxNZeW78">YouTube</a>. Her 30-track LP clocks in at over two hours, with nine original tracks and nearly two dozen cover songs, and features contributions from the likes of <strong>Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Elton John, John Fogerty, Miley Cyrus, Pink</strong> and <strong>Lizzo</strong>, among many others. Dolly recently remarked on the power of her voice on many of the recordings: "When you think of rock, you've got to do it with passion [and] power. I've always had a good range and fairly good pitch, so I knew that my voice would open up to it. I thought, 'Well, if I screw this up, I've screwed up big time because I've got to do it good.' I wanted the rock artists, the rock field, to be proud of me if I was going to do it." The famously buxom superstar also nixed any plans to run for president of the US, quipping "I think we've had enough boobs in the White House." <cite>RockStar</cite>, which dropped on Nov. 17, can be streamed in full on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2thjKwqPvHo5SWzSzudVB2">Spotify.com</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/17/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/John_Denver/images/John_Denver5.gif" ALT="John Denver" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Nov. 17, the estate of <strong>John Denver</strong> released <cite>The Last Recordings,</cite> a collection of new masters of some of the biggest hits recorded by soft-spoken singer before his death in a late 1997 plane crash at age 53. Late in his career, Denver had become alienated from his longtime label RCA Records, calling them "an organization of pure opportunists" in his autobiography <cite>Take Me Home</cite> and declaring the label "not only lacked interest in promoting my albums, they were no longer interested in releasing them." With backing band regulars such as bassist <strong>Alan Deremo</strong> and the late guitarist <strong>Pete Huttlinger</strong>, Denver created new masters for the old songs, to be owned exclusively by his indie label, Windstar Records. Windstar put the songs out as a limited-edition European album, but they never came out officially in the US until the release of <cite>The Last Recordings</cite>. "It's always a good time to release what we have," says <strong>Amy Abrams</strong>, who co-manages Denver's estate. "John would have been 80 this year. We recently passed 25 years since he passed away. We want to make sure fans have access to those recordings." Abrams says Denver's estate, which includes his children Zak Deutschendorf, Anna Kate Hutter and Jesse Belle Denver, has a "fine working relationship" these days with RCA and its parent company, Sony, which has put out box sets such as 2011's 25-disc <cite>John Denver: The RCA Albums Collection.</cite> The most striking thing about <cite>The Last Recordings</cite> is Denver's voice -- deeper and a touch more gravelly than the one on his '70s hits. "He lost a lot of the boyish quality that his voice had early on," bassist Deremo says. "It ripened into a really full, beautiful-sounding instrument." Denver released his final RCA studio album <cite>All Aboard!</cite>, a collection of train-song covers that came out shortly before his death, in 1997. The album won a Grammy for best musical album for children in Feb. 1998, his only Grammy win. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/16/23...... In a new interview with TheMessenger.com, <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong>'s son <strong>Jack Osbourne</strong> said his dad will never tour again. "I don't think he'll tour again," Jack said, adding: "But he's gunning to do one-off shows -- like festivals, gigs, things like that. He's not done yet." Ozzy's last full concert was in 2018, and the following year he suffered a fall, which dislodged metal rods that were put into his body after a quad bike crash in 2003. He was also diagnosed with Parkinson's in early 2020. Ozzy had announced his retirement from touring in Feb. 2023, calling off his scheduled European and UK tour dates in the process. Later that month, however, he said that he hoped to return to the stage at some point in the future. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/16/23...... Late <strong>Motörhead</strong> frontman and bassist <strong>Lemmy Kilmister</strong> may be honored with a statue in his birthplace of Burslem, Stoke-On-Trent, UK, if his statue plans are approved by the Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Kilmister was born on Dec. 24, 1945 in Burslem, one of the towns that is part of the city of Stoke-On-Trent in Staffordshire, prior to him and his family moving to Newcastle-under-Lyme. The majority of his childhood was spent in Wales before founding Motörhead in 1975. Lemmy's statue would be created by North Staffordshire sculptor <strong>Andy Edwards</strong> -- the same artist who created the world-famous <strong>Beatles</strong> statue on Liverpool's waterfront -- and be placed in Burslem's Market Place. Lemmy began his career in the late 60s and worked as a roadie for <strong>Jimi Hendrix</strong> before joining the space rock band <strong>Hawkwind</strong> in 1971. He sang lead vocals for their hit "Silver Machine," and was sacked from the band in 1975 after an arrest over alleged drug possession. That same year, he went on to create Motörhead. The metal band reached its peak in the 1980s with their hit UK single "Ace of Spades" and their chart-topping live album <cite>No Sleep 'til Hammersmith.</cite> Kilmister passed away in 2015 at the age of 70 just two days after he revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/16/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/Ray_Davies/images/Ray_Davies15.gif" ALT="Ray Davies" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a new interview with <cite>New Musical Express</cite>, former <strong>Kinks</strong> frontman <strong>Ray Davies</strong> recalled being shot almost 20 years ago, and explained that he now has some sympathy for the gunman. In 2004, Davies was involved in a shooting in New Orleans when he and a female friend were walking home from dinner. A mugger attacked them both, threatening the woman with a gun before taking her handbag and piling into a getaway car. Davies chased after the assailant, who turned, aimed the gun and shot him in the leg at point-blank range, leading him to be hospitalized for a short time. NME asked Davies how it felt to relive the incident in his 2013 memoir <cite>Americana: the Kinks, the Road and the Perfect Riff.</cite> In response, he said it was a "cathartic" experience because he "didn't feel like the good guy" when he replayed the scene on the page. "Just before he shot me, he looked afraid -- and he had a gun. You know, I was thinking of the world he came from, the challenges in his life... It's utter desperation." Davies also spoke about a potential of a full reunion of The Kinks, and revealed that they have enough material to create "about 20" new songs. As for the prospect of a full-blown comeback, Davies told NME that the idea remains "in the lap of the gods," and would only come to fruition if they could lock in "a show that gives us the credit we deserve." - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/15/23...... <strong>Gene Simmons</strong> has said <strong>KISS</strong>' farewell tour is the "end of the road for the band, not the brand" and hinted at what's to come. During a new interview with 519 Magazine, the musician explained that the group's imminent retirement doesn't necessarily mean the end, and teased some other potential KISS-related projects. "This tour is the end of the road for the band, not the brand," he told the outlet. "KISS is a universe of its own -- movies, merchandise, maybe even Broadway. The band will end, but the KISS experience it's immortal." He continued: "It's the end of touring. You're very smart in seeing that. We are the hardest-working band on stage. I've got 40 pounds of armor and all the rest of it and seven-inch platform heels. Each of the dragon boots weighs as much as a bowling ball. Physically, it's tough to do that." He went on to acknowledge the possibility of KISS continuing the music side of their career in a different style, given the band's elaborate and demanding stage persona. I could do it into my [old age], like The <strong>[Rolling] Stones</strong> if I was like <strong>Keith [Richards]</strong>, not <strong>[Mick] Jagger</strong>, because Jagger keeps pushing the limit," Simmons said. "But you could put on a comfortable pair of sneakers and a t-shirt and strum your guitar; you wouldn't have to break your back." He added: "If any of these -- The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, or whoever -- had to put on my outfit, spit fire, and do that on seven-inch platform heels for two hours, they'd break their back." - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/16/23...... <strong>AC/DC</strong> fans have launched a campaign to try and get the band to a Number One UK single for Christmas 2023. A push to get the Aussie headbangers to the Number One spot on the charts in time for Christmas was first launched in 2013 when fans created a campaign to get their track "Highway To Hell" to the top position to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Created on the AC/DC We Salute You page on Facebook, the push led to the 1979 classic reaching Number Four, becoming the band's first-ever Top 10 single in the UK. Now, 10 years on, the people behind the page have announced a new campaign to mark half a century since the iconic metal band formed, hoping this time that they can get one of their tracks to top the 2023 charts. "In 2013 we all came together to celebrate 40 years of AC/DC by giving them their highest ever UK Singles Chart placing 'Highway To Hell' at No.4," an update from the page reads. "Well, we're going to choose another track and see if we can get 3 places higher for their 50th anniversary. Are you in? If so join this group and invite everyone," it added, "Big Balls to Ladbaby!" It's not yet clear which song from AC/DC's discography will be the one chosen to push for the peak position on the charts, although "Back in Black," "Touch Too Much," "Thunderstruck," "Mistress For Christmas" and "Hells Bells" are among the top fan suggestions. After taking a hiatus from playing for seven years, AC/DC made their live comeback at the huge Power Trip festival in California in October. It remains unclear whether the band have any plans to continue performing live in 2024. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/15/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/Richard_Carpenter/images/Richard_Carpenter8.gif" ALT="Richard Carpenter" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Richard Carpenter</strong> has announced he's set to thrill UK fans of the legendary pop duo <strong>Carpenters</strong> by telling the stories behind the group's hits on stage for the first time. Carpenter, 77, says he'll hit the road in the UK from September 2024, and be both performing and sharing tales of how the group's biggest songs were created. Richard -- who was left devastated by the death of his bandmate sister <strong>Karen Carpenter</strong> aged 32 in 1983 after her nightmarish battle with anorexia -- said about his upcoming <cite>An Evening With Richard Carpenter</cite> shows: "After too long an absence, I'm very much looking forward to performing for the UK audiences once again." A press release announcing the tour said: "Richard will share anecdotes and reflections on how he and his late sister, Karen Carpenter, took the world by storm, becoming one of the most successful duos in music history -- as well as performing these iconic and timeless songs." First performing together as a duo in 1966, during their 14-year career the Carpenters won three Grammys and were nominated for 15 of the awards. A total of 10 of the Carpenters' singles were million-sellers, and by 2020 combined worldwide sales of the duo's albums and singles well exceeded 150 million copies. Tickets for <cite>An Evening with Richard Carpenter - UK Tour 2024</cite> are available from www.tdpromo.com or venue box offices. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 11/14/23...... A selection of the <strong>Beatles</strong>' catalog has been added to YouTube Shorts for the first time. In total, 75 songs from the legendary band's recently reissued greatest hits compilations "The Red Album" and "The Blue Album" are now available on the platform, with the aim of introducing "a new generation of fans to the incredible history of one of the most important bands in modern music, opening up a whole new way for fans to creatively engage with their catalog." Also available on YouTube shorts is the recent single "Now And Then," the last track to feature all four Beatles members. The single, which was released Nov. 2, has topped the UK Charts 60 years after their first Number One. It is the band's 18th Number One single, with the last being 1969's "The Ballad Of John And Yoko." This feat means that the band now boast the longest period between an artist's first and last Number One single -- with their first being "From Me to You"' in May 1963 (60 years and six months ago). Previously, <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> held the record with 47 years and six months between his 1957 hit "All Shook Up" and a reissue of "It's Now or Never" that was released in 2005. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/13/23...... As she continues to promote her new holiday album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a>, <strong>Cher</strong> has announced a live in-person event for fans in London this December. The pop icon will participate in an <cite>In Conversation</cite> event at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on Dec. 1. The discussion -- hosted by Greatest Hits Radio's <strong>Ken Bruce</strong> and Magic Radio's <strong>Harriet Scott</strong> -- will see Cher discuss highlights from her career and her <cite>Christmas</cite> album, along with a Q+A. Recorded primarily in LA and London, <cite>Christmas</cite> was produced by Cher's longtime collaborator <strong>Mark Taylor</strong>, who worked with the singer on her 1998 hit album <cite>Believe.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/13/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/images/George_Brown.gif" ALT="George Brown" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>George Brown</strong>, the <strong>Kool & the Gang</strong> drummer who gave the iconic funk-rock band its propulsive, infection beats, died on Nov. 17 after a battle with cancer, a Universal Music Enterprises spokesperson announced. He was 74. Brown -- whose nickname was "Funky" -- was one of seven school friends from Jersey City, N.J., who came together in 1964 as an instrumental-only jazz and soul group calling itself the <strong>Jazziacs</strong>. Other members included <strong>Robert "Kool" Bell</strong> on bass, brother <strong>Ronald Bell</strong> on keyboards and <strong>Charles Smith</strong> on guitar. Eventually renaming themselves Kool & the Gant, they signed to De-Lite records and released their first LP, the all-instrumental <cite>Kool and the Gang,</cite> in 1970. By 1973, they incorporated emerging disco trends in its sound, cracking the U.S. Top 10 with "Jungle Boogie" in 1973 and "Hollywood Swinging" in 1974. After a period of decline, they roared back in 1979 with top-10 hits "Ladies Night" and "Too Hot" and the following year reached No. 1 -- their only song to top the chart -- with "Celebration." Other hits include "Get Down on It," "Fresh," "Cherish" and "Joanna." Brown has co-written many of the band's iconic songs, including "Ladies Night," "Too Hot," "Jungle Boogie," "Celebration" and "Cherish." When asked to describe his music, Brown always replied, "The sound of happiness." <strong>Nile Rodgers</strong> of <strong>Chic</strong> posted on <a href="https://twitter.com/nilerodgers/status/1725544228674224175">X/Twitter</a> that his "heartfelt condolences go out to (Brown's) family, friends and the funk." Brown, who released a memoir this year titled <cite>Too Hot: Kool & the Gang and Me,</cite> is survived by his wife, Hanh, and children Dorian, Jorge, Gregory, Jordan, Clarence and Aaron. Donations can be made in his honor to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America. - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 11/17/23...... <strong>Stephen Kandel</strong>, a prolific TV screenwriter whose work over four decades in television spanned <cite>Sea Hunt</cite> to <cite>Star Trek, Batman</cite> to <cite>Barnaby Jones</cite> and <cite>Mannix</cite> to <cite>MacGyver,</cite> died on Oct. 21 of natural causes in his Boston apartment, his daughter Elizabeth Englander has announced. He was 96. Mr. Kandel also wrote multiple episodes of such shows as <cite>The Millionaire, The Rogues, Gidget, I Spy, Ironside, The Wild Wild West, It Takes a Thief, Dan August, The New Mike Hammer, Mission: Impossible, Room 222, The Magician, Medical Center, Cannon, Hawaii Five-O</cite> and <cite>Hart to Hart.</cite> Born in New York City on Apr. 30, 1927, Stephen David Kandel was the son of <strong>Aben Kandel</strong>, a writer on films including <cite>Manhattan Moon</cite> (1935) and <cite>I Was a Teenage Werewolf</cite> (1957). Raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Los Angeles, Stephen Kandel graduated from high school at age 16, served in Germany with the U.S. Army during World War II and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1950. He then wrote the screenplays for the films <cite>Singing in the Dark</cite> (1956), <cite>Magnificent Roughnecks</cite> (1956) and <cite>Frontier Gun</cite> (1958). He shared a Humanitas Award for the 1979 NBC telefilm <cite>Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love,</cite> a drama about an autistic child that starred James Farentino and Kathryn Harrold. And in retirement, he wrote a 2020 political-themed book, <cite>The Lyin' King: A Tragical Tale of Tawdry Trumpery.</cite> Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Anne; and children Jessica, Anthony, Elizabeth and Joanna. His late sister was Beat Generation poet <strong>Lenore Kandel</strong>. - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 11/13/23.
<P>A leather jacket worn by <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> in a 1984 Pepsi New Generation commercial has sold for £250,000 ($306,000) in an auction conducted by memorabilia dealer Propstore. The jacket had been expected to fetch between £200,000-£400,000 at the Propstore London auction on Nov. 10. It was among more than 200 pieces of music memorabilia sold, alongside a <strong>George Michael</strong> jacket and a hairpiece that belonged to <strong>Amy Winehouse</strong>. Elsewhere in the auction, a Gibson guitar that belonged to <strong>AC/DC</strong>'s <strong>Angus Young</strong> did not sell, nor did a limited edition <cite>Yellow Submarine</cite> <strong>Beatles</strong> jukebox. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/13/23...... <strong>KISS</strong> announced on Nov. 10 that the final night of their farewell tour at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2 will be livestreamed on a pay-per-view basis and is set to stream exclusively on PPV. The livestream will begin at 8:00 pm ET, meaning that fans can watch the show in real-time. No further details about the show have been shared, although the band said that it "promises to be a massive event." "50 years of Rock 'n' Roll. 1 Final Show," the band wrote on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzbfPasOQVD/">Instagram</a>, announcing the livestream event with a teaser trailer- which showed clips of their elaborate live performances. "Rock out with @kissonline one last time! Their final concert ever, LIVE." First announced back in 2019, then put on due to the pandemic, KISS's "End Of The Road" shows are the latest of the impressive number of farewell tours the band have embarked on over the years, the first of which took place 23 years ago. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/10/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Rush4.gif" ALT="Rush" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a new interview with <cite>The Washington Post,</cite> <strong>Rush</strong> bassist/vocalist <strong>Geddy Lee</strong> says he'd be open to a Rush reunion with Rush guitarist <strong>Alex Lifeson</strong>. Fans assumed Rush had broken up for good after the death of Rush drummer <strong>Neil Peart</strong> in 2020 before quietly battling brain cancer for three years. During tribute for late <strong>Foo Fighters</strong> drummer <strong>Taylor Hawkins</strong> in Los Angeles and London, Lee and Lifeson played Rush songs alongside a host of musical friends including the Foo's own <strong>Dave Grohl</strong> and other musicians from <strong>Tool</strong> and <strong>Red Hot Chili Peppers</strong>, about which Lee explained: "It was nice to know that if we decide to go out, Alex and I, whether we went out as part of a new thing, or whether we just wanted to go out and play Rush as Rush, we could do that now." Lee added that "It had been a taboo subject. And playing those songs again with a third person was the elephant in the room, and that kind of disappeared." Following Peart's death, Lee seemed to suggest that Rush's touring days were definitely behind them, and Lifeson reiterated that as recently as July. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 11/13/23...... American broadcast, podcast and radio streaming platform iHeartRadio announced on Nov. 10 that a bevy of rock icons including <strong>Cher</strong> and <strong>Elton John</strong> will take over its Adult Contemporary and Classic Hits stations nationwide and its iHeartRadio app on Nov. 22 as it begins its annual flip to holiday music on more than 85 stations across the US. Hosted by <strong>Mario Lopez</strong>, the two-hour special event will also feature interviews with <strong>Train, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Meghan Trainor, Rob Thomas</strong> and <strong>Ryan Tedder</strong> of OneRepublic discussing their favorite holiday songs and traditions. "Listeners look forward to that special day when we convert so many of our stations to Christmas music because it means that the holiday season has really started," said <strong>Tom Poleman,</strong> chief programming officer for iHeartMedia, in a press statement. Cher has recently released her first ever holiday album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a>, and John is celebrating the 50th year of his jingly yuletide single "Step Into Christmas." iHeart's North Pole Radio will be hosted by <strong>Santa Claus</strong> and feature a message line where kids can leave Christmas wishes for Jolly Old Saint Nick himself. To find all of iHeart's generous Christmas music options, including Country, Jazz, R&B and Rock, you can search "iHeart Holiday" in the iHeart app. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/10/23...... The <strong>Grateful Dead</strong> has tied <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> and <strong>Frank Sinatra</strong> for the most career top 40-charting albums in the 67-year-old history of the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart. The band achieves its 58th top 40 album with its latest live archival release, <cite>Dave's Picks, Volume 48: Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 11/20/71,</cite> as the set debuts at No. 33 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> 200 dated Nov. 11. The three-CD album, part of the band's continuing live archival release series, captures a previously unreleased show recorded at the university's Pauley Pavilion on Nov. 20, 1971. The collection also includes bonus live material recorded at an Oct. 24, 1970, concert at the Kiel Opera House in St. Louis. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/8/23...... In another amazing <cite>Billboard</cite> chart feat, the <strong>Beatles</strong> and the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> have appeared together in the Top 10 of a <cite>Billboard</cite> chart 59 years after first appearing on the tally for the week of Dec. 12, 1964. On that date, the Beatles' "I Feel Fine" rose to No. 5 from No. 22 in its second week on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 singles chart, jumping over the Stones' "Time Is on My Side," which held at No. 6. Now the two iconic bands are together again in the top 10 of a <cite>Billboard</cite> ranking, with the Beatles' "Now and Then" debuting at No. 9 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, dated Nov. 18, 2023, with the Stones' "Angry" reaching a new high of No. 6 in its ninth week on the list. "Now and Then" marks the Fab Four's first time in the Top 10 of a radio ranking since "Free As a Bird" debuted and peaked at No. 8, in the song's lone week in the top 10, on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart dated Dec. 9, 1995. "Now and Then" also marks the Beatles' first Top 10 song on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/10/23...... In other <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> news, guitarist <strong>Keith Richards</strong> has revealed that he and his bandmates have "plenty more material" and will keep making albums until they "drop." In an interview with SiriusXM NPR, Richards said: "There's plenty more stuff left over from <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> to work on. There'll always be another one until we drop. We can put our feet up for a little bit, but you know. You're into this thing all the way. This is what we do. We've gotta see this Rolling Stones through." During the interview, Richards also shared that he has no plans to stop performing because he still "loves it", adding: "It keeps me on my toes and keeps my fingers moving. And I'm still finding different ways of playing things. Even though you're getting to be around 80, believe me, it don't stop." The Stones recently released their 24th LP <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a>, their first album in 18 years, which earned the No. 1 spot on the UK charts and the No. 2 spot on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Top Rock charts upon its release. The band recently became the first act with Top 10 albums in each decade since the '60s. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/8/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/L/images/Led_Zeppelin.gif" ALT="Led Zeppelin" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The mystery behind the identity of the man on the iconic album cover of <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong>'s 1971 LP <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/ledzeppelin1.html"><cite>Led Zeppelin "IV"</cite></a> has been resolved. The image of a grey-bearded man stooping over, a bundle of thatched wood on his back and a walking aid propping him up, has been an enigma ever since the album was released 52 years ago, but now an academic in Wiltshire has uncovered the origins of the photograph. <strong>Brian Edwards</strong>, a visiting research fellow at the University of the West of England, says the man in question is a Wiltshire thatcher named Lot Long, who was born in Mere, Wiltshire in 1823, and died in 1893. The photograph was taken in the late-Victorian era. According to <cite>The Guardian,</cite> Edwards came across the original image while curating an exhibition at the Wiltshire Museum. The show in question displayed artifacts relating to the public and cultural history of the county, and while searching for early photographs of Stonehenge, he came across the familiar image. "Led Zeppelin created the soundtrack that has accompanied me since my teenage years, so I really hope the discovery of this Victorian photograph pleases and entertains [surviving Led Zep members] <strong>Robert [Plant], Jimmy [Page] </strong> and <strong>John Paul [Jones]</strong>," Edwards said. The identity of the man in the painting had been a mystery since the album's original release on Nov. 8, 1971. Led Zep frontman Robert Plant is believed to have purchased a copy of the photograph from an antique shop near guitarist Jimmy Page's house in Pangbourne, Berkshire. Lot Long, who is sometimes referred to as Lot Longyear, was believed to be a widower at the time the photograph was taken, living in a small cottage in Shaftesbury Road, Mere. The photograph was discovered in an album titled <cite>Reminiscences of a visit to Shaftesbury. Whitsuntide 1892. A present to Auntie from Ernest.</cite> The Ernest in question is the photographer, <strong>Ernest Howard Farmer</strong> (1856-1944). <cite>Led Zeppelin "IV"</cite> has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide, and was ranked as the 58th greatest album of all time in a 2020 <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine poll. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/8/23...... The <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSMH3SDW/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">limited edition Barbie doll</a>, which arrived to buyers on Nov. 10, sold out almost instantly when it was first announced in early October. Nicks, 75, revealed that a tambourine-toting doll fashioned after her 27-year-old self would be released by Mattel during a show at Madison Square Garden, and she later announced the news on X/Twitter. Nicks and her team worked directly with Mattel on the doll's design. There were several iterations of the face and outfit, with the team ultimately styling it after Nicks' iconic look from the cover of <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong>'s 1977 classic, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/fleetwoodmac3.html"><cite>Rumours</cite></a>, and Nicks even sent the actual outfit she wore on the album cover to Mattel for accuracy. The doll -- already selling for more than twice its sticker price on the secondary market -- isn't likely to generate vast revenue and wasn't intended to, however it's lifting all areas of Nicks' business. "It wasn't as much about a financial win as much as it was about marketing," says <strong>Jeff Straughn</strong> of Primary Wave, which acquired a majority stake in Nicks' publishing copyrights as well as her name and likeness in 2020. The real benefit is the buzz that's lifting all parts of Nicks' and Primary Wave's businesses. Straughn reports that streams of Nicks' music have gone up since the doll's announcement, and that it has brought multiple queries about synching her work for other campaigns. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/9/23...... In other Nicks-related news, <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> has revealed to <cite>The Hollywood Reporter</cite> that her song "What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done to Me" duet with Stevie from her upcoming <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4FTN73N/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Rockstar</cite></a> album was originally written as a song for <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong>. Speaking of the track, Parton said: "Our song, 'What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done to Me', she [Nicks] said, 'This a song I wrote back when we were in the heat of our stuff It's a song I love but they didn't think it was good enough to be on a record.' She said, 'I have an old demo of it. Can we do this one, because I wrote it about someone I was involved with that was also in the rock 'n' roll field when we had an affair?'" Parton continued: "She wrote that about their relationship because they had fun about it. 'What has rock 'n' roll ever done for you?' They said, 'Well, everything,' because they were both famous and rich. She just said, 'I just love this song. I'd like to do it just to commemorate that time in my life and that person.' We talked about stuff like that." Parton's new album <cite>Rockstar</cite> (out Nov. 17) is a 30-track compilation of new songs and covers of classics like <strong>Heart</strong>'s "Magic Man," <strong>Prince</strong>'s "Purple Rain," <strong>The Rolling Stones</strong>' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and many more. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/7/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Barbra_Streisand/images/Barbra_Streisand17.gif" ALT="Barbra Streisand" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In her new memoir <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525429522/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>My Name Is Barbra</cite></a> (out Nov. 7), <strong>Barbra Streisand</strong> digs deep into her past, from her childhood in Brooklyn spent yearning to please her mother to her big Broadway break and award-winning turns in films like <cite>Funny Girl,</cite> <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#The Way We Were"><cite>The Way We Were</cite></a> and <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#A Star Is Born"><cite>A Star Is Born</cite></a>. There are also musings on her personal life, including a flirtation with <strong>Marlon Brando</strong> ("About three hours into the conversation, he looked into my eyes and said, 'I'd like to f--- you.' I was taken aback. 'That sounds awful,' I said. After a moment of thought, he said, 'Okay. Then I'd like to go to a museum with you.' 'Now that's very romantic. I'd like that,' I said."), a romance with former Canadian prime minister <strong>Pierre Trudeau</strong>, an eight-year marriage to <strong>Ellliott Gould</strong> (with whom she shares son <strong>Jason Gould</strong>, 56) and finally, lasting love with actor <strong>James Brolin</strong>, her husband of 25 years. Nine hundred and ninety-two pages may seem a hefty weight for a memoir, but when you consider all the lives Barbra Streisand has lived, it makes sense. Already, the book has gained the label of a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon, as well as a 4.6 star rating, in the first week of its release. - <cite>People,</cite> 11/20/23...... Deadline.com is reporting that <strong>Bruce Dickinson</strong> of the heavy metal band <strong>Iron Maiden</strong> has signed on to star in an <strong>ABBA</strong>-inspired zombie-themed horror flick, titled <cite>Bjorn of the Dead.</cite> The movie will center on an ABBA tribute band who get trapped in a nightclub with other tribute acts just as an apocalypse starts. "Bjorn and his band must work together to save themselves, humanity, and the future of music," according to a press release. The Iron Maiden frontman is one of several famous faces from the rock and metal scene to appear in Bjorn Of The Dead, according to Deadline, although no other names have been announced at the time of writing. <cite>Bjorn of the Dead</cite> was written by Dickinson's son, Austin, who is also a rock vocalist for the London bands <strong>As Lions</strong> and <strong>Rise To Remain</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/10/23...... As a historical biopic of 19th century French emperor <strong>Napoleon Bonaparte</strong> with <strong>Joaquin Phoenix</strong> in the titular role hits US theaters on Nov. 22, <strong>Black Sabbath</strong>'s original manager <strong>Jim Simpson</strong> has said that the use of Sabbath's "War Pigs" in the trailer for <cite>Napoleon</cite> was a "perfect" use of the song. When the trailer for the film (available on <a href="https://youtu.be/LIsfMO5Jd_w">YouTube</a>) was released this summer, it featured Sabbath's anti-war song, "War Pigs,", which was released on the band's second studio album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spblacksabbath4.html"><cite>Paranoid</cite></a> in 1970. Jim Simpson recently told Westside BID that using "War Pigs" in the trailer was "absolutely perfect." "In the trailer for a film set more than 200 years ago, you can hear a crystal-clear <strong>Ozzy [Osbourne]</strong> singing <strong>Geezer</strong>'s <strong>[Butler]</strong> lyrics in the anti-war song 'War Pigs': 'Generals gathered in their masses, just like witches at black masses' and it sounds absolutely perfect," he said. "Like Beethoven, Mozart and all of the other great composers, you can imagine Sabbath's made-in-Birmingham music will still be played and appreciated in 200 or more years' in the future, too." Meanwhile, Ozzy's wife <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> recently revealed that she is opening an Ozzy museum in the singers's hometown of Birmingham, UK. "He's having all of his awards [in the museum], all his stage clothes, posters, old posters from [the pre-Black Sabbath band] <strong>Earth</strong> days. I've got so much memorabilia," she said on a recent <cite>The Osbournes</cite> podcast. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/10/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/images/Mei_Xiang.gif" ALT="Mei Xiang and Tian Tian" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In April 1972, the United States received its first giant pandas, named "Hsing-Hsing" and "Ling-Ling," from China after <strong>Pres. Richard Nixon</strong> told then-Chinese premier <strong>Zhou Enlai</strong> that he loved animals. Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling received national acclaim and attention during their 20-year stay, to be succeeded by "Mei Xiang" and "Tian Tian," and their 3-year-old cub "Xiao Qi Ji," at Washington, D.C.'s Smithsonian National zoo. The presence of pandas in the US came to be understood as a symbol of goodwill between China and the US, or what some call "panda diplomacy." The pandas remained in the US under a loan agreement with their Chinese counterparts, until the agreement expired this year and zookeepers reluctantly began preparing the animals for their return to China. On Nov. 8, the pandas were transported on a 19-hour flight to a panda reserve in Chengdu, which is in China's Sichuan province, traveling on a Boeing 777F plane called the "FedEx panda express." Panda experts told the <cite>New York Times</cite> the animals had reached the age when they should return to China. "They are at the age when they should be in China," said <strong>Melissa Songer</strong>, a conservation biologist at the National zoo. "I don't want to have a panda pass away outside of China." The departure of Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji means that the Atlanta zoo will be the only zoo in the US with the popular giant pandas, and they are set to return to China in 2024. The National zoo says it plans to ask Chinese officials for a new pair of pandas, though there is some speculation that rising tensions between the US and China may prevent another agreement from going into effect. - <cite>The Guardian,</cite> 11/8/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-63760187774347796602023-11-03T04:45:00.005-07:002023-11-10T11:47:35.429-08:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on November 3rd, 2023</b>
<P><strong>Willie Nelson</strong> has announced an all-star 90th birthday TV special set to air on Dec. 17 on CBS and begin streaming the same day on Paramount+. Featuring performances from <strong>Beck, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Norah Jones, Miranda Lambert, Dave Matthews, Keith Richards</strong>, and the man of honor, <cite>Willie Nelson's 90th Birthday Celebration</cite> will be hosted by <strong>Jennifer Garner, Chelsea Handler, Woody Harrelson, Ethan Hawke, Helen Mirren</strong> and <strong>Owen Wilson</strong>. Nelson, who hit his latest milestone birthday on Apr. 30, announced the news during a recent appearance on <strong>Stephen Colbert</strong>'s <cite>The Late Show.</cite> "I'm ready for it," he tells Colbert, with a confirmation on <cite>The Late Show</cite>'s <a href="https://twitter.com/colbertlateshow/status/1720297369974317358">X/Twitter page</a> on Nov. 3. A multi-part documentary on Nelson, titled <cite>Willie Nelson & Family,</cite> premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. On Mar. 3, he released his latest album, <cite>I Don't Know a Thing About Love,</cite> which highlighted songs written by Harlan Howard, on Sony's Legacy Recordings. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 3. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/3/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Bruce_Springsteen/images/Bruce_Springsteen57_w74_.gif" ALT="Bruce Springsteen" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> made a surprise appearance at the annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit event, held at the David Geffen Hall in New York, on Nov. 6. During the charity event, the Boss performed the live debut of his new song "Addicted To Romance," fan-shot footage of which has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/x9yF9JoECbk">YouTube</a>. The event usually consists of live music performances and live sets from comedians to raise funds for US vets, and Springsteen usually appears at the event to try his hand at some stand-up comedy, however, with him being on tour with the <strong>E Street Band</strong> this year, he was not scheduled to appear at the 2023 instalment. Instead, Indiana-based rocker <strong>John Mellencamp</strong>, was tapped to headline the event. However, since Springsteen was forced to cancel his remaining 2023 tour dates back in September due to a peptic ulcer, he caught fans off-guard by making a surprise appearance on the night. "I'm going to bring out one of the best songwriters of our generation, and he's my big brother, and I've looked up to him my whole life," Mellencamp told the audience, introducing Springsteen to the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Springsteen." From there, Springsteen proceeded to play a brief five-song set for the crowd at the charity event, and even broke out the first-ever live performance of his recently released track "Addicted To Romance." The track is a soundtrack song that Springsteen recorded alongside <strong>Bryce Dessner</strong> of <strong>The National</strong> and the Nov. 6 rendition marked its first-ever live performance. Springsteen, between performances of "Power of Prayer," "Working on the Highway" and "Dancing in the Dark," also served up in-between-song "ribald, double-entendre jokes" as he's done in the past. Meanwhile, veteran rock photographer <strong>Lynn Goldsmith</strong> is preparing to release her second book of photos showcasing Springsteen and his band, this one from the singer's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spspringsteen3.html"><cite>Darkness On the Edge of Town</cite></a> period. <cite>Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Darkness On the Edge of Town</cite> features photos from her time with the band back in 1978, when had unprecedented access to Springsteen and cohorts such as guitarist <strong>Steven Van Zandt</strong>, the late saxophonist <strong>Clarence Clemons</strong> and manager <strong>Jon Landau</strong>, all of whom she captures in intimate, surprising moments. Springsteen and his E Street Band is scheduled get back on the road beginning Mar. 19 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ. "We're gonna come back stronger than ever in March," Van Zandt recently told <cite>People</cite> magazine. "It was a very, very intense first six months of the tour -- maybe our most intense ever. And so we're gonna come back with that same intensity, and it's gonna be great," he added. - <cite>New Musical Express/Billboard,</cite> 11/7/23...... <strong>Elton John</strong> has teamed up with Marmite -- a savory spread made from yeast extract and fortified with B vitamins that's especially popular in the United Kingdom -- to launch a limited-edition jar, with proceeds being donated to the Elton John AIDs Foundation. On Nov. 6, Sir Elton, re-shared an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzTA_bQo84P/">Instagram post</a> from Marmite's official Instagram page which depicts the new the new limited-edition jar featuring artwork inspired by the cover of John's iconic 1973 album, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/johnelton6.html"><cite>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</cite></a>, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. "We're back and ready to spread the love with a new ELTON JOHN LIMITED-EDITION Marmite jar in partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation," read the caption. "Our latest collaboration celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' album and is available to buy now in Sainsbury's stores across the UK," it adds. In the update, the company also confirms that the new jar "marks the start of a THREE YEAR, $1 million partnership" between Marmite and the Elton John AIDs Foundation, which will run until 2025 and continue to "ensure ongoing support for individuals impacted by HIV." Meanwhile, the Rocket Man has revealed that he has completed a new album with the help of his longtime songwriting partner <strong>Bernie Taupin</strong>. Elton announced the news the news at the recent 2023 <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/faq_rockrollhalloffame.html">Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame</a> Ceremony class of 2023 induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Nov. 3, which saw Taupin inducted after nearly 60 years of collaborating with Sir Elton. "Our success story is what it is, you all know. Through the years we grew and we grew and we grew," John noted as he inducted Taupin. "We climbed mountains that we never thought were possible to climb, and we scaled heights that we never thought were possible to scale. And throughout that time, we never ever really had an argument. He was disgusted with my behavior, yes, that's a given. But to this day, we are still growing as a partnership," he added. John then confirmed that the duo have just completed a new album together in Los Angeles. The full speech can be streamed on <a href="https://youtu.be/X6tKh3PkiXA">YouTube</a>. Others inducted into the Class of 2023 that night include <strong>Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Rage Against the Machine, Willie Nelson, George Michael</strong> and <strong>The Spinners</strong>. <strong>Jimmy Page</strong> also made a surprise appearance to induct the late Link Wray in the Musical Influence category. Page appeared in a video montage about the power chord pioneer, calling Wray his "hero" and saying, "if ever there was a guitarist who deserved this, it was Link Wray." But when the lights came up and the <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong> legend was on stage in the flesh, the crowd went crazy. Busting into "Rumble," Wray's iconic instrumental, Page looked happy as hell playing a song he's loved his whole life on a double-necked guitar. The 2023 RRHOF ceremony was streamed live, for the first time ever, on Disney+, and is still available on-demand. Audio from the ceremony streamed live on Apple Music 1. An edited broadcast of highlights will be aired in the US on network TV on ABC on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2024, from 8-11 p.m. ET. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/6/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/Joe_Walsh/images/Joe_Walsh16.gif" ALT="Joe Walsh" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Joe Walsh</strong> has lived life in the fast lane for nearly six decades as a member of various rock groups -- including, most famously, the <strong>Eagles</strong> -- but his favorite lineup yet is the one he's put together for his 2023 VetsAid benefit concert for veterans. Taking place Nov. 12 in San Diego, the show will feature performances from bands like the <strong>War on Drugs</strong> and the <strong>Flaming Lips</strong>, as well as Walsh, who launched VetsAid in 2017. "It's the same love and energy as an Eagles show," says the singer, 75, who was 20 months old when his dad died in a plane crash while serving as a flight instructor for the Air Force. Giving back has been a light at the end of a long tunnel for Walsh, who went through struggles with alcoholism and cocaine addiction in the '70s and '80s. Sober since 1994, Walsh credits wife <strong>Marjorie Bach</strong> (whom he married in 2008) with helping him stay grounded. And his Eagles bandmates -- he's currently on the Long Goodbye tour with them -- keep things fun. "I'm so blessed," he says. "We play our asses off, and everybody goes home happier." The band has also announced dates for a 22-date European stadium run beginning in May 2024. - <cite>People,</cite> 11/13/23...... <strong>Roger Waters</strong>, in a new interview with journalist <strong>Glenn Greenwald</strong> that has gone viral, says he still isn't ready to condemn Hamas following the terrorist group's brutal attack and murder of more than 1,400 Israeli citizens on Oct. 7, and accuses Israel of "making up stories." "Didn't the Israeli army hear the bangs when (Hamas) blew up whatever they have to blow up to get across the border?," the 80-year-old former <strong>Pink Floyd</strong> bassist/vocalist asked. Asked if what Hamas did on that day "can be justified," he defiantly replied: "We don't know what they did do. Was it justified for them to resist the occupation? Yeah They are legally and morally bound to resist the occupation since 1967. It's an obligation." During the nearly 10-minute-long chat, which can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/0-WSb23wdLI">YouTube</a>, Waters wouldn't describe Hamas' attack, which included the murder of more than 260 attendees at a music festival, as "war crimes". "Probably the first 400 (killed) were Israeli military personnel," he alleged, and added he believes the reporting of the incident "was thrown out of all proportion by the Israelis making up stories about beheading babies." "They even got the president of the United States to claim that he had seen photographs of the beheaded babies," Waters said, noting that <strong>Pres. Joe Biden</strong> admitted later that he didn't. "What we do know is, whether it was a false flag operation or not whatever story we're going to get to, we don't know if we're ever going to get much of the real story They're calling it their 9/11. What the hell happened on the American 9/11? No one knows." Waters is in the midst of his "This Is Not a Drill" tour, which wraps in December, and comes with a stern warning before the music starts: "If you're one of those, 'I love Pink Floyd, but I can't stand Roger's politics' people, you might do well to f--- off to the bar right now." - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 11/7/23...... Halloween hits are back on the latest <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 chart (dated Nov. 11) thanks to annual gains for spooky songs around the Oct. 31 holiday. <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>'s classic "Thriller" is the highest Halloween-sparked reentry at No. 21 with 14.5 million U.S. streams (up 163%), 10.9 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 464%) and 5,000 downloads (up 102%) for Oct. 27-Nov. 2, according to Luminate. This is the sixth consecutive year in which "Thriller" has reentered the Hot 100. It peaked at No. 4 during its initial chart run in 1984. <strong>Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers</strong>' "Monster Mash" follows at No. 38 with 11.9 million streams (up 213%), 4.4 million radio impressions (up 1,923%) and 4,000 sold (up 82%). This is the third consecutive season that the graveyard smash has revisited the chart. It spent two weeks at No. 1 during its original run in 1962. <strong>Ray Parker Jr.</strong>'s "Ghostbusters" reenters the Hot 100 at No. 45 with 11.1 million streams (up 168%), 5.9 million radio impressions (up 1,484%) and 4,000 sold (up 97%). This is the third consecutive year that the song has returned to the survey, thanks to Halloween gains. The theme to the 1984 blockbuster film of the same name spent three weeks at No. 1 during its original chart run that year. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/7/23...... In other chart action, the <strong>Beatles</strong>' "final song" "Now and Then" has debuted at No. 1 on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Digital Song Sales chart dated Nov. 11. In the Oct. 27-Nov. 2 tracking week, "Now and Then" sold 16,000 downloads in the U.S., according to Luminate. The song also starts at No. 1 on Rock Digital Song Sales, and is Fab Four's first leader on each retail ranking. (The band's digital catalog was first made available in the iTunes Store in Nov. 2010.) Elsewhere, "Now and Then" starts at Nos. 7 and 11 on the multi-metric Hot Rock Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts, respectively, with its sales and airplay also augmented by 2.3 million official U.S. streams Nov. 2. "Now and Then" is also heading for a U.K. No. 1 based on sales and streaming data captured from the first 48 hours in the chart week. It's in the pole position, outselling the rest of the top 5 combined, the Official Charts Company reports. If it holds its spot, "Now And Then" will become the band's 18th U.K. chart-leader, and their first in 54 years, since "The Ballad of John and Yoko" topped the weekly tally back in 1969. Meanwhile, Oscar-winning director <strong>Peter Jackson</strong>, who has directed and shared the official "Now and Then" video on <a href="https://youtu.be/APJAQoSCwuA">YouTube</a>, has suggested that more new music from The Beatles is "conceivable." Looking back at his time working on both the "Now and Then" and 2022 <cite>Get Back</cite> eight-hour docu-series projects, Jackson said that he thinks it is "conceivable" that more new music from the band could be developed. "We can take a performance from <cite>Get Back,</cite> separate <strong>John [Lennon]</strong> and <strong>George [Harrison]</strong>, and then have <strong>Paul [McCartney]</strong> and <strong>Ringo [Starr]</strong> add a chorus or harmonies," he recently told London's <cite>Sunday Times,</cite> reflecting on the series which saw him sift through 60 hours of footage and 150 hours of audio. "You might end up with a decent song," he added. "But I haven't had conversations with Paul about that." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/6/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Mark_Knopfler/images/Mark_Knopfler8.gif" ALT="Mark Knopfler" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Former <strong>Dire Straits</strong> bassist <strong>John Illsley</strong> has revealed to the U.K. paper <cite>The Telegraph</cite> that Dire Straits have urned down "huge amounts of money" to reform the band in recent years. Speaking about recent meetings he has had with the band's former manager <strong>Paul Crockford</strong>, Illsley said: "Every time we have lunch, [he] says to me, 'I wish people would stop offering me huge amounts of money to put [Dire Straits] back together.'" Dire Straits split briefly in 1988 for two years before permanently calling it a day in 1995, releasing a total of six studio albums. Illsley says he was "pretty happy" when the band's run came to an end, recalling feeling "mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted" by the time they finally disbanded. "Most of our marriages were falling apart, we weren't seeing our children very much -- it was all wrong. It's the usual things that can happen to people in bands," he continued. Dire Straits won four Grammys and three Brit Awards, and their 1985 album <cite>Brothers in Arms</cite> is the eighth best-selling album of all time in the UK. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide and in 2018, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2008, Illsley revealed that he had approached Dire Straits frontman <strong>Mark Knopfler</strong> about the possibility of reforming the band, but was rebuffed. "I think we've definitely got one more tour left in us, and probably another record too," Illsley said at the time. "But he's [Knopfler] doing different kinds of music now. He's doing incredibly well as a solo artist, so hats off to him. He's having a perfectly good time doing what he's doing." Knopfler continues to record solo material and is known for his work on film scores, including <cite>Local Hero</cite> (1983), <cite>The Princess Bride</cite> (1987) and <cite>Wag the Dog</cite> (1998). - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/5/23...... A life-size sculpture of <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> has been unveiled in the rock legend's hometown of Birmingham -- made entirely of cake. The extravagant homage depicts the former <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> frontman sitting upon his throne, eyes wide in a satanic grin, his finger outstretched at passers-by. The sculpture is part of this year's Cake International show at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, with <strong>Jane Lashbrook</strong> the cake artist that has brought the Prince of Darkness to life in sweet form. Other famous figures that have been modelled at the exhibition include <strong>King Charles</strong> and the cast of Netflix show Stranger Things. An announcement of the sweet concoctions can by viewed on the National Exhibition Centre's <a href="https://twitter.com/PA/status/1720499757943070797">X/Twitter page</a>. In other Ozzy-related news, his son <strong>Jack Osbourne</strong>'s has admitted his youngest daughter, 15-month-old <strong>Maple Osbourne</strong>, is scared of her grandpa. Talking on the latest episode of the Osbourne family's <cite>The Osbournes Podcast,</cite> Jack revealed that Ozzy recently told his son, "Bring the grandkids to come and see me!" To which a laughing Jack replied, "I f----ing will... she's scared of you IRL (in real life)." "We put on (Ozzy's song) 'Crazy Train', like an actual performance," Jack says. "She does the 'I, I, I,' but she's pointing a the TV going 'Papa, Papa, Papa, Papa, Papa', just on repeat like a broken record. But in real life when she sees him and she's like, "Oh f----, there he is. Ahh!" - <cite>NME/Music-News.com,</cite> 11/3/23...... <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>'s ex-wife <strong>Priscilla Presley</strong> has had her settlement with granddaughter actress <strong>Riley Keough</strong>, concerning her daughter <strong>Lisa Marie Presley</strong>'s estate, approved by the courts. The settlement states that Priscilla can now be buried as close to her ex-husband Elvis Presley as possible at the Graceland estate when she dies, and that her son <strong>Navarone Garibaldi</strong> can participate in the memorial ceremony. "Riley agrees to allow Priscilla to be buried upon her death in the Meditation Garden of Graceland. The burial location will be at the location closest to Elvis Presley without moving any existing gravesite," reads the official settlement. As reported by <cite>Rolling Stone,</cite> the agreement has been confirmed in a probate court in Los Angeles County, and signed off by a judge, thereby avoiding a potentially long and costly legal battle. In addition, Priscilla is set to receive a $1 million (810,000) payment from Lisa-Marie's $25 million (£20.2 million) life insurance trust, as well as $100,000 a year for the next ten years for her services as "special advisor" to Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. The settlement further states that Keough "agrees to use her best efforts to ask Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., or any successor thereof, not to pursue litigation against Priscilla related to her name, image and likeness." The pair also agreed that Riley would be made the sole trustee of Lisa Marie's estate and own the Memphis, Tenn. mansion. Priscilla Presley's life has been dramatised in the new film <cite>Priscilla,</cite> directed by Sofia Coppola. The film was released in the US on Nov. 1 and will receive its UK release on Jan. 1. - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/3/23...... <strong>Barry Manilow</strong> has extended his farewell London Palladium residency, due to "overwhelming demand." The "Mandy" hitmaker, 80, originally announced nine nights at the legendary music venue between May 23 and June 2, for what will mark his last ever UK shows. He will now play five further shows on June 4, 5,7, 8 and 9, bringing the run to 14 nights. The Grammy winner -- who holds the title for the longest stint in Las Vegas with his <cite>Barry Manilow - The Hits Come Home!</cite> concert series, overtaking the late <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>'s 1978 record -- will play a hit-packed show, including "Could it Be Magic," "Copa Cabana" and "Can't Smile Without You." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 11/7/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/Danny_Masterson.gif" ALT="Danny Masterson" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Disgraced <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/that70sshow.html"><cite>That '70s Show</cite></a> cast member <strong>Danny Masterson</strong> filed an appeal against his Sept. 7 rape conviction, when the 7-year-old actor was found guilty in May of raping two women 20 years ago and later sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. On Nov. 3 court documents obtained by TheBlast.com showed he had formally raised an appeal against his punishment. Shortly after Masterson was sentenced, his lawyer Shawn Halley vowed to appeal and insisted she was confident Masterson's conviction would be overturned. She said in a statement: "The errors which occurred in this case are substantial and unfortunately led to verdicts which are not supported by the evidence. And though we have great respect for the jury in this case and for our system of justice overall, sometimes they get it wrong. And that's what happened here. Mr. Masterson did not commit the crimes for which he has been convicted and we and the appellate lawyers -- the best and the brightest in the country -- are confident that these convictions will be overturned." The victims -- both of whom are former members of the Church of Scientology -- attended the hearing in Los Angeles. In the wake of Masterson going to jail, his estranged wife <strong>Bijou Phillips</strong> -- who had been by her spouse's side throughout court proceedings -- filed for divorce. The actor subsequently agreed to give the 43-year-old singer-and-actress legal and physical custody of their nine-year-old daughter Fianna. - <cite>Bang Showbiz,</cite> 11/7/23...... <cite>All My Children</cite> soap opera actor <strong>Peter White</strong> passed away on Nov. 1 at his home in Los Angeles after a struggle with melanoma. He was 86. Mr. White studied a master's degree at the Yale School of Drama before launching a career on the stage, joining the cast of off-Broadway production "The Boys in the Band" in 1968 about gay life in New York and later going on to appear in the film version of the stage show in 1970 which was directed by <strong>William Friedkin</strong>. A year later, he landed his first soap job with a part in <cite>Love Is a Many Splendored Thing</cite> and went on to score the role of Linc Tyler in <cite>All My Children</cite> in the mid-1970s. He played the character for more than three decades before his final exit in 2005. Mr. White's other film roles included turns in <cite>Dave, Flubber, Armageddon</cite> and <cite>Thirteen Days</cite> while his TV credits include <cite>NYPD Blue, The West Wing, The X Files</cite> and <cite>Ally McBeal</cite> as well as the night-time soaps <cite>Dallas, Dynasty</cite> and <cite>Knots Landing.</cite> He never married and didn't have any children. - <cite>Bang Showbiz,</cite> 11/6/23...... Former NASA astronaut <strong>Ken Mattingly</strong>, who helped guide the crew of the crippled Apollo 13 shuttle safely back to Earth in 1970, died on Oct. 31 in Arlington, Va. He was 87. - <cite>People,</cite> 11/20/23...... Former Indiana University head basketball coach <strong>Bob Knight</strong>, who led the Hoosiers to an NCAA championship in 1976 and two other years before being fired in 2000 due to his polarizing behavior, died at his home in Bloomington, Ind. on Nov. 1. He was 83. - <cite>People,</cite> 11/20/23.
<P><strong>Billy Joel</strong> has confirmed the final show of his ongoing residency at Madison Square Garden, where he performed monthly beginning in Jan. 2014. The newly-announced show, which will take place on July 25, 2024, will be Joel's 150th appearance at the prestigious NYC venue since the residency began. The 74-year-old Piano Man is set to play MSG next on Nov. 22, followed in December with a show on the 19th which will be his last show of 2023 at MSG. His 2024 tour dates kick off on Jan. 11, and will continue on Feb. 9, Mar. 28, Apr. 26, May 9 and Jun. 6. His tour schedule also features a variety of co-headlining shows, which will see the singer-songwriter take to the stage with other rock royalty including <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> and <strong>Sting</strong>. His last show of 2023 will be at a New Year's Eve event on Long Island. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 11/2/23...... In a new episode of the <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> family's revived <cite>Osbournes Podcast,</cite> <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> shed light on the factors that led to the cancellation of Ozzfest, revealing that it was ultimately due to managers becoming "greedy." In the eighth episode of the series, which is available on <a href="https://youtu.be/-GCYpOAD60g">YouTube</a>, the family reminisce about the unforgettable moments they witnessed at the annual event and the popular heavy metal acts they saw perform including <strong>Limp Bizkit, System Of A Down, TOOL</strong> and <strong>Rob Zombie</strong>. When asked why the festival ultimately came to an end, Sharon responded: "It was a very weird beast because all the bands were our mates, but the managers were greedy and for some reason they thought that we were making billions on it and we weren't. We made a profit," she continued. "But it was not like -- we couldn't retire on it. And managers and agents wanted more and more and more, and it just wasn't cost-effective anymore. We stopped because it just wasn't cost-effective." - <cite>NME,</cite> 11/1/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/Steven_Tyler/images/Steven_Tyler30.gif" ALT="Steven Tyler" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A New York woman has filed a complaint in that state against <strong>Steven Tyler</strong>, claiming the <strong>Aerosmith</strong> frontman sexually assaulted her when she was a minor some 48 years ago. Former teen model Jeanne Bellino says she has suffered "severe and permanent emotional distress" over the incidents, which allegedly occurred over a single day in the summer of 1975 when she was 17 and Tyler was 27. "By 1975, Tyler had acquired wealth, stature, and power as a result of his career and status as a rock star," Bellino's lawyers write. "Tyler used his power, influence, and authority, as a well-known musician to sexually assault Plaintiff." In her lawsuit, Bellino claims that she and a friend had arranged to meet Aerosmith in Manhattan, and while they were allegedly walking down Sixth Avenue with his entourage, she says Tyler pushed her into a phone booth. "While holding her captive, Tyler stuck his tongue down her throat, and put his hands upon her body, her breasts, her buttocks, and her genitals, moving and removing clothing and pinning her against the wall of the phone booth," her lawyers write. "As Tyler was mauling and groping Plaintiff, he was humping her pretending to have sex with Plaintiff." Bellino also claims she could feel that "Tyler's penis was erect" and because she was "relying upon her friend for transportation, a dazed, confused, and shocked" Bellino continued with the group to the Warwick Hotel, where the band was allegedly staying. She then alleges Tyler pinned her against the wall in a bar entrance, and began to "simulate sex" with her once again. Tyler then left, according to the woman, and told her she would call her up later. The woman then says sympathetic employees of the hotel took her home to Queens. "As a result of the sexual assault, Plaintiff was hospitalized and medicated," her lawyers write. "Plaintiff has continued to require medication to cope with the sexual assault and has suffered long term physical injury associated with the trauma." A rep for Tyler did not immediately return a request for comment. The new case comes just under a year after Tyler was sued by Julia Holcomb, who claims that the rocker repeatedly assaulted her for three years starting in 1973, when she was just 16 years old. Tyler has denied the accusations and moved to dismiss the case in April. However, his arguments raised eyebrows at the time, as one of his defenses was that he was immunized against the allegations because he had been granted legal custody over Holcomb. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/2/23...... <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> has weighed in on a series of anti-trans measures recently passed in her home state of Tennessee. While Parton, a vocal advocate and ally to the LGBTQ+ community, said that she wasn't interested in talking about "the politics of everything," she has told <cite>The Hollywood Reporter</cite> that, at the end of the day, "I just want everybody to be treated good." "I try to get into the human element of it." Pointing out that she has people in her life who identify as queer and trans, the 77-year-old star said it was important to hear what they're saying. "I know and love them all, and I do not judge," says Parton, 77. "And I just see how broken-hearted they get over certain things and I know how real they are. I know how important this is to them. That's who they are. They cannot help that any more than I can help being Dolly Parton, you know, the way people know me. If there's something to be judged, that is God's business. But we are all God's children and how we are is who we are." In March, Tennessee passed a state-wide ban on gender-affirming care for minors, preventing gender-diverse youth from being able to access evidence-based, best practice treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Families of transgender children subsequently challenged the new law in court, attempting to block it from taking affect. After the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the law, families have petitioned the Supreme Court to block the ban and hear their case. Elsewhere in the interview, Dolly revealed that she's turned down playing the coveted Super Bowl halftime gig several times, and for very good reasons. "I couldn't do it because of other things, or I just didn't think I was big enough to do it -- to do that big of a production," she said. "When you think about those shows, those are big, big productions. I've never done anything with that big of a production. I don't know if I could have. I think at the time that's what I was thinking." But she added she might consider staging a blow-out Super Bowl performance these days: "That might change. I might be able to do a production show." Parton is set to release her long-awaited rock album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4FTN73N/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Rockstar</cite></a>, a week before Black Friday on Nov. 17. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/2/23...... The highly anticipated "final" <strong>Beatles</strong> song, "Now And Then," was released on Nov. 2, 60 years after the release of the iconic British band's 1963 debut studio album <cite>Please Please Me.</cite> "Now and Then" can be streamed on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4vziJcnB2Qyi9o4nIRUeN7">Spotify.com</a>, which this summer surviving Beatle <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> explained how Artificial Intelligence (AI) wold be used to complete it. "Can't say too much at this stage but to be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created," McCartney wrote on X/Twitter. "It's all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings -- a process which has gone on for years." He later clarified his comments during a radio interview with the BBC, explaining that AI would be used to separate vocal tracks from background noise and instruments and "extricate" late bandmate <strong>John Lennon</strong>'s vocals from an old recording for use on the final master of the song. A lovelorn guitar-centric rock ballad, "Now And Then" was originally written and recorded by Lennon around 1977 as a solo piano track. After his death in 1980, the unfinished demo floated in limbo -- at times being considered as a Beatles reunion single -- and was ultimately shelved for almost three decades. Now, the song will find a home on the expanded reissue of 1973's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK58BSLC/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">1967-1970</a> compilation (aka "The Blue Album") -- currently slated for a Nov. 10 release -- and have the distinction of being the final Beatles song. The official video of "Now And Then," directed by Oscar-winning director <strong>Peter Jackson</strong>, has also been released and shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/APJAQoSCwuA">YouTube</a>. The poignant 12-minute film tells the story behind the band's "final" song and features exclusive footage and commentary from McCartney, <strong>Ringo Starr</strong> and <strong>George Harrison</strong>, as well as <strong>Sean Ono Lennon</strong> and director Jackson. - <cite>Billboard/NME,</cite> 11/2/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Burton_Cummings/images/Burton_Cummings5.gif" ALT="Burton Cummings" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>The Guess Who</strong> principals <strong>Burton Cummings</strong> and <strong>Randy Bachman</strong> have filed a lawsuit against their former bandmates, bassist <strong>Jim Kale</strong> and drummer <strong>Garry Peterson</strong>, for playing small venues across the U.S. under the Guess Who moniker. Cummings and Bachman filed a lawsuit on Oct. 30 in Los Angeles deeming that Kale and Peterson, who recruited twentysomething musicians to complete their band, are little more than a "cover band" and alleging they are misleading fans. The original Guess Who, which formed in Winnipeg in 1962 and disbanded in 1975, have the distinction of selling more records than the <strong>Beatles</strong> in 1970 with hits like <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/1970_2singles.html">"American Woman,"</a> "These Eyes" and "Laughing." "They've taken mine and Randy's history, the history of the Guess Who, and stolen it to market their cheap ticket sales in their fake bulls*** shows," Burton Cummings told <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine. "It takes away everybody's legitimacy." According to the lawsuit, Kale and Peterson are accused of using vintage photos and recordings that include Cummings and Bachman to "give a false impression that fans will get anything more than covers of the original music." In reposting the <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> story on X/Twitter on Oct. 31, Cummings wrote, "Let's set the record straight and make it clear who was on the records vs who you'll see on the stage." On Oct. 30, Bachman also posted to X, writing "Well, it's about time" with a link to the article. It added: "You can't be the creative force behind a decade of music and be pleased that hired musicians have basically stolen your songs, pretended to be you and fans line up to pay money to go see the imposters." Bachman and Cummings are seeking $20 million in damages for false advertising, unfair competition, and violation of the right to publicity. Both say the bogus GW has impeded their own careers. The pair had hoped to tour in 2020 under the Guess Who banner but that was torpedoed by Kale and Peterson. Kale has previously slammed Bachman and Cummings for trying to reclaim the name. "Cummings signed off on the name in 1977 and he hasn't stopped his pissing and moaning ever since," he told the <cite>Winnipeg Free Press</cite> in 2012. "What the hell do you think I was going to do, start a scrapbook? Here I was with a whopping Grade 10 education and I don't have a trade and I'm too old for a paper route. I gotta make a living," he said. "I'll have a band of trained monkeys out there just to piss him off. I'm prepared to be that petty I'm really, really sick of it. I'd love to take the high road, but I'm not going to. I'm his karma," he added. - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 11/1/23...... <strong>Cher</strong> is set to close out the Macy's Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23. The "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves" singer will close out the official show and appear towards the end of the broadcast, where Santa arrives in his sleigh, marking the official beginning of the Christmas season. Cher's addition to the annual holiday event comes on the heels of two releases for the star: <cite>Believe</cite>'s 25th anniversary re-release on Nov. 3, and her first-ever Christmas album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a> released Oct. 20. While Cher has not yet confirmed which of her hits she'll to perform during the broadcast, she could perform one of the tracks from the new holiday LP, which has recently debuted at No. 1 on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Top Holiday Albums Chart, to ring in the Christmas season at the parade's end. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on NBC from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 pm ET. Among the many top music acts also making an appearance during the parade will be '70s jazz-rock legends <strong>Chicago</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 11/1/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/H/images/Heart2.gif" ALT="Heart" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Heart</strong> have announced they will celebrate New Year's Eve by reuniting for their first show since 2016. The band, led by <strong>Ann</strong> and <strong>Nancy Wilson</strong>, will play a headline gig at the Climate Pledge Arena in their hometown of Seattle, Wash. on Sunday, Dec. 31. Heart will be joined on the bill by their special guests, <strong>Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening</strong> -- the group formed by original <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong> drummer <strong>John Bonham</strong>'s son. The gig will be followed by the traditional firework show at the Space Needle. Ann and Nancy had a falling out in 2016 after Ann's husband was arrested after being accused of assaulting Nancy's 16-year-old twin sons. The following year, <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine reported that the sisters continued the band's tour but did not speak directly to each other during the remaining dates. However the siblings reconciled in 2019, reuniting on stage for the first time at the Love Rocks NYC concert that March. The upcoming New Year's Eve concert will be their first performance together since then. Earlier in 2023, it was reported that the sisters are also working on new Heart music as well, which would be the follow-up to 2016's <cite>Beautiful Broken.</cite> Heart was a major force on the AOR charts in the '70s and '80s, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/31/23...... The <strong>Grateful Dead</strong>'s massive merch machine has teamed up with the English football club the Forest Green Rovers, "a team that really follows Grateful Dead values," according to the band's legacy manager. For custodians of Grateful Dead -- which officially disbanded in 1995 following the death of guitarist and songwriter <strong>Jerry Garcia</strong> but has continued to tour in various incarnations, most recently as <strong>Dead & Company</strong>, featuring original members <strong>Bob Weir</strong> and <strong>Mickey Hart</strong> -- the tie-up with Forest Green is the latest in a vast and ever-growing line of merch and licensing deals helping keep the Grateful Dead brand alive. "For us, it's a perfect match," says the legendary jam band's archivist and legacy manager, <strong>David Lemieux</strong>. "Forest Green Rovers is a team that really follows Grateful Dead values, which is to say that we're both conscious of the world around us and we want to make sure that we leave it a better place than when we arrived." At present, the band has deals with more than 100 merch partners and more than 750 products on sale in over 50 territories, spanning everything from water bottles to cosmic mushroom foraging tools to camping equipment to Grateful Dead-branded skis and snowboards, as well as an extensive range of t-shirts and clothing. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/31/23...... <strong>Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band</strong> have just added 22 European stadium shows to their 2024 trek across the pond. The new dates will kick off on May 5 in Cardiff, UK, and keep the band on the road through a July 25 date at Wembley Stadium in London, with stops along the way in Belfast, Dublin, Prague, Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Helsinki and Stockholm. Tickets for the trek will go on sale starting with the Odense, Denmark show (July 9) on Nov. 2. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/31/23...... <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> delighted his fans during his Montreal concert on Oct. 29 with a surprise cover of <strong>Leonard Cohen</strong>'s classic "Dance Me to the End of Love." The cover was performed live for the first time by Dylan, who had previously released the cover on his website and YouTube channel as part of his ongoing series of "Murder Most Foul" playlists. The cover received a standing ovation from the audience, where Dylan performed as part of his "Rough and Rowdy Ways" Tour. The tour is Dylan's first in Canada since 2017, and features songs from his latest album <cite>Rough and Rowdy Ways,</cite> as well as some of his classics and covers. The tour began in Milwaukee on Oct. 2, and will wrap in Boston on Nov. 19. Fan-filmed footage of the Montreal performance of "Dance Me" has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/TPAVmw94Zds">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/31/23...... <strong>The Rolling Stones</strong> debuted at the summit of the Official U.K. Albums Chart dated Oct. 27 with their new studio album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a>, which racked up 72,000 chart units in its first week. That's the third biggest week of sales for an album of 2023 so far, according to the OCC, behind only <strong>Lewis Capaldi</strong>'s <cite>Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent,</cite> and <strong>Ed Sheeran</strong>'s <cite>-- (subtract).</cite> With 11 different studio collections reaching the chart summit, the Stones are now part of the elite club of acts with the most studio albums to reach No. 1, joining the <strong>Beatles, Robbie Williams</strong> and <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong>. Meanwhile, the Stones have become the 25th artist to receive a BRIT Billion Award by the BPI. The program commemorates 1 billion career UK streams as calculated by the Official Charts Company. In reaching the landmark, the British band became what the BPI artfully called "the longest-active artist" (so much nicer than "oldest") to receive the award. The Stones' most-streamed hits include "Paint It, Black," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Start Me Up." Over in the U.S., the band has become the first act with newly-charted top 10 titles on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 albums chart in the 1960s, '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s, '10s and now the '20s. <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> debuted on that chart at No. 3 in its first week of release. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/30/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/Jimmy_Buffett/images/Jimmy_Buffett22.gif" ALT="Jimmy Buffett" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">One of the late <strong>Jimmy Buffett</strong>'s last messages to his family and friends before his Sept. 1 death from skin cancer was "keep the party going," and his longtime backing musicians in the <strong>Coral Reefer Band</strong> now say they plan to do just that. "The Coral Reefer Band is second family to all of us. We are a family. And Jimmy wants us to continue and we want to continue," <strong>Mac McAnally</strong>, longtime Coral Reefer Band singer/guitarist, has told <cite>Billboard</cite> in a new interview. How that will look is still being determined, but McAnally says, "there's ongoing discussions about the best way to do that, the most practical way to do that and how to do it in a way that is worthy of the legacy that we're part of." The Coral Reefer Band, which has had a rotating cast of musicians -- some of whom had played with Buffett for nearly 50 years -- began backing the singer-songwriter in concert and in the studio in the '70s. The Coral Reefer Band played its last full concert with Buffett on May 6 at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium. Buffett's last time on stage was McAnally's July 2 show in Portsmouth, R.I., when Buffett joined him for eight songs, including signature tunes "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" and "Margaritaville." Though Buffett was undergoing treatment, he still craved being on stage. "He had been calling through the summertime when the treatments were going," McAnally says. "I didn't know how far up or down he was. I hadn't seen him [in person], though he never called without Facetiming me and I could tell he was losing weight. He couldn't do a full show, but he kept calling saying, 'Where are you playing? I'm gonna come sit in.'" McAnally said Buffett called him two days later asking if he had other shows that weren't on his website yet so he could join him again. "He was ready to tour as a guest singer on these little singer-songwriter shows," McAnally says, "but unfortunately, his time ran out." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/30/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-79105968762891885782023-10-24T19:07:00.002-07:002023-11-03T04:42:49.435-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on October 29th, 2023</b>
<P>On Oct. 27 it was announced that <strong>The Who</strong>'s <cite>Tommy</cite> rock musical will return to Broadway in 2024. <cite>Tommy,</cite> featuring music and lyrics by Pete Townshend, started as a concept album in 1969 and debuted on Broadway in 1993. Now a reimagined version of the classic will return for a new run at New York's Nederlander Theatre in Mar. 2024. Previews are due to start on March 8 before the official opening on Mar. 28. "I can't wait to see how this newly empowered show connects with younger Broadway audiences today," Townshend said in a statement. "I hope the younger ones come, for they will identify in an entirely new and important way with Tommy's tumultuous life. Meanwhile, longtime fans of TOMMY, The Who and all their music will be blown away by this new show," he added. The news comes after Townshend recently revealed that he was working on a new rock opera based on his novel <cite>The Age of Anxiety.</cite> A teaser for the the reimagined <cite>Tommy</cite> has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/zbbQ8hzGPto">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/27/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Edgar_Winter/images/Edgar_Winter4.gif" ALT="Edgar Winter" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">As Halloween approaches, <cite>Billboard</cite> has compiled the "20 Biggest Halloween Songs" based on their <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 chart achievements. Representing the '70s are <strong>The Edgar Winter Group</strong>'s head-banging hit <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_frankenstein.html">"Frankenstein"</a> (No. 1, 1973) at No. 4, <strong>Cher</strong>'s eerie <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_darklady.html">"Dark Lady"</a> (No. 1, 1974) at No. 8, <strong>Cliff Richard</strong>'s rockin' "Devil Woman" (No. 7, 1976) at No. 16, <strong>Santana</strong>'s witchy "Black Magic Woman" (No. 4, 1971) at No. 18, and <strong>The Charlie Daniels Band</strong>'s rollicking "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" (No. 3, 1979) at No. 19. Coming in at the top of the list is <strong>Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers</strong> endearing 1962 hit "Monster Mash," followed by <strong>Ray Parker Jr.</strong>'s campy 1984 smash "Ghostbusters" and <strong>Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla $ign</strong>'s vibey "Psycho" from 2018. Interestingly, <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>'s "Thriller," a perennial Halloween staple which peaked at No. 4 in 1984 and spent 22 weeks on the chart, doesn't quite make the list. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/27/23...... Speaking of "Thriller," a new 40th anniversary tribute to the King of Pop's 1982 <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_09_7.html">mega-selling album</a> of the same name will debut on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on Showtime and will stream on Paramount+ (for Paramount+ With Showtime subscribers). <strong>Usher, Mary J. Blige, will.i.am, Mark Ronson, Misty Copeland, Maxwell</strong>, "Thriller" video director <strong>John Landis</strong> and more are all interviewed for <cite>Thriller 40,</cite> which includes never-before-seen footage behind the making of the classic. A trailer for <cite>Thriller 40</cite> has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/YlPxt33aC_4">YouTube</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/27/23...... <strong>Elton John</strong> has praised <strong>Madonna</strong> in a new social media post for her "advocacy & compassion" during her current "Celebration Tour." On Oct. 26, Sir Elton shared a photo from Madonna's tour, showing the singer standing in a floating rectangle as the faces of thousands of people who died throughout the HIV/AIDS crisis swirled around the stage. John took a moment to praise his peer for bringing visibility to an ongoing issue. "We're deeply moved by the heartfelt tribute from @madonna during her Celebration Tour performance of 'Live to Tell', honouring the 40.4 million people we've lost to AIDS," John wrote in the caption. "Thank you, Madonna, for your advocacy and compassion, and for raising important awareness of the ongoing mission to end AIDS. With 39 million people living with HIV today, 9.4 million of whom are not currently on life-saving treatment, we must keep using our voices and platforms to ensure everyone has the opportunity to live full and healthy lives," he added. Both John and Madonna have been vocal advocates for people living with HIV/AIDS over the years, with Elton starting his Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 and Madonna being one on of the first celebrities to lend her support to patients living through the outset of the epidemic. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/27/23...... <strong>The Eagles</strong> have announced the dates for their final "The Long Goodbye" tour of North America. So far, 29 dates in 21 cities have been announced for the tour, which will feature <strong>Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit</strong> as well as <strong>Vince Gill</strong> and <strong>Deacon Frey</strong> playing "as many shows in each market as their audience demands," according to the statement. Country Music Hall of Fame member Gill began playing with the Eagles in 2017 alongside Deacon, son of late Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey, who died in 2016. The tour will kick off on Sept. 7, 2024 with two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden, then visit such major markets as Boston, Newark, NJ, Denver, Indianapolis, Detroit, Atlanta, St. Paul, MN, Inglewood, CA, Phoenix, Houston and Chicago before wrapping in Toronto, Ontario on Mar. 13, 2025. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/25/23...... <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> is commemorating the release of her new rock music-themed album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4FTN73N/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Rockstar</cite></a> with a special movie event on Nov. 15, two days before the album hits stores. "Dolly Parton Rockstar: The Global First Listen Event" will give fans the opportunity to listen select songs from the album before it is released. The 60-minute film also includes clips of music videos for the new album an interview with with Dolly, and behind-the-scenes footage as well as a rare performance of her hit single "9-to-5." The movie will only be screening in movie theaters on Nov. 15 with encore showing occurring in select theaters on Nov. 16. A trailer for <cite>Rockstar</cite> can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/_qi5fR5NScE">YouTube</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/25/23...... <strong>The Rolling Stones</strong> have charted their eighth No. 1 album in Australia with their new LP <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a>. <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> is also the legendary British band's 34th top 10 title down under, and they first led the national chart back in 1964 with their debut, self-titled album. Meanwhile, the Stones have shared a new live video on <a href="https://youtu.be/Wt3ISLkIS38">YouTube</a> for their <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> track and latest single "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," which was filmed during a live concert for their album launch party in New York on Oct. 19. Stones guitarist <strong>Keith Richards</strong> recently told the <cite>Apple Music 1</cite> podcast that the new album's song "Bite My Head Off" which features <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> on bass felt "like the old days." "I felt that it was bloody time... I've known Paul for 60 years, just about. Although him and<strong> John [Lennon]</strong> did do a few backup vocals with us in the '60s. Great fun to play with." He continued: "At the end of it, I just said, 'Well, that's just like the good old days,'" Richards recalled of the McCartney's studio session with the band. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/27/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Beatles/images/Beatles5.gif" ALT="The Beatles" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Speaking of the <strong>Beatles, Paul McCartney</strong> and <strong>Ringo Starr</strong> have announced details of the release of their "final song" <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK58K68X/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">"Now And Then,"</a> along with news of expanded reissues of their 1973 "Red" and "Blue" greatest hits albums. "Now and Then" will arrive on Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT from Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe, and it marks the last song written by <strong>John Lennon</strong>, McCartney, <strong>George Harrison</strong> and Starr. McCartney and Starr finished the song together, more than 40 years after its inception. The double A-side single also includes a sweet full-circle moment, as it's paired with "Love Me Do," featuring the original cover art shot by Ed Ruscha. Both songs have been mixed in stereo and Dolby Atmos. Additionally, a 12-minute <cite>Now and Then -- The Last Beatles Song</cite> documentary film will arrive on Nov. 1. The <strong>Oliver Murray</strong>-written doc will tell the story behind the track and will feature exclusive footage and commentary from McCartney, Starr and Harrison, as well as <strong>Sean Ono Lennon</strong> and <cite>The Beatles: Get Back</cite> director <strong>Peter Jackson</strong>. "Now and Then" begins in the late 1970s, when John recorded a demo with vocals and piano at his home in New York's Dakota Building. In 1994, his wife, <strong>Yoko Ono Lennon</strong>, gave the recording to Paul, George and Ringo, along with John's demos for "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love." Those two songs were released as singles in 1995-96, reaching No. 6 and No. 11, respectively, on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100. In 2022, Paul and Ringo set out to complete "Now and Then." In addition to John's vocal, the song includes electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995 by Harrison; Starr's new drum part; and bass, guitar and piano from McCartney, who also added a slide guitar solo inspired by George. "It was the closest we'll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It's far out," Starr said of the process in a press statement, with McCartney adding, "It's quite emotional. And we all play on it, it's a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven't heard, I think it's an exciting thing." Meanwhile, on Nov. 10, expanded editions of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BT4SF2Z9/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>The Beatles/1962-1966</cite></a> (often called "The Red Album") and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK58BSLC/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>The Beatles/1967-1970</cite></a> ("The Blue Album") will be released in 2023 Edition packages by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe. The original editions, released in 1973, three years after The Beatles' break-up, reached No. 3 and No. 1, respectively, on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/26/23...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, the 1980 assassination of <strong>John Lennon</strong> is being documented in a new series by Apple TV+. <cite>John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial</cite> is narrated by actor <strong>Kiefer Sutherland</strong> and will look into the pre-meditated crime and its aftermath by troubled fan Mark David Chapman, who fatally shot the former Beatle outside of his New York City apartment block on Dec. 8, 1980. Makers of 3-part docu-series were "granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney's office," according to a press release, and the series includes interviews with Lennon's friends and Chapman's defence lawyers, psychiatrists, detectives and prosecutors. A premiere date has not yet been confirmed. Chapman pleaded guilty to the crime. In 1981 he was ordered to receive psychiatric treatment and was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. In 2021 he was denied parole for the 12th time. His story was previously dramatized onscreen in the 2007 film <cite>Chapter 27,</cite> which starred <strong>Jared Leto</strong>. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 10/27/23...... A new <strong>George Harrison</strong> biography from Beatles biographer <strong>Philip Norman</strong>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/198219586X/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle</cite></a> includes Harrison's sarcastic reaction to being stabbed 40 times in a 1999 incident at his home, which left the musician fighting for his life. The moment took place when George and his wife <strong>Olivia Harrison</strong> became victims of a home invasion, and upon hearing someone break into his home, the guitarist got out of bed to investigate. From there, he was soon confronted by a man named Michael Abram who was holding a knife. An altercation followed as Harrison attempted to wrestle the knife out of Abram's hands, however, the intruder managed to get on top of the Beatle and stabbed him 40 times. He only stopped upon being struck over the head with a lamp by Olivia. In the book, the incident is described in detail and it is also revealed how Harrison described the attack to his son <strong>Dhani Harrison</strong> with a darkly witty sense of humor. According to Dhani, Harrison described Abram by saying: "He wasn't a burglar and he certainly wasn't auditioning for the <strong>Traveling Wilburys</strong>." Harrison had already been diagnosed with cancer at the time, and of the 40 stab wounds, one punctured his lung. It was presumed by doctors that the attack worsened his condition. He died of cancer in 2001 -- two years after the incident. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/24/23...... HarbourView Equity Partners has announced the acquisition of <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong>'s recorded royalties owned by <strong>Christine McVie</strong>'s estate. McVie, who died in Nov.2022 at age 79, was the keyboardist and one of the vocalists in Fleetwood Mac as well as one of its primary songwriters. Financial terms of the transaction was not disclosed. Harbourview's portfolio includes more than 24,000 songs across master recordings and publishing income streams. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/25/23...... <strong>Sting</strong> has announced a run of outdoor UK and Ireland headline shows for 2024. The soloist and former <strong>The Police frontman</strong> is due to play five special concerts in the two contries next June in continuation of his "My Songs" world tour. Sting's tour begins in Cheshire on June 14, then hits Cork (6/18), Belfast (6/19), Suffolk (6/22) and Sherwood (6/23). Per a press release, Sting is set to be joined on stage by "an electrifying rock ensemble." He'll share the bill with <strong>Blondie</strong> at the Cork and Belfast dates. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/27/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Buffy_Sainte_Marie.gif" ALT="Buffy Sainte-Marie" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A new Canadian Broadcast Corporation investigation that calls into question the Indigenous identity of singer-songwriter <strong>Buffy Sainte-Marie</strong> has opened up a broad conversation about identity and appropriation. The bombshell investigation, which aired Oct. 27 on the YouTube channel of the Canadian series <cite>The Fifth Estate</cite> and began streaming on CBC on Oct. 27, says some of Sainte-Marie's family members believe her claim to Indigenous heritage "is built on an elaborate fabrication." Sainte-Marie has previously said that she was adopted by her parents, Italian-Americans Albert and Winnifred Santamaria, and grew up in the predominantly white Christian suburb of Wakefield, Mass. Later, as a young adult, she was adopted by Emile Piapot and Clara Starblanket Piapot of the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan in accordance with Cree law and customs. The documentary, which was made without participation of Sainte-Marie herself, features an interview with her younger cousin Bruce Santamaria, who disputes her claim of adoption. It also features quotes from other family members, including references to alleged sexual abuse. The investigation hinges on her birth certificate, which CBC obtained, which lists her presumed adopted parents as her birth parents and her race as white. Ahead of the investigation, Sainte-Marie has released a video on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy3xI_wBGD7/">Instagram</a> in which she affirms herself as "a proud member of the Native community with deep roots in Canada." She also put out a written statement entitled "My Truth As I Know It." "I am proud of my Indigenous-American identity, and the deep ties I have to Canada and my Piapot family," it reads in part. One of Canada's most decorated musicians, Sainte-Marie has won the Polaris Music Prize, seven Juno Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Song (for co-writing the music for "Up Where We Belong" from <cite>An Officer and a Gentleman</cite>), and is the recipient of the Order of Canada and the Governor General's Performing Arts Award. Buffy Sainte-Marie, who is 82, retired from touring earlier in 2023 for health reasons. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/27/23...... <strong>KISS</strong> guitarist/vocalist <strong>Paul Stanley</strong> has responded to rumors that his flamboyant shock-rock band may be next in line to play Las Vegas' impressive new music venue The Sphere once the residency of Irish rockers <strong>U2</strong> there ends. "I can't speak to it in any other way except to be honest with you about how I feel now, and the way I feel today is I can't really see that happening," Stanley told Ultimate Classic Rock. "As far as I'm concerned, we're done." The comments come in light of KISS currently playing the last leg of their ongoing tour. The tour is the latest of their impressive number of farewell tours over the years -- with the first dating back 23 years -- and is set to end with a final ever performance in Madison Square Garden, New York, in December. KISS had been scheduled to play a 2021-2022 residency at Vegas' Zappos Theater, however it was called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Another act reported to be considering the possibility of playing at The Sphere -- which features a 16k wraparound LED screen and 167,000 speakers -- are <strong>The Eagles</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/24/23...... <strong>The B-52s</strong> were forced to cancel a concert at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 25 due to the "sorrow and pain" of the Israel-Hamas war. The B-52s were set to play at an official state dinner for the Australian <strong>PM Anthony Albanese</strong>, hosted by the US <strong>Pres. Joe Biden</strong>, however the Athens, GA, trio -- who are named after a US bomber aircraft -- instead attended the state dinner as guests. Presidential military bands provided "instrumental music" in the group's place. "While we had initially planned for the legendary B-52s to perform their iconic dance and party music, we are now in a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain, and we have decided to make adjustments to the entertainment portion of the evening," <strong>First Lady Jill Biden</strong> said in a statement. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/26/23...... <strong>Marie Osmond</strong> will make her soap debut playing wealthy Countess Von Frankfurt on CBS's <cite>The Bold and the Beautiful</cite> on Oct. 27. <strong>Tracey Bregman</strong> and <strong>Kate Linder</strong> will join the TV icon for a special five-part event. - <cite>People,</cite> 10/30/23...... The cause of death of <cite>Three's Company</cite> actress <strong>Suzanne Somers</strong> has been revealed. The 76-year-old's death certificate, which was obtained by The Blast, reveals that a string of underlying conditions that also contributed to her Oct. 15 passing.The document cites "breast cancer with metastasis to the brain" as her immediate cause of death, with a biopsy confirming the discovery, and hypertension, the term for high blood pressure, and hydrocephalus -- a build up of fluid on the brain -- were listed as additional underlying conditions. The certificate also indicated Suzanne had suffered from hydrocephalus for over a year. The document also confirmed that Somers was buried at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, Calif., just three days after she passed away. - <cite>Bang Showbiz,</cite> 10/26/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Richard_Roundtree2.gif" ALT="Richard Roundtree" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Groundbreaking African-American actor <strong>Richard Roundtree</strong>, who rose to fame in the lead role of the 1971 action thriller <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#Shaft"><cite>Shaft</cite></a>, died on Oct. 24 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer with his family at his bedside. He was 81. Mr. Roundtree's career spanned five decades and included everything from his most popular "blaxploitation" role to a very early appearance on <cite>As the World Turns</cite> in 1956 to being a Season 2 main cast member on <strong>Ava DuVernay</strong>'s OWN series <cite>Cherish the Day</cite> in 2022. However he is best known for playing detective John Shaft in the 1971's <cite>Shaft</cite> and its sequels, <cite>Shaft's Big Score!</cite> (1972) and <cite>Shaft in Africa</cite> (1973) as well as the short-lived 1973 <cite>Shaft</cite> TV series. For his performance in the original film, Mr. Roundtree was nominated for a New Star of the Year Golden Globe and hailed as the first Black action hero. More importantly, the films made John Shaft a cultural hero, a symbol of Black power onscreen, at the box office and beyond. The Academy Awards took notice, as <strong>Isaac Hayes</strong>' propulsive <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_themefromshaft.html">"Theme from Shaft"</a> won the Oscar that year for Best Song - Original for the Picture. Decades later, Mr. Roundtree reprised his role in the 2000 <strong>John Singleton</strong>-directed movie <cite>Shaft</cite> starring <strong>Samuel L. Jackson</strong> and the 2019 <strong>Tim Story</strong>-directed sequel. In 2000, <cite>Shaft</cite> was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. It was cited for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Shortly thereafter, it was named one of the best films ever made by <cite>The New York Times.</cite> Mr. Roundtree's many film credits also include 1981's <cite> Inchon,</cite> in which he appeared opposite <strong>Laurence Olivier</strong> and <strong>Ben Gazzara</strong>, 1984's <cite>City Heat</cite> opposite <strong>Clint Eastwood</strong> and <strong>Burt Reynolds</strong> as well as <cite>Se7en, George of the Jungle, Body of Influence, Amityville: A New Generation</cite> and <cite>What Men Want.</cite> He was last seen in 2022's <strong>Paul Weitz</strong> comedy <cite>Moving On.</cite> On television, Mr. Roundtree played slave Sam Bennett in the acclaimed 1977 miniseries <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_07_6.html"><cite>Roots</cite></a>. He had major roles on such series as <cite>Generations, 413 Hope St., Alias, Diary of a Single Mom, Buddies, Desperate Housewives, Soul Food, Being Mary Jane</cite> and <cite>Family Reunion.</cite> "Richard Roundtree, The Prototype, The Best To Ever Do It!! SHAFT, as we know it is & will always be His Creation!!," Samuel L. Jackson wrote in an IG tribute following Mr. Roundtree's death. "His passing leaves a deep hole not only in my heart, but I'm sure a lotta y'all's, too." - <cite>Deadline.com,</cite> 10/24/23.
<P><strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> has been announced as one of the presenters for the 2023 <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/faq_rockrollhalloffame.html">Rock & Roll Hall of Fame</a> induction ceremony, set for Nov. 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 2019, Nicks became the first woman to be inducted into the Hall twice, after having first been inducted with Fleetwood Mac in 1998. Nicks will be joining her fellow '70s superstar <strong>Elton John</strong>, who will induct his longtime songwriting partner <strong>Bernie Taupin</strong>, as one of the previously announced presenters. This year's inductees include <strong>Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine</strong> and <strong>The Spinners</strong>, along with <strong>DJ Kool Herc</strong> and <strong>Link Wray</strong> for musical influence; <strong>Chaka Khan, Al Kooper</strong> and Taupin for musical excellence; and <strong>Don Cornelius</strong> for the Ahmet Ertegun Award (formerly known as the non-performers award). The induction ceremony will be broadcast live coast-to-coast via Disney+ on Nov. 3 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and will be available to stream following the ceremony. ABC will air a three-hour prime-time special, <cite>The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,</cite> featuring performance highlights and standout moments on Jan. 1, 2024 (8-11 p.m. ET), available the next day on Hulu and Disney+. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/24/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Rolling_Stones7.gif" ALT="The Rolling Stones" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>The Rolling Stones</strong> rolled out their 26th studio album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a>, on Oct. 20. The LP is the Stones' first new album of original music since 2005's <cite>A Bigger Bang,</cite> which climbed to No. 3 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 albu m chart. <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> also is the first since the death of band's drummer <strong>Charlie Watts</strong>, who passed away at age 80 in 2021. It features the previously released collaboration with <strong>Lady Gaga</strong> and <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong>, "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," plus tracks like "Bite My Head Off," with bass from <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> and "Get Close" and "Live By the Sword," both of which have piano from <strong>Elton John</strong>. <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> can be streamed in full on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1AxMcdQRLguJqSZMxvRNdO">Spotify.com</a>. According to data published by the U.K.'s Official Charts Company, <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> is on track to become the band's 14th U.K. No. 1, putting them behind only the <strong>Beatles</strong> with 15 No. 1's. The Stones were joined by Lady Gaga for a surprise album launch party on Oct. 19 at Racket NYC in New York City. "It seems we always launch our albums in New York," frontman <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> told the crowd at the intimate New York City venue. "We've done it in a blimp. We've done it on a flatbed truck going down 5th avenue," he said, reading from a teleprompter. "We were missing launches so much that we had to make another album and come back and re-launch it." The Stones performed a seven-song set which kicked off with their 1978 <cite>Some Girls</cite> track "Shattered," and were joined by Gaga for their encore of their new collaborative track "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," easily the highlight of the night. Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones have escaped a lawsuit over their 2020 song "Living in a Ghost Town" -- at least for now. On Oct. 18, a federal judge in Louisiana dismissed a lawsuit, originally filed in March, from a Spanish songwriter who calls himself Angelslang who claimed that Mick Jagger and <strong>Keith Richards</strong> copied "Ghost Town" from a pair of his little-known songs. Judge Eldon E. Fallon ruled that his Louisiana federal court lacked jurisdiction over Fernandez's case. In doing so, he pointed out that Jagger and Richards are Brits, Fernandez lives in Spain, and the Rolling Stones have "only performed in New Orleans four times." The judge only tossed the case "without prejudice" -- meaning Fernandez is free to re-file the lawsuit in a more appropriate location. In the lead-up to the ruling, lawyers for the band argued that the case should have been filed somewhere in Europe. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/20/23...... On Oct. 20 <strong>Neil Young</strong> surprised fans by announcing that he's unveiling a new album, <cite>Before and After</cite>, on Dec. 8. According to a press release, <cite>Before and After</cite> will feature an "eclectic" fresh takes of the Canadian singer/songwriter's favorite lesser-known tracks from his vault and be available in four formats: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLGY43FD/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">CD</a>, vinyl LP; clear vinyl LP (Limited Edition available only from Indie outlets and Young's Greedy Hand online store), and Blu-Ray disc featuring Atmos mix, Binaural mix and Hi-Res 96/24 stereo. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/20/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Pete_Townshend/images/Pete_Townshend25.gif" ALT="Pete Townshend" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a new interview with the U.K. paper <cite>The Sun</cite>'s "Bizarre" column, <strong>Pete Townshend</strong> revealed he's turning his 2019 novel <cite>The Age of Anxiety</cite> into a "full opera" that will be soundtracked by new songs. "I am still developing the score and recording the music," the 78-year-old <strong>the Who</strong> guitarist said. "I am also working on a documentary about the project, from its inception in 2007 until today. I'm probably two years off completing it, at which time I hope to perform it with a full opera and a cast of guest singers." Townshend says the show will explore society's fears for the future with the impact of global warming and terrorism looming large, the detrimental effects of social media and how that is producing a generation of people with mental health issues. He previously created the rock operas <cite>Tommy</cite> in 1969 and <cite>Quadrophenia</cite> in 1973. Meanwhile, the Who's <strong>Roger Daltrey</strong> is working on his own passion project, a biopic about the band's late drummer <strong>Keith Moon</strong>, who died aged 32 in 1979 from an accidental drugs overdose. "I've written a film script about his life because I have never met anyone in my life similar to Keith. He was the funniest man I ever met. But he couldn't control his talent," Daltrey noted in a previous interview. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/23/23...... <strong>Nile Rodgers & Chic</strong> have announced a U.K. tour for summer 2024 with special guest <strong>Sophie Ellis-Bextor</strong>. The "Good Times" hitmakers will be performing five shows across the UK next year starting at The Piece Hall in Halifax in June 16, also visiting Southampton on June 23, Bedford (7/7), Llangollen (7/11) and Margate (7/13). "Thrilled to announce we're bringing the 'Good Times' back across England and Wales in 2024!," Rodgers shared in an <a href="https://twitter.com/nilerodgers/status/1716364052065124636">X/Twitter post</a> on Oct. 23. "Mark your calendars because we're gonna light up the night, celebrate life, and dance like there's no tomorrow." Elsewhere, Rodgers features in <strong>Duran Duran</strong>'s latest single "Black Moonlight." - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 10/23/23...... '70s country/pop crossover singer <strong>Tanya Tucker</strong> is one of three new inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn. Tucker made her debut in 1972 as a precocious 13-year-old talent with the top 10 <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot Country Songs hit "Delta Dawn," and swiftly went on to rack up six No. 1 Country Songs hits before she turned 18. Tucker's songs with mature themes, such as "What's Your Mama's Name," and "Would You Lay With Me (in a Field of Stone)," helped redefine the boundaries for women in country music. She also blazed her own trail in terms of image, thanks to her edgy cover artwork of her 1978 album <cite>TNT,</cite> which featured Tucker in leather, while the music embraced rock and pop. Accepting her honor on Oct. 22 at the CMA Theater, Tucker called her journey to the Hall of Fame "a 52-year experience -- and I've had a lot of ups and downs." She thanked her three children, who were in attendance, as well as members of her management and touring teams and paid tribute to her father, champion and early manager, Beau Tucker. Also inducted that evening were songwriter <strong>Bob McDill</strong> and <strong>Patty Loveless</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/23/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/Robert_Plant/images/Robert_Plant26.gif" ALT="Robert Plant" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Robert Plant</strong> performed the <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong> classic <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/stairway.html">"Stairway To Heaven"</a> for the first time during a U.K. charity concert at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire on Oct. 21. Held for The Cancer Platform, the live show was developed by the Cancer Awareness Trust and organised by former <strong>Duran Duran</strong> guitarist <strong>Andy Taylor</strong>. One of the main highlights of the evening -- dubbed "An Evening With Andy Taylor And Special Guests" -- arose with a performance from Plant, who broke out the Zeppelin tracks "Thank You," "Black Dog" and "Stairway To Heaven." The latter marked his first time singing the track in 16 years. The last time he sang the iconic <cite>Led Zeppelin IV</cite> track in public was back in 2007 at London's O2 Arena, later released as the <cite>Celebration Day</cite> concert film. Footage of the moment can be viewed on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyrdO8JM_iT/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/3osLXQ0Piys">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/23/23...... In a new interview with <cite>The Los Angeles Times,</cite> <strong>Cher</strong> says that she "buried" her feud with '80s pop queen <strong>Madonna</strong> "a long time ago." The topic arose when the 77-year-old diva was asked if she knew that Madonna was using old interview clips of her during her ongoing "Celebration" tour dates. According to the <cite>Times,</cite> the footage embedded in the recent run of live shows sees Cher calling Madonna "mean" in a past interview. "It seems to me when you reach the kind of acclaim that she's reached you should be a little bit more magnanimous, and a little bit less of a c---," she says in the clip, also describing Madonna as a "spoiled brat." "I said a lot worse than that," Cher responded. "I actually like her. But come on." When asked if she thought Madonna could be mean too, she added: "She can be. We buried that hatchet a long time ago because I called her something so much worse, and she forgave me." Cher released her first-ever Christmas album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a> on Oct. 20. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/23/23...... <strong>Barry Manilow</strong> announced on Oct. 24 that he'll play his final shows in the U.K. in 2024 during a nine-show residency at the legendary London Palladium music venue between May 24 and June 2. "In 1978, The London Palladium is where I began my love affair with the British public," Manilow said in a presser. "These shows will be my last full concerts in Britain and I wanted to end where I began -- at the London Palladium." Manilow will kick off the final UK run with a one-off show at the new Manchester Co-op Live arena on May 19, playing a hit-packed show, including "Could it Be Magic," "Copa Cabana" and "Can't Smile Without You." Despite these being his final shows in the UK, Manilow says he still loves to perform his most famous tracks at his shows and could never grow tired of them as the audience makes him feel like he's "never heard" the songs before. Manilow kicks off a 20-show residency stateside at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 10, wrapping on Mar. 9, 2024. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/24/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/Tom_Petty/images/Tom_Petty33.gif" ALT="Tom Petty" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The estate of <strong>Tom Petty</strong> has released three previously unheard songs by the artist to commemorate what would have been his 73rd birthday on Oct. 20. The estate has reissued Petty's 2010 blues album with The Heartbreakers, <cite>Mojo,</cite> with two new songs added to it called "Help Me" and "Mystery Of Love." Petty once said that <cite>Mojo</cite> was "where the band [<strong>The Heartbreakers</strong>] lives when it's playing for itself." Meanwhile, the other new song, 'What's The Matter With Louise', was recorded around the same time as the songs from Petty's 1994 album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_20_9.html"><cite>Wildflowers</cite></a>. It is now available for streaming on Amazon Music. Fans can check out <a href="https://youtu.be/wpTNWxMqYJc">"Help Me"</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/NihZ9yra600">"Mystery of Love"</a> on YouTube. In addition, the 2021 <strong>Mary Wharton</strong>-directed documentary <cite>Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free</cite> has now been added to Amazon Prime for the first time. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/22/23...... <strong>Joni Mitchell</strong> is the subject of an episode of the new music biography series from BBC Radio 4 called <cite>Legend</cite> that explores the extraordinary life stories of pioneering artists who changed music forever. As Mitchell celebrates her 80th birthday in 2023, the BBC's <strong>Jesca Hoop</strong> explores the singer/songwriter's extraordinary story to reveal the life behind the legend. Mitchell's <cite>Legend</cite> episode is available to listen to across six weeks on BBC Radio 4, and on BBC Sounds and podcast feeds everywhere. Through Mitchell's archive, fresh interviews, narration, immersive sound design and an original score, <cite>Legend</cite> trace sthe story of an extraordinary life and explore what makes Joni a singular artist: the genius of her lyrics; her incredible talent as guitarist, painter and producer; and her restless drive for innovation. Meanwhile another special, <cite>Joni Mitchell: Verbatim</cite>, will mark the iconic singer/songwriters 80th birthday on Nov. 7, 2023. Incorporating previously unheard interviews, studio out takes, rare demo recordings and archive dating back to her very first radio interview recorded in 1964, <cite>Verbatim</cite> is the story of Joni's life and career -- told in her own words. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/23/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-2162140445011415442023-10-13T20:37:00.005-07:002023-10-20T14:30:53.565-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on October 19th, 2023</b>
<P><strong>Joni Mitchell</strong> made a surprise appearance at <strong>Brandi Carlile</strong>'s recent show in Los Angeles as well as <strong>Annie Lennox, Lucius, Blake Mills, Wendy</strong> and others. A highlight of the evening came towards the end of the 21-song setlist when Carlile brought out close friend and music icon Mitchell for a surprise appearance, which came amid 79-year-old Mitchell's general return to live performing following a nine-year hiatus. The two shared stories of their memories about one another over the years including Mitchell calling Carlile "butch" for drinking straight out of a wine bottle, and Carlile recalling their spending time together in Canada. They also performed renditions of Mitchell's "Shine," "Ladies Of The Canyon," and "The Circle Game" to close off the show. The pair's "The Circle Game" duet has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/j-i9WH5paGY">YouTube</a>. In August, Mitchell announced the forthcoming release of the third volume of her ongoing archival project, <cite>The Asylum Years,</cite> which she began in 2020. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/16/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Paul_McCartney/images/Paul_McCartney100.gif" ALT="Paul McCartney" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Kicking off his 2023 tour of Australia, <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> played the <strong>Beatles</strong> classic "She's A Woman" for the first time in nearly 20 years at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Oct. 18. His first performance in over a year, the Adelaide gig spanned across nearly three hours and included a mix of his solo hits, as well as discography with the Beatles and <strong>Wings</strong>. "She's A Woman," originally the Fab Four's B-side to "I Feel Fine" and their last single release of 1964, was last played live by Macca in 2004. Elsewhere in the setlist, McCartney opened the show with "Can't Buy Me Love" -- the same as seen in previous dates of his "Got Back" tour -- before launcing into the Wings tracks "Junior's Farm" and "Letting Go." No tracks from his latest album <cite>McCartney III</cite> were featured in the 39-song setlist, although he did bring out songs such as "Come On To Me," "My Valentine," "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Dance Tonight" from his solo discography, and even an old pre-Beatles <strong>The Quarrymen</strong> number, "In Spite Of All The Danger." His "She's A Woman" performance has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/yGxU6DEyId8">YouTube</a>. The remaining dates of his Oz tour will continue on Oct. 21 in Melbourne; from there, he will also play shows in Newcastle, Sydney and Brisbane. The Australian dates will conclude with a gig at Heritage Bank Stadium, Gold Coast on Nov. 4. He will then make his way to Brazil for five shows, beginning on Nov. 30. In other McCartney news, the star has recently spoken about the Beatles' feelings towards <strong>Yoko Ono</strong> during a new episode of his new 12-part podcast series, <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-mccartney-a-life-in-lyric-119121943/"><cite>McCartney: A Life In Lyrics</cite></a> -- stating that he saw her presence during the Beatles' recording sessions as "an interference in the workplace." "John and Yoko had got together and that was bound to have an effect on the dynamics of the group," McCartney said in an interview with poet <strong>Paul Muldoon</strong>. "Things like Yoko being literally in the middle of the recording session [were] something you had to deal with... Anything that disturbs us, is disturbing. We would allow this and not make a fuss. And yet at the same time, I don't think any of us particularly liked it." - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 10/19/23...... In the latest episode of <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> and family's new <cite>Osbournes Podcast,</cite> Ozzy admits that used to willingly wet himself while performing on stage, arguing that it was fine because he was "wet anyway." The topic came to light during the weekly podcast when Ozzy, his wife <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> and children <strong>Jack</strong> and <strong>Kelly Osbourne</strong> were discussing the unusual things that have been sold for huge amounts at auctions - namely, a pair of Queen Victoria's underwear. To justify the purchase, Sharon responded, "Shoes, a handbag, a dress is different than somebody's bloody knickers that they farted in and shit in," with Ozzy adding: "[Queen Victoria] was an old girl, she was probably incontinent. She owned continents, but she was incontinent." He continued: "When I was onstage, I used to go, 'Oh, f--- it,' and just piss, 'cause I was wet anyway from throwing water around," he explained, referring to when he would spray his audience with high-powered water guns or throw buckets of water around on stage. Following the announcement, Sharon exclaimed, "Thanks for sharing!" The full episode can be streamed on <a href="https://youtu.be/M-hQs7kNkWo">YouTube</a>. Meanwhile, Ozzy has told Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR radio station that his upcoming final solo LP will have fewer featured artists -- unlike his last two albums which featured contributions from the likes of <strong>Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck</strong> and his former <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> bandmate <strong>Tony Iommi</strong>. "I'm waiting for [his recent producer <strong>Andrew Watt</strong>] to get free to do another album. 'Cause everybody wants to use him now," Ozzy said. - <cite>NME/Music-News.com,</cite> 10/18/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/Sly_Stone/images/Sly_Stone10.gif" ALT="Sly Stone" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Pop-rock-funk legend <strong>Sly Stone</strong> released his first ever memoir, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0374606978/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)</cite></a>, on Oct. 17. Named after <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_thankyoufalletinme.html">one of</a> his band <strong>Sly & The Family Stone</strong>'s many hits, the memoir is the first title from AUWA Books, an imprint headed by <strong>Questlove</strong> who also penned the foreword. Beyond reflections on the band's music, Stone takes a no-holds-barred approach in his memoir as he tracks the other ups and downs throughout his storied life from his and <strong>Kathy Silva</strong>'s famous 1974 wedding/concert at Madison Square Garden ("$8.50 for a wedding and a concert both. A bargain.") and the birth of his beloved son Sylvester Jr. and daughters Phunne and Novena to various business ventures and finally overcoming his drug addiction. Stone, now 80 and suffering from COPD, writes, "Then came the Four Visits. Fifty years of drugs, plus age, plus stress, made the hospital a regular stop." Sly's stream of consciousness recall of life experiences, coupled with colorful turns of phrase, makes <cite>Thank You</cite> a fun and insightful read. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/18/23...... <strong>The Eagles</strong>' <strong>Joe Walsh</strong> has signed a new publishing deal with Reservoir Media for his back catalog and future output, including songs he wrote for the Eagles, <strong>The James Gang</strong>, and his solo albums. It does not include the administration of his entire back catalog but select songs, including "A Life of Illusion," "In The City," "Life In The Fastlane" and "Life's Been Good," are part of the deal. "It is such a pleasure to be partnered with a team who are hands on and personal and who have shown their passion for and dedication to my work," said Walsh in a statement. "I look forward to a great partnership and future with Reservoir." Walsh, who rocketed to superstardom when he joined the Eagles in 1975, has also released eleven solo albums to date and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 alongside his Eagles bandmates. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/17/23...... <strong>Graham Nash</strong> has sold controlling interest in his recording catalog, as well as his name, image and likeness, to <strong>Irving Azoff</strong>'s Iconic Artists Group. Joining his <strong>Crosby, Stills & Nash</strong> bandmates on Team IAG, Nash's deal is a wide-ranging deal that aims to bolster the influential singer-songwriter's musical legacy for future generations. He joins an elite roster of acts at IAG, which Azoff co-founded in Jan. 2020: <strong>Cher, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, The Beach Boys, Joe Cocker, Nat "King" Cole, Dean Martin</strong> and of course <strong>Stephen Stills</strong> and <strong>David Crosby</strong>, who died earlier in 2023. IAG declined to share financial details of the deal, or the size of their controlling interest in Nash's rights. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/17/23...... <strong>Eddie Van Halen</strong> and <strong>Valerie Bertinelli</strong>'s son <strong>Wolfgang Van Halen</strong> married his long-time love Andraia Allsop during an intimate ceremony over the second weekend of October, the eighth anniversary of their first date. One of the most emotional moments of the ceremony was when Van Halen walked down the aisle with his actress mom Bertinelli, to a song written for him by his late dad Eddie Van Halen, who died at age 65 in Oct. 2020 after long battle with cancer. "The song that my father had written for me, it's an instrumental piece called '316.' It'll be a nice way to include my dad," Wolfie said of the acoustic, finger-picked 90-second track from <strong>Van Halen</strong>'s 1991 album <cite>For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge</cite> that was inspired by Wolfgang's birth on March 16, 1991. The bride walked down the aisle with her dad to <strong>Dean Martin</strong>'s "Everybody Loves Somebody" and tapped her grandmothers as the flower girls. The wedding took place in the couple's living room and was officiated by one of the guitarist's closest family friends, whom Wolfgang, 32, said he's known for most of his life. "He's the dad of one of my best men and he's just an important guy in our life," the <strong>Mammoth WVH</strong> frontman said of the officiant. The backdrop to the ceremony was a stained-glass window that previously served as a set piece for a <strong>Lady Gaga</strong> performance. A picture of the happy couple has been shared on <cite>People</cite> magazine's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CyePgj_SSxo/?hl=en">Instagram page</a>. Wolfgang will kick off his upcoming Mammoth WVH tour on Nov. 4 in Milwaukee. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/17/23...... The Grammy-nominated documentary <cite>Music, Money, Madness... Jimi Hendrix In Maui</cite> will make its debut theatrical screening on Oct. 25 at 7:15 PM at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas W57 (657 W. 57th Street) in Manhattan. Nominated for Best Music Film at the 2023 Grammy Awards, the feature length documentary chronicles the <strong>Jimi Hendrix Experience</strong>'s storied visit to Maui in 1970, and how they became ensnared in the controversial, counterculture film <cite>Rainbow Bridge.</cite> Co-produced by Hendrix's sister <strong>Janie Hendrix, George Scott</strong> and <strong>John McDermott</strong>, who also directed the film, <cite>Music, Money, Madness... Jimi Hendrix In Maui</cite> incorporates never before released original footage and new interviews with firsthand participants and key players such as bassist <strong>Billy Cox</strong>, Warner Bros. executives and several <cite>Rainbow Bridge</cite> cast members, as well as its director <strong>Chuck Wein</strong>. Their fascinating accounts tell the definitive story about what is arguably one of the most controversial independent films ever made. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/14/23...... '70s disco queen <strong>Gloria Gaynor</strong> has reacted to <strong>Madonna</strong> covering her 1979 signature hit "I Will Survive" during a London stop on her European "Celebration Tour" on Oct. 14. Madonna took a moment during her first show to talk about the serious health scare that postponed the tour from its original planned start over the summer. "I forgot five years of my life, or my death -- I don't really know where I was," Madonna said onstage at The O2 arena. "But the angels were protecting me, and my children were there.... If you want to know my secret and you want to know how I pulled through and survived, I thought, 'I have to be there for my children. I have to survive for them'," she said before covering "I Will Survive." Gaynor approved of Madonna covering her hit sharing on <a href="https://twitter.com/gloriagaynor/status/1713720679361597837">X/Twitter</a> the next day: "@Madonna congratulations on the launch of #TheCelebrationTour at @TheO2. So happy that you are in good health and ready to have a holiday with fans around the world! By the way, you have excellent taste in music!" - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/16/23...... Former <strong>The Police</strong> guitarist <strong>Andy Summers</strong> is combining his two passions -- music and photography -- on his current North American tour. The show, which features Summers performing solo while his photography is displayed behind him, spans The Police ("Roxanne," "Tea in the Sahara" and "Spirits in the Material World" are regularly played), original solo works (such as "Triboluminescence" and "The Bones of Twang Zu"), covers of Brazilian influences and a jazz classic (<strong>Thelonious Monk</strong>'s "Round Midnight"). His recent <cite>Solo Tour: Behind the Setlist</cite> podcast can be streamed on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4PJYlAOemiSyxnYR9KlRsW">Spotify.com</a> and other major streaming services. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/16/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/Cher/images/Cher36.gif" ALT="Cher" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Never one to shy away about sharing her feelings about former US president <strong>Donald Trump</strong>, <strong>Cher</strong> has told the UK paper <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/oct/18/cher-interview-christmas-album"><cite>The Guardian</cite></a> that she is considering moving out of America should the four-times indicted, former reality TV star become president again. "I almost got an ulcer the last time," Cher said of Trump's tumultuous four-year term, which concluded with the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump's followers. "If he get in, who knows?" the 77-year-old diva said. "This time I will leave [the country]." During the 2016 election, Cher threatened to "leave the planet" if then-political neophyte Trump was elected. Cher, who will releae her first-ever Christmas collection <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a> on Oct. 20, also spoke about the rise in anti-trans legislation. "It's something like 500 bills they're trying to pass," the longtime ally of the LGBTQ community said about the raft of legislation being pushed by conservative lawmakers across the US over the past year targeting trans people, drag queens and queer culture. "I was with two trans girls the other night -- and of course my own child [<strong>Chaz Bono</strong> is trans]. I was saying 'We've got to stand together.' I don't know what their eventual plan is for trans people. I don't put anything past them." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/18/23...... After teasing his long awaited new solo album <cite>I/O</cite> with a steady stream of singles over the last 12 months, <strong>Peter Gabriel</strong> has confirmed the album will drop on Dec. 1. "After a years-worth of full moon releases, I'm very happy to see all these new songs back together on the good ship I/O and ready for their journey out into the world," Gabriel, 73, said in a statement. Collaborations with <strong>Brian Eno</strong>, XL Recordings owner <strong>Richard Russell</strong>, guitarist <strong>David Rhodes</strong>, bassist <strong>Tony Levin</strong>, drummer <strong>Manu Katch</strong> and pianist <strong>Tom Cawley</strong> are set to feature on the album. Gabriel shared the first single, "Panopticom," in January, marking his first new song since 2016. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/19/23...... Films about or featuring live performances of '70s stars <strong>David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Elton John</strong> and <strong>Billy Joel</strong> are among 94 films vying for a nomination for a Best Music Film Grammy in 2024. The Bowie documentary <cite>Moonage Daydream</cite> and the Cohen doc <cite>Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen: A Journey, A Song</cite>, along with Elton's <cite>Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium</cite> and Joel's <cite>Live at Yankee Stadium,</cite> are just four of the films contending for nominations in the very competitive category. The last two winners in the category were Various Artists films -- <cite>Summer of Soul</cite> and <cite>Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story.</cite> - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/16/23...... Two-time Oscar winner <strong>Michael Caine</strong> has announced he is retiring from acting following his work on the recently released WW2 drama, <cite>The Great Escaper,</cite> in which he plays a veteran named Bernard Jordan who broke out of a care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of D-Day in 2014. "I keep saying I'm going to retire," Caine said during an appearance on BBC Radio 4's <cite>Today</cite> show. "Well, I am now." aine said the fact that he got to play the lead in the film that received accolades from critics after its release in Britain earlier this month led to his decision. "I've figured, I've had a picture where I've played the lead and it's got incredible reviews," Caine said. "The only parts I'm likely to get now are old men, 90-year-old men, maybe 85. And I thought, 'Well, I might as well leave with all this -- I've got wonderful reviews. What have I got to do to beat this?' You don't have leading men at 90, you're going to have young handsome boys and girls." In his 70 years as an actor, Caine has starred in more than 130 films and won two Oscars (for <cite>Hannah and Her Sisters</cite> in 1986 and <cite>Cider House Rules</cite> in 2002), three Golden Globes, one SAG award, and one BAFTA. - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 10/16/23...... Influential jazz composer and pianist <strong>Carla Bley</strong>, a pioneer in the free jazz movement who previously worked on an album with <strong>Pink Floyd</strong>'s <strong>Nick Mason</strong>, died at her home in Willow, upstate New York on Oct. 17. She was 87. Ms. Bley was known for her avant-garde approach in her early career and become a pioneering musician in the free jazz movement. "I wanted to object to as many things as possible that were wrong in the world of jazz and change the whole system that existed in the music world," she once told <cite>The Guardian.</cite> Her best known work, the jazz opera <cite>Escalator Over the Hill,</cite> was released in 1971. She would go on to write the music for Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason on his 1981 solo debut album, <cite>Nick Mason's Fictious Sports.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/18/23...... <strong>Burt Young</strong>, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law to <strong>Sylvester Stallone</strong> in the franchise that began with 1976's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#Rocky"><cite>Rocky</cite></a>, died on Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, disclosed to the <cite>New York Times</cite> on Oct 18. No cause was given. He was 83. Mr. Young had roles in acclaimed films and television shows including <cite>"Chinatown, Once Upon a Time in America</cite> and <cite>The Sopranos</cite>, but he was always best known for playing Paulie Pennino in six <cite>Rocky</cite> movies. The short, paunchy, balding Young was the sort of actor who always seemed to play middle-aged no matter his age, and began in the <cite>Rocky</cite> series as an angry, foul-mouthed meat packer who is abusive to his sister Adrian (Talia Shire), with whom he shares a small apartment in Philadelphia. The film became a phenomenon, topping the box office for the year and making a star of lead actor and writer Stallone, who paid tribute to Mr. Young on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyj9jvaN8h2/">Instagram</a> on the evening of Oct. 18. "You were an incredible man and artist, I and the World will miss you very much," Stallone posted, along with a photo of the two. Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., Mr. Young served in the Marine Corps, fought as a professional boxer and worked as a carpet layer before taking up acting, studying with legendary teacher Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. He also appeared in the 1986 comedy <cite>Back to School</cite> with <strong>Rodney Dangerfield</strong>, and the 1989 gritty drama <cite>Last Exit to Brooklyn</cite> with <strong>Jennifer Jason Leigh</strong>. In addition to <cite>The Sopranos</cite> he guest-starred on many TV series including <cite>M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H,</cite> <cite>Miami Vice</cite> and <cite>The Equalizer.</cite> Later in life he focused on roles in the theatre and on painting, a lifelong pursuit that led to gallery shows and sales. His wife of 13 years, Gloria, died in 1974. Along with his daughter, Mr. Young is survived by one grandchild and a brother, Robert. - <cite>AP,</cite> 10/19/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/images/Piper_Laurie.gif" ALT="Piper Laurie" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Actress <strong>Piper Laurie</strong>, a three-time Oscar nominee who starred in such films as <cite>The Hustler</cite> and <cite>Carrie,</cite> died on Oct. 14. She was 91. Born Rosetta Jacobs in Detroit on Jan. 22, 1932, Ms. Laurie was plucked out of Los Angeles High School at age 17 and signed to a Universal contract for $250 a week, which would run up to $1,750 a week after seven years. She made her debut as <strong>Ronald Reagan</strong>'s daughter in the 1950 film <cite>Louisa</cite> and then went on to star in a series of undistinguished comedies and musicals, including a foray into the Francis the talking mule series called <cite>Francis Goes to the Races.</cite> She negotiated herself out of her contract with Universal in the mid-'50s after a series of ingenue roles in mediocre films and turned in an impressive supporting performance in <strong>Robert Wise</strong>'s <cite>Until They Sail</cite> (1957), with <strong>Jean Simmons, Paul Newman</strong> and <strong>Joan Fontaine</strong>. She scored her first Oscar nomination for her work opposite Newman in 1961's classic poolhall drama <cite>The Hustler,</cite> in which she played an alcoholic who memorably tells Newman's character, "Look, I've got troubles and I think maybe you've got troubles. Maybe it'd be better if we just leave each other alone." Though she informally retired to raise a family for more than a decade, Ms. Laurie returned to film and television in the mid-'70s and racked up an impressive roster of characterizations, including Oscar-nominated turns in <cite>Carrie</cite> and in <cite>Children of a Lesser God,</cite> in which she played <strong>Marlee Matlin</strong>'s icy mother. She also began regular work on television in such TV movies as <cite>In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan</cite>; the <strong>Judy Garland</strong> biography <cite>Rainbow</cite>; and 1981's <cite>The Bunker,</cite> in which she played Magda Goebbels to <strong>Anthony Hopkins</strong>' Hitler. Her last film appearances included <cite>Eulogy</cite> (2004), in which she stood out as the matriarch of a dysfunctional family; <cite>The Dead Girl,</cite> in which she played another cruel mother, this one bed-ridden; <cite>Hounddog,</cite> as the stern grandmother of rape victim <strong>Dakota Fanning</strong>; and <cite>Hesher,</cite> in which she memorably shared a bong with the stranger, played by <strong>Joseph Gordon-Levitt</strong>, who insinuates himself into her household. Ms. Laurie's manager Marion Rosenberg confirmed the news of her death to <cite>Variety,</cite> writing, "A beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time." - <cite>Variety,</cite> 10/14/23...... Actor <strong>Mark Goddard</strong>, best known for his role in the 1960's sci-fi series <cite>Lost in Space,</cite> died on Oct. 10 after being hospitalized for pneumonia, his wife Evelyn posted on Facebook. "I'm so sorry to tell you that my wonderful husband passed away on October 10th," she wrote. "Several days after celebrating his 87th birthday, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. We were hopeful when he was transferred to a rehabilitation center, but then doctors discovered he was in the final stages of pulmonary fibrosis for which there is no cure. He received excellent care at the beautiful Pat Roche Hospice Home and was able to die peacefully and with dignity," she added. After starring as Major Don West on <cite>Lost in Space,</cite> Mr. Goddard guest-starred on a number of series and starred with <strong>Liza Minnelli</strong> on Broadway in the musical "The Act" in 1978. His last major appearance was in 2010's <cite>Soupernatural,</cite> but he reprised his signature role as Don West in the BluRay special <cite>Lost in Space: The Epilogue</cite> in 2015. Tributes poured in for the actor, including one from his former <cite>Lost In Space</cite> co-star <strong>Billy Mumy</strong>, who posted Mr. Goddard was "a truly beloved friend and brother to me for 59 years.... The last words we exchanged were 'I love you.'" - <cite>Bang Showbiz,</cite> 10/13/23...... <strong>Phyllis Coates</strong>, the first actress to play Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane on television, only to leave the <cite>Adventures of Superman</cite> after just one season, has died. She was 96. Ms. Coates, who also appeared in Republic Pictures serials and in such films as <cite>I Was a Teenage Frankenstein,</cite> died on Oct. 11 of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, her daughter Laura Press told <cite>The Hollywood Reporter.</cite> - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 10/16/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/images/Suzanne_Somers2.gif" ALT="Suzanne Somers" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Suzanne Somers</strong>, best known for playing the ditzy blonde Chrissy Snow on the hit 1977-1981 sitcom <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_N-W.html#Three's Company"><cite>Three's Company</cite></a> and who later became an entrepreneur and a <cite>New York Times</cite> best-selling author, died on the morning of Oct. 15 in her Palm Springs, Calif., home after a 23-year battle with breast cancer. She was 76. "Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th," read a statement from her publicist and longtime friend R. Couri Hay. "Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family." Her death came just one day before her 77th birthday. Born in 1946 in San Bruno, Calif., to an abusive, alcoholic gardener father and a medical secretary mother, Somers married young, at 19, to Bruce Somers, after becoming pregnant with her son Bruce. The couple divorced three years later and she began modeling for <cite>The Anniversary Game</cite> to support herself. It was during this time that she met her second longtime husband <strong>Alan Hamel</strong>, who she married in 1977. She began acting in the late 1960s, earning her first credit in the <strong>Steve McQueen</strong> film <cite>Bullitt.</cite> But the spotlight really hit when she was cast as the blonde driving the white Thunderbird in <strong>George Lucas</strong>'s 1973 film <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_A-E.html#American Graffiti"><cite>American Graffiti</cite></a>. Her only line was mouthing the words "I love you" to <strong>Richard Dreyfuss</strong>'s character. At her audition, Lucas just asked her if she could drive. She later said that moment "changed her life forever." In 1980, after four seasons on <cite>Three's Company,</cite> she asked for a raise from $30,000 an episode to $150,000 an episode, which would have been comparable to what Ritter was getting paid. Hamel, a former television producer, had encouraged the ask. "The show's response was, 'Who do you think you are?"' Somers told <cite>People</cite> in 2020. "They said, '<strong>John Ritter</strong> is the star."' She was promptly phased out and soon fired; Her character was replaced by two different roommates for the remaining years the show aired. It also led to a rift with her co-stars; they didn't speak for many years. Somers did reconcile with Ritter before his death, and then with <strong>Joyce DeWitt</strong> on her online talk show. She followed her <cite>Three's Company</cite> stint by releasing more than two dozen wellness books, headlining a show in Las Vegas, hosting a talk show (<cite>The Suzanne Show</cite>) and becoming a fitness entrepreneur via her ubiquitous commercials for the ThighMaster exercise device. In July, Somers revealed on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvYACxKytPM/">Instagram</a> that she was diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer after she'd previously been diagnosed with the disease in the early 2000s. "Like any cancer patient, when you get that dreaded, 'It's back' you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war," she told <cite>Entertainment Tonight</cite> at the time. "This is familiar battleground for me and I'm very tough." <strong>Barry Manilow</strong>, one of her longtime friends, posted a tribute to the actress on Oct. 15 on <a href="https://twitter.com/barrymanilow/status/1713695199304785942">X/Twitter</a>: "Suzanne and I were friends for decades. She was the sister I never had and my close confidant forever. We shared triumphs and heartaches. Her fame in so many fields overshadowed her real talent as one of our greatest comedic actors, a loving mother [and] an amazing homemaker." - <cite>AP,</cite> 10/15/23.
<P>The No. 1 song on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind, for September 2023 is fitting: it's "September," by <strong>Earth, Wind & Fire</strong>. "September" sported a synch in the latest season of the Netflix series <cite>Virgin River.</cite> The entire fifth season premiered Sept. 7, and the 1979 Earth, Wind & Fire classic was heard in the third episode. In all, "September" received 19 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 8,000 downloads in Sept. 2023, according to Luminate. Some of its metrics are also due to annual gains for the song (No. 8 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 in Feb. 1979) each September around Sept. 21, corresponding with the track's opening lyric. <strong>Gerry Rafferty</strong>'s 1978 smash <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_bakerstreet.html">"Baker Street"</a> ranks at No. 2 on the tally. It appears in the second episode (Sept. 29) of new show <cite>The Continental,</cite> from Peacock, which is a newly released spinoff of the John Wick franchise. <cite>The Continental</cite> has three tracks on the tally, with "Baker Street" followed by <strong>ZZ Top</strong>'s "La Grange" at No. 5 and <strong>Tommy James and the Shondells</strong>' "Crimson and Clover" at No. 10. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/12/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/images/Jimi_Hendrix_Experience2.gif" ALT="The Jimi Hendrix Experience" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A <strong>Jimi Hendrix Experience</strong> cover of the title track of the <strong>Beatles</strong>' <cite>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</cite> album has been newly unearthed and released to the public for the first time. The track, which has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/ByZZer_Ekco">YouTube</a>, had its world premiere on the SiriusXM radio show <cite>Breakfast With the Beatles,</cite> which was guest hosted by former <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> editor <strong>David Fricke</strong>. "Here is the sound of the most exciting new group in the world, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, live in rock's greatest year -- and performing the opening theme song from The Beatles' Summer of Love masterpiece," Fricke said as he introduced the song. Fricke continued: "It is a pleasure and honour to play it, for the first time anywhere, on the Beatles Channel." The track serves as the lead song on the forthcoming album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGZDN4MT/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hollywood Bowl August 18, 1967</cite></a>, which is set for release on Nov. 10. The LP will also feature such JHE originals as "Purple Haze," "The Wind Cries Mary," "Foxey Lady" and "Fire," as well as covers of the likes of <strong>Howlin' Wolf</strong> ("Killing Floor"), <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> ("Like a Rolling Stone"), <strong>The Troggs</strong> ('Wild Thing") and <strong>Muddy Waters</strong> ("Catfish Blues"). According to legend, Beatles <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> and <strong>George Harrison</strong> were able to witness the Hendrix and his band cover their song mere days after the release of <cite>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</cite> in the middle of 1967. Occurring at the Saville Theatre in London on June 4, Hendrix played the song for the pair backstage on a portable record player and then opened the show with the Jimi Hendrix Experience's own dramatic interpretation. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 10/13/23...... As the <strong>Queen + Adam Lambert</strong> tour hit New York's Madison Square Garden on Oct. 12, fans were treated to all manner of spectacles from frontman <strong>Adam Lambert</strong>, guitarist <strong>Brian May</strong> and drummer <strong>Roger Taylor</strong>. For "Bicycle Race," Lambert rose from under the stage on a shimmering chrome motorcycle (straddling a camera on its dashboard all the while); during "Killer Queen," the singer turned his back to the audience and performed directly into a vanity mirror, primping and preening at every given opportunity; and during "A Kind of Magic," May managed to conjure up sorcery of his by shooting flares out of the end of his guitar. At one point late in the show, May let the audience in on secret. "You're all in very good voice tonight. At Queen shows, we like to hear you... It's more fun when there's a bit of audience participation," he said with a cheeky smile. The crowd certainly delivered on that front -- during the band's opening number "Radio Ga Ga," audience members perfectly nailed the hands-up, double-clap choreography for the song's chorus. When "Fat Bottomed Girls" arrived at its ear-worm chorus, the audience sounded more like a choir than a group of concertgoers. And Lambert continued to facilitate that choral energy for the bridge of "Somebody to Love," letting the audience take the reins. At no point during their show did the trio pull the focus away from the spirit of their late enigmatic former frontman, <strong>Freddie Mercury</strong>. During a solo section in which May performed an acoustic version of "Love of My Life," he acknowledged that this was "Freddie's song," and that "Freddie should be singing it right now." After introducing his legendary bandmates, Lambert made sure the audience knew whose shoes he was filling on stage. "Just know that every time I take this stage, just like all of you and just like these gentlemen, we all have Freddie Mercury in our hearts," he said. But the most poignant and fitting tribute to Mercury's legacy came just moments before the band's encore, when a video of Freddie performing live appeared on the stage's scrim. Performing his famous vocal improvisation "Ay-Oh," in which he quickly runs through a series of riffs and runs while getting the audience to repeat after him, the virtual image of Mercury secured the same command over the crowd gathered in MSG as he did when he was still alive. It was simple, effective, and exactly the kind of tribute Queen fans would want to see for an icon like Mercury. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/13/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Michael_Jackson/images/Michael_Jackson36.gif" ALT="Michael Jackson" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Oct. 12 it was revealed that <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>'s leather jacket from his 1984 Pepsi commercial will be auctioned off by Propstore.com. The auction house will be selling the custom-made black and white jacket and over 200 original pieces of music memorabilia on Nov. 10 in one of the biggest ever sales of entertainment collectors' items. Bids on the late King of Pop's garment -- which has no size or manufacturer label -- will start at $100,000, but estimates predict it will fetch between $200,000 and $400,000. For the Pepsi ad filmed in New York City, Michael changed his 1983 hit single "Billie Jean"' to create a jingle referencing Pepsi's "New Generation" of customers, which co-starred a 12-year-old <strong>Alfonso Ribeiro</strong> before he found fame on <cite>The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.</cite> Michael starred in the commercial with his brothers from the <strong>Jackson Five</strong> and they earned a reputed $5 million -- a record fee at the time -- from PepsiCo in 1983. The jacket is being sold by Wendell Thompson who was gifted the item when he met the pop legend in 1980 aged 12. Thompson -- whose father was Jackson's hairdresser in Florida -- was given the piece of pop history in Dec. 1983 when he was visiting Orlando for the opening of the Michael Jackson room at the Hotel Royal Plaza, originally named The Royal Inn and now called B Resort Spa. Thompson's auction lot also includes the original Polaroid photo of him receiving the jacket, a hand-signed photo from Jackson, <cite>The Making of Thriller</cite> book, <cite>Making Michael Jackson's Thriller</cite> LaserDisc and Pepsi set pics. When filming a second Pepsi commercial with his siblings, Michael's hair notoriously caught fire after a pyrotechnics effect went wrong and he sustained second degree burns on his scalp. The incident has been attributed to the start of the Michael's painkiller addiction, a struggle that lasted up until his death on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50 from "acute Propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication." Make-up artist <strong>Karen Faye</strong> -- who worked with Jackson for 27 years -- testified in a later court case: "I never saw anything like that in my life. This was someone I knew and he was on fire. All his hair was gone and there was smoke coming out of his head." The auction will also include items from other music legends including <strong>John Lennon, The Beatles, David Bowie, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Oasis, AC/DC, KISS, Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, Queen, Elvis Presley</strong> and <strong>Amy Winehouse</strong>. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/12/23...... On Oct. 13, <strong>ABBA</strong>'s <strong>Agnetha Faltskog</strong> released <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGRXB1MT/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>A+</cite></a>, a reimagining of her solo album <cite>A</cite>. In a new interview with the UK paper <cite>The Guardian,</cite> Falkskog said at first she was "a bit suspicious" of the ABBA <cite>Voyage</cite> show, which reunites the band in digital form when it debuted in 2020. "We were working the whole of February [2020] to prepare -- it doesn't sound so much, but it was, performing the songs with all these technicians and all the things on your body. We were working really hard and I'll be totally honest, I was not so comfortable with it. But after maybe four or five days you get into it: OK, I'll go there again. Also, the music helps, because it gives us a very special feeling, and somewhere along the way I could just feel proud -- they really want to see us again." The ABBA <cite>Voyage</cite> virtual concert series is currently set to run in London into 2024, with plans reported for the experience to be taken on a world tour. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/13/23...... <strong>Ringo Starr</strong> released a new four-song EP titled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGL9WCC1/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Rewind Forward</cite></a> on Oct. 13, which features a song written for Ringo by his former bandmate <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>. Ringo says his request to Paul to write a song for him came about during one of the pair's frequent conversations. "We were Facetiming each other -- we do that quite a bit -- and I say, 'I'm doing an EP. Write me a song.' And he said, 'OK,'" Starr told <cite>Billboard</cite> during a recent interview outside West Hollywood's famoust Sunset Marquis hotel. "And he not only wrote it, he's on bass, he's singing on it. He's all over it. He actually put his drums on it." But fans won't hear Sir Paul's drumming on the song: Starr may be the only musician in the world who could tell McCartney his contribution wasn't up to par. When asked how he rates McCartney as a drummer, Starr laughs and, without missing a beat, says, "I wiped him off completely and did it myself. It would be like me sending him a track and I'm on bass." This year also marks the 50th anniversary of <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_photograph.html">"Photograph,"</a> the sweeping, nostalgic tune co-written by Starr and <strong>George Harrison</strong> that became Starr's first solo No. 1 hit in 1973. "We were on a yacht. We were at the Cannes Film Festival," Starr says of writing the song, but the details pretty much end there. "I've very little memory of whatever went on on that holiday," he says with a chuckle, before going into a sweet remembrance of working with Harrison over the years. "George was like my producer for awhile. He took care of me. He put the right chords in because I could only play three," he says. "There's a great piece of footage where I'm playing 'Octopus's Garden' and he's going [shouts] 'F!' I don't know where F is. 'G flat!' He's just shouting out these chords, laying on the settee. Look, I can play any song in the world as long as it's in C," Ringo says, laughing loudly at himself. Ringo has just wrapped the 2023 edition of his annual <strong>All-Starr Band</strong> tour, which includes such musicians as <strong>Colin Hay, Hamish Stuart</strong> and <strong>Edgar Winter</strong>. "We love it. I know the audience loves me. And I love them," Starr says. "And the band has only one rule: We're not there to be miserable. And I'll support you to the best of my ability and I expect the same from you. We do it for each other." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/13/23...... In other <strong>Beatles</strong>-related news, <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> took to Instagram on Oct. 9 to mark his 12th wedding anniversary to his wife <strong>Nancy Shevell</strong>. "Happy anniversary to my lovely wife, Nancy," the 81-year-old wrote alongside a photo of him and his wife, 63. Macca added in the caption, "Let's have a great one - Paul." Fans flooded the comments section with congratulatory messages for the couple, with one fan writing, "Congrats to the happy couple. Look'in good guys," while another commented, "Happy anniversary to my favorite Beatle and his wife." McCartney and businesswoman Shevell met in 2007. They tied the knot four years later in 2011 in London. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/10/13...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/Rod_Stewart/images/Rod_Stewart51.gif" ALT="Rod Stewart" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Rod Stewart</strong> has turned down what could likely have been one of the biggest paydays in his vaunted career over what he says are the repressive policies of the Saudi Arabian government. "I'm grateful that I have a choice whether or not to perform in Saudi Arabia," the "Maggie Mae" singer wrote in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CySx9T5sXVs/">Instagram</a> message on Oct. 12. "So many citizens there have extremely limited choices -- women, the LGBTQ community, the press," Stewart continued. "I'd like my choice not to go shine a light on the injustices there and ignite positive change." It is unknown how big a payday the 78-year-old Stewart was being offered to play in the kingdom, where members of the LGBTQ+ community do not have state-recognized rights and where same-sex sexual activity is illegal and punishable by up to life imprisonment. A source close to Sir Rod said that the offer, which was never confirmed, was one of the most lucrative of rocker's career, though not the biggest he has received. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/12/23...... On Oct. 10, <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> shared an update on his health amid his continuing battle with peptic ulcer disease. In late September, the Boss postponed the remainder of his 2023 live tour late last month due to his illness. A statement at the time explained that Springsteen had "continued to recover steadily," but said he'd been advised to "continue treatment through the rest of the year" per consultations with his doctor. On Oct. 6, Springsteen announced the rescheduled US dates with <strong>The E Street Band</strong> for 2024. During the Oct. 10 edition of his <cite>From My Home To Yours</cite> series on SiriusXM, the Jersey rocker introduced himself as "your favorite rock star with a bitch of a bellyache." "Let me take a moment and thank my fans affected by our postponed shows for their understanding," he continued. "I am deeply sorry but this belly thing, despite my ability to laugh at it, has been a monster and is still unfortunately rocking my internal world." In other Springsteen news, the star's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_23_1.html"><cite>Only the Strong Survive</cite></a> 2022 collection of classic R&B and soul songs is among the contenders for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for the 2024 Grammy Awards (there is no traditional R&B album category). The Traditional Pop category, long the domain of such crooners as <strong>Tony Bennett</strong> and <strong>Michael Bublé</strong>, has embraced more contemporary pop and rock artists in recent years. Winners since 2000 include <strong>Joni Mitchell</strong>'s<cite> Both Sides Now,</cite> <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>'s <cite>Kisses on the Bottom,</cite> <strong>Elvis Costello & the Imposters</strong>' <cite>Look Now</cite> and <strong>James Taylor</strong>'s <cite>American Standards.</cite> Springsteen has won Grammy album awards in three different categories -- Best Contemporary Folk Album for <cite>The Ghost of Tom Joad</cite> (1996), Best Rock Album for <cite>The Rising</cite> (2002) and best traditional folk album for <cite>We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006).</cite> First-round voting for the 66th annual Grammy Awards opened on Oct. 11 and closes Oct. 20. Nominees will be announced on Nov. 10. The final-round voting window extends from Dec. 14 through Jan. 4, 2023. Winners will be announced on Feb. 4, 2024, at Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center) in Los Angeles. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/11/23...... On Oct. 11 <strong>Cher</strong> denied allegations that she plotted to kidnap her adult son <strong>Elijah Blue Allman</strong> in Nov. 2022. Speaking to <cite>People</cite> about the claims made last year by Allman's estranged wife, Marieangela King, in divorce documents, which alleged that the pop icon had sent four men to kidnap Allman from a New York City hotel room, Cher simply said, "That rumor is not true." The diva declined to comment further on the event described by King, but she did tell the magazine that the family matter was related to her son's substance abuse issues, which he has previously spoken about. "I'm not suffering from any problem that millions of people in the United States aren't," Cher said. "I'm a mother," she continued. "This is my job -- one way or another, to try to help my children. You do anything for your children. Whenever you can help them, you just do it because that's what being a mother is. But it's joy, even with heartache -- mostly, when you think of your children, you just smile and you love them, and you try to be there for them." Though the kidnapping plot accusations were first made in court documents filed in December, the allegations recently surfaced amid ongoing divorce proceedings between King and Allman, whose father is late rock star <strong>Greg Allman</strong>. King alleged in her filing that Cher, concerned for Elijah's well-being, hired four men to get her 47-year-old son out of the hotel where he was staying with King as the two worked to reconcile their marriage. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/11/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/L/Leo_Sayer/images/Leo_Sayer5.gif" ALT="Leo Sayer" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Leo Sayer</strong> has been forced to cancel his scheduled UK live shows after becoming "very ill," the <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_youmakemefeellikedancing.html">"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"</a> singer revealed on Facebook on the first week of October. "I haven't posted anything publicly about this before but I couldn't fly or make the recent shows in the UK as I became very ill just before the trip," Sayer, 75, said. "I have been in hospital here for the last 3 weeks in Australia with kidney, bladder and prostrate complications. It all happened at the last moment, so it was too late to warn anyone. Many thanks to Butlins [sic] and Tony Denton for making replacement arrangements for these shows," he added. Sayer went on to apologize for having to disappoint his fans, but said "these things can happen to us 75 year olds." Sayer confirmed that he was "still in hospital" at the time, though he said he was "well on the mend." "I will take a necessary short break from activities and be back fighting for shows in 2024 -- particularly my UK and Ireland tour next autumn. Thank you everyone for all your concerns and good wishes," he concluded. Sayer released his most recent studio album, <cite>Selfie,</cite> in 2019. He recorded the LP at his home in Queensland where he lives with his wife Donatella Piccinetti, who he wed earlier in 2023. In 2022, the singer released the covers collection <cite>Northern Songs: Leo Sayer Sings The Beatles.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/11/23...... <strong>Steely Dan</strong> has reportedly dropped out of a few of their tour dates with the <strong>Eagles</strong> due to illness. ccording to the <cite>Indy Star</cite> newspaper, Eagles principle <strong>Don Henle </strong> told the crowd at a recent concert in Indianapolis's Gainbridge Fieldhouse that Steely Dan frontman <strong>Donald Fagen</strong> had been hospitalized, before thanking fellow rocker <strong>Steve Miller</strong> for filling in at the last minute. "The show must go on," Henley reportedly said. <strong>Sheryl Crow</strong> filled in for Steely Dan at the Eagles' Denver shows earlier in October, before Miller took over in Indianapolis and the upcoming Detroit show on Oct. 13. Eagles member <strong>Vince Gill</strong> will open the Pittsburgh concert on Oct. 15 with a solo set, and Steely Dan are currently listed to return to the stage on Oct. 17. There has yet to be an official statement from the Eagles specifying Fagen's illness or recovery time. The Eagles' tour will wrap on Jan. 6 in Inglewood, Calif. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/10/23...... <strong>Judas Priest</strong> surprised fans during a concert at the Power Trip Festival in Indio, Calif., on Oct. 7 by unveiling details of a new album. "Panic Attack," the first single from their long-awaited 19th studio album <cite>Invincible Shield,</cite> will drop on Oct. 13, with the new LP following on Mar. 8, 2024. The band also announced the new album on <a href="https://twitter.com/judaspriest/status/1710936733175717951">X/Twitter</a> the following day. <cite>Invincible Shield</cite> will be Judas Priest's first album in six years and the follow-up to 2018's <cite>Firepower.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/8/23...... <strong>Roger Waters</strong> reportedly told his audience to "f--- off" during a gig at the London Palladium on Oct. 8, prompting some fans to leave soon after. At the start of the show, Waters reportedly informed fans that it would be split into different parts. Many had turned up expecting Waters to play his new version of <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/pinkfloyd2.html"><cite>Dark Side of the Moon</cite></a> from the opening, but were surprised when instead, he began the show reading from his unpublished memoir, <cite>Dark Side Of The Moon: Memoirs Of A Lanky Prick.</cite> A report in <cite>Men's Journal</cite> noted that Waters "arrived 15 minutes late for his scheduled performance" and "instead of launching into the hits, [he] began reading off of his laptop passages from his yet-to-be-published memoir." As the audience grew disgruntled with the start of the show, Rogers reportedly told the audience to "f--- off." After that, some frustrated fans started to leave according to reports. One fan posted on X/Twitter that "I went to watch <strong>Pink Floyd</strong>'s <cite>Dark Side of the Moon</cite> remake gig last night at London Palladium with Roger Waters and I simply have no words to describe it and not in a positive way. What an egocentric narcissist he is and to think I paid good money to watch him. Lesson learnt." Waters released his re-recorded version of <cite>The Dark Side Of The Moon</cite>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CC9S2B1P/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux</cite></a>, on Oct. 6. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/10/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Rudolph_Isley.gif" ALT="Rudolph Isley" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Rudolph Isley</strong>, a founding member of the iconic R&B group <strong>The Isley Brothers</strong>, died on Oct. 11 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 84. After years of singing gospel in the church, Rudolph formed The Isley Brothers with his siblings <strong>Ronnie, O'Kelly</strong> and <strong>Vernon Isley</strong> in 1954 when he was just a teenager. A year later, the group temporarily disbanded after 13-year-old Vernon was killed after getting hit by a car. In 1957, the group rebanded with Ronnie as the lead vocalist, and the trio left their hometown of Cincinnati, Oh., for New York City. There, they recorded their first tracks including "Angels Cried" and "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon," and signed a deal with RCA Records in 1959. They released their first album, <cite>Shout!,</cite> that same year. The trio added their younger brothers <strong>Ernie</strong> and <strong>Marvin Isley</strong> and Rudolph's brother-in-law <strong>Chris Jasper</strong> into the band in 1971. On the <cite>Billboard</cite> charts, The Isley Brothers have charted two albums top the all-genre <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart: <cite>The Heat Is On</cite> in 1975 and <cite>Body Kiss</cite> in 2003. Over on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the group has six No. 1 hits, including "Fight the Power Part 1," "Take Me to the Next Phase," "I Wanna Be With You," "Don't Say Goodnight," "The Pride (Part 1)" and "It's Your Thing." Rudolph left The Isley Brothers in 1989 to pursue becoming a Christian minister. However, he has often reunited with his brothers over the years, including when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, an honor that was presented to them by <strong>Little Richard</strong>. "There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother," Rudolph's brother Ronald said in a statement. "Our family will miss him. But I know he's in a better place." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/12/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-197908498336806062023-10-04T11:26:00.002-07:002023-10-10T06:57:01.434-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on October 9th, 2023</b>
<P><strong>AC/DC</strong> returned to the stage with their first concert in seven years at the Power Trip festival at Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on Oct. 7. Reuniting with lead vocalist <strong>Brian Johnson</strong> for the first time since Sept. 2016 at the end of the "Rock or Bust" world tour, AC/DC performed a 24-song setlist, opening with "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" for the first time. The show also included performances of AC/DC classics "Highway To Hell," "Thunderstruck" and "Black In Black." The group also performed live debuts of "Demon Fire" and "Shot In The Dark" from 2020 album <cite>Power Up,</cite> and closed the show with "Let There Be Rock," "T.N.T." and "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)." Fan-shot footage from the show has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/Gc9tl91qxjU">YouTube</a>. Meanwhile, AC/DC has also just launched a new limited edition whiskey with Ballantine's Scotch whiskey. The collaboration is part of the Scottish distillers' "True Music Icons" series and celebrates the band's 50th anniversary. "With AC/DC's unwavering commitment to staying true to their roots aligning with Ballantine's ethos of celebrating self-expression, it was a natural fit for the Scotch whisky to pay tribute to this iconic band in its 50th anniversary year," read a statement from the company. The whiskey bottle design features the band's thunderbolt logo in neon red -- a tribute to the <cite>Power Up</cite> LP. Ballantine's have also named a cocktail in the band's honor, the Dark and Thunderstruck, which they described as "a twist on the classic Kentucky Mule Whisky cocktail." The Oz-based headbangers have close links to Scotland, with lead guitarist <strong>Angus Young</strong>and his late elder brother <strong>Malcolm Young</strong> being born in Glasgow and late singer <strong>Bon Scott</strong> in the town of Forfar. - <cite>New Musical Express/Music-News.com,</cite> 10/9/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Barry_Gibb/images/Barry_Gibb17.gif" ALT="Barry Gibb" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNF-9CXSS4o">YouTube channel</a> of the MTV show <cite>Catfished</cite> revealed on Oct. 4 that an impersonator of <strong>Bee Gees</strong> frontman <strong>Barry Gibb</strong> scammed a woman out of her retirement money. The woman, named Wanda, reportedly believed she was in a relationship with the singer, despite Gibb being married to wife <strong>Linda Gray</strong> since 1970. The romance began when Wanda was browsing one of the fake Gibb's web pages, where a button said she could message him. Though she was suspicious at first -- the impersonator turned down a FaceTime offer, claiming a fan tried to blackmail him through video before -- Wanda was eventually charmed by the fraud. "It started getting really intimate, and we started really chatting and talking about visiting and stuff like that," she said. Wanda also questioned his decades-long marriage to Gray; in response, the person pretending to be Barry Gibb said he was leaving his wife for her. He additionally requested Wanda to search for houses in Oregon that they could live in together. The fraud referred her to a man posing as an Oregon realtor named Aaron Williams, who was sent a total of over $11,000 by Wanda from her retirement fund. The fake Barry also claimed he couldn't access his money and didn't want people to know about his relationship with Wanda just yet. The pair had fans donate a total of $20,000 to an account that Wanda could access and transfer money to the scammer, who claimed it would help get through the divorce. Despite the supposed Gibb refusing to voice or video call Wanda, she believed he was the real Barry Gibb as he continuously assured her they would meet in person. She also said her "gut feeling" led her to believe it was actually him. Eventually, Gibb's verified Facebook page had posted a warning written by the singer's son, <strong>Stephen Gibb</strong>: "I am posting on his behalf today as it seems there are several profiles pretending to be Dad on Facebook and other social media platforms. Please report and block these scam artists to the platform," the post read. When Wanda confronted "Barry Gibb" about the post, he responded: "Babe, doubts ruin a relationship." <cite>Catfished</cite> convinced Wanda to cease money transfers to the scammer. Reaching out to the real Aaron Williams, they proved that the house Wanda and Gibb were supposedly going to live in together was not only still on the market, but that no payments had been received. The show also tracked the location of the supposed Aaron Williams to be in Lagos, Nigeria. Wanda has since blocked the fake accounts of Barry Gibb and Aaron Williams, and she is changing her bank information. Wanda was also shown recent footage of Gibb and Gray at their 50th anniversary to prove they were still married. They added: "The next step is for her to file a police report and we are turning everything we were able to find out over to the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission)." In other Bee Gees news, a biopic of the Gibb brothers was announced back in 2020 with <strong>Bradley Cooper</strong> rumoured to be interested in the titular role. Barry is the sole surviving member of the Bee Gees following the deaths of his brothers <strong>Maurice Gibb</strong> in 2003 and <strong>Robin Gibb</strong> in 2012. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/6/23...... <strong>Queen + Adam Lambert</strong> kicked off their 2023 "Rhapsody" tour on Oct. 4 at the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore by opening with a timely song named "Machines (Or 'Back to Humans)," then launching into "Radio Ga Ga, followed by "Hammer to Fall" and "Another One Bites The Dust." Queen launched the Rhapsody tour in 2019, ant brought it to the UK, Ireland and Europe in 2022. The 25-song setlist also included such Queen classics as "I Want to Break Free," "Killer Queen," "Somebody To Love," "Don't Stop Me Now," "We are the Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and more. Elsewhere in the set, Queen drummer <strong>Roger Taylor</strong> and guitarist <strong>Brian May</strong> took over lead vocal duties from <strong>Adam Lambert</strong> on a few tracks. Taylor sang "I'm In Love With My Car," a song he penned for 1975's <cite>A Night at the Opera,</cite> as well as singing co-vocals with Lambert on "Under Pressure." May took over "Love Of My Life" and "39'." After another show in Toronto on Oct. 8, Queen next visits Detroit (10/10), New York's Madison Square Garden (10/12, 13), Boston's TD Garden (10/15, 16), Philadelphia (10/18) and five other U.S. cities on October. In November, the band plays Dallas, Denver and San Francisco before wrapping in L.A. with two nights on Nov. 11 and 12. Fan shot footage of the Baltimore gig can be viewed on <a href="https://twitter.com/4Gelly/status/1709840687552745552">X/Twitter</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/6/23...... On Oct. 6 <strong>Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band</strong> rescheduled dates from their postponed 2023 to early 2024 as frontman Springsteen continues to recover for peptic ulcer disease. The tour will now reboot on Mar. 19 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix (a make-up for a show originally scheduled for Nov. 30), followed by a Mar. 25 show at San Diego's Pechanga Arena through a Sept. 13 show at Baltimore's Oriole Park. All tickets for postponed shows will be valid for the newly announced dates, with fans encouraged to reach out to the ticketing company for each date about refunds. New dates for the Canadian shows will be announced in the near future. Peptic ulcer disease is fairly common, though painful, gastrointestinal condition that can cause severe abdominal pain as a result of an imbalance in the protective lining of the stomach. "Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor's advice," read a statement released on Sept. 27 announcing the push of all 2023 dates to 2024. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/6/23...... On Oct. 6 <strong>Cher</strong> released the first single from her upcoming first-ever Christmas album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK4Q7KJ/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Christmas</cite></a>, due on Oct. 20 via Warner. "DJ Play a Christmas Song" was written by <strong>Sara Hudson</strong> (<strong>Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Troye Sivan</strong>) an her team, and has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/nPEJooq7kos">YouTube</a>. Featuring contributions from the likes of <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong> ("What Christmas Means to Me"), <strong>Michael Bublé</strong> ("Home"), <strong>Cyndi Lauper</strong> ("Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart"), <strong>Tyga</strong> ("Drop Top Sleigh Ride") and <strong>Darlene Love</strong> ("Christmas, Baby Please Come Home"), <cite>Christmas</cite> is Cher's follow-up to her hit 2018 album, <cite>Dancing Queen.</cite> "I never say this about my own records but I'm really proud of this one. It is one of the most amazing highlights of my career," Cher says. "They're not 'Christmas Christmas' songs, OK, they're just great songs. And I never say that because I almost never like what I do. But I mean people love it and I'm happy. I'm so particular, but I love the songs and everyone who hears them loves them," she adds. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/6/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Ramones.gif" ALT="The Ramones" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Legendary NYC punk godfathers <strong>The Ramones</strong> have been channeled by the pop-punk trio <strong>Blink-182</strong> in a video for their new single "Dance With Me" that dropped on Oct. 5. In the video which has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/LUEYNuVeA9Y">YouTube</a>, Blink-182's <strong>Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus</strong> and <strong>Travis Barker</strong> dress up in their finest Ramones-appropriate shag wigs, sunglasses and leather jackets and offer sincerely annoyed answers before busting into a cover of the Ramones' chaotic song "Sedated." "The video serves as a love letter to the Ramones and finds the guys paying homage to one of their favorite iconic bands that came before them," reads a description of the visual that opens with a clueless interviewer introducing the band and then asking, "What the hell is punk? And is it punk that I said 'hell'?" A second set-up re-creates the legendarily grimy interior of the Ramones' musical mecca, New York's late lamented CBGB punk club, with drummer <strong>Travis Barker</strong> smashing his kit in front of a wall of graffiti and band posters while wearing a "Disco Sucks" t-shirt. The 17-song effort <cite>One More Time,</cite> produced by Barker, is Blink-182's first album by the core trio in 11 years, and is due out on Oct. 20. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/5/23...... In a new episode of <cite>The Osbournes Podcast</cite> on Oct. 5, <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong> revealed that she is opening a museum showcasing her husband <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> in Ozzy's hometown of Birmingham, UK. Sharon said that the planned "memorabilia place" will feature both a music-education section and a café. "He's having all of his awards [in the museum], all his stage clothes, posters, old posters from [the pre-Sabbath band] <strong>Earth Days</strong>, I've got so much memorabilia," she told the couple's son, <strong>Jack Osbourne</strong>. Sharon continued: "We're gonna do it totally interactive -- every video, every live show of your dad's, everything there. It's more of an educational thing for musicians and artists that want to see that you can come from nothing, and if you work hard enough this is what you can get. We're going to have a café, and in there we're going to have every instrument you can think of. Music students can come in and we're gonna do music classes, because there's no music at schools anymore. We're gonna get friends, other musicians to come in." Jack asked Sharon if it would be like a "<cite>School of Rock</cite> kind of thing?" to which Sharon replied: "Yes." The full episode can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/dHICIPaXz1k">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/5/23...... <strong>Pink Floyd</strong>'s <strong>David Gilmour</strong> has continued his long running feud with his former bandmate, <strong>Roger Waters</strong>, by sharing a documentary detailing instances of alleged anti-Semitism from the latter. Taking to <a href="https://twitter.com/antisemitism/status/1707077645559619635">X/Twitter</a> on Oct. 5, Gilmour retweeted a post about a documentary titled <cite>The Dark Side Of Roger Waters,</cite> originally published by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which produced the project. The clip shared by Gilmour sees two of Waters' former collaborators recall their experiences working with the musician, and the instances where they reportedly saw him make anti-Semitic comments. The first of which was from Waters' former saxophonist <strong>Nortber Statchel</strong>, who told the BBC about a time when the Pink Floyd musician allegedly imitated a stereotypically poor Polish woman as a reference to his Jewish ancestors. He also recalled another instance where the bassist expressed outrage at a restaurant serving "Jew food." The second of the former collaborators featured in the video was <strong>Bob Ezrin</strong>, the music producer who helped helm the band's 1979 album <cite>The Wall.</cite> In the clip, Erzin recalled Waters' speaking about the band's then-manager, <strong>Bryan Morrison</strong>, and claims that he described Morrison as a "f---ing Jew." Although Gilmour did not provide a comment when sharing the promotional video, the guitarist has spoken openly about the accusations in the past. Earlier in 2023, his wife, <strong>Polly Samson</strong>, claimed that Waters was "antisemitic to [his] rotten core," as well as "a <strong>[Vladimir] Putin</strong> apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac." Gilmour reposted that tweet as well, and told his followers that his spouse's claims were "demonstrably true." Waters himself issued a statement in response to Samson's comments, saying he "refutes [them] entirely" and that they are "incendiary and wildly inaccurate." Waters also said he was "taking advice as to his position" regarding Samson's claims. Waters will release <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CC9S2B1P/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux</cite></a>, his full-length reimagining of the band's iconic 1973 album, later in October to celebrate its 50th anniversary.The band is also celebrating the milestone anniversary by releasing a brand new 30-minute YouTube-exclusive film entitled <cite>Eclipse</cite> which documents the Apr. 2023 Australian eclipse. On Thursday 20 April 2023, the shadow of the moon grazed the tip of Western Australia, as it travelled over one of the world's most beautiful areas -- the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park in Exmouth. Overseen by the group's long time Creative Consultant and Hipgnosis co-founder, <strong>Aubrey "Po" Powell</strong>, Pink Floyd gave eight Australian fans (named The Astronome Domine Eight) the exclusive opportunity to visit the special scenic location within the region to hear the <cite>Dark Side</cite> LP in its entirety. The album's soaring epic final song "Eclipse"' (with the closing lines "But the sun is eclipsed by the moon") was timed to align with the exact moment of total eclipse. Pink Floyd's stand-alone release of the newly remastered <cite>Dark Side</cite> on CD, LP and Blu-ray will also be available on Oct. 13. - <cite>NME/Music-News.com,</cite> 10/5/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/images/Eagles4.gif" ALT="Eagles" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Oct. 4 the <strong>Eagles</strong> announced the dates for their swansong "The Long Goodbye" tour. The trek will feature fellow Rock and Roll Hall of famers <strong>Steely Dan</strong> as openers for the tour, which is slated to kick off Sept. 7, 2024 with two-night stand at New York's Madison Square Garden, then hit Boston (9/11, 13), Newark, NJ (9/16, 17) and Belmont Park, NY's UBS Arena on Sept. 20. The 23-date/15-city tour also visits such major markets as Denver, Indianapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Raleigh and St. Paul, Minn. before wrapping with two nights at Inglewood, Calif.'s Kia Forum on Jan. 5 and 6, 2025. "The Eagles have had a miraculous 52-year odyssey, performing for people all over the globe; keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds," read a statement from the group. "Credit and thanks go to our longtime management team, our dedicated road crew, and our exceptional backup musicians for providing skilled and steadfast support, throughout these many years. We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/4/23...... <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> launched his new <cite>A Life in Lyrics</cite> podcast on Oct. 4 with the first episode breaking down the creation of the <strong>Beatles</strong>' 1966 classic "Eleanor Rigby." In episode one Sir Pual explains where the title for the song came from, sharing that the name for the song came from a grave that he and his late bandmate <strong>John Lennon</strong> saw. "There is a grave which John and I wandered around endlessly talking about our future," he recalled in the podcast. "And there is a grave there [with the name Eleanor Rigby]. I don't remember ever having seeing that gravestone but it's been suggested to me that psychologically I would have seen it." He also shared where the famous lyric "wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door" originated from, attributing the words to his mother and her love and use of Nivea cold cream. "My mum's favourite was Nivea and I love it to this day. It kind of scared me a little that women used quite so much cold cream, and it was my dread, when I got older and got married, that I would marry someone who would [wear a lot of cold cream] and put one of those big shower caps on and the curlers and have masses of things. So that played on my mind quite a bit, so she's wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door," he said. <cite>McCartney: A Life In Lyrics</cite>, based on McCartney's best-selling book <cite>The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present</cite> was co-produced by Pushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts. Superfans can binge all of the first season immediately with a <a href="https://apple.co/pushkin">Pushkin+</a> subscription. A new episode will come out every week, and Season 2 will follow with an additional 12 episodes set for release in February of 2024. In other Beatles-related news, <strong>Ringo Starr</strong> has recently said that the "final" Beatles song -- which has been made with help from artificial intelligence (AI) -- "should have been out already." Speaking to AP News, Starr said when asked when fans can expect to hear the track or find out the title, he responded: "It should've been out already." "Can't say too much at this stage but to be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created," Paul McCartney said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulMcCartney/status/1671880812080549890">June 22 tweet</a>. "It's all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings -- a process which has gone on for years. No one is more excited than us to be sharing something with you later in the year," he added. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/4/23...... <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> announced on Oct. 5 that he's releasing a second collection of his harmonical line after the first offering of mouth harps flew off the shelves earlier in 2023, selling out within a month. The 80-year-old <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> frontman, who plays the harmonica on the likes of the Stones tracks "Midnight Rambler" and "Gimme Shelter," is releasing a "Mick Jagger Series: Edition Two" as part of his continuing partnership with Whynow Music and <strong>Lee Oskar</strong>, the original harmonica player for rock-fusion legends <strong>War</strong> and who started manufacturing his own harmonicas in 1983."I was blown away by the response to our first range of harmonicas!," Sir Mick said is a statement. I hope everyone has enjoyed playing their harps, and that more people are falling in love with my favourite instrument. With artists like <strong>Little Nas X</strong> and <strong>Kendrick Lamar</strong> using it in their music today, I'm confident that the harmonica will be gracing stages around the world for a long time to come," he added. The harmonica design, which includes a Mick Jagger logo in black on a striking red harp, can be purchased on <a href="https://www.mickjagger.com">Jagger's official website</a>. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/5/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/L/images/Linda_Blair.gif" ALT="Linda Blair" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><cite>The Exorcist: Believer,</cite> the latest in the demonic franchise based on the 1973 horror classic <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_A-E.html#The Exorcist"><cite>The Exorcist</cite></a>, took possession of the US box office on the first weekend of October by bringing in $27.2 million in its opening weekend for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions, according to studio estimates released on Oct. 8. Facing competition from no major new releases, <cite>The Exorcist: Believer</cite> took in a bigger weekend box office than the next three films combined. But while it nearly earned back its reported budget of $30 million in just a few days, its take was underwhelming after the two companies paid $400 million in 2021 for the rights to a new trilogy. The new <cite>Exorcist</cite> was released just shy of the 50th anniversary of the original horror classic, and it comes just two months after the death of the original film's director, <strong>William Friedkin</strong>. Directed by <strong>David Gordon Green</strong>, who has become a legacy sequel specialist after helming a trilogy of <cite>Halloween</cite> films, <cite>The Exorcist: Believer</cite> stars "Hamilton" actor <strong>Leslie Odom Jr.</strong>, with<strong>Lidya Jewett</strong> as his 13-year-old daughter, taking on the role of the demonically possessed girl played by <strong>Linda Blair</strong> in the original. The new film has garnered unfavorable reviews -- managing a critics score of just 23% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewer <strong>Jake Coyle</strong> of the AP was more charitable than most, giving it two stars out of four for its lead performances and sure-handed direction but saying it "never manages anything like the deep terror of the original." The release of the film was moved up a week to avoid competing with the juggernaut of <strong>Taylor Swift</strong>'s new concert film, <cite>Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.</cite> - <cite>AP,</cite> 10/8/23...... Grammy-winning record producer and manager <strong>Ron Haffkine</strong>, known for his work with '70s and '80s hitmakers <strong>Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show</strong>, died at his home in Mexico on Oct. 1 after a brief bout with leukemia and kidney failure. He was 84. Mr. Haffkine was instrumental in getting Dr. Hook signed by <strong>Clive Davis</strong> at Columbia Records in the 1970s, and the band led by <strong>Dennis Locorriere</strong> and the eyepatch-wearing <strong>Ray Sawyer</strong>, would compile a string of hits that included "Sylvia's Mother," "Cover of the Rolling Stone," "Sharing the Night Together," "When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman," "Sexy Eyes," "Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk" and "A Little Bit More." Mr. Haffkine produced 10 Dr. Hook studio albums and two live albums and also worked with the likes of <strong>Waylon Jennings, Lou Rawls, Mac Davis</strong> and <strong>Helen Reddy</strong>. He often collaborated with singer, songwriter and poet <strong>Shel Silverstein</strong>, and won a Grammy Award in 1985 for producing Silverstein's <cite>Where the Sidewalk Ends</cite> and received another Grammy nom two years later for his work on another Silverstein children's album, <cite>A Light in the Attic.</cite> Born in New York on Dec. 13, 1938, Mr. Haffkine contracted polio when he was 12, leaving him paralyzed for two years. Later, he and Silverstein became friends in Greenwich Village. Mr. Haffkine and his wife of 37 years, Sydney, moved to Mexico several years ago. She survives him. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/6/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/Dick_Butkus.gif" ALT="Dick Butkus" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Legendary NFL linebacker <strong>Dick Butkus</strong>, perhaps the greatest player to ever suit up in that position, died "peacefully in his sleep" at his home in Malibu, Calif., on Oct. 5. He was 80. Mr. Butkus patrolled the middle for the Chicago Bears' "Monsters of the Midway" for nine seasons -- from 1965 to 1974 -- stuffing the stat sheet and striking fear into the hearts of opponents in the process. A five-time first team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Mr. Butkus was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-1960s and All-1970s teams and was inducted as a player in 1979. He was a Chicago legend through-and-through -- born in the Windy City and becoming a college football legend at Illinois before he was selected by the Bears with the third overall pick in the 1965 NFL draft. His impact was immediate as he intercepted five passes and recorded seven fumble recoveries, both career highs, while earning his first All-Pro honor, and continued to shine from there. Mr. Butkus retired in May 1974 after nine seasons, hastened by a 1970 knee injury, finishing his career with 22 interceptions and 27 fumble recoveries. Mr. Butkus went on to appear in a number of movies and TV shows following his retirement, including the motion picture <cite>Any Given Sunday</cite> and most notably on NBC sitcoms <cite>Hang Time</cite> and <cite>My Two Dads.</cite> "Dick Butkus was a fierce and passionate competitor who helped define the linebacker position as one of the NFL's all-time greats," NFL Commissioner <strong>Roger Goodell</strong> said in a statement. "Dick's intuition, toughness and athleticism made him the model linebacker whose name will forever be linked to the position and the Chicago Bears." In 1985 the Butkus Award was established, honoring the top linebacker in college football. Since 2008, Mr. Butkus' foundation has overseen the award, with the best high school and NFL linebackers also honored. A moment of silence was held for Mr. Butkus before the Oct. 5 game between the Washington Commanders and the Bears. - <cite>USA Today,</cite> 10/6/23.
<P><strong>AC/DC</strong> announced in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx6WJU8SVEV/">Instagram post</a> on Oct. 3 that they'll be opening up a pop-up dive bar in celebration of their headlining gig at the upcoming Power Trip festival, set for Oct. 6-8 in Indio, Calif. Located near the festival grounds at 82971 Bliss Ave., the bar will open every day from Oct. 5-8 from 11:00 am PST until 10:00 pm PST. The bar is "the ultimate way to connect and plug in with fellow AC/DC fans over the weekend and check out iconic AC/DC props and exclusive merch," their post reads. AC/DC's headlining set at Power Trip will mark their first live performance in seven years. The first day (Oct. 6) will be headlined by <strong>Guns N' Roses</strong> and <strong>Iron Maiden</strong>, with AC/DC and <strong>Judas Preist</strong> headlining the second night. Things then wrap up on Oct. 8 with sets from <strong>Metallica</strong> and <strong>Tool</strong>. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 10/4/23...... <strong>Ringo Starr</strong> took a tumble onstage on Sept. 20 during a gig at Albuquerque, N.M.'s Rio Rancho Events Center while making his way back onstage during the band's encore performance of <strong>John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band</strong>'s "Give Peace A Chance." Starr, 83, quickly got to his feet after the fall and joined his band to sing the chorus. There were no later reports of any injuries suffered. Moments after the fall, Starr cracked a joke about the mishap. "I fell over just to tell you that, thank you," he said. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/30/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/Stevie_Nicks/images/Stevie_Nicks28.gif" ALT="Stevie Nicks" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a recent interview with Vulture.com, <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> says "there's no reason" to continue on with <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> after the November 2022 death of Fleetwood Mac keyboardist/singer <strong>Christine McVie</strong>. "We did go out on the road and do a year-and-a-half tour with [<strong>Lindsey Buckingham</strong> replacements] <strong>Neil Finn</strong> and <strong>Mike Campbell</strong>," Nicks said. "We had a really great time and it was a huge tour. That was there in the realm of possibility. But when Christine died, I felt like you can't replace her. You just can't. Without her, what is it? You know what I mean?" Nicks is currently in the midst of a solo tour as well as a co-headlining tour with <strong>Billy Joel</strong>, and recently unveiled her very own Barbie Music Collector doll from Mattel. Decked out in a <cite>Rumours</cite>-esque black outfit and feathered '70s hair, the doll will be released in November. "My Stevie @Barbie has been with me now for several months," Nicks later posted on <a href="https://twitter.com/StevieNicks/status/1708695303392555195">X/Twitter</a>. "When Mattel came to me asking if I would like to have a Barbie made in the <cite>Rumours</cite>" cover style I was very overwhelmed. Of course I questioned 'would she look like me? Would she have my spirit? Would she have my heart'." The doll retails for $55 and is available for pre-order at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/2582894011?ie=UTF8&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Barbie&_encoding=UTF8&tag=superseventiesro&linkCode=ur2&linkId=1a3645c1561207e97427d56763435553&camp=1789&creative=9325">Amazon</a>, Target and Walmart while supplies last. Meanwhile, Nicks has once again spoken of her love for the Fleetwood Mac-based Amazon Prime series <cite>Daisy Jones & The Six.</cite>" It was the kind of snappy sarcasm between Daisy and Billy, who in my mind was like me and Lindsey [Buckingham]," Nicks told Vulture.com. "It was the back-and-forth between the two of them. It was so good. It was so real and it was really so right on." She continued: "I would be watching and be like, Well, there you go. That's exactly why we did it. That's exactly why Fleetwood Mac stayed together for 50 years. It was all for the music. It was all just to keep the music going, and the show got it." Asked whether she enjoyed the original music featured in <cite>Daisy Jones,</cite> given the parallels with <cite>Rumours,</cite> Nicks replied: "My favorite is the one that goes, 'We could make a good thing bad'," referring to "Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)," which can be streamed on <a href="https://youtu.be/xdZaOvSlHAA">YouTube</a>. - <cite>Billboard/NME,</cite> 10/3/23...... The trailer for the new <strong>Sofia Coppola</strong>-directed <strong>Priscilla Presley</strong> biopic <cite>Priscilla</cite> was shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/DBWk6BohVXk\">YouTube</a> on Oct. 3. It begins with a young Priscilla at a diner drinking a soda. A member of the army comes up to her and asks, "Hi, what's your name?" to which she replies, "Priscilla Beaulieu." The man then asks her if she enjoys <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>'s music, and Priscilla's answer was a simple one. "Of course. Who doesn't?" The trailer then cuts to brief moments from Elvis' courtship of Priscilla, from them flirting with each other at a party and going to the movies, to eventually meeting the parents in between army deployments. Rising actors <strong>Cailee Spaeny</strong> and <strong>Jacob Elordi</strong> play Priscilla and Elvis in the film, which the actual Priscilla Presley has said did an accurate job at representing her life and emotions during her time with the King of Rock n' Roll. "Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times and I really put everything out for her that I could," Presley said in September during the film's world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. <cite>Priscilla</cite> arrives in U.S. theaters on Nov. 3. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/3/23...... UK fans of R&B/soul legend <strong>Gladys Knight</strong> will have one final chance to catch the "Empress of Soul" next summer when she embarks on a seven date tour of the UK. Dates include Glasgow (6/24), Birmingham (6/25), London (6/27), Swansea (6/29), Bournemouth (6/30) and Nottingham (7/2) before wrapping in Southend on July 3. Opening for the 79-year-old <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_midnighttraintoga.html">"Midnight Train to Georgia"</a> singer will be <strong>Mica Miller</strong>, 33, one of the UK's most critically acclaimed modern soul stars. In addition to her catalog of classics, Knight is also set to play new material from her latest album <cite>Where My Heart Belongs</cite>. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/3/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Bob_Geldof3.gif" ALT="Bob Geldof" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The legendary 1985 Live Aid charity mega-concert featuring such top rock stars as <strong>Queen, U2, David Bowie</strong> and <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> is being made into a musical that will be staged in London in 2024, it was announced on Oct. 2. Titled "Just For One Day," the production has received the blessing of Live Aid organizer and former <strong>The Boomtown Rats</strong> frontman <strong>Sir Bob Geldof</strong>, who told BBC News that no actors will be trying to imitate the original performers. "This isn't a tribute thing. I wouldn't have anything to do with that," he said. "So, there isn't a person dressed up as <strong>Freddie [Mercury]</strong> wearing a crap moustache. The songs drive the drama along." The plot of "Just For One Day," named after a line in Bowie's song 'Heroes', will balance a behind-the-scenes look at how Band Aid and Live Aid came together, with a love story inspired by real events. "The story is based on actual testimony from the day," Geldof noted. "It's real people telling their story throughout this. So it's complex theatre." "Just For One Day" has been green-lit with the full permission of the Band Aid Charitable Trust, which will receive 10% of every ticket sale. <strong>John O'Farrell</strong>, who wrote the "Mrs Doubtfire" musical, originally conceived the play with musical director <strong>Luke Sheppard</strong>. Live Aid, held on July 13, 1985 to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia, was attended by about 72,000 people at London's Wembley stadium, and, simultaneously more than 89,000 people at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, US. An estimated 1.9 billion people from across 130 countries watched the TV broadcast. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/2/23...... It appears the years-long copyright battle against contemporary pop star <strong>Ed Sheeran</strong> over whether he copied his hit "Thinking Out Loud" from <strong>Marvin Gaye</strong>'s iconic No. 1 '70s single <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/1973_5singles.html">"Let's Get It On"</a> isn't over just yet. Although one of Sheeran's accusers dropped their case in September, a separate set of plaintiffs filed their opening salvo at a federal appeals court on Sept. 29, setting the stage for years more litigation and a ruling that could revive the case against the rising pop star. Sheeran was first sued over "Thinking" by the daughter of <strong>Ed Townsend</strong>, who co-wrote the famed 1973 tune with Gaye. It was that long-running case that culminated in a May jury verdict that cleared Sheeran of any wrongdoing. Then more recently Kathryn Griffin Townsend's lawyers dropped their efforts to overturn that verdict, ending that leg of the legal battle. But Sheeran has long faced a separate, closely related case filed by an entity called Structured Asset Sales (owned by industry executive <strong>David Pullman</strong>) that controls a different one-third stake in Townsend's copyrights. In May, weeks after the big jury verdict, a federal judge tossed out that case, too, ruling that it was seeking an "impermissible monopoly over a basic musical building block." Unlike Griffin, however, Structured Asset Sales seems ready for a long appellate battle. In their opening brief at the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit, Structure Asset Sales' lawyers cited a wide range of supposed errors by Judge Louis Stanton in that May ruling dismissing the case, including his decision about "musical building blocks." But they mostly focused on what they said was a far more basic error: that Judge Stanton refused to let them cite the famous recorded version of "Let's Get It On" in making their case. Instead, the judge ruled that Structured Asset Sales owned only the rights to a "deposit copy" -- the basic notation filed at the Copyright Office decades ago to secure a copyright registration. That erroneous holding, the company's lawyers said, "severely" limited their rights and unfairly hurt their ability to win the case. Sheeran's legal team will file their own appellate brief in the months to come. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/2/23...... <strong>Peter Gabriel</strong> has shared a song he co-conceived with <strong>Skrillex</strong>, "This Is Home" (Dark Side Mix) on <a href="https://youtu.be/UH5gPE0ALEY">YouTube</a>. In a statement, the former <strong>Genesis</strong> frontman noted that "I'd had a call from Skrillex, who's a very talented musician, and I thought it would be interesting to see what he had in mind, so he came to my home studio and we sat down and talked and tried to evolve bits and pieces and it was mainly for this song. He was trying to encourage me to write a song about staying up all night in a night club and that sort of thing, but that's not really my life so I made it more about family and home and I like it. Though we took the song in this other direction it was an interesting experience nonetheless, and I think it is good for me to be taken outside my normal comfort zone sometimes." "This Is Home" will also be featured on Gabriel's long-awaited, upcoming solo effort <cite>i/o</cite>, due out sometime in 2023. Gabriel is currently on tour in the US through Oct. 21. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 10/2/23...... <strong>Roger Waters</strong> has released a statement hitting back at a new documentary titled <cite>The Dark Side of Roger Waters</cite> that makes him out to be anti-Semitic. Waters mentions that the filmmakers, who are sponsored by the UK-based advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism, approached him for comment before releasing the film, but he declined. Now, however, he has given his verdict on it in a lengthy post on his RogerWaters.com website. "All my life I have used the platform my career has given me to support causes I believe in. I passionately believe in Universal Human Rights," he began. "I have always worked to make the world a better, more just and more equitable place for all my brothers and sisters, all over the world, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality, from indigenous peoples threatened by the US oil industry to Iranian women protesting for their rights. That is why I am active in the non-violent protest movement against the Israeli government's illegal occupation of Palestine and its egregious treatment of Palestinians. Those who wish to conflate that position with anti-Semitism do a great disservice to us all. Truth is, I'm frequently mouthy and prone to irreverence, I can't recall what I said 13 or more years ago. I've worked closely for many years with many Jewish people, musicians and others." He continued: "If I have upset the two individuals who appear in the film I'm sorry for that. But I can say with certainty that I am not, and have never been, an anti-Semite -- as anyone who really knows me will testify. I know the Jewish people to be a diverse, interesting, and complicated bunch, just like the rest of humanity. Many are allies in the fight for equality and justice, in Israel, Palestine and around the world." He closed by saying, "In summary, the film is a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda that indiscriminately mixes things I'm alleged to have said or done at different times and in different contexts, in an effort to portray me as an anti-Semite, without any foundation in fact." The filmmakers are yet to respond to Waters' statement. - <cite>NME,</cite> 10/1/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/W/images/Who3.gif" ALT="The Who" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>The Who</strong>'s classic 1971 set <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/who2.html"><cite>Who's Next</cite></a> has returned to <cite>Billboard</cite> Top Album Sales chart dated Sept. 30 following its <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CB91MQBY/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">expanded deluxe reissue</a> on Sept. 15 across an array of formats, many containing a hefty number of bonus tracks. <cite>Who's Next</cite> re-entered the tally at No. 8. The album was first released in 1971 and reached No. 4 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 and spun off two Hot 100-charting singles in <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_wontgetfooledagain.html">"Won't Get Fooled Again"</a> (No. 15 peak) and "Behind Blue Eyes" (No. 34). The set also houses the rock radio staple "Baba O'Riley." The sales of the <cite>Who's Next</cite> reissue was bolstered by its availability in multiple configurations. On the low end is the base original 9-track album remastered on CD, vinyl and digital download, up through a lavish $257 Super Deluxe Edition boxed set with 10 CDs, a Blu-Ray Audio disc, a 100-page hard back book, posters and other merchandise. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/29/23...... <strong>Neil Young</strong> has lost untold millions of dollars over his career in potential ad sales and endorsement deals. But as an artist who's always clearly voiced his principals and stood by them, he's long made it clear money is not his first priority. A new analysis by <cite>Billboard</cite> has determined the "Heart of Gold" singer has missed out on about $16,000 in royalties each month since he first pulled his songs from Spotify.com in January 2022. At the time, Young blamed <strong>Joe Rogan</strong> and his Spotify-exclusive podcast, <cite>The Joe Rogan Experience,</cite> for spreading "fake information about vaccines" and putting the public's health at risk. Spotify acquiesced a few days later and removed Young's catalog from its platform. Young's open letter and demand for removal from Spotify attracted worldwide media attention and caused a brief spike in streams, but his departure from the platform created an immediate decline in his average stream rate -- and it hasn't rebounded since, according to Luminate data. From 2021 to Sept. 21, 2023, Young's average weekly global on-demand audio streams declined 32% from 10.5 million to 7.1 million. The actual loss is deeper considering that weekly on-demand audio streams in the U.S., Young's largest market, increased 25% over that period. Another place you won't see Young's music is advertisements, given he's famously opposed to using his music to sell products and advertise corporate brands. Young encapsulated his distaste for putting music in advertisements in his 1989 song "This Note's For You" a take on a Budweiser ad slogan from the era, "This Bud's For You." "Ain't singing' for Pepsi, ain't singing for Coke," Young sang in the album's title track. "I don't sing for nobody, makes me look like a joke." The song's video stirred up controversy -- and was initially banned from MTV -- for its mocking depiction of a 1984 Pepsi commercial shoot during which pyrotechnics set Michael Jackson's hair caught fire. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/29/23...... <strong>Aerosmith</strong> announced on Sept. 29 that they're postponing the remainder of their farewell tour, due to frontman <strong>Steven Tyler</strong>'s vocal chord injury. "Unfortunately, Steven's vocal injury is more serious than initially thought," the band posted to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxxwfzLuVzQ/">Instagram</a>. "His doctor has confirmed that in addition to the damage to his vocal cords, he fractured his larynx which requires ongoing care. He is receiving the best medical treatment available to ensure his recovery is swift, but given the nature of a fracture, he is being told patience is essential." As a result, the band noted that the current dates for the Peace Out tour will be postponed to "sometime in 2024," with the new dates being announced at some point soon. In his own statement, Tyler said he was "heartbroken to not be out there with Aerosmith, my brothers and the incredible <strong>Black Crowes</strong>, rocking with the best fans in the world. I promise we will be back as soon as we can." The news comes just a few weeks after Aerosmith postponed six shows as a result of the injury to the 75-year-old rocker's vocal chords. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/29/23...... <strong>Alice Cooper</strong> has told <cite>Rock Candy</cite> magazine that has no plans to retire like his peers in <strong>KISS</strong> and <strong>Aerosmith</strong>, and insists that if <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> frontman <strong>Sir Mick Jagger</strong>, 80, "can do it, so can I". "A farewell tour hasn't crossed my mind at all," said Cooper, 75. "And it's weird, because all my friends are retiring. <strong>Gene Simmons</strong> said to me recently, 'Look, I'm done. Come December, it's over.' And I go, 'Well, you know, these farewell tours go on for years and years now, right?' But Gene was very serious and said, 'Not this time. I promise you that come December, Kiss as we know it is absolutely done.' The guys in Aerosmith are saying the same thing, as are many other bands from my era. But none of that occurs to me. It's never been a thought that I'd retire. I feel great, and the band sounds great. I'm 75, but I'll be up there at 90 if I'm still in good enough shape. I'm looking at Mick Jagger as the prototype. Mick still does three-hour shows and the soundcheck. So if Mick can do it, so can I." The "I'm Eighteen" hitmaker -- who released his 22nd solo album and 29th album overall, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7HCW516/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Road</cite></a>, in August -- previously insisted the word "retirement" "doesn't exist" in his "vocabulary." Alice has enjoyed decades of success but is showing no signs of slowing down with two touring bands: his own band and the <strong>Hollywood Vampires</strong> with movie legend <strong>Johnny Depp</strong> and <strong>Aerosmith</strong>'s <strong>Joe Perry</strong>. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 10/2/23...... On Sept. 29 <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> shared a new single, "Addicted to Romance," which was co-produced and orchestrated by <strong>The National</strong>'s <strong>Bryce Dessner</strong>. The track was recorded for the soundtrack of the new <strong>Rebecca Miller</strong> film <cite>She Came To Me</cite> and also features vocals from his wife and <strong>E Street Band</strong> member <strong>Patti Scialfa</strong>. "As a lifelong Bruce fan, along with my bandmates, he is one of our biggest influences, it was a dream to work on this song with Bruce, and he was incredibly generous and open to my ideas and contributions," Dressner told <cite>Spin</cite> magazine. <cite>She Came To Me</cite> stars <strong>Peter Dinklage</strong> as a composer married to <strong>Anne Hathaway</strong>, who has an affair with <strong>Marisa Tomei</strong> while he's attempting to deal with writer's block. "Addicted to Romance" has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/2s9thSZSm0U">YouTube</a>. Springsteen recently was forced to postpone all his remaining 2023 tour dates citing his continuing battle with peptic ulcer disease. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/29/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/Tina_Turner/images/Tina_Turner13.gif" ALT="Tina Turner" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A massive 55-song <strong>Tina Turner</strong> compilation titled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJVP5DW3/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Queen of Rock 'N' Roll</cite></a> will drop via Rhino Records on Nov. 24. The set showcases Turner's solo-billed singles from 1975 through 2020, including such Top 40 charting hits as "What's Love Got To Do With It" (a No. 1 from 1984), "The Best" and "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)." Included on the collection is a reworked version of Turner's "Something Beautiful Remains," retitled to "Something Beautiful." It was remixed by Turner's longtime collaborator <strong>Terry Britten</strong>, who co-wrote and produced the original version of the song, released in 1996. The <cite>Queen of Rock 'N' Roll</cite> collection will be released via streaming services and as a five-vinyl LP box, a three-CD package, and a digital download album. An abbreviated 12-song version of the collection will simultaneously be issued on a single vinyl LP. All iterations of the album will include a foreword written by Tina's 1985 "It's Only Love" duet partner <strong>Bryan Adams</strong>. Turner passed away on May 24 at age 83. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/29/23...... <strong>Cher</strong> has been accused of allegedly hiring four men to kidnap her own adult son with the late <strong>Gregg Allman</strong> -- <strong>Elijah Blue Allman</strong> -- as a way to halt him from seeing his then-estranged wife. Back in 2021, Elijah Blue had filed for a divorce from his then-wife, <strong>Marie Angela King</strong>. Allegedly, the pair had reconnected for 12 days in November 2022. In newly revealed court documents, King has claimed that on November 30, the night of their wedding anniversary, four men reportedly entered the couple's New York hotel room and abducted Allman. The allegations of the case were outlined in a court declaration that was then signed by King on Dec. 4 in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The documents were recently made public as part of the couple's ongoing divorce case. Allman first filed for divorce back in 2021. "I did so on the belief that my support payments would be timely, and I would be able to afford housing," King said in the documents. "I was not allowed to retrieve all my belongings from our primary home and residence, nor was I given the opportunity to inventory our assets." The couple's next court date is slated for Oct. 27 in Los Angeles. Allman has been open about his struggle with drug addiction and has publicly discussed his issues with addiction before, revealing that he first began using as a preteen. As the <cite>Daily Mail</cite> reported, after the alleged kidnapping, Allman stayed at the Chateau Marmont under the eye of a caretaker who was hired by Cher. Cher is yet to comment on the proceedings and allegations. In early September, Elijah Blue was escorted by police to a rehabilitation facility after hotel staff found his caretaker's "lifeless body, lying face down on the pavement leading to the hotel entrance with his arms by his side." - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/28/23...... <strong>ABBA</strong>'s <strong>Agnetha Faltskog</strong> and <strong>Gary Barlow</strong> have reunited on a modern version of their 2013 duet "I Should've Followed You Home." The Swedish pop star and the <strong>Take That</strong> frontman originally released the song for Agnetha's solo album <cite>A,</cite> which has been reimagined for her new release <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGRXB1MT/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>A+</cite></a>. The pair went on to perform the song on the benefit telethon <cite>BBC Children In Need.</cite> "I have such happy memories with this song, and my first meeting with Gary! I love this duet and the new version is even better!!!," Faltskog said. The duet follows the release of Agnetha's first new solo music in 10 years, "Where Do We Go From Here?," which she released on Aug. 31 and also features on <cite>A+.</cite> <cite>A+</cite> will be available via BMG on Oct. 13. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 9/28/23...... In the new <strong>Joan Baez</strong> documentary <cite>I Am a Noise,</cite> the 82-year-old singer, whose high, ringing voice was the most beautiful sound to come out of the '60s folk revival, looks back on her life with wise, rueful humor (yes, <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> broke her heart). But she goes further, bravely exploring the darkest recesses of her childhood. <cite>Joan Baez: I Am a Noise</cite> is in limited release in U.S. theaters beginning Oct. 6. - <cite>People,</cite> 10/9/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/Dianne_Feinstein.gif" ALT="Dianne Feinstein" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">U.S. <strong>Sen. Dianne Feinstein</strong> of California, a centrist Democrat and champion of liberal causes who was elected to the Senate in 1992, died on Sept. 28 at her home in Washington, D.C. She was 90. Ms. Feinstein, the oldest sitting U.S. senator, broke gender barriers throughout her long career in local and national politics, and was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state -- including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control -- but was also known as a pragmatic lawmaker wo reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground. Ms. Feinstein was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969 and became its first female president in 1978, the year SF <strong>Mayor George Moscone</strong> was gunned down alongside Supervisor <strong>Harvey Milk</strong>, a local champion of gay rights, at City Hall by <strong>Dan White</strong>, a disgruntled former supervisor. Ms. Feinstein found Milk's body. After Moscone's death, Ms. Feinstein became San Francisco's first female mayor. In the Senate, she was one of California's first two female senators, the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary committee's top Democrat. Her death came after a bout of shingles sidelined her for more than two months earlier in 2023. When she returned to the Senate in May, she was frail and using a wheelchair, voting only occasionally. <strong>Pres. Joe Biden</strong>, who served with Ms. Feinstein for years in the Senate, called her "a pioneering American," a "true trailblazer" and a "cherished friend." - <cite>AP,</cite> 9/29/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-51024353370716759782023-09-25T03:52:00.010-07:002023-10-04T11:23:42.187-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on September 29th, 2023</b>
<P><strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> announced on Sept. 25 that she'll embark on a new "Live in Concert" headlining North American tour on Feb. 10, 2024 at the Mark G Etess Arena in Atlantic City, N.J. Nicks's eight show run will also make stops in Belmont Park, NY (2/14), Greenville, SC (2/21), Hollywood, Fla. (2/24), New Orleans (2/28), Omaha, Neb. (3/3) and North Little Rock, Ark. (3/6), before closing in Arlington, Texx, on March 9. These just-announced shows come on the tail of Nicks' current North American headlining tour, which will feature 15 shows across the United States from now until mid-December. In late July, Nicks released <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7X5GWY5/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Complete Studio Albums & Rarities</cite></a>, a 10-CD set combining each of Nicks' solo studio albums with a new compilation of hard-to-find tracks. Four of Nicks' albums -- <cite>Rock a Little</cite> (1985), <cite>The Other Side of the Mirror</cite> (1989), <cite>Street Angel</cite> (1994), and <cite>Trouble in Shangri-La</cite> (2001) -- were newly remastered from their analog masters for the new release. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/25/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/images/Police.gif" ALT="The Police" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">New Wave stars <strong>The Police</strong> launched an <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thepolice/video/7283411910974885153">official TikTok account</a> on Sept. 28 to mark the 40th anniversary of their fifth and final album, the 1983 blockbuster <cite>Synchronicity</cite>. The trio -- comprising bassist/vocalist <strong>Sting</strong>, guitarist <strong>Andy Summers</strong> and drummer <strong>Stewart Copeland</strong> -- will treat fans to new original content on the platform and share some never-before-seen footage from the archive. The Police are also set to present what they describe as "an intimate window into the creative process of their timeless hits" through TikTok's #BehindTheSong community. Speaking about joining the site, Summers explained: "It is great to continue the legacy of The Police and what better place than TikTok in the time we exist in. We live in -- let's face it, difficult times, but imagine our parents and grandparents then bent over those little radio speakers to hear about the world. As aficionados and fans, we must continue to have faith and believe in the art of music, and we hope our music can bring a positive message to people everywhere. Thank you TikTok!" The Police have already posted four videos on the popular social media site. In one clip, Copeland says: "We'll explore old stories, explain obscure songs, bust some myths, [and] start some myths." Another upload sees the drummer run viewers through a "Police 101" where he recalls how the group emerged from "the punk boom of 1976." He adds: "The only way you could get a gig was to be a punk band." According to TikTok, The Police's 1983 hit single "Every Breath You Take" has registered more than 165,000 creations on the platform to date, and has been used to soundtrack numerous viral trends. Released in June 1983, <cite>Synchronicity</cite> is The Police's most successful studio album, and is regarded as a defining record of the Second British Invasion. The Grammy-winning project reached Number One in both the UK and US. In 2009, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 9/28/23...... In a new interview with <cite>The Wall Street Journal</cite>, <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> said a potential sale of the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> back catalog "could do some good in the world" and that his heirs "don't need" that pile of cash to live well. In the interview, Jagger was asked to peer into the future and ponder what kind of payday the band might score if they sold their post-1971 catalog, which includes such landmark albums as <cite>Sticky Fingers</cite> (1971), <cite>Exile on Main St.</cite> (1972) and <cite>It's Only Rock 'n Roll</cite> (1974). At present, Jagger said the Stones have no plans to follow in the footsteps of such peers as <strong>Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Stevie Nicks</strong> and <strong>Paul Simon</strong> -- who've sold all or parts of their publishing in mega deals -- in order to support his offspring, who range in age from 52 to six. Jagger said, "the children don't need $500 million to live well. Come on," he told the <cite>Journal</cite>. One idea the 80-year-old frontman suggested is that whatever the windfall is it should maybe go to charity. "You maybe do some good in the world," said Jagger, who also noted that his decision to oversee the band's business affairs more than half a century ago was mostly an act of self-preservation. "I don't actually really like business, you know what I mean?," added the London School of Economics dropout. "Some people just love it. I just have to do it Because if you don't do it, you get f---d." Meanwhile, the Stones have released "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," the second single from their upcoming album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a>. The track, which features contributions from <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong> and <strong>Lady Gaga</strong>, was shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/JYhIXwWn9TQ">YouTube</a> on Sept. 28. <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> drops on Oct. 20. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/28/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/Roger_Waters/images/Roger_Waters30.gif" ALT="Roger Waters" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><cite>The Dark Side of Roger Waters,</cite> a new documentary that explores allegations of antisemitism against <strong>Pink Floyd</strong> co-founder <strong>Roger Waters</strong> features an interview with producer <strong>Bob Ezrin</strong> (who co-produced 1979's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/pinkfloyd5.html"><cite>The Wall</cite></a>) who claims he once heard Waters call the band's agent, <strong>Bryan Morrison</strong>, a "f---ing Jew" during a ditty. Ezrin says: "Something like the last line of the couplet was 'cause Morry is a f---ing Jew'. It was my first inclination that there may be some anti-Semitism under the surface. Now Roger knew that I'm Jewish so I didn't know whether this was another one of those sort of button-poking things that he was doing just to see if I would react or whether he just did not even get how offensive that might be to a Jewish person." Elsewhere, saxophonist <strong>Norbert Stachel</strong> who played for Waters recalled the musician angrily rejecting food in a restaurant that he allegedly deemed "Jew food." Stachel alleged Waters said: "This is Jew food. What's with the Jew food? Take away the Jew food. I'm just sitting there, oh boy, tongue-tied again and kind of in a panic because I don't know what to do. Am I supposed to leave and then be judged?" He went on to claim Waters mocked his family, some of were killed in the Holocaust, by mimicking them. Documentary makers Campaign Against Anti-Semitism (CAA) put their findings to Waters, but he reportedly has yet to respond. He has repeatedly denied all accusations of anti-semitism and explained that his disdain is towards Israel, not Judaism, and also accused Israel of "abusing the term 'anti-semitism' to intimidate people like me into silence." A clip from the documentary can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/bIYseB5S5co">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/28/23...... A deluxe Criterion Collection edition of the <strong>David Bowie</strong> documentary <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C86VH54R/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Moonage Daydream</cite></a> hit stores on Sept. 26. Director <strong>Brett Morgen</strong> was given complete access by Bowie's estate to the musician's archives, resulting in what is described as an "experiential cinematic odyssey" that is "graced with soulful narration by Bowie." The Criterion Collection edition includes a 4K disc, Blu-ray disc and special features. Bonus materials include audio commentary by Morgen; a Q&A with the director, filmmaker <strong>Mark Romanek</strong> and musician <strong>Mike Garson</strong>; an essay by film critic Jonathan Romney; a collectible poster insert and more. The movie is also available in a Blu-ray edition, which includes the same special features that come with the 4K edition. A trailer for <cite>Moonage Daydream</cite> can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/H8Wpj7tAvHQ">YouTube</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/28/23...... <strong>Queen + Adam Lambert</strong> are preparing to kick off their 15-city, 23-date North American "Rhapsody" tour in early October with two consecutive nights at Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5. From there, they'll visit Toronto (10/8), Detroit (10/10), New York (10/12, 13), Boston (10/15, 16), Philadelphia (10/18) and other cities throughout the month. Further shows will follow in November, when Queen are due to make stops in Dallas (11/2, 3), Denver (11/5), and San Francisco (11/8, 9) before wrapping in Los Angeles on Nov. 11 and 12. Per a press release, Queen and their frontman Lambert are now taking the newly "expanded and updated" production back to the US and Canada "where it first began," and have promised an "even more ambitious show" at the upcoming dates. "We're still calling our show the Rhapsody Tour, but the content has evolved massively from when you last saw it," guitarist <strong>Brian May</strong> explained. "New toys, new takes, but all the hits and more." - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/27/23...... In other Queen-related news, Queen drummer <strong>Roger Taylor</strong> along with <strong>Eric Clapton</strong> and <strong>Genesis' Mike Rutherford</strong> are set to be among a star-studded lineup to perform a charity concert in memory of late <strong>Procol Harum</strong> frontman <strong>Gary Brooker</strong>. Brooker sadly lost his battle with cancer last February, aged 76, and the special concert honoring the composer will take place on Dec. 4 at G Live in Guildford, Surrey, UK. His chosen charities to benefit from ticket sales are The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and Cure Parkinsons. <strong>Paul Carrack, John Illsley, Andy Fairweather Low</strong> and <strong>Mike Sanchez</strong> are also set to perform alongside a house band of session musicians, including former Procol Harum members <strong>Geoff Dunn, Geoff Whitehorn</strong> and <strong>Josh Phillips</strong>. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 9/27/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Bob_Marley/images/Bob_Marley6.gif" ALT="Bob Marley" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Reggae legend <strong>Bob Marley</strong>'s 1984 compilation album <cite>Legend</cite> has become the first reggae album to chart for more than 800 weeks on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart. <cite>Legend</cite> is the second-ever album to do this, with the first being the seminal 1973 <strong>Pink Floyd</strong> LP <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/pinkfloyd2.html"><cite>The Dark Side of the Moon</cite></a>. Marley's new acheivement comes 42 years after his death in 1981, passing away from cancer at the age of 36. To honor the revolutionary reggae pioneer, <cite>Legend</cite> was released by Island Records as a greatest hits record. The album -- which features Marley's classic songs "No Woman No Cry," "Three Little Birds," and "Get Up, Stand Up" -- has been reissued three times since its original release; including a special edition to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the record with never-before-heard versions of "Easy Skanking" and "Punky Reggae Party." <cite>Legend</cite> is widely regarded as the best-selling reggae album of all time, having gone multi-platinum in 10 countries. In America alone, the LP is 15 times platinum, selling over 15 million copies since it dropped. Marley and <strong>The Wailers</strong>' fifth studio album, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spmarleybob.html"><cite>Catch a Fire</cite></a>, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, and a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCKBBWJL/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">special edition 3CD set deluxe reissue</a> of the album that put reggae on the map will occur on Nov. 3. Meanwhile, a new Marley biopic with actor <strong>Kingsley Ben-Adir</strong> in the titular role, <cite>Bob Marley: One Love</cite>, is set to be released on Jan. 24, 2024. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/27/23...... The <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/faq_rockrollhalloffame.html">Rock and Roll Hall of Fame</a> announced on Sept. 28 that viewers will be album to livestream its induction ceremony for the first time ever on Nov. 3. The 2023 ceremony will be streaming live on Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET when it takes over Brooklyn's Barclays Center. In past years, an edited version of each Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony aired on HBO several weeks following the in-person event; now, that edited broadcast of highlights will air on ABC come Jan. 1, 2024, from 8-11 p.m. ET. Also revealed was who is expected to take the stage at the Class of 2023 induction. Of the new inductees, <strong>Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Chaka Khan</strong> and <strong>Willie Nelson</strong> have been revealed as performers at the Nov. 3 event. Additionally, special guests <strong>Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Dave Matthews, H.E.R., Chris Stapleton, St. Vincent</strong> and <strong>New Edition</strong> will also take the stage. This year will mark the first induction ceremony since RRHOF co-founder <strong>Jann Wenner</strong> was removed from the foundation's board of directors by a near-unanimous vote. The <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> founder sparked a huge backlash earlier in September when he told the <cite>New York Times</cite> that women were not "as articulate enough on this intellectual level" about rock music and that Black artists "just didn't articulate at that level" in an interview about his new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316571059/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>The Masters</cite></a>. He later apologized for his remarks. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/28/23...... <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong>'s camp announced in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxs4E8uLF_-/">Instagram post</a> on Sept. 27 that Springsteen and his <strong>E Street Band</strong> have posponed their remaining shows in 2023 as Springsteen continues to recover from peptic ulcer disease. "Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor's advice," according to the statement released on Sept. 27, four days after the rocker celebrated his 74th birthday. "With this in mind, and out of an abundance of caution, all remaining 2023 tour dates for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will be postponed until 2024." The postponed dates, which include a November Canadian run and Dec. 4 and 6 dates at L.A.'s Kia Forum, will move into 2024, with rescheduled dates to be announced next week, according to the statement. On Sept. 6, he revealed in an Instagram post that he was postponing all his September concerts as he's treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease. The 2023 tour, which has garnered the star some of the best reviews of his long career, kicked off at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., for a 28-show U.S. leg, before launching a 31-show European leg at Estadi Olmpic Llus Companys in Barcelona. The most recent leg of the tour began on Aug. 9 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/27/23...... UK <strong>Home Secretary Suella Braverman</strong> recently faced backlash after saying that "simply being gay, or a woman" is not enough of a reason to gain refugee status in the UK. Addressing a US think tank on Sept. 26, Braverman said: "There are vast swathes of the world where it is extremely difficult to be gay, or to be a woman. Where individuals are being persecuted, it is right that we offer sanctuary. But we will not be able to sustain an asylum system if in effect simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin is sufficient to qualify for protection." Braverman's controversy has not gone unnoticed by perhaps England's most famous gay couple, <strong>Sir Elton John</strong> and his husband <strong>David Furnish</strong>, who responded to Braverman on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxqfAMEs2SS/">Instagram</a> by accusing her of "legitimising hate and violence." "We are very concerned about the UK Home Secretary's comments stating how discrimination for being gay or a woman should not be reason enough to qualify for protection under international refugee laws," the couple released in a statement through their AIDS Foundation. "Nearly a third of all nations class LGBTQ+ people as criminals and homosexuality is still punishable by death in 11 countries. Dismissing the very real danger LGBTQ+ communities face risks further legitimising hate and violence against them," they added. The statement concluded that leaders "need to provide more compassion, support and acceptance for those seeking a safer future." - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/27/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/O/Ozzy_Osbourne/images/Ozzy_Osbourne33.gif" ALT="Ozzy Osbourne" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> announced on Sept. 27 that he wants to release another album and hit the road one last time. "I've done two albums fairly recently [2020's <cite>Ordinary Man</cite> and 2022's <cite>Patient Number 9</cite>, both produced by <strong>Andrew Watt</strong>], but I want to do one more album and then go back on the road," Osbourne, 74, told <cite>Metal Hammer.</cite> Osbourne said he's set up a home studio at his house in the U.K. and would like to work with Watt (Rolling Stones, Justin Bieber) again. "I'm just starting to work on it now, and we'll be recording in the early part of next year," he said. "I want to take my time with this one!" Though Ozzy has had several surgeries to deal with a nagging neck/spinal injury, he said he had his "final" one earlier this month and is feeling much better. "I've had all the surgery now, thank God. I'm feeling okay -- it was just dragging on," he explained of the procedure to help relieve pain from an injury he suffered after a late night fall in 2019. "I thought I'd be back on my feet months ago, I just couldn't get used to this mode of living, constantly having something wrong. I can't walk properly yet, but I'm not in any pain any more and the surgery on my spine went great." Ozzy also says he won't be in attendance at the upcoming all-metal Power Trip festival in California's Coachella Valley on Oct. 6-8. "If I can't do the gig, I don't really want to be there," he said. "Plus I know they'll just be like "go on, get Ozzy up'!" - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/27/23...... Former <strong>Grateful Dead</strong> member <strong>Bob Weir</strong> has announced a five-night residency at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. on Dec. 12, 13, 15, 16 & 17 as part of a recently announced year-end mini-tour with <strong>Wolf Bros.</strong> members <strong>Don Was, Jay Lane, Jeff Chimenti</strong> and <strong>Barry Sless</strong>. The five-show run marks the largest residency performance of 2023 for the Capitol Theatre, which is owned by Brookyln Bowl founder and Dayglo Presents CEO <strong>Peter Shapiro</strong>. Shapiro has hosted more than 100 shows at the Cap for Weir's GD bandmate <strong>Phil Lesh</strong>, including six in 2023. Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros featuring The Wolfpack are currently on their Fall 2023 tour and have joined <strong>Willie Nelson</strong>'s Outlaw Music Festival 2023 for a number of shows. The band will also be performing with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra at the Frost Amphitheatre in Stanford, Calif. on Oct. 29. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/26/23...... Speaking of <strong>Willie Nelson</strong>, the country/pop legend's new album of bluegrass material, titled appropriately <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C88YPZYP/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Bluegrass</cite></a>, has debuted at No. 1 on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Bluegrass Albums chart for the week of Sept. 30. Released on Sept. 15, <cite>Bluegrass</cite> features reinterpretations of a dozen of Nelson's older songs, joined by a bluegrass ensemble, and sold 3,000 copies in its first week of release. Over the years, Nelson has placed high-charting efforts on several other genre-specific album rankings: Blues Albums, Kid Albums, Reggae Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums, Jazz Albums, Americana/Folk Albums and Top Christian Albums. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/28/23...... A new <strong>Sylvester Stallone</strong> documentary titled <cite>Sly</cite> closed the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 16. In <cite>Sly,</cite> Stallone recounts the creation of his iconic <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#Rocky"><cite>Rocky</cite></a> and <cite>Rambo</cite> characters as well as other pivotal moments in his lengthy Hollywood career. "I can do Rocky until I'm 100 years old, because there's so many different stories," Stallone said during an onstage conversation the evening before the premiere. "He doesn't have to fight in the ring. There are so many fights in life." But Stallone says his days playing John Rambo, his other famous action hero that he debuted with 1982's <cite>First Blood</cite> and continued in four sequels, are over. "Rambo, I could leave him," Stallone said. "He's done pretty much, even though they want to do another one, but what am I fighting? Arthritis? It's the truth." Stallone said he considers his sixth <cite>Rocky</cite> installment -- 2006's <cite>Rocky Balboa</cite> his best work. "It's the best thing I ever did because no one wanted to make it. I was finished in the business... it was like [in] <cite>Tootsie,</cite> 'No one likes you anymore.' It was over." But as he looks ahead, his work is something that is never-ending. "I always have this incredible respect for the hero syndrome," he said. "Coming to the rescue, not so much as a superhero, just as a guy who is forced to, because I think everybody here, put under right circumstance, would put their life on the line. Everyone has the hero syndrome in them. You just have to push the right buttons." <cite>Sly</cite> hits Netflix on Nov. 3. - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 9/17/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Paul_Rodgers/images/Paul_Rodgers9.gif" ALT="Paul Rodgers" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Appearing on the daytime talk show <cite>CBS Mornings</cite> on Sept. 27, former <strong>Bad Company</strong> frontman <strong>Paul Rodgers</strong> revealed he's suffered two major and eleven minor strokes in the past seven years. Rodgers said the two major strokes -- one in 2016 and another in 2019 -- as well as 11 minor strokes, almost ended his music career. "I couldn't do anything to be honest," he explained. "I couldn't speak. That was the very strange thing. You know, I'd prepare something in my mind and I'd say it, but that isn't what came out and I'd go, "What the heck did I just say?'" After his 2019 stroke, he underwent a carotid endarterectomy to remove plaque from the arteries running through his neck to the brain. Rodgers said doctors warned him about some serious risks, given that the procedure site was close to his vocal chords. "They told me, they're very clear, 'You may not come out of this alive.' And I said, 'Oh, well, that's a plus, isn't it?,'" Rodgers joked. "Fingers crossed, you know? And when I woke up, I opened my eyes, I thought, 'Oh, I'm still here.'" After a six-month recovery, Rodgers said he was able to return to playing music. "Each thing was a step forward. Each thing that I did was an achievement. "Oh, I can do this. I can sing,'" he recalled. In June, Rodgers released his first solo album in more than two decades, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C8TWDDMD/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Midnight Rose</cite></a>, which he says was "kind of a miracle" to complete. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/27/23...... <strong>Terry Kirkman</strong>, the frontman and co-founder of L.A.-based '60s hitmakers <strong>The Association</strong>, died at his home in Montclair, Calif., on Sept. 23. He was 83. "We're saddened to report that Terry Kirkman passed away last night, RIP Terry," reads a post on the Association's official social channels. "He will live on in our hearts and in the music he so brilliantly wrote. Sending hugs and lots of love to Heidi and Sasha!" Mr. Kirkman's wife Heidi confirmed to the <cite>Los Angeles Times</cite> that her husband died of congestive heart failure following a long illness. Born in Salina, Kansas, Mr. Kirkman and his friend <strong>Jules Alexander</strong> relocated to Los Angeles in the early '60s, where the seeds for The Association were planted. Early in his California journey, Mr. Kirkman played with <strong>Frank Zappa</strong>, before the late bandleader went on to form the <strong>Mothers of Invention</strong>. Mr. Kirkman and Alexander helped form <strong>The Men</strong>, which would disband, and from it The Association was formed in 1964. The folk-rock group peaked two years later with a string of major hits that also included <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/lyrics/song.php?sid=3953&aid=1273">"Cherish"</a> (No. 1, 1966), "Windy," "Along Comes Mary," "Never My Love" and "Everything That Touches You." "Cherish," one of the prettiest pop songs of the 1960s, is a choral pop classic that has long been a wedding reception staple, and was covered by <strong>David Cassidy</strong> 1971 as his first solo single apart from <strong>The Partridge Family</strong>. Known for their sharp sense of style and smooth harmonies, The Association opened the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, recognized as the first commercial American rock festival, with a bill including <strong>Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, the Byrds, Canned Heat</strong>, and many more. They held their own among the legends of rock, onlookers noted at the time. Mr. Kirkman penned several hits for The Association, including "Cherish," "Everything That Touches You," "Six Man Band," and played a variety of wind, brass and percussion instruments on their recordings. He left the group at the end of 1972, following the release of seven albums, led by their 1966 debut <cite>And Then... Along Comes the Association.</cite> He returned to the fold in 1979, splitting for a final time in 1984 -- having had enough of relentless touring. Over the years, The Association was nominated for six Grammy Awards, and earned a Golden Globe nomination in 1970 for best original song, with "Goodbye Columbus." Various incarnations of the band continue to perform, and their albums have achieved three platinum and six gold RIAA certifications, according to The Association's official site, with its <cite>Greatest Hits</cite> (via Warner Brothers) now double platinum. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/25/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/David_McCallum.gif" ALT="David McCallum" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Actor and author <strong>David McCallum</strong>, who became a teen heartthrob in the hit series <cite>The Man From U.N.C.L.E.</cite> in the 1960s and was the eccentric medical examiner in the popular <cite>NCIS</cite> 40 years later, died on Sept. 25 of natural causes. He was 90. Mr. McCallum died surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital, CBS said in a statement. "David was a gifted actor and author, and beloved by many around the world. He led an incredible life, and his legacy will forever live on through his family and the countless hours on film and television that will never go away," said a statement from CBS. The Scottish-born Mr. McCallum had been doing well appearing in such films <cite>A Night to Remember</cite> (about the Titanic), <cite>The Great Escape</cite> and <cite>The Greatest Story Ever Told</cite> (as Judas). But it was pop culture phenomenon <cite>The Man From U.N.C.L.E.</cite> that made the blond actor with the Beatlesque haircut a household name in the mid-'60s. The success of the James Bond books and films had set off a chain reaction, with secret agents proliferating on both large and small screens. Indeed, Bond creator Ian Fleming contributed some ideas as <cite>The Man From U.N.C.L.E.</cite> was being developed, according to author <strong>Jon Heitland</strong>'s <cite>The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Book.</cite> The show, which debuted in 1964, starred <strong>Robert Vaughn</strong> as Napoleon Solo, an agent in a secretive, high-tech squad of crime fighters whose initials stood for United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. Despite the Cold War, the agency had an international staff, with Mr. McCallum as Illya Kuryakin, Solo's Russian sidekick. The role was relatively small at first, Mr. McCallum recalled, adding in a 1998 interview that "I'd never heard of the word 'sidekick' before." The show drew mixed reviews but eventually caught on, particularly with teenage girls attracted by McCallum's good looks and enigmatic, intellectual character. By 1965, Illya was a full partner to Vaughn's character and both stars were mobbed during personal appearances. The series lasted to 1968, with Vaughn and Mr. McCallum reuniting in 1983 for a nostalgic TV movie, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/made-for-tv_movies/made-for-tv_movies_R.html"><cite>The Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E.,</cite></a> in which the agents were lured out of retirement to save the world once more. Mr. McCallum returned to television in 2003 in another series with an agency known by its initials -- CBS' <cite>NCIS.</cite> He played Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, a bookish pathologist for the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, an agency handling crimes involving the Navy or the Marines. At the height of his fame in the 1960s, Mr. McCallum recorded four albums for Capitol Records. These were not opportunities for him to sing; instead, the classically trained musician conceived a blend of oboe, English horn, and strings with guitar and drums, presenting instrumental interpretations of current hits. Though someone else was officially credited as the arranger on the albums, Mr. McCallum conducted some of the music and contributed several original compositions. Mr. McCallum's work with <cite>U.N.C.L.E.</cite> brought him two Emmy nominations, and he got a third as an educator struggling with alcoholism in a 1969 Hallmark Hall of Fame drama called <cite>Teacher, Teacher.</cite> In 1975, he had the title role in a short-lived science fiction series, "The Invisible Man," and from 1979 to 1982 he played Steel in a British science fiction series, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_uk.html#Sapphire and Steel"><cite>Sapphire and Steel</cite></a>. Over the years, he also appeared in guest shots in many TV shows, including <cite>Murder, She Wrote</cite> and <cite>Sex and the City.</cite> He appeared on Broadway in a 1968 comedy, "The Flip Side," and in a 1999 revival of "Amadeus" starring <strong>Michael Sheen</strong> and <strong>David Suchet</strong>. He also was in several off-Broadway productions. In 2016, his mystery novel, <cite>Once a Crooked Man,</cite> was published. Mr. McCallum had three sons from his first marriage to actress <strong>Jill Ireland</strong>, Paul, Jason and Valentine; and a son and daughter from his second wife Katherine McCallum, Peter and Sophie. Jason died of an overdose. Mr. McCallum was mourned on <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenHolly/status/1706427419618312344">Twitter</a> by his NCIS co-star <strong>Lauren Holly</strong>: "RIP David McCallum. You were the kindest man. Thank you for being you." - <cite>AP,</cite> 9/26/23.
<P>As <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> turned 74 on Sept. 23, "the Boss"'s birthday was honored by a slew of government officials and fellow music stars. New Jersey <strong>Gov. Phil Murphy</strong> had already declared the day "Bruce Springsteen Day" at the inaugural American Music Honors earlier in 2023. "We thank him for showing the world what it means to live our New Jersey values. I am both honoured and proud to declare his birthday Bruce Springsteen Day in New Jersey," said Gov. Murphy, who also <a href="https://twitter.com/NJGov/status/1705612989817405446">tweeted</a> a happy birthday message to the NJ rocker. Also wishing Bruce many happy returns were <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> guitarist <strong>Ronnie Wood</strong>, who posted a happy birthday to him on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxhyo2JtoeP/">Instagram</a> alongside a series of photos of the pair performing together. In his own <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxiM70ePsFI/">Instagram page</a>, Springsteen's insiders also marked his birthday by sharing the music video for his 2008 song "Girls In Their Summer Clothes," alongside a message, which read: "Not only is it Bruce Springsteen Day in N.J., but this year, Bruce's birthday also coincides with the last day of summer. As the season's last warm breeze blows down E Street, here's one to play it out. Happy Birthday, Bruce!" Also paying tribute to the star on social media were <strong>Tom Morello</strong> and <strong>Slash</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/24/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Bob_Dylan/images/Bob_Dylan49.gif" ALT="Bob Dylan" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Bob Dylan</strong> was an unbilled treat for fans attending the 2023 edition of the long-running Farm Aid charity concert series at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center in in Noblesville, Ind., on Sept. 23. Joined by members of <strong>The Heartbreakers</strong>, a black-clad Dylan walked onstage without any introduction and played a short but intense set of his classics "Maggie's Farm," "Positively 4th Street" and "Ballad of a Thin Man." Playing the guitar, against the stark backdrop of a silhouetted windmill, Dylan took a spot in the festival lineup between sets by Farm Aid co-founders <strong>Neil Young</strong> and <strong>Willie Nelson</strong>, who closed the show near midnight. Dylan has a closer connection to the charity mega-concert than most music fans might realize -- he is credited with being the inspiration for Farm Aid. On July 13, 1985, in Philadelphia, Dylan had taken the stadium stage of Live Aid, the mega-benefit organized by <strong>Bob Geldof</strong> of the <strong>Boomtown Rats</strong> to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief. Between songs, Dylan mused to the event's global audience: couldn't a similar benefit help America's family farmers? "The question hit me like a ton of bricks," Willie Nelson recalled to <cite>Billboard</cite> in 2015. Nelson was on the road that day, watching Live Aid on his tour-bus TV, and began looking into the economic crisis that was then forcing family farmers off their land and into bankruptcy. Then he called his friends, including the legendary music icon who made the suggestion. Dylan was among the remarkable lineup of country and rock musicians who played the first Farm Aid in Champaign, Ill., on Sept. 22, 1985, a bill which also included Nelson's fellow Farm Aid founders Young and <strong>John Mellencamp</strong>, along with <strong>Johnny Cash, John Fogerty, Don Henley, Billy Joel, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Bonnie Raitt</strong> and many more -- including <strong>Tom Petty</strong>, who died in 2017, and Petty's band, The Heartbreakers. Three decades on, Farm Aid remains music's longest-running concert for a cause, having raised more than $64 million to support family farmers and a sustainable food system. This year's Farm Aid, which also included <strong>Dave Matthews</strong> and <strong>Margo Price</strong>, took place against the backdrop of discussions in Washington, D.C., over the renewal of a multibillion dollar Farm Bill, which has a massive influence on how the nation's food is grown. Farm Aid has joined more than 150 organizations in co-signing a letter to <strong>Pres. Joe Biden</strong> demanding that Congress pass a Farm Bill that addresses economic inequality, racial justice and the climate crisis. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/24/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Brian_May/images/Brian_May25.gif" ALT="Brian May" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Rock music's most famous astronomer, also known as <strong>Queen</strong> guitarist <strong>Sir Brian May</strong>, has played a critical role in a new NASA mission to bring the largest asteroid sample ever back to Earth. May, who is also an astrophysicist and received his PhD from Imperial College in 2007, assisted in helping to identifying the site from which the sample was taken. Sir Brian is an expert in stereoscopy, which is the process of dealing with a pair of two-dimensional images that, when viewed by both eyes, can be used to create a 3D scene. The process was essential in helping to identify where the spacecraft could collect samples without damaging or destroying itself. On Sept. 24, NASA announced that a capsule containing about 250g of rocks and dust collected from the asteroid Bennu as part of its Osiris-Rex mission had parachuted into the desert in Utah. Interviewed by the BBC, May and his collaborator <strong>Claudia Manzoni</strong> contributed in the shortlist of possible sample sites on Bennu. "I always say you need art as well as science," he said. In a new video message on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxkcUshsee8/">Instagram</a>, May spoke of his pride to be involved in the historic mission. "I am immensely proud to be a team member of OSIRIS-REx," he told NASA TV. "I can't be with you today, I wish I could but I am rehearsing for a Queen tour, but my heart is there with you as this precious sample is recovered. Happy sample return day and congratulations to all who worked so incredibly hard on this mission." Scientists hope the samples will help explain how life on Earth began. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 9/24/23...... A host of musicians including <strong>Peter Gabriel, Nile Rodgers, Sheryl Crow</strong> and <strong>Billie Eilish</strong> have appeared in a <a href="https://youtu.be/clTdD_q2J_E">new YouTube video</a> by a new music coalition to tackle gun violence called Artist For Action To Prevent Gun Violence. The group describes itself as a "non-political" organization which asks Americans to volunteer and vote to eradicate gun violence in the country. The artists pledged themselves to the cause earlier in September. "As much as I love the United States, I am always appalled at the ease with which anyone can get a weapon," Peter Gabriel says in the video. The organization is led by musician <strong>Mark Barden</strong>, whose son was one of the 26 people murdered in the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/24/23...... The famed Roxy nightclub in West Hollywood, which turns 50 in September, is celebrating its place in history with a new exhibit at the Grammy Museum. Much of the exhibit, titled "Roxy: 50 and Still Rockin'," draws from the personal archive of Roxy co-founder <strong>Lou Adler</strong>, 89, who opened the 500-capacity club on the Sunset Strip with <strong>Elmer Valentine</strong> in 1973. Adler is known as a modern master of both film and song whose introductions are typically preceded by a long list of award-winner accolades, but it was his greatest accomplishment -- fathering and raising seven successful sons -- that gives the exhibit a unique appeal. Included in the exhibit -- which boasts photos and portraits of Hollywood stars and music legends who frequented the club, including <strong>Neil Young, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan</strong> -- is a short documentary that offers a revealing glimpse inside the Roxy's first family. The Roxy has been celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of anniversary shows, including two <strong>Neil Young</strong> concerts on Sept. 20 and Sept. 21) in honor of Young's concerts that opened the venue in 1973. The City of West Hollywood is also hosting an exhibit on the history of the Roxy at the West Hollywood Library in conjunction with the Grammy Museum. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/19/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/F/images/Fleetwood_Mac__w.160_.gif" ALT="Fleetwood Mac" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A from-the-vaults release of live recordings of <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong>'s classic 1977 album <cite>Rumours</cite> has debuted at No. 4 on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Top Album Sales Chart for the week ending Sept. 23, the highest debut on the list by the band in more than 20 years. Comprised almost entirely of previously unreleased recordings, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCB3QD3S/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Rumours: Live</cite></a> captures the band's Aug. 29, 1977, concert at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., during the act's Rumours Tour. <cite>Rumours: Live</cite> sold a little over 10,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 14, according to Luminate. The album is available to purchase as a digital download album or in three physical iterations (a 180-gram double vinyl set, a crystal-clear colored double vinyl set sold via Walmart, and a two-CD package). Vinyl accounted for 44.5% of the album's first-week sales. After its 1977 debut, the album spent 31 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 chart -- still the most weeks at No. 1 for an album by a group, and launched four top 10-charting hits on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100, including the group's lone chart-topper, "Dreams." In other chart action, the late <strong>Jimmy Buffett</strong>'s posthumously released single "Bubbles Up" has debuted at No. 1 on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Rock Digital Song Sales chart for the week of Sept. 8-14, with with 8,000 downloads sold in the U.S., according to Luminate. Buffett, who died Sept. 1 at age 76, replaces himself atop Rock Digital Song Sales, where his signature song, 1977's "Margaritaville," led the Sept. 16-dated ranking (16,000 sold, up 8,415%, Sept. 1-7). The latter ranks at No. 3 on the latest list with 3,000 sold. "Bubbles Up" is Buffett's second career No. 1 on a <cite>Billboard</cite> songs chart as the only credited artist on a newly released song: "Margaritaville" led the Adult Contemporary chart dated May 28, 1977. He last topped <cite>Billboard</cite> album charts with new music thanks to his most recent LP, <cite>Life on the Flip Side,</cite> in 2020. Meanwhile, <strong>Styx</strong>'s 1979 classic "Renegade" is currently reigning on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Top TV Songs chart, after it was heard in the season premiere of the Showtime series <cite>Billions.</cite> "Renegade," a No. 16 hit for Styx on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 in June 1979, landed at No. 1 following its synch in <cite>Billions</cite>' Aug. 11 episode, which coronated the premiere of its seventh and final season. In Aug., "Renegade" earned 5.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads, according to Luminate. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/21/23...... Warner Records announced on Sept. 21 that <strong>Cher</strong>'s milestone 1998 album <cite>Believe</cite> is getting the deluxe treatment in honor of its 25th anniversary, with 13 remastered remixes in triple LP, double CD and digital download formats, as well as streaming. The deluxe version will contain all of the original songs, with remixes including the previously unreleased Tee's Radio One Instrumental and Ray Roc's Latin Soul Instrumental of single "Dov'e l'Amore" for the first time. The album's other singles -- the title track, "Strong Enough" and "All or Nothing" -- will also receive the remix treatment. The vinyl version of the album will feature leopard-print packaging, and will contain sea blue, light blue and clear discs, in addition to a numbered lithograph of Cher. Following the news of Believe's deluxe release, a remastered HD version of Cher's "Strong Enough" video was made available on YouTube. Originally released in 1998, <cite>Believe</cite> served as Cher's 22nd studio album and is one of her most successful to date, peaking at No. 4 on the all-genre <cite>Billboard</cite> 200 and spending a total of 76 weeks on the tally, the most out of her entire album catalog. Title track "Believe" is also Cher's best performing song on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100, hitting No. 1 and spending a total of 31 weeks of the chart (four of them at the top). "Strong Enough" peaked at No. 57 on the Hot 100 and spent 12 weeks on the chart. "Believe" received a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year, a first for Cher. The track won for Best Dance Recording -- Cher's first Grammy win after nearly 35 years in the business. <cite>Believe</cite> is also hailed for its use of a vocoder machine, producing what we now know as Auto-Tune. Known as the "Cher effect," several musicians afterwards used it on their own recordings, such as <strong>T-Pain, Kanye West</strong> and more. <cite>Believe (Deluxe Edition)</cite> will be released on Nov. 3. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/21/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/Jim_Croce/images/Jim_Croce6.gif" ALT="Jim Croce" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Sept. 20, 1973, the pop music world was shocked when news came that singer/songwriter <strong>Jim Croce</strong> had been killed in a plane crash in Natchitoches, La., during a concert tour of southern colleges. In the previous 15 months, the talented Croce had amassed four top 40 hits on the pop charts: "You Don't Mess Around With Jim," "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)," "One Less Set of Footsteps" and the sing-along smash <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/1973_2singles.html">"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,"</a> which spent the final two weeks of July 1973 at No. 1. Croce's death also resulted in another phenomenon: one of the biggest posthumous sales booms in history. "I Got a Name," the title track of his <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spcrocejim3.html">new LP</a> and which was released the day after Croce's death, reached the top 10 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 in November. The following month, the poignant <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_timeinabottle.html">"Time in a Bottle"</a> (which had appeared on his 1972 album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spcrocejim2.html"><cite>You Don't Miss Around With Jim</cite></a>) became his second No. 1. It made Croce just the third artist in the history of the Hot 100 to top the chart posthumously, following <strong>Otis Redding</strong> ("(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay," 1968) and <strong>Janis Joplin</strong> ("Me and Bobby McGee," 1971). Moreover, Croce became the first artist in Hot 100 history to top the chart both while living and after his death. Croce's impact was also felt during awards season. At the inaugural American Music Awards on Feb. 19, 1974, Croce won favorite pop/rock male artist, beating a pair of legends -- <strong>Elton John</strong> and <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong>. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" was also nominated for favorite pop/rock song, but lost to <strong>Dawn featuring Tony Orlando</strong>'s <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/1973_1singles.html">"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree,"</a> which had been the biggest hit of 1973. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" was nominated for two Grammys -- Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, male. Croce was the first artist in Grammy history to receive a posthumous nod for Record of the Year. He lost in both categories at the 16th annual Grammy Awards on Mar. 2, 1974. <strong>Roberta Flack</strong>'s <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/1973_9singles.html">"Killing Me Softly With His Song"</a> took Record of the Year, while Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" took the Male Pop Vocal prize. Wonder graciously saluted Croce in his acceptance speech: "I accept this award in memory of Jim Croce, who was a very talented man." Croce was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1990, alongside <strong>Smokey Robinson</strong> and <strong>Michel Legrand</strong>. Croce's widow, <strong>Ingrid Croce</strong> -- with whom he recorded a duo album for Capitol in 1969 -- is now 76. Their son <strong>A.J. Croce</strong>, who turned two eight days after the crash, is 51. A.J., who is also a singer/songwriter, has recorded 11 albums. - <cite>Billboard,</cite>. 9/20/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Robert_Kennedy_Jr.gif" ALT="Robert Kennedy Jr" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">'70s superstars <strong>Eric Clapton</strong> and <strong>Stephen Stills</strong> are among several musicians and celebrities who have helped raise millions of dollars for the presidential campaign of controversial Democratic candidate <strong>Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.</strong>. Kennedy Jr., a member of the most famous political family in the US who has begun his campaign for the White House after spending three years as an environmental activist, is running against current <strong>Pres. Joe Biden</strong> and considered a fringe candidate in the Democratic Party. However, following on from his environmental work, he has quickly become a figure of controversy due to his strong stance against vaccines. At a recent private fundraising event in Brentwood earlier in September, Clapton and Stills helped Kennedy raise millions for RFK Jr.'s campaign, with <cite>The Hollywood Reporter</cite> reporting that Clapton performed with his band at the fundraiser and helped raise a total amount of $2.3 million (£ 1.85million). Of this amount, $1 million (£ 805,000) went to benefit Kennedy's campaign, while the remaining $1.3 million (£ 1.05million) went to a political action committee (PAC), which supports Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy. Other famous faces in attendance included Kennedy's wife and <cite>Curb Your Enthusiasm</cite> star <strong>Cheryl Hines, Alicia Silverstone</strong>, actor and comedian <strong>Rob Schneider</strong>, and <strong>Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young</strong> musician, Stills. It remains unclear whether or not Stills also performed at the fundraiser, however, his attendance was confirmed by recently circulated photos of himself, Clapton, and Kennedy standing together. "I am deeply grateful to Eric Clapton for bringing his musical artistry and rebellious spirit to my gathering in Los Angeles last night," Kennedy said in a statement. "I sometimes think that in our divided society, it is music rather than any kind of intellectual agreement that has the most potential to bring us together again. Eric sings from the depths of the human condition," he added. The support from Clapton follows the guitarist also establishing himself as an opponent of the COVID vaccine ever since it was developed. In 2021 the artist revealed that he would refuse to perform at any venue that required proof of vaccination. He later joined <strong>Van Morrison</strong> on an anti-lockdown song. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/21/23...... Former <strong>Pink Floyd</strong> member <strong>Roger Waters</strong> has shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/8Xn1MZLw96M">YouTube</a> new solo versions of Pink Floyd tracks "Speak To Me"' and "Breathe" from his forthcoming re-recorded version of <cite>The Dark Side Of The Moon</cite>. The album -- titled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CC9S2B1P/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux</cite></a> -- is due on Oct. 6 and is Waters' full-length reimagining of the band's iconic 1973 album to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Waters will showcase the album at two special live concerts at the London Palladium on Oct. 8 and 9. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/22/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Billie_Jean_King2.gif" ALT="Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Sept. 20, 1973, current female tennis champ <strong>Billie Jean King</strong>, 29, accepted a "Battle of the Sexes" challenge from 55-year-old master showman, hustler and former (in the 1940s) world tennis champ <strong>Bobby Riggs</strong> before more than 30,000 spectators in the Houston Astrodome. In what would become the most-watched televised tennis match in history with a worldwide audience of 90 million and a $100,000 ($659,000 today) winner-takes-all prize, Riggs, who boasted he could "beat any female tennis player," was dusted off by King in three straight sets. "I underestimated you," said Riggs, who had previously beaten the No. 1-ranked female player <strong>Margeret Court</strong>, to King after match point. On Sept. 20, three U.S. senators introduced a bill that would award the Congressional Gold Medal to honor to King, the tennis Hall of Famer and activist who was a driving force behind the creation of the women's pro tennis tour, equal prize money for men and women, and the passage of the Title IX anti-discrimination amendment. "She's both a role model for women and girls everywhere, but she's also a battle-tested warrior for women's rights and equality," said <strong>Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand</strong> of New York, one of the bill's leaders in the Senate along with <strong>Sens. Shelley Moore Capito</strong> of West Virginia and <strong>Kyrsten Sinema</strong> of Arizona. "This match was about much more than tennis. It was about social change," King posted on Sept. 19 on <a href="https://twitter.com/BillieJeanKing/status/1704209916481712590">X/Twitter</a>. King's victory was also celebrated at Tennis Legends Ball presented by BNP Paribas on Sept. 9 in New York City. "The Battle of the Sexes gave women's tennis, and women athletes, an unprecedented global platform," said King as she accepted the honor. - <cite>AP,</cite> 9/20/23...... <strong>George Harrison</strong>'s son <strong>Dhani Harrison</strong> has returned with a new single titled "Damn That Frequency," a psychedelic track that features <strong>Graham Coxon</strong> of <strong>Blur</strong> on the saxophone. Harrison will officially premiere the new single live at two intimate gigs in London on Oct. 18 and 19. A visualizer for the song can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/_eTYGA0sykY">YouTube</a>. Dhani last released solo music in 2017 with his <cite>IN///PARALLEL</cite> album. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/22/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Roger_Whittaker.gif" ALT="Roger Whittaker" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Folk singer and expert whistler <strong>Roger Whittaker</strong>, best known for tracks such as "Durham Town (The Leavin')," "New World in the Morning" and "The Last Farewell," died on Sept. 13, according to a statement on his website. He was 87. Born on Mar. 22, 1936, in Nairobi, Mr. Whittaker was exposed to music through his family: his grandfather frequently sang in clubs, while his father played the violin. His earliest recordings were released while he was an undergrad at the University College of North Wales though the campus' newspaper, which included his songs on flexi discs. In 1969, Mr. Whittaker released "Durham Town (The Leavin')," with the song eventually peaking at No. 23 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Adult Contemporary chart, where he placed eight additional songs, including "New World in the Morning" (No. 12), "I Don't Believe in If Anymore" (No. 10) and "The Last Farewell," which became Whittaker's most successful single, topping the AC chart. It was also his first and only track to reach the Hot 100, peaking at No. 19. After becoming fluent in German, Mr. Whittaker catered to his fanbase and spent the 1970s and onward performing in the country, in addition to releasing 25 albums in German. During his career, he also placed six albums on the all-genre <cite>Billboard 200,</cite> including <cite>The Last Farewell and Other Hits</cite> (No. 31) and <cite>When I Need You</cite> (No. 115). According to his website, he and wife Natalie "settled into retirement" in France in 2012. "Roger was an iconic artist, a wonderful husband and father. He touched so many hearts with his music during his lifetime and will always live on in our memories," reads the statement on the website. "The family requests privacy as we go through this time of grief and we thank you for your understanding. Roger will be greatly missed, his legacy will forever live on in our hearts and in his art." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/19/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-11131341219191641322023-09-14T16:21:00.006-07:002023-09-22T19:15:11.369-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on September 19th, 2023</b>
<P>Although <strong>Eddie Van Halen</strong>'s son <strong>Wolfgang Van Halen</strong> performed several <strong>Van Halen</strong> classics at 2022's tribute concert in honor of late <strong>Foo Fighters</strong> drummer <strong>Taylor Hawkins</strong>, Wolfgang says covering VH classics is something he doesn't intend on doing in the future. "It was wonderful. It was the exception where it was like, this would be the time to do it," Wolfgang recently told <strong>Fozzy</strong> singer <strong>Chris Jericho</strong> on his <cite>Talk Is Jericho</cite> podcast. "Taylor was such a huge fan and to get my own satisfaction of doing a direct Van Halen tribute for dad, it felt like the right thing to do in that moment. I'm really proud of it." Wolfgang then explained why that occasion was the exception to his usual rule, where he doesn't incorporate his father's songs into his own performances. "I'm happy to be able to prove myself. The important key distinction is that I'm not doing what my dad did, I'm my own person, I'm my own musician it's why I don't play any Van Halen music or have a plan to play Van Halen music during my sets." He continued: "Even my dad hated doing covers back in the day, his quote resonates with me all the time where he says 'I'd rather bomb with my own music than succeed with somebody else's', and that's exactly how I feel about playing Van Halen music. I'd much rather fail on my own than succeed heartlessly by playing 'Panama'." Wolfgang, who currently leads the band <strong>Mammoth WVH</strong>, has previously faced scrutiny from detractors for supposedly failing to honor his father by not playing his songs live. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 9/17/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/N/Neil_Young/images/Neil_Young49.gif" ALT="Neil Young" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Sept. 17 <strong>Neil Young</strong> announced on <a href="https://twitter.com/NeilYoungNYA/status/1702736540882051097">X/Twitter</a> he'll be releasing a 50th anniversary reissue of his classic 1973 LP <cite>Time Fades Away</cite> on Nov. 3. In addition to <cite>Time Fades Away</cite>'s original eight songs, the new anniversary release will also include the bonus song "The Last Trip to Tulsa," which was originally released in Nov. 1973 as the B-side to the album's single, which was the title track. It also appeared on 2020's <cite>Neil Young Archives Vol. 2: 1972-1976.</cite> The album can be pre-ordered at Young's Neil Young Archives website, and it will also be available at "music retailers everywhere" upon release according to the website. Purchases made through his website will come with a high-resolution digital download of the album. In June, Young kicked off his first tour since 2019, playing a series of solo acoustic dates on the west coast in his first run of headline gigs since pre-pandemic. Earlier in the year, he reunited with his <strong>CSN&Y</strong> bandmate <strong>Stephen Stills</strong> at a show in Los Angeles and performed at <strong>Willie Nelson</strong>'s 90th birthday party alongside <strong>Snoop Dogg, Beck</strong> and more. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/17/23...... <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> has revealed to BBC Radio2 that <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> loved her oft-covered ballad "I Will Always Love You" and wanted to record it, but couldn't reach an agreement with Presley's manager, <strong>Colonel Tom Parker</strong>. "'I wouldn't let Colonel Tom Parker [have the rights to the song]," Parton said. "Elvis loved it. I talked to <strong>Priscilla [Presley]</strong> not very long ago, she said, 'Elvis sang it to me when we were on the courthouse steps after we got divorced.' He loved the song and wanted to do it. Had it worked up. They'd already called me to come down to the studio and to hear part of the song." However, the night before, Dolly said Parker called her and said he wouldn't do anything with Presley unless he had the publishing rights, and when Parton refused to give up the copyright for the song, he said he couldn't agree to her terms. "I Will Always Love You" reached new levels of popularity when <strong>Whitney Houston</strong> recorded her own version in 1992 for the film <cite>The Bodyguard.</cite> Parton is currently gearing up to release her 49th solo album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4FTN73N/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Rockstar</cite></a>, which will be released on Nov. 17 and will feature nine original songs and 21 covers of rock classics by such acts as <strong>The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Heart</strong> and <strong>Prince</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/17/23...... Former members of the <strong>Sex Pistols</strong> have signed a new global publishing deal with BMG Music, which includes <strong>Steve Jones, Paul Cook</strong> and the estate of <strong>Sid Vicious</strong>' portion of credit for the legendary punk band's entire catalog. In a statement, BMG said: "Sex Pistols are among the most important and recognizable rock bands in history, and their legacy is felt across fashion, art and society." The company's VP in music publishing, Michael Howe, added: "Steve, Paul, and Sid's works with Sex Pistols are among the most important cultural and creative music of the last half-century. Their impact on society and the performing arts is orders of magnitude greater than the group's incredibly brief lifespan and recorded output would suggest. The band's influence resonates as deeply today as it did in 1977." The news of the deal comes after former frontman <strong>John Lydon</strong> (aka <strong>Johnny Rotten</strong>) distanced himself from the Sex Pistols after accusing them of aiming to "cash in" on <strong>Queen Elizabeth II</strong>'s death, accusing the other three and their management of approving a number of requests against his wishes "on the basis of the majority court-ruling agreement." - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/15/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/Gene_Simmons/images/Gene_Simmons21.gif" ALT="Gene Simmons" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a new interview with the UK paper <cite>The Guardian</cite>, <strong>KISS</strong> bassist/vocalist <strong>Gene Simmons</strong> said he feels "immortal" as long as his "schmeckle works." Simmons also opened up about his previous claim that he has slept with over 4,000 women across his 50-year-long career, and admitted that he is "guilty as charged" when it comes to being motivated by sex. "Listen. Men are idiots," Simmons said. "There isn't enough blood to power two heads at once, so a lot of really stupid decisions can get made when that little head takes over." When you're a woman and you see a man, and he's big and he's got a hairy chest and he's good-looking, and you see that, what you're seeing is a mirage. That's actually a 14-year-old horny kid. Just still young, dumb and full of cum. We can't even think straight when we see you. I don't say this as a defence, because I stand guilty as charged of everything." He continued, likening the feeling to that of KISS' impressive number live shows over the years, adding that as long as his "schmeckle works," he would be willing to have the band play forever as it makes him "feel immortal." Simmons, 74, also opened up about his relationship with his co-founding KISS bandmate <strong>Paul Stanley</strong>, comparing it to the mutually beneficial relationship of <strong>Beatles</strong> members <strong>John Lennon</strong> and <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>. "Paul's like the brother I never had," Simmons said. "I wouldn't have been able to do anything on the level that I've been able to do on my own without Paul. And I'd like to think it's the same the other way around. You can't do it all yourself, you're just not as good. The biggest ever influence on me was the Beatles, and clearly Lennon and McCartney were so much better together than when they each went solo Having someone around who's questioning and taking things apart is what really makes things better." KISS are currently in the midst of their final final scheduled performances of their ongoing farewell tour. The tour is set to wrap with a final ever performance in Madison Square Garden, New York, in December. The location was chosen as it is close to where the band first formed in 1973. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/15/23...... <strong>Micky Dolenz</strong> of the legendary '60s pop group <strong>The Monkees</strong> has announced he will be releasing an EP of <strong>R.E.M</strong> covers, including a version of "Shiny Happy People." Dolenz, the sole surviving member of The Monkees, says the four-track EP will be titled <cite>Dolenz Sings R.E.M</cite> and in addition to "Shiny Happy People" will feature "Radio Free Europe," "Man on the Moon" and "Leaving New York." According to an interview with <cite>Rolling Stone,</cite> the project came about as a result of a conversation Dolenz had with 7A Records co-owner <strong>Glenn Gretlund</strong>. "I was talking to Glenn about what to do next. The band R.E.M. came up. I went, 'Wow, that's very cool.' I'm a big fan And I've heard through the grapevine that the band were fans of The Monkees. I found that incredibly flattering," Dolenz said. R.E.M frontman <strong>Michael Stipe</strong> shared his excitement for Dolenz's covers EP, telling the magazine, "These songs are absolutely incredible. Micky Dolenz covering R.E.M. Monkees style, I have died and gone to heaven." <cite>Dolenz Sings R.E.M</cite> is set for release on Nov. 3 via 7A Records. It will be available on a special yellow vinyl pressing. Elsewhere, Dolenz has embarked on a handful of tour dates to honor his late bandmates. He'll play The Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, and play select dates in Ohio, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana in October. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/14/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/Cher/images/Cher33.gif" ALT="Cher" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><cite>The New York Post</cite>'s Page Six column is reporting that <strong>Cher</strong> and her recent ex-boyfriend <strong>Alexander "AE" Edwards</strong> have apparently rekindled their romance, which began back in Nov. 2022 after they were spotted holding hands in Los Angeles and made their red carpet debut as a couple at a Versace fashion show in March. Cher, 77, and the music exec, 37, were photographed holding hands on Sept. 15 as they left Funke restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif. after dinner with Colombian singer <strong>J Balvin</strong> and his girlfriend <strong>Valentina Ferrer</strong>. Alexander reportedly held open the car door for Cher and simply beamed when asked by paparazzi if they were back together. Once they were both inside the vehicle, they could reportedly be seen laughing and chatting with their heads close together. They made their red carpet debut as a couple at a Versace fashion show in March, however two months later TMZ.com reported that they had broken up "a couple weeks ago." During their relationship, the couple had hinted that they were engaged, however, a source told the celebrity gossip outlet for the split report that they were not. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 9/18/23...... <cite>That 70's Show</cite> star <strong>Ashton Kutcher</strong> is stepping back from his leadership role at Thorn, the anti-human trafficking organization co-founded by the actor, after he and his wife/actress <strong>Mila Kunis</strong> made a character statement on behalf of <cite>That 70's Show</cite> cast member <strong>Danny Masterson</strong>, who was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted on two of three forcible rape charges this past May. Kutcher resigned as Thorn board chair in a letter to the board published to the organization's website on Sept. 15. The letter cited Kutcher and partner Kunis' character letter for convicted rapist and fellow That '70s Show star Danny Masterson. "After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately. I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve," Kutcher wrote. The actor, who founded the organization with fellow actor and ex-wife <strong>Demi Moore</strong>, noted despite his more than a decade and a half of work focused on supporting sexually exploited people globally, his letter in support of Masterson was another form of the historical silencing of the victims whom the organization fights for. "Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade," he said. "The mission must always be the priority, and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did. And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry." Earlier in September, Kutcher and Kunis published a joint video apology to their Instagram after their character references requesting sentencing leniency for Masterson -- who is facing a minimum of 30 years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of rape -- were publicized. - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 9/15/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/images/Jann_Wenner.gif" ALT="Jann Wenner" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><cite>Rolling Stone</cite> magazine and <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/faq_rockrollhalloffame.html">Rock & Roll Hall of Fame</a> co-founder <strong>Jann Wenner</strong> was removed from the Rock Hall's board of directors on Sept. 16 after making comments that were seen as disparaging toward Black and female musicians. Wenner created a firestorm doing publicity for his new book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316571059/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>The Masters</cite></a>, which features interviews with musicians <strong>Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend</strong> and <strong>U2's Bono</strong> -- all white and male. Asked by <cite>The New York Times</cite> why he didn't interview women or Black musicians, Wenner responded: "It's not that they're inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with <strong>Grace Slick</strong> or <strong>Janis Joplin</strong>. Please, be my guest. You know, <strong>Joni (Mitchell)</strong> was not a philosopher of rock 'n' roll. She didn't, in my mind, meet that test," he told the paper. "Of Black artists -- you know, <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong>, genius, right? I suppose when you use a word as broad as 'masters,' the fault is using that word. Maybe <strong>Marvin Gaye</strong>, or <strong>Curtis Mayfield</strong>? I mean, they just didn't articulate at that level," Wenner said. Late the same evening, Wenner apologized through his publisher, Little, Brown and Company, saying: "In my interview with <cite>The New York Times</cite> I made comments that diminished the contributions, genius and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks." He added: "I totally understand the inflammatory nature and badly chosen words and deeply apologize and accept the consequences." Wenner reportedly was given a final chance to explain himself to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation during an emergency conference call before he was voted off the organization's board of directors. With the board's high-profile music industry executives dialing in, Wenner made a "self-serving and poorly articulated attempt to explain himself," according to a source. Wenner co-founded <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> in 1967 and served as its editor or editorial director until 2019. He also co-founded the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which was launched in 1987. - <cite>AP,</cite> 9/16/23.
<P>On Sept. 14 the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> announced the full track list for their upcoming album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a>. The 12-track LP includes the previously announced collaboration with <strong>Lady Gaga</strong> and <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong>, "Sweet Sound of Heaven," alongside "Bite My Head Off," with bass from <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> and "Get Close" and "Live By the Sword," which have piano from <strong>Elton John</strong>. <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite>, the Stones' first new studio album or original material in 18 years, is due out on Oct. 20. The album -- which ends with the first-ever original song to include a nod to the band's name ("Rolling Stone Blues") -- was recorded all around the world, in Los Angeles, London, New York City and Nassau, Bahamas. Meanwhile, frontman <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> has revealed the band is already at work on the follow-up to <cite>Hackney Diamonds.</cite> In an interview with <cite>The New York Times,</cite> Jagger said that he doesn't think the new album will be "the last Rolling Stones album," before confirming that a follow-up is currently in the works. "We've got almost three-quarters through the next one," he said. The Stones' most recent album came in the form of a blues covers LP, <cite>Blue & Lonesome,</cite> in 2016. - <cite>Billboard/New Musical Express,</cite> 9/14/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/images/Grateful_Dead.gif" ALT="The Grateful Dead" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A "Dead Ahead Festival" celebrating the <strong>Grateful Dead</strong> songbook with two nights of curated collaborations has been set for the Moon Palace Resort in Riviera Cancún, Mexico, from Jan. 12-15, 2024. Grateful Dead alumni <strong>Bobby Weir</strong> and <strong>Mickey Hart</strong> will perform at the fest, as well as frequent <strong>The Dead</strong> collaborators <strong>Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, Don Was, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedesch</strong> and special guest <strong>Sturgill Simpson</strong>. Dead Ahead will also feature daytime pool parties, curated activities throughout the resort and nightly concerts on the beach. Guests are encouraged to flex their weekend with tours of the Yucatan Peninsula's natural beauty and rich Mayan culture through various off-site adventures. The event was announced on DeadAheadFest's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxDveUPOyPQ/">Instagram page</a>, and more info can be found at deadaheadfestival.com. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/13/23...... Speaking on the premiere edition of his <cite>The Osbournes Podcast</cite> on Sept. 12, <strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> revealed he's preparing to undergo further surgery due to injuries he sustained in previous accidents. In 2019 Osbourne suffered a fall which dislodged metal rods that were put into his body after a quad bike crash in 2003. The former <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> frontman is also living with Parkinson's, having been diagnosed with the disease in early 2020. On the podcast, he said that he's set to have his fourth significant surgery related to his structural damage. "My lower back is I'm going for an epidural soon because what they've discovered is the neck has been fixed. Below the neck there's two vertebrae where the bike hit me and disintegrated, there's nothing left of 'em," he explained. "All I know is right now is right now I'm in a lot of pain. I'm in a lot of discomfort." Ozzy's full podcast conversation with wife <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong>, daughter <strong>Kelly Osbourne</strong>, and others has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/nDEAaUwjqsc">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 12/13/23...... The newly formed Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame (FARHOF) has announced its inaugural class will include <strong>Gordon Lightfoot</strong>, who died on May 1, and <strong>John Prine</strong>, who died in 2020. The first induction ceremony for recipients and their families will take place in Apr. 2024. Living and deceased artists, songwriters, record executives, managers and concert promoters tied to elevating folk, Americana and roots music were all eligible. The inaugural class of 29 was selected by a designated nomination committee that includes industry experts as well as FARHOF's board of directors. The class consists of 10 solo living artists (which includes the likes of <strong>Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris</strong> and <strong>James Taylor</strong>), 11 solo legacy artists (including Lightfoot, Prine, <strong>Pete Seeger, Richie Havens</strong> and <strong>Johnny Cash</strong>, all of whom are deceased, though the rules don't stipulate that), four groups or duos (including <strong>Peter, Paul & Mary, The Band</strong> and <strong>The Byrds</strong> in addition to The Weavers), three non-performers and one recipient of the Paul Robeson Artist/Activist Award. The Folk America Roots Hall of Fame, which launched in 2019, is a cultural and education initiative of the Boch Center, which is located inside the Wang Theatre in Boston. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/13/23...... In related news, the Americana Honors & Awards announced its lifetime achievement, trailblazer and legacy award honorees for its 22nd Annual Americana Honors & Awards show, set for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn. on Sept. 20. The nominees are <strong>Charley Crockett</strong>'s "I'm Just a Clown," <strong>Bonnie Raitt</strong>'s "Just Like That," <strong>Zach Bryan</strong>'s "Something in the Orange," <strong>Allison Russell</strong> featuring <strong>Brandi Carlile</strong>'s "You're Not Alone," and <strong>Margo Price</strong>'s "Change of Heart." Every year, the Americana Music Association announces six member-voted annual awards and lifetime achievement awards including the Legacy of Americana Award, co-presented with the National Museum of African American Music. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/8/23...... Atlantic Records has announced it will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a multi-pronged, year-long campaign that celebrates some of its most iconic titles on vinyl. Already started is the release of 90 classic titles, many on crystal clear, colored or recycled vinyl, curated by Atlantic Records chairman/CEO and noted audiophile <strong>Craig Kallman</strong>. Titles include <strong>Yes</strong>' <cite>Fragile,</cite> <strong>Dusty Springfield</strong>'s <cite>Dusty in Memphis,</cite> <strong>Phil Collins</strong>' <cite>No Jacket Required,</cite> <strong>Hootie & the Blowfish</strong>'s <cite>Cracked Rear View</cite> and <strong>Crosby, Stills & Nash</strong>'s self-titled album. Kallman says he began working on the project, which is running in conjunction with Rhino Entertainment, a number of years ago, printing out spreadsheets highlighting every significant title of the past 75 years. "It was stacks of paper making sure we didn't miss anybody. It was painstakingly done. There was a lot of internal debating," he says. While titles started rolling out a few months ago, forthcoming releases include <strong>Coldplay</strong>'s <cite>A Head Full of Dreams,</cite> on Oct. 20 and <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong>'s <cite>Led Zeppelin IV</cite> on Oct. 27. The collection includes a number of titles that have been out of print, as well as releases that have never come out on vinyl. All releases are tagged with a 75th-anniversary logo. The anniversary also includes a coffee table book from luxury art book publisher Taschen, which is expected to come out in 2024. "That's been a labor of love," Kallman says. "We're excited to have a fitting chronicle of the history of the company with extraordinary photos and great essays." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/12/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Paul_Simon/images/Paul_Simon29.gif" ALT="Paul Simon" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Paul Simon</strong> participated in a Q&A session at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on Sept. 10 after the premiere of the new Simon career-spanning documentary, <cite>In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.</cite> After a three-and-a-half-hour documentary on his life, Paul Simon had only sympathy for the audience. "You're probably exhausted," he told the crowd. The 81-year-old Simon, himself, hadn't watched the film before its debut, and he didn't watch it on Sept. 10, either. "I'll get up the courage to see it, no doubt," he promised. The film, which is seeking distribution at TIFF, is an expansive look at the Grammy-winning musician's decades-spanning career, from growing up in Queens, N.Y., with <strong>Art Garfunkel</strong> to the success of <cite>Graceland,</cite> the sensational 1986 album he made with South African musicians. <cite>In Restless Dreams,</cite> which takes its name from a lyric in "The Sound of Silence" ("In restless dreams I walked alone"), also intimately captures Simon painstakingly assembling his latest album, <cite>Seven Psalms,</cite> which was released in May. Simon added that he wished some of his earlier recording sessions had been filmed, like those for 1970's <cite>Bridge Over Troubled Water</cite> or <cite>Graceland.</cite> <cite>In Restless Dreams</cite> does include some rare footage, including 16mm dailies from the making of the 1969 documentary <cite>Songs of America</cite> and early rehearsals of <cite>Graceland.</cite> After some prodding, Simon acknowledged that he is still making music and recently wrote a new song. He says ideas are also still coming to him at night, too. "The other night I dreamed again," he said, to applause. "I dreamed it would be a good idea if I wrote a song called 'It's What's His Name.'" - <cite>AP,</cite> 9/12/23...... Also appearing at the Toronto International Film Festival, on Sept. 11, were members of the legendary New Wave band <strong>Talking Heads</strong>, who made their first public appearance together in over 20 years at the event. The long-awaited reunion of <strong>David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz</strong> and <strong>Jerry Harrison</strong> was staged in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the band's legendary concert film, <cite>Stop Making Sense</cite> (1984). The quartet were joined by moderator <strong>Spike Lee</strong> (who produced and directed Byrne's American Uptopia) for a brief Q&A following the debut screening of A24's 4K restoration of the movie. It's so good to be here with my bandmates tonight," said Frantz. "It's been a long time." All four members reportedly sat in separate rows to watch the screening, but claimed "[no] tensions were on display." Despite prior speculation, Talking Heads did not perform acoustically or mention their tumultuous break-up. They instead spoke mainly about <cite>Stop Making Sense,</cite> which Lee described as "the greatest concert film ever." Byrne explained: "When I was watching this just now, I was thinking, 'This is why we come to the movie theaters'. This is different than watching it on my laptop -- this is really different." Later, Harrison touched on "the lasting power of the film" and how Talking Heads were "having so much fun onstage" while recording the show. "[There is] love and fun, and the audience is brought right into it," he said. "Every time anybody watches it, it brings back that wonderful emotion." Talking Heads' full Q&A at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/kGq6qIcSaZg">YouTube</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/12/23...... <strong>Aerosmith</strong>'s North America farewell tour has been postponed temporarily after frontman <strong>Steven Tyler</strong> suffered an injury to his vocal cords, Tyler posted on social media on Sept. 12. "I'm heartbroken to say I have received strict doctor's orders not to sing for the next thirty days," Tyler says. "I sustained vocal cord damage during Saturday's show that led to subsequent bleeding. We'll need to postpone a few dates so that we can come back and give you the performance you deserve." Concerts set for Detroit, Chicago, Washington, Toronto, Raleigh and Cleveland have been pushed back so far, to late January and February, and all previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates, reads a statement from the band. Refunds will be available for those unable to attend, and anyone with questions regarding refunds are asked to contact the point of purchase. Live Nation is producing Aerosmith's final North American trek, which is scheduled to run through Jan. 2024. "It's not goodbye it's PEACE OUT! Get ready and walk this way, you're going to get the best show of our lives," read a statement announcing the tour. "Every night will celebrate the five decades of Aerosmith's groundbreaking hits as they celebrate 50 years as America's greatest rock band." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/12/23...... The late <strong>Jimmy Buffett</strong>'s signature song "Margaritaville" has returned to the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 in the Top 40 after his death on Sept. 1 at age 76. "Margaritaville" re-entered at No. 38 on the Sept. 16-dated ranking. It reached No. 8 in July 1977, and had last appeared on the chart dated Aug. 27, 1977. Meanwhile, Buffett also posthumously boasts the week's top-selling song with the single, as well as the top-selling album, <cite>Songs You Know By Heart: Jimmy Buffett's Greatest Hit(s).</cite> "Margaritaville" contributes to Buffett's big week on multiple <cite>Billboard</cite> charts, as fans flocked to his trademark feel-good sound following his death. In the Sept. 1-7 tracking week, his song catalog surged by 1,476% to 78.6 million official on-demand streams and 7,022% to 103,000 paid downloads in the U.S., according to Luminate. His albums collectively soared by 2,378% to 109,000 equivalent album units in that span. Further, his all-format radio airplay audience bounded by 338% to 21.2 million. <strong>Jane Slagsvol</strong>, Jimmy's wife, shared a letter on Sept. 9 on <a href="https://www.jimmybuffett.com/news/a-message-from-jane">Buffett's official website</a> filled with gratitude for those who surrounded the pair and showed support throughout Buffett's illness and career. The "Come Monday" singer/songwriter died at age 76 at his home in Sag Harbor on Long Island, N.Y., on Sept. 1 from skin cancer. "Jimmy was love," she wrote in tribute to her late husband. "Every cell in his body was filled with joy. He smiled all the time, even when he was deeply ill. And his sense of humor never wavered. Jimmy was always the optimist, always twinkling, always making us laugh." She added: "One of the last songs Jimmy recorded was 'Bubbles Up.' He sings, 'Just know that you are loved, there is light up above, and the joy is always enough. Bubbles up.' Jimmy knew he was loved. Right until the end, he looked for the light." The official "Bubbles Up" lyrics video can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/6j3jDTOG7yI">YouTube</a>. Slagsvol also published two personal photos of the couple, who married in 1977 and shared three children together. Buffett, who was signed to Sun Records before his death, will have his final album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHX1KV52/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Equal Strain on All Parts</cite></a>, released later this year on Nov. 3. The album contains a total of 14 tracks and includes features from <strong>Emmylou Harris, Lennie Gallant, Angelique Kidjo, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band</strong> and <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> -- the latter of whom remarked on two of the album's tracks, "Bubbles Up" and "My Gummie Just Kicked In" (both released on Friday, Sept. 8) in his Sept. 2 tribute message to Buffett. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/11/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/A/images/AC-DC2.gif" ALT="AC-DC" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>AC/DC</strong> have confirmed their line-up for their upcoming gig at Power Trip festival, their first performance in seven years. Across three days at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. -- the venue for Coachella -- the Aussie hard rockers will play alongside <strong>Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Iron Maiden</strong> and <strong>Tool</strong> on Oct. 6, 7 and 8. At the show, the band's bassist <strong>Cliff Williams</strong> will come out of retirement, while drummer <strong>Phil Rudd</strong> will be replaced my <strong>Matt Laug</strong>. Rudd had been replaced by the band in 2014, before rejoining for 2020 album <cite>Power Up.</cite> Williams, meanwhile, retired following the band's "Rock Or Bust" world tour. <strong>Brian Johnson</strong> also returns on vocals after being replaced by <strong>Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose</strong> on their last tour, and <strong>Angus</strong> and <strong>Steve Young</strong> will be on guitar. In audio from their rehearsals posted to <a href="https://twitter.com/acdc/status/1700494261215691067">X/Twitter</a>, the band wrote: "PWR UP for Power Trip! Listen to the rehearsal of the boys powering up with Cliff Williams, who's coming out of retirement for the festival and Matt Laug on drums." - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/10/23...... On Sept. 11 <strong>Cher</strong> announced her very first Christmas album, <cite>Are You Spending Christmas With Me?</cite>, will be ready for Christmas 2023 with a pair of recent <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw5Yox-N7Gg/">Instagram</a> posts. "It's a Cher Christmas album. It's not your mother's Christmas album," Cher teased on <cite>Good Morning Britain</cite> in the UK a few days earlier, adding that she is "really, really excited because there's millions of people on it, and I've never had duets. I've never had people on any of my records." The diva kept mum about exactly who will be featured on the album since the collaborations were a "last-minute thing," but did say the artist features are "special." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/11/23...... Also getting into the holiday spirit in 2023 is <strong>Billy Joel</strong>, who has announced a special New Year's Eve concert on Dec. 31 at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. This will not only mark the "Piano Man" singer's debut performance at the arena, but will be his first show back on Long Island since 2018. Joel's official <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw48sGQM_nZ/">Instagram account</a> made the announcement on Sept. 7 with a photo of the outside of the arena followed by the show date. "Kicking off the New Year with a bang! Long Island's very own Billy Joel is returning to his roots for an unforgettable New Year's Eve at UBS Arena at Belmont Park on December 31, 2023!," the caption said. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/11/23...... <strong>Queen</strong>'s <strong>Brian May</strong> and <strong>Roger Taylor</strong> have announced the line-up of their "official tribute band" <strong>Queen Extravaganza</strong> and announced a run of tour dates for 2024. Queen Extravaganza has been touring together for over a decade and features a line-up that was hand-picked by May and Taylor to perform their music. May and Taylor have now confirmed that the line-up for next year's tour, which gets underway in Wolverhampton, UK on Feb. 26 and runs through a Mar. 21 date in Belfast, includes <strong>Nick Radcliffe</strong> on guitar, <strong>Franois-Olivier Doyon</strong> on bass, <strong>George Farrar</strong> on drums and <strong>Alirio Netto</strong> and <strong>Gareth Taylor</strong> on vocals. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/11/23...... An exclusive clip from the upcoming <strong>Marc Bolan & T. Rex</strong> documentary <cite>AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex</cite> has been shared by <a href="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/IW3SulMz"><cite>New Musical Express</cite></a>. In the clip, Bolan is seen rehearsing the track "The Children Of Rarn," pulled from T. Rex's 1970 self-titled album. He later talks about the impact of musicians <strong>Eric Clapton</strong> and <strong>Jimi Hendrix</strong> in archival interview footage. <cite>AngelHeaded Hipster</cite> arrives in UK cinemas for one night only on Sept. 14. It will be released widely on Sept. 22 and on streaming services from Nov. 6, 2023. Bolan, who died in a car crash at the age of 29 in 1977, is survived by his son Rolan. In 2020, the musician was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of T. Rex, who originally formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1967. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/8/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Buzzcocks2.gif" ALT="The Buzzcocks" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Legendary punk pioneers <strong>The Buzzcocks</strong> were added to the Music Walk Of Fame in Camden, UK on Sept. 8, where they joined other music icons on the Camden strip including <strong>David Bowie, The Who, Madness</strong> and <strong>Amy Winehouse</strong>. The celebration is designed to honour the huge impact the members have had on the industry since their formation in 1976. The ceremony took place in the London borough and featured the official unveiling, tributes and archive video footage. It was hosted by two high-profile Buzzcocks fans: <strong>Carl Bart</strong> of <strong>The Libertines</strong> and BBC Radio London presenter <strong>Gary Crowley</strong>, and concluded with an appearance from classic Buzzcocks line-up member <strong>Steve Diggle</strong>. "It's a great honour to be inducted into the Camden Walk Of Fame," the musician said of the milestone moment. "Camden has always been a magical musical inspiration - like Buzzcocks' music the two have walked the path of greatness." In 2024 Diggle and co. are set to release a 45th Anniversary Edition of their classic compilation <cite>Singles Going Steady</cite> via Domino Records. They are also currently underway with a new studio album, and Giggle is also set to release his perspective of the band's remarkable story with the release of his upcoming book <cite>Autonomy.</cite> On July 1, the Buzzcocks joined <strong>Iggy Pop</strong>'s "Dog Day Afternoon" punk spectacular in London. The special one-day event also featured sets from <strong>Blondie, Generation Sex</strong> and <strong>Lambrini Girls</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/7/23...... The buyer of the iconic <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_A-G.html#The Brady Bunch"><cite>The Brady Bunch</cite></a> house in North Hollywood, Calif., has called her purchase "the worst investment ever. Cable channel HGTV purchased the home in 2018 for $3.5 million after outbidding musician <strong>Lance Bass</strong>. The outside of the house had been used for exterior shots famously used on the '70s ABC sitcom <cite>The Brady Bunch</cite> (1969-1974), but all inside shots were filmed on a soundstage. For that reason, the actual house's interior did not match what viewers saw on television. HGTV used that to its advantage. It created the special series, <cite>A Very Brady Renovation</cite>, starring several HGTV stars and former <cite>Brady Bunch</cite> cast members involved in renovating the space. It was the cast's first time reuniting in more than 15 years. The home was listed for sale in May for $5.5 million. It sold to Tina Trahan, 53, for $3.2 million, representing a 9% loss for the property, not counting the renovation costs. Before HGTV bought it, the same family lived there for 50 years, according to <cite>People.</cite> Trahan, who is married to former HBO chief executive Chris Albrecht, described the purchase as "the worst investment ever" despite her nostalgia. "Nobody is going to live in it," she told WSJ. "It's almost like a life-size dollhouse." Adds listing agent Danny Brown: "There's no normal average family that could move in there and live in it, so it was almost like you were selling a fixer. What am I going to compare it to, the Freddy Krueger house on <cite>Elm Street</cite> or the <cite>Home Alone</cite> house?" - <cite>AP,</cite> 9/12/23...... <strong>Mylon LeFevre</strong>, the founding member of <strong>Mylon and Broken Heart</strong> whose 1987 album <cite>Crack the Sky</cite> earned him a Grammy award for best gospel performance by a duo, group, choir or chorus, died on Sept. 8 rom complications with cancer, his wife Christi LeFevre revealed in a statement posted to Facebook. He was 78. LeFevre was born into the southern gospel family group <strong>The LeFevres</strong>, and started singing and performing with them from an early age. The late musician's solo singing career formally kicked off at age 17, when he wrote his first song "Without Him." After singing the track at the National Quartet Convention in Memphis, Tenn. while in the army, LeFevre was noticed by <strong>Elvis Presley</strong>, who was impressed enough by the track that he later recorded it for his 1967 album, <cite>How Great Thou Art.</cite> LeFevre released his debut solo album, New Found Joy in 1964, and followed it up with Your Only Tomorrow in 1968. In the the 1970's and '80s, LeFevre recorded and performed with stars like <strong>The Who, Elton John, Geroge Harrison, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Berry Oakley, Little Richard</strong> and <strong>Billy Joel</strong>. In 1981, LeFevre formed Mylon and Broken Heart after stepping back from secular music; the band recorded 10 of Lefevre's 22 albums, and in 1988 received the rock album of the year GMA Dove Award for <cite>Crack the Sky.</cite> He was inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame in 2005. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/13/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/images/Gayle_Hunnicutt.gif" ALT="Gayle Hunnicutt" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Actress <strong>Gayle Hunnicutt</strong>, whose best-known work came as Vanessa Beaumont, the mother of J.R. Ewing's illegitimate son, in the final three seasons of <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_A-G.html#Dallas"><cite>Dallas</cite></a>, died on Aug. 31 at a hospital in London, according to her ex-husband Simon Jenkins. She was 80 years old. Her TV career began with a role on the shortlived small-screen adaptation of <cite>Mister Roberts</cite> and included roles on <cite>The Beverly Hillbillies, Get Smart</cite> and in <cite>Marlowe</cite> opposite <strong>James Garner</strong>. In 1970, Ms. Hunnicutt met and later married <strong>David Hemmings</strong>, who himself was already a major star on the heels of <strong>Michelangelo Antonioni</strong>'s <cite>Blow Up.</cite> The duo moved to England, where her career took off. They co-starred in two horror films, <cite>Fragment of Fear</cite> in 1970 and <cite>Voices</cite> in 1973. That same year, she played opposite <strong>Roddy McDowell</strong> in <cite>The Legend of Hell House.</cite> After divorcing Hemmings in 1975, Ms. Hunnicutt wed journalist Simon Jenkins in 1978. Jenkins was knighted for services to journalism in the 2004. The couple divorced in 2009. Throughout the '80s, she appeared on American TV staples such as <cite>Taxi, Matt Houston</cite> and <cite>Fantasy Island</cite> before she found her way into the final three seasons of the Texas-set juggernaut <cite>Dallas.</cite> - <cite>Deadline.com,</cite> 9/6/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-81972318723970727072023-09-08T16:10:00.001-07:002023-09-21T17:40:59.573-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on September 8th, 2023</b>
<P><IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/images/Gary_Wright2.gif" ALT="Gary Wright" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">'70s pop/rock star <strong>Gary Wright</strong>, best known for his 1976 soft rock hits <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_dreamweaver.html">"Dream Weaver"</a> and "Love is Alive," died on Sept. 4 at his Palos Verdes Estates home in California after battling Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia for the past six years. He was 80. Mr. Wright's son <strong>Justin Wright</strong> said he dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's six or seven years ago before also receiving a dementia diagnosis. "He managed it fairly well for a while. But a few years ago, he needed professional help and home-care nurses and eventually 24-hour care," Justin told <cite>Rolling Stone</cite>. Born on April 26, 1943 in Cresskill, N.J., Mr. Wright began his career as a child actor in shows that included <cite>Captain Video and His Video Rangers</cite> before joining the Broadway cast of "Fanny" in 1954. After briefly considering medical school, Mr. Wright moved to England in the late 1960s, where he co-founded the blues-rock band <strong>Spooky Tooth</strong> with four English musicians. After three albums with the band, Mr. Wright struck out on his own and releasing two solo albums on A&M Records, <cite>Extraction</cite> (1970) and <cite>Footprint</cite> (1971) before signing to Warner Bros. Records for what would be his breakthrough third solo effort. <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spwrightgary.html"><cite>The Dream Weaver</cite></a>, released in the summer of 1975, peaked at No. 7 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> 200 album charts in Apr. 1976, with the "yacht rock" classic title track peaking at No. 2 on the hit parade. At the time, Mr. Wright, who played the Hammond Organ, clavinet, Moog synthesizers, Fender Rhodes and several other keyboards on the album -- in addition to arranging and producing the collection -- boasted that it was "one of the first all-keyboard albums." It also featured drums from session veterans <strong>Jim Keltner</strong> and <strong>Sly and the Family Stone's Andy Newmark</strong> as well as guitar on "Power of Love" from <strong>Montrose</strong> axman <strong>Ronnie Montrose</strong>. The ethereal "Dream Weaver" became one of Mr. Wright's most beloved songs and a frequent go-to Hollywood soundtrack cut in films including <cite>Wayne's World</cite> (for which Mr. Wright re-recorded the song), <cite>Toy Story 3, Ice Age: Collision Course</cite> and <cite>The People vs. Larry Flynt</cite>, as well as the TV series <cite>Glee</cite> and <cite>Superstore.</cite> Mr. Wright also dipped his toe into film soundtrack composition for the movies <cite>Endangered Species</cite> (1982) and <cite>Fire and Ice</cite> (1986). Following the chart success of <cite>The Dream Weaver</cite>, Mr. Wright released a string of solo albums throughout the 1970s and early 1980s to diminishing sales, including 1977's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spwrightgary2.html"><cite>The Light of Smiles</cite></a> (No. 172) and <cite>Touch and Gone</cite> (No. 117), 1979's <cite>Headin' Home</cite> (No. 147) and 1981's <cite>The Right Place</cite> (No. 79). <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/G/images/Gary_Wright.gif" ALT="Gary Wright" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In addition to "Dream Weaver" and that album's other silky pop hit, "Love Is Alive" (No. 2 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100), Mr. Wright's other singles chart successes included 1976's "Made to Love You" (No. 79), "Phantom Writer" (1977, No. 43), "Touch and Gone" (1978, No. 73) and 1981's "Really Wanna Know You" (No. 16). Mr. Wright also played keyboards on late Beatle <strong>George Harrison</strong>'s 1970 solo triple-disc album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/harrison1.html"><cite>All Things Must Pass</cite></a> -- cementing a friendship that lasted until Harrison's death in 2001 -- and sat in on sessions for album by everyone from <strong>B.B. King</strong> to <strong>Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson</strong> and <strong>Jerry Lee Lewis</strong>. He also performed with a reunited Spooky Tooth in the early 2000s, as well as with Starr's <strong>All-Starr Band</strong> and continued to release new music as recently as his final solo album, 2010's <cite>Connected.</cite> Over the years, Mr. Wright's compositions also found their way into a number of hip-hop songs, including samples of "Love Is Alive" on songs by <strong>Raekwon</strong> and <strong>3rd Bass</strong>, Spooky Tooth's "The Mirror" on songs by <strong>Fivio Foreign and Atmosphere</strong>, "More Than a Heartache" (<strong>Nas</strong>) and "Heartbeat" (<strong>Jay-Z</strong>). In addition to son Justin, Mr. Wright is also survived by his wife Rose -- whom he married in 1985 -- and their daughter Dorian. Tributes from the music world have poured in, with "On and On" singer <strong>Stephen Bishop</strong> posting on <a href="https://twitter.com/BishSongs/status/1698785989668581625">X/Twitter</a> of the "great sadness" he felt at Gary's passing and noting that he will "always cherish" the kindness shown to him by his fellow musician." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/5/23.
<P>On Sept. 8 Columbia/Legacy announced two new <strong>Barbra Streisand</strong> albums will be released in the weeks ahead of the Grammy-winning singer's new memoir, <cite>My Name is Barbra</cite>. <cite>Evergreens: Celebrating Six Decades on Columbia Records</cite> and <cite>Yentl: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition</cite> will be released on CD an digitally on Oct. 27. <cite>Evergreens</cite> has been personally curated by Streisand, and none of its 22 songs have appeared on previous compilations. "[The songs] were chosen by Barbra to convey her emotional connection to these melodies and lyrics -- each holding a special place in her heart and memory," according to a press release. <cite>Yentl</cite> will feature 11 demo versions of songs written for the movie, recordings that Streisand made in her living room with the late, legendary composer <strong>Michael Legrand</strong> on piano as her only accompaniment. The original <cite>Yentl</cite> soundtrack was a top 10 hit on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 album chart. Streisand's autobiography, <cite>My Name is Barbra</cite>, is due on Nov. 7. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/8/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Bruce_Springsteen/images/Bruce_Springsteen56_w74_.gif" ALT="Bruce Springsteen" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> posted to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw3scktLQ4t/">Instagram</a> on Sept. 6 that he's postponing all his September concerts as he's treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease. "Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have postponed all performances currently scheduled for September 2023, beginning with tomorrow's show scheduled for the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY," the statement reads. "Mr. Springsteen is being treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease and the decision of his medical advisors is that he should postpone the remainder of his September shows." Springsteen and <strong>The E Street Band</strong> had nine dates scheduled in September, starting with a Sept. 7 show in Syracuse, N.Y., and wrapping Sept. 29 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Caused by an imbalance in the protective lining of the stomach, peptic ulcer disease symptoms include pain or discomfort in the upper part of your abdomen, feeling uncomfortably full after eating a meal, nausea and vomiting. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/6/23...... Award-winning pop songwriter <strong>Diane Warren</strong>, who is also a devoted animal welfare activist, will receive the Sam Simon Award in honor of her animal activism on Oct. 14 at Last Chance for Animals' annual fundraising gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Beverly Hilton is also the site of the annual Golden Globes awards ceremony, where Warren has picked up two awards for best original song -- for "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from <cite>Burlesque</cite> (2010) and "Io's (Seen)" from <cite>The Life Ahead</cite> (2020). Her many other awards include a Grammy, a Primetime Emmy and an honorary Oscar. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/6/23...... <strong>The Rolling Stones</strong> unveiled details of their new LP <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3PH7DB/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite></a> during a presser in London on Sept. 6. <cite>Hackney Diamonds,</cite> the group's 24th studio album, will be released Oct. 20, and band principles <strong>Mick Jagger, Keith Richards</strong> and <strong>Ronnie Wood</strong> announced at an invite-only launch event at London's historic Hackney Empire theatre. Hosted by <cite>The Tonight Show</cite> host <strong>Jimmy Fallon</strong> and streamed globally on YouTube, the press conference culminated in the premiere of the band's new single "Angry" -- a classic Stones-style rock tune built around a funky guitar riff, catchy chorus and Jagger's instantly recognizable yelped vocals -- and its accompanying video starring Emmy-nominated actress <strong>Sydney Sweeney</strong> (<cite>The White Lotus, Euphoria</cite>), who was at the launch. The full press launch can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/_mEC54eTuGw">YouTube</a>. Talking about the 12-track record, which features two songs the band recorded with late co-founding drummer <strong>Charlie Watts</strong> in 2019, Richards paid tribute to his former band mate, who died in 2021 aged 80. "Ever since Charlie's gone, it's been different. He's number four. Of course, he's missed, incredibly," said Richards. Richards said that Watts had personally recommended drummer <strong>Steve Jordan</strong> -- who toured with the band last year and plays on 10 tracks on <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> -- "way, way back" to replace him if ever "anything should happen to him." "So, it was kind of a natural progression. It would have been a lot harder without Charlie's blessing," Richards told Fallon. Two of <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite>' tracks -- "Live By the Sword" and "Mess It Up" -- were recorded in 2019 and feature Watts on drums, it was revealed during the press conferrence. Asked how the album got its name, Richards said: "It got called 'Hackney Diamonds' because we were flinging ideas around for titles, and we went from 'Hit And Run' [to] 'Smash And Grab'. And somehow, between that, we came up with 'Hackney Diamonds' which is like a variation of both. Also, it's a London band." Fallon went on to ask whether 'Hackney Diamonds' was "a type of slang," to which Jagger replied: "Yeah, it's like when you get your windscreen broken on Saturday night in Hackney, and all the bits go on the street that's 'Hackney Diamonds'." According to a press release from the Rolling Stones' label Universal Music Group/Geffen, <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> was recorded in various locations around the world, including Los Angeles' Henson Recording Studios, London's Metropolis Studios and New York's Electric Lady Studios and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/6/23...... <strong>Diana Ross</strong> was on hand at the Sept. 4 stop of <strong>Beyoncé</strong>'s Renaissance World Tour in Los Angeles to help wish the singing sensation celebrate her 42nd birthday. The 79-year-old Motown legend first appeared onstage in front of 60,000 screaming fans during one of the Renaissance World Tour's regularly scheduled intermissions, which features Ross' 1976 smash <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/sw_lovehangover.html">"Love Hangover"</a> as an interlude between songs. Usually, it's Bey's backup singers who perform the transition -- but this time, Ross herself was on hand to do the honors. Afterward, Beyoncé ran onstage to give the "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" vocalist a tearful hug. Then, encouraging fans to hold up their phone flashlights, Ross led the crowd at SoFi Stadium in singing "Happy Birthday" to the pop star. Among the 60,000 "Happy Birthday" singers were stars such as <strong>Adele, Justin Bieber, Lizzo, Katy Perry, Normani, Brandy, Chris Rock</strong> and <strong>Kim Kardashian</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/5/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/F/Freddie_Mercury/images/Freddie_Mercury17.gif" ALT="Freddie Mercury" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The prized Yamaha baby grand piano owned by <strong>Freddie Mercury</strong> on which he composed <strong>Queen</strong>'s enduring hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" and several other classic hits sold for more than $2 million on Sept. 6 in an auction conducted by Sotheby's. Other items belonging to Mercury, who died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991 at 45, were also sold with some breaking records in their category. Mercury's hand-written lyrics to "Bohemian Rhapsody" fetched about £1.4 million ($1.7 million) and a gold Cartier brooch saying "Queen number 1" given to each band member by their manager after the song topped the charts, sold for £165,000 ($208,000). A Victorian-style silver snake bangle Mercury wore with an ivory satin catsuit in a video for the song -- long before the days of MTV -- set a record for the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of jewelry owned by a rock star, Sotheby's said. The bracelet went for £698,500 ($881,000) -- 100 times its estimated low price. The item broke a record set when John Lennon's leather and bead talisman sold for £295,000 ($368,000) in 2008, Sotheby's said. Other items that were treasured by fans were Mercury's draft lyrics to "Somebody to Love" (£241,000; $304,000), and "Don't Stop Me Now" and "We Are the Champions," which both fetched the same final prices: £317,500; $400,700. Mercury's close friend, <strong>Mary Austin</strong>, to whom he left his house and his possessions when he died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991 at 45, is liquidating all of the items left to her by the late rock star -- more than 1,400 items. A mere 59 items of that "clutter" sold for £12.2 million ($15.4 million), including a buyer's premium, that blew away estimates in the four-and-a-half hour auction. Bidders from 61 countries took part in person, online and by phone. - <cite>AP,</cite> 9/6/23...... In other Queen-related news, guitarist <strong>Brian May</strong> has told the UK tabloid <cite>The Daily Star</cite> that he believes by 2024 the entire structure of the industry will be "completely different" as artificial intelligence could mean that this year is the last one that the music scene will be "dominated" by human beings. "I think by this time next year the landscape will be completely different," May, 76, said. "We won't know which way is up. We won't know what's been created by Al and what's been created by humans. Everything is going to get very blurred and very confusing, and I think we might look back on 2023 as the last year when humans really dominated the music scene. I really think it could be that serious, and that doesn't fill me with joy. It makes me feel apprehensive." May went on to add that there is an "incredibly huge potential" for AI to do "evil" within the world and thinks it could ultimately lead to global domination and death if it becomes involved in the real of politics. "The potential for Al to cause evil is, obviously, incredibly huge -- not just in music but people can die if Al gets involved in politics and world domination for various nations," he stated. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 9/5/23...... Veteran pop songstress <strong>Dionne Warwick</strong> has said she wants a word with "young man" <strong>Elon Musk</strong> following the changes he has made to Twitter (now known as X). Speaking to <cite>People</cite>, the 82-year-old Grammy-winner shared her annoyance with the radical stream of changes being implemented by the new owner, and said she'd like to meet with Musk to ask about his logic behind some of the changes. "I have yet to speak to that young man and I intend to because I am not quite sure what he's doing or if he knows what he's doing," Warwick told the magazine when asked about her thoughts on Musk. "So until that happens, I'll reserve my answer to that question." The decisions to change the app have included the removal of the verification stamp on accounts, which are now only issued to those willing to pay for a subscription, and the overhaul rebranding of the platform -- changing both the name and logo from "Twitter" to "X." Another controversial change, unveiled in August, was removing the "block" feature from X, leaving users forced to use the mute button instead. Also during the interview, Warwick said she had no interest in using artificial intelligence (AI) to duet with some of her late friends, which includes <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>. "No. I wouldn't," she said. A 19-date fall Dionne Warwick tour is set to launch on Oct. 20 in Kansas City, and run through Feb. 17, 2024. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 9/6/23...... Speaking at press conference at the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of <strong>Sofia Coppola</strong>'s new <strong>Priscilla Presley</strong> biopic <cite>Priscilla</cite> on Sept. 6, the ex-wife of <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> insisted that she "never had sex" with Elvis when the pair first met when she was 14 and Elvis was 24. Priscilla said Presley never took advantage of her, despite their age gap of 10 years when they first met. "It was very difficult for my parents to understand that Elvis would be so interested in me and why," she said. "And I really do think [it was] because I was more of a listener. Elvis would pour his heart out to me in every way in Germany: his fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother -- which he never, ever got over. And I was the person who really, really sat there to listen and to comfort him. That was really our connection." She continued: "Even though I was 14, I was actually a little bit older in life -- not in numbers. That was the attraction. People think, 'Oh, it was sex.' No, it wasn't. I never had sex with him. He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact I was only 14 years old. We were more in line in thought, and that was our relationship." The couple wed in 1967, separated in 1972 and divorced the following year. <cite>Priscilla</cite> is based on Priscilla's 1985 biography, <cite>Elvis And Me,</cite> and stars American actress <strong>Cailee Spaeny</strong> (<cite>Pacific Rim Uprising, Bad Times at the El Royale</cite>) as the titular character, while <strong>Jacob Elordi</strong> (<cite>The Kissing Booth, Euphoria</cite>) plays Elvis. It is set to premiere in the US on Nov. 3 and in the UK on Jan. 1. - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/6/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/O/Ozzy_Osbourne/images/Ozzy_Osbourne32.gif" ALT="Ozzy Osbourne" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Ozzy Osbourne</strong> and the members of his clan are set to revive their <cite>The Osbournes</cite> podcast on Sept. 12, after a five-year hiatus. The second season is the follow-up to 2018's first season and will consist of 20 episodes and be available in video and audio formats. The family are set to discuss "everything from romance to true crime." Episodes are recorded at Ozzy and wife <strong>Sharon Osbourne</strong>'s home. The series includes Ozzy's own individual episodes in which he will share the mic with longtime friend and musician <strong>Billy Morrison</strong>, about everything from food and his time in <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> to aliens. A teaser for the first episode has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/mS8y-_i4b_A">YouTube</a>. The Osbournes previously appeared together in the hit TV show of the same name, which aired from 2002 to 2005. In July, Ozzy offered fans an update on his health after cancelling his headlining slot at the Power Trip festival later this year. "Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I'm just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed," he wrote in the statement. - <cite>NME</cite> 9/5/23...... The sequel to the famous 1973 horror classic <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_A-E.html#The Exorcist"><cite>The Exorcist</cite></a>, <cite>The Exorcist: Believer</cite>, has had its US release date moved to avoid competing with pop juggernaut <strong>Taylor Swift</strong>'s new concert film <cite>Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour.</cite> <cite>Believer</cite> is the first of a planned trilogy and serves as a direct sequel to late director <strong>William Friedkin</strong>'s original <cite>Exorcist</cite> film. The Blumhouse-produced film was originally set for release on Oct. 13, but will now premiere a week earlier on Oct. 6 in countries including the US. According to the film's IMDB entry, <cite>Believer</cite> will still release in UK cinemas on Oct. 13. There are varying release dates for <cite>Believer</cite> in countries around the world. In the sequel, <strong>Ellen Burstyn</strong> returns as Chris MacNeil, the mother of possessed child Reagan (originally portrayed by <strong>Linda Blair</strong>). The film is helmed by <cite>Halloween</cite> reboot director <strong>David Gordon Green</strong>. It follows two school friends "who find themselves possessed after disappearing for several days, before starting to display several horrifying symptoms that see them staring dead-eyed in the mirror and storming into church services." - <cite>NME,</cite> 9/4/23...... The actual loudspeakers and amplifiers used by <strong>The Beatles</strong> in the recording of such iconic LP's as <cite>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,</cite> "The White Album," and <cite>Abbey Road</cite> as well as <strong>Pink Floyd</strong>'s <cite>Dark Side of the Moon</cite> are up for auction with an opening bid of $250,000. The pair of speakers and amps were used in the recording of practically every Beatles album, and housed in E.M.I.'s legendary Abbey Road Studios. The are currently up for sale at the <a href="https://www.gottahaverockandroll.com/The_Beatles_Abbey_Road_Studios_Loudspeakers_Amplif-LOT49363.aspx">GottaHaveRockandRoll.com</a> website through Sept. 22. Meanwhile, rare archive of material relating <strong>John Lennon</strong> and <strong>Yoko Ono</strong>'s famous 1969 "Bed In For Peace" in Holland is also up for sale at the <a href="https://www.gottahaverockandroll.com/John_Lennon___Yoko_Ono_1969_Amsterdam_Bed_In_Archi-LOT49364.aspx">gottahaverockandroll site</a>. The archive consists of various signed photographs and other ephemera, with the highlight being two questionnaires filled out by Lennon during the "Bed-In" at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel in Holland between Mar. 25-31, 1969. In the questionnaire Lennon asks simple questions, with one answer being, "I feel tired. I want peace. And Food." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 9/6/23...... <strong>E. Elliot Goldman</strong>, the veteran record executive who served as <strong>Clive Davis</strong>' right-hand man at Arista Records, led BMG Music as president/CEO and served in senior roles with Warner and CBS Records across a decorated career in music, has died at the age of 88. Mr. Goldman joined CBS Records in the 1960s, rising to administrative VP. Later, he was hired as executive VP/GM at Davis' Arista Records at the very inception of the storied label in 1974. "Clive and I formed Arista Records in 1973," he told <cite>Billboard</cite> in 2015. "One of our first releases was from a gentleman you've probably heard of: <strong>Barry Manilow</strong>." Later, Mr. Goldman took on duties as senior VP at Warner Communications, and, in 1985, was named president and chief executive of RCA/Ariola International. When BMG parent Bertelsmann acquired RCA outright from the General Electric Company, the German media giant restructured the asset into three operating units; BMG Music, BMG Music International and Arista, all part of BMG. Mr. Goldman would guide BMG Music as president and CEO, departing in 1987. A graduate of Cornell, where he majored in political science, and of Columbia Law School, Mr. Goldman served on the board of directors of the RIAA, and on the board of directors and executive committee of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Foundation at its inception. Mr. Goldman also leveraged his considerable major label experience into consultancy work with a string independent and major record company clients throughout the 1990s. Clive Davis described him playing a substantial role in the history of Arista Records and as "a great family man and Jill, Ben and the Goldman children have my deepest sympathy for this irreplaceable loss." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/6/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/Danny_Masterson2.gif" ALT="Danny Masterson" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Former <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/that70sshow.html"><cite>That 70's Show</cite></a> star <strong>Danny Masterson</strong> was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Sept. 7 after being convicted on two of three forcible rape charges this past May. Masterson, who maintains his innocence, was accused of raping three women at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003, which was during the time he was on <cite>That '70s Show</cite>. The jury convicted him of raping two women in 2003, but could not reach a verdict on an allegation from Nov. 2001 involving a former girlfriend, though the jurors voted in favor of conviction. At the sentencing, the three women in the case told the judge that Masterson's crimes had ruined their lives, and asked the judge to give Masterson life behind bars. One of the victims called the actor "a true coward and heartless monster," while another said: "I still have to contend with what you did to me that night. That takes a life's worth of therapy to repair. Every time I think I'm okay, that rape comes back to me." The 47-year-old Masterson, who was dressed in a suit and had slicked-back hair with a full-grown beard, did not speak at his sentencing. Many of Masterson's Hollywood family members were in court to support him at his sentencing. His wife, actress/model <strong>Bijou Phillips</strong>, was crying at the courthouse. His siblings, <cite>The Walking Dead</cite> actress <strong>Alanna Masterson</strong>, <cite>Malcolm in the Middle</cite> actor <strong>Christopher Masterson</strong> and actor <strong>Jordan Masterson</strong>, were all seated in the courtroom together. "Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person's voice and choice," Judge Charlaine Olmedo said, as she sentenced Masterson in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. "Your actions 20 years ago were criminal, and that is why you are here," she added. Masterson was immediately remanded into custody and is reportedly under close observation at the local jail, due to his mental state. - <cite>Variety,</cite> 9/7/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-62393942282674513322023-09-04T10:26:00.002-07:002023-09-04T10:28:42.521-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on September 4th, 2023</b>
<P>After <strong>Alice Cooper</strong> called gender-affirming care for trans kids a "fad" in an interview with Stereogum.com in late August, the shock rocker's new line of makeup products, released in collaboration with Vampyre Cosmetics, have been dropped from the cosmetics brand's website. "I find it wrong when you've got a 6-year-old kid who has no idea. He just wants to play, and you're confusing him telling him, 'Yeah, you're a boy, but you could be a girl if you want to be'," Cooper said in the interview. "I mean, if you identify as a tree & I'm going, "Come on! What are we in, a Kurt Vonnegut novel?' It's so absurd, that it's gone now to the point of absurdity," he added. Research shows that gender-affirming care significantly reduces rates of depression and suicide among transgender youth. Alice also shared common anti-trans rhetoric about access to public bathrooms, claiming that allowing transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity would lead to violent crimes. In a statement posted on social media on Aug. 25, Vampyre Cosmetics wrote, "In light of recent statements by Alice Cooper we will no longer be doing a makeup collaboration. We stand with all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and believe everyone should have access to healthcare. All pre-order sales will be refunded." All of Cooper's makeup products have been removed from the company's website, vampyrecosmetics.com. The company describes itself as a "women owned, disabled owned and LGBT+ owned" on its site. "Our products are vegan, cruelty free and talc free. They are also super long lasting as they were specifically formulated for stage and screen." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/26/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/Jimmy_Buffett/images/Jimmy_Buffett23.gif" ALT="Jimmy Buffett" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The cause of <strong>Jimmy Buffett</strong>'s death on Sept. 1 at his home in Sag Harbor on Long Island, N.Y., has been revealed. According to a statement on his website, which was updated after the initial news of his death, the 76-year-old "Margaritaville" singer died from skin cancer. "Jimmy had been battling Merkel cell skin cancer for four years," the post reads. Merkel cell skin cancer is a rare type of skin cancer that usually appears as a single painless lump on sun-exposed skin and tends to spread quickly to other parts of the body, according to the National Cancer Institute and the Mayo Clinic. Buffett continued performing while undergoing cancer treatments, according to the statement, with his last performance a surprise 45-minute set during a <strong>Mac McAnally</strong> concert in Portsmouth, R.I., on July 2. News of the musician's death was confirmed on his website and social media accounts. He was "surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs," according to his site. Meanwhile, tributes continue to flow in after the loss of the legendary singer-songwriter. <strong>Elton John, Paul McCartney, Sammy Hagar, James Taylor</strong> and <strong>Pres. Joe Biden</strong> are just a few of the celebrities and dignitaries mourning Buffett on social media. "Jimmy Buffett was a unique and treasured entertainer," Elton John posted in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/eltonjohn/3182895631332119247/">Instagram story</a>. "His fans adored him and he never let them down. This is the saddest of news. A lovely man gone way too soon. Condolences to (his wife) Jane and the family from (my husband) <strong>David (Furnish)</strong> and me." Paul McCartney posted on his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cws3dg_s7Ai/">Instagram account</a>: "It seems that so many wonderful people are leaving this world, and now Jimmy Buffett is one of them. I've known Jimmy for some time and found him to be one of the kindest and most generous people." <strong>Sammy Hagar</strong>, a rocker who shared Buffett's entrepreneurial spirit, called Buffett "the Godfather of lifestyle." "Jimmy started it all and took it farther than anyone. He taught us all how to live. Jimmy taught us all how to wear shorts, flip-flops and a worn out T-shirt, walk on stage or to your favorite restaurant, and be comfortable." Hagar continued: "Jimmy turned us onto Corona beer, tequila, and margaritas. The first time I met Jimmy he said 'Oh you're the guy that's trying to get my job' and I said, 'Of course, we all want to be you.' Rest in paradise, Mr. Buffett." Posting on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cws3uxsrx5Q/">Instagram</a>, James Taylor said that Buffett "invented his own character, which, in a sense we all do: invent, assemble, inherit, or fall into our inner identity... But Jimmy was the founder of an actual tribe: tens of thousands of us made our way to where he was holding court, just to be near him." Pres. Biden noted that he and <strong>First Lady Jill Biden</strong> "had the honor to meet and get to know Jimmy over the years, and he was in life as he was performing on stage -- full of goodwill and love." Meanwhile, several of Buffett's songs have posthumously entered the Spotify.com charts following his death. According to music data site Kworb, Buffett's 1977 hit "Margaritaville" has made the sixth most played song in the United States. The singer's 2003 collaboration with <strong>Alan Jackson</strong>, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," is at No. 12, "Cheeseburger in Paradise" at No. 30, "Come Monday" at No. 44, and "Knee Deep" with <strong>Zac Brown Band</strong> at No. 45. - <cite>Billboard/Music-News.com,</cite> 9/3/23...... <strong>The Rolling Stones</strong> have shared a snippet of a new song titled "Angry" which will be featured on their forthcoming album <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite>, which they first teased on their website www.hackneydiamonds.com in late August. In the latest hint of what's to come, a new post on X/Twitter links to a site called dontgetangrywithme.com, which takes users to a 16-second clip of "Angry." However, there have been reports of the website having trouble loading the teaser, oftentimes asking visitors to refresh the site and try again. Many fans have pointed out the issue to the band, whose social media manager has responded to the complaints with "Don't get angry with me," rather than offering any help. This potentially raises the possibility that the glitch was intentional. <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> would be the Stones' first new album of original material since 2005's <cite>A Bigger Bang</cite>, and their first music since the death of drummer <strong>Charlie Watts</strong>, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 80. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 9/3/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/images/Jerry_Harrison2.gif" ALT="Jerry Harrison" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Former <strong>Talking Heads</strong> guitarist/vocalist <strong>Jerry Harrison</strong> says that the recent re-release of their acclaimed 1983 <strong>Jonathan Demme</strong>-directed concert film <cite>Stop Making Sense</cite> has been somewhat of a "healing experience" for the band. Interviewed on the <cite>Kyle Meredith With</cite> podcast, Harrison said although the band underwent a tumultuous break-up, revisiting the film -- which has been restored to 4K and distributed by A24 -- has helped the members settle their differences, and played a significant role in bringing himself and the other former Heads -- <strong>David Byrne, Tina Weymouth</strong> and <strong>Chris Frantz</strong> -- together. "We own the film together, [so we had] to work together to make a decision," he told the host. "'Is A24 the right distributor for us, the right partner for us?' We had to have conversations about that, and this is something we did together. Then A24 is going like: 'Here's the offer -- we're going to get really behind this, if you help us.' And so it was like, 'obviously, we need to work together to make this a success.'" He continued, sharing that, luckily for fans, reuniting helped put aside any bad blood between them and made them realise that they could move on from past conflicts. "I think it's been somewhat of a healing experience for everybody," Harrison continued. "It's like, 'Yeah, we actually can work together and do this.' And this is something we're all proud of." Talking Heads will be appearing together on Sept. 11, for a live Q&A at the restored <cite>Stop Making Sense</cite> premiere at Toronto's International Film Festival. The film will then be screened in non-IMAX cinemas around the US on Sept. 22. The bandmates have had a complicated relationship since their breakup in 1991. They had previously reunited in 1999 to promote the 15th-anniversary reissue of the film and, in 2002, came together to perform four songs at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony -- their only live performance since 1984. Meanwhile, a new <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYT9M616/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">40th anniversary reissue</a> of the film's accompanying soundtrack album has hit the <cite>Billboard</cite> Top 10 for the first time. The reissue of <cite>Stop Making Sense</cite> includes the complete concert for the first time, including two previously unreleased songs from the Pantages' shows. The expanded album was issued via digital download and vinyl LP. All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes. In total in the week ending Aug. 24, <cite>Stop Making Sense</cite> sold 12,000 copies (up from a negligible sum the previous week) in the U.S. -- the act's best sales week for an album since Luminate began tracking music sales in 1991. Of the album's sales for the week, 95% came from vinyl sales -- about 11,000 copies. That, too, is the band's best sales week on vinyl in the Luminate era. On the Vinyl Albums chart, <cite>Stop Making Sense</cite> debuts at No. 4. - <cite>NME/Billboard,</cite> 8/31/23...... Today <strong>Aaron Neville</strong> describes himself as a happy, healthy 82-year-old man living on the New York farm he shares with his wife, photographer Sara A. Friedman, 56. Surrounded by animals and fresh air, the <strong>Neville Brothers</strong> frontman and five-time Grammy winner says he's found a peace that had long eluded him in a life as rocky as his tenor is smooth. An early stint in jail for stealing cars, along with a decades-long struggle with heroin addiction, brought him to his knees time and again. Neville, who credits his Catholic faith for giving him strength in his darkest times, relives the highs and lows of his tumultuous journey to success and sobriety in his new memoir <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0306832534/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Tell It Like It Is</cite></a> (out Sept. 5). "It's time," he says of writing the book. "I didn't want anyone else writing it. I was there, I know." - <cite>People,</cite> 9/11/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/A/images/Aerosmith2.gif" ALT="Aerosmith" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Aerosmith</strong> kicked off their US farewell tour with their first performance of "Adam's Apple" in five years, and a cover of a classic <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> track, "Stop Messin' Around," during a show at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 2. The band started their 18-song setlist with the hit "Back In The Saddle," (shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/_yOe2VPFhMU">YouTube</a>) taken from their fourth album <cite>Rocks,</cite> followed by "Love In An Elevator." From there, they also broke out into renditions of "Cryin'" and "Janie's Got A Gun," before surprising fans by playing their 1975 track "Adam's Apple" -- the first time the song has been played live since 2018. Another highlight of the Philadelphia show came in the latter half of the set, when the Boston-based delivered a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Stop Messin' Around" to fans, with guitarist <strong>Joe Perry</strong> taking the lead on vocals. From there, the band delivered back-to-back classic tracks to close out the set, ending with performances of "Toys In the Attic," "Dream On" and "Walk This Way." Aerosmith announced details of their "Peace Out" farewell tour in May when they told fans that the upcoming tour would be their last and, although "it's not goodbye", it is "peace out" to their days on the road. This came over 50 years after they formed. The remainder of the tour resumes on Sept. 6 with a show at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, and follows through to Jan. 26, 2024, where the band will take their final bow in Montreal. Meanwhile, a new Aerosmith best-of package has debuted at No. 1 on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Top Hard Rock Albums chart dated Sept. 2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3PTJM1J/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Aerosmith's Greatest Hits</cite></a> earned 19,000 equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Luminate. That sum includes 10,000 units from album sales. The new compilation also starts at Nos. 4 and 7 on Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts, respectively. Released Aug. 18, <cite>Greatest Hits Deluxe</cite> is the band's first such compilation that spans Aerosmith's full discography since its entire catalog was collected at Capitol/UMe. Previously, the group's catalog was housed at two labels -- Sony's Columbia and Universal's Geffen. Columbia released the act's studio albums from its debut in the 1970s through 1982, and again from 1997 through 2012. Geffen released Aerosmith's studio sets from 1985 through 1993. - <cite>NME/Billboard,</cite> 9/4/23...... <strong>Michael Jackson</strong>'s daughter <strong>Paris Jackson</strong> and her siblings have led tributes to their father on what would have been his 65th birthday on Aug. 29. Michael died in 2009 at the age of 50, and Paris said in a series of Instagram Stories that he hated celebrating his birthday. "So today's my dad's birthday, and back when he was alive, he used to hate anybody acknowledging his birthday, wishing him a happy birthday, celebrating it, nothing like that," Paris told fans on social media. "He actually didn't want us to even know when his birthday was because he didn't want us to throw a party." Going on to criticize pressure from "superfans" for her to acknowledge his birthday, she added: "If you don't wish someone a happy birthday via social media, it apparently means that you don't love them, you don't care about them. There have been times where I don't post anything for my dad's birthday, and people lose their f---ing minds. They tell me to kill myself. And they're basically measuring my love for my own father based off of what I post on Instagram." Paris then shared a clip of herself onstage while opening for rock band <strong>Incubus</strong> in Colorado earlier in the day. - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/30/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/A/Agnetha_Faltskog/images/Agnetha_Faltskog8.gif" ALT="Agnetha_Faltskog" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>ABBA</strong>'s <strong>Agnetha Fältskog</strong> has returned with her first new music in 10 years, releasing the single "Where Do We Go From Here?" on Aug. 31 from her forthcoming new album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGRXB1MT/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>A+</cite></a>, a reimagining of her 2013 solo album <cite>A.</cite> "A couple of years ago I heard one of the songs from my last album <cite>A</cite> on the radio," Fältskog says. "I have lots of fond memories from making that album, so I couldn't help but smile, time flies. Suddenly it hit me, what would the album sound like if we had made it today? I couldn't stop thinking about it. I reached out to the boys who produced <cite>A</cite> back in 2013 -- 'What would you guys think about reimagining <cite>A</cite> and making a totally new version of it?' They loved the idea! 'Let's try!'" She continued: "A while later I heard the first reworked song, and I must say I absolutely loved it! It sounded so fresh and modern, even better than I had imagined it!" "Where Do We Go From Here?" has been shared on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0kScLT4hNA8lPemoLxRz40">Spotify.com</a>, and <cite>A+</cite> is due out Oct. 13. Meanwhile, Agnetha has hinted all four members of ABBA could reunite at the 2024 edition of Eurovision, the song contest that propelled them to superstardom in the 1970s. In an interview with the UK paper <cite>The Sun,</cite> Fältskog said "You never know anything about ABBA and when we're going to... well, I won't say anything about that. I'd rather be quiet" when asked if there were any plans to perform with her fellow ABBA members at Eurovision. The ABBA <cite>Voyage</cite> virtual concert series is currently set to run in London into 2024, with plans reported for the experience to be taken on a world tour. - <cite>NME/Music-News.com,</cite> 8/31/23...... A tribute band that was sued by <strong>Earth, Wind & Fire</strong> for trademark infringement is firing back with a bold counterargument: That the famed R&B act has actually abandoned any intellectual property rights to its name. In a court filing on Aug. 30, the smaller band -- which calls itself <strong>Earth Wind & Fire Legacy Reunion</strong> -- argued that the original group had allowed so many tribute bands to use its name without repercussion that it can no longer claim exclusive rights to it. Due to the unchecked third-party use of the phrase, [EW&F] has abandoned 'Earth, Wind & Fire,' and [the name] has lost its trademark significance," wrote attorneys for Substantial Music Group, which operates Legacy Reunion." According to Earth, Wind & Fire's lawyers, the use of "Legacy Reunion" was not a clear enough distinction. The lawsuit cited alleged examples of angry consumers who mistakenly bought tickets for the wrong band, including one that read, "This was not Earth Wind and Fire. NO <strong>Philip Bailey</strong> or <strong>Verdine White</strong>. It was just a band playing Earth Wind and Fire music. I purchased 3 tickets and I was very disappointed. It was truly false advertisement. I want my money back!!!!!" The filing came as a so-called "answer and counterclaims" -- a standard response to any lawsuit, in which a defendant like Legacy Reunion can formally deny the accusations and level their own at their opponent. In its counterclaims, Legacy Reunion argued that the band's lack of enforcement against other tribute bands means that its trademark to "Earth, Wind & Fire" should be formally "cancelled." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/30/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/C/images/Cindy_Wilson3.gif" ALT="Cindy Wilson" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In 1976, <strong>Cindy Wilson</strong> was inspired to form the <strong>B-52s</strong> with her brother <strong>Ricky Wilson</strong> and fellow musicians <strong>Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider</strong> and <strong>Keith Strickland</strong> following an impromptu jam session at a friend's house in Athens, Ga. After more than 40 years and hits like "Love Shack" and "Roam," the B-52s are still rocking. "It's been wonderful," says Wilson, 66. "When we started out, we were just letting our own freak flag fly. But we represented for a lot of people being proud of who you are." Since 2022 Wilson, Pierson and Schneider (Ricky died of AIDS in 1985, while Strickland announced in 2013 he would no longer join the band on the road) have been on their farewell tour, set to wrap in November. "There's an element of sadness," Wilson says. "But we try to be in the moment and have a good time. We've kept our playfulness." Wilson -- who has two adult children with her husband of 38 years, Keith Bennett -- recently recorded the new solo album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C61CJH4F/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Realms</cite></a>, out now. And with a documentary about the B-52s in the works, she says fans have yet to see the last of them. "You'll hear about us!" - <cite>People,</cite> 8/28/23...... A global search appeal for <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>'s original Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass guitar which the <strong>Beatles</strong> legend played on such hits as "Love Me Do," "She Loves You" and "Twist and Shout" has been organized by husband and wife team <strong>Scott and Naomi Jones</strong>, who are journalists and TV producers, and the Höfner guitar company. Since launching on Sept. 2, "The Lost Bass" project has received hundreds of strong leads to track down "the most important bass in history" after the Höfner company's <strong>Nick Wass</strong> told the BBC that Sir Paul asked him about the guitar during a recent conversation, which kickstarted the search to find it. "It's not clear where it was stored, who might have been there," Wass said. "For most people, they will remember it it's the bass that made the Beatles." The bass, which disappeared in Jan. 1969 when the Beatles were in London recording the "Get Back/Let It Be" sessions, was the first bass McCartney ever bought -- he purchased it in 1961 for the equivalent of $38 in Hamburg, Germany. Jones first became interested in the guitar's whereabouts after watching McCartney headline Glastonbury last year. He approached Höfner only to discover they were already having conversations about tracking it down: "Paul said to Höfner 'surely if anyone can find this guitar, it's you guys', and that's how it all came about," Jones said. "Now we're working together on this. Nick has more technical knowledge about this guitar than anyone on the planet, and me and my Naomi are bringing some investigative skills." Since the project launched, the team has already received hundreds of emails, with Jones saying that two in particular were picked out because the information "instantly marries up with something that was known before." "We didn't expect to get necessarily thousands of super-hot leads instantly what I'm anticipating is that people who know something will probably just sort of reflect on what they know and then come forward at some point," he added. Jones concedes that it was possible someone could "innocently" own the bass "without realizing what they've got." He added that it's "worth looking at [finding] the <strong>John Lennon</strong> acoustic guitar" that he used to write "I Want To Hold Your Hand." "That guitar was stolen from a Beatles Christmas show in Finsbury Park in 1963 but it turned up 51 years later in America and somebody bought that guitar for innocently for 175 dollars." A photo of McCartney playing "The Lost Bass" in 1969 has been posted on TheLostBass.com's <a href="https://twitter.com/TracingTheBass/status/1697951309523980712">Twitter/X page</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/4/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Bob_Guccione.gif" ALT="Bob Guccione" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In 1965, New Yorker <strong>Bob Guccione</strong> founded <cite>Penthouse</cite> magazine and became one of the wealthiest men in America, taking on <cite>Playboy</cite> and pushing the world of adult entertainment further than ever before. The new A&E two-part series, <cite>Secrets of Penthouse,</cite> premieres Sept. 4 and 5 at 9:00 p.m./8:00 central and streams on the network's app the next day. <cite>Secrets of Penthouse</cite> reveals the extraordinary story behind the rise and fall of Guccione, whose magazine featured more explicit erotic content than <cite>Playboy</cite>, a special style of soft-focus photography, and in-depth reporting of government corruption scandals and the art world. When Guccione died in 2010, he had lost his entire fortune. Now, with access inside the family and to those who knew him best, many of whom have never spoken before, this series reveals the truth about Bob Guccione and explores the impact he had on those closest to him. - <cite>Canoe.com,</cite> 9/2/23...... <strong>Jack Sonni</strong>, known as the "other guitar player" in <strong>Dire Straits</strong>, died on Aug. 30 at the age of 68. Born Dec. 9, 1954 in Indiana, Penn., Sonni's passion for music began at a young age, when he learned various instruments, including piano, trumpet and the six-string, which he mastered. Sonni furthered his career with a relocation to New York, and he'd make his mark in the history books as the "other guitar player in Dire Straits," a reference he was happy to share on his official biography. Dire Straits' lead guitarist is, of course, frontman <strong>Mark Knopfler</strong>, widely recognized by his peers as one of the finest to ever play the instrument. The two axemen reportedly met in a guitar shop, after which Sonni was invited to record parts for the band's fifth studio album. The result was <cite>Brothers In Arms,</cite> which led the Official U.K. Albums Chart for 14 weeks, and reigned over the <cite>Billboard</cite> 200 for nine weeks in 1985. The album smashed records around the world, shifting an estimated 30 million copies worldwide, and won two Grammys (best music video, short form for the title track, and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal for the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 leader "Money For Nothing"). When the rockers embarked on a major world tour in support, Sonni wore a distinctive red coat. That tour, too, was a record-setter. In Australia, fans bought more than 950,000 tickets, a record that stood for decades. Sonni played guitar synthesizer on album cut "The Man's Too Strong" and performed on stage with the band for the Wembley Stadium leg of the historic 1985 Live Aid concerts. Following the birth of his daughters, Sonni calling time as on his career as a musician in 1988, instead pivoting to marketing. He went on serve as vice president of marketing for Guitar Center, a role that kept him connected with his beloved instrument. In recent years, he played alongside fellow alum on <strong>Dire Straits Legacy</strong>, "born from our love and respect for the music of Dire Straits, and to bring the music to fans who have been starved of hearing it played live by the musicians who made it, for far too long," DSL wrote in a 2018 statement. His cause of death has not yet been revealed. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 9/1/23.
<P><IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/Jimmy_Buffett/images/Jimmy_Buffett21.gif" ALT="Jimmy Buffett" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Jimmy Buffett</strong>, the singer-songwriter who turned his beach-bum lifestyle into a billion-dollar empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen liquor concoctions, died on Sept. 1 of an as yet undisclosed cause. He was 76. "Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs," according to a statement posted to Buffett's official website and social media pages. "He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many." In May, Buffett acknowledged that an unspecified illness had forced him to reschedule summer concerts, and that he had been recently hospitalized. Born James William Buffett on Christmas day 1946 in Pascagoula, Miss., and raised in the port town of Mobile, Ala., Buffett graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., and went from busking the streets of New Orleans to playing six nights a week at Bourbon Street clubs. "Down to Earth," his first record, was released in 1970 and seven more would follow before his breakthrough hit "Come Monday," from his fourth studio LP <cite>Living and Dying in Time,</cite> peaked at No. 30. Then came his signature hit <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/lyrics/song.php?sid=106287&aid=7613">"Margaritaville."</a> Released on Feb. 14, 1977, "Margaritaville" is the unhurried portrait of a loafer on his front porch that quickly took on a life of its own, becoming a state of mind for those "wastin' away," an excuse for a life of low-key fun and escapism for those "growing older, but not up." "What seems like a simple ditty about getting blotto and mending a broken heart turns out to be a profound meditation on the often painful inertia of beach dwelling," <cite>Spin</cite> magazine wrote in 2021. "The tourists come and go, one group indistinguishable from the other. Waves crest and break whether somebody is there to witness it or not. Everything that means anything has already happened and you're not even sure when." Taken from his 1977 album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spbuffettjimmy.html"><cite>Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes</cite></a>, "Margaritaville" spent 22 weeks on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 8. In 2016, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for its cultural and historic significance, and became a karaoke standard that helped brand Key West, Fla., as a distinct sound of music and a destination known the world over. "There was no such place as Margaritaville," Buffett told the <cite>Arizona Republic</cite> in 2021. <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/Jimmy_Buffett/images/Jimmy_Buffett18.gif" ALT="Jimmy Buffett" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">"It was a made-up place in my mind, basically made up about my experiences in Key West and having to leave Key West and go on the road to work and then come back and spend time by the beach." Buffett said he was actually in Austin, Tex., when the inspiration struck for "Margaritaville." He and a friend had stopped for lunch at a Mexican restaurant before she dropped him at the airport for a flight home to Key West, so they got to drinking margaritas. "And I kind of came up with that idea of this is just like Margarita-ville," he said. "She kind of laughed at that and put me on the plane. And I started working on it." The song soon inspired restaurants and resorts, turning the musician's alleged desire for the simplicity of island life into a multimillion brand. He would land at No. 18 in <cite>Forbes</cite>' list of the Richest Celebrities of All Time with a net worth of $1 billion. Although music critics were never very kind to Buffett or his catalogue, a mix of country, pop, folk and rock added instruments and tonalities more commonly found in the Caribbean, his legions of fans, called "Parrotheads," regularly turned up for his concerts wearing toy parrots, cheeseburgers, sharks and flamingos on their heads, leis around their necks and loud Hawaiian shirts. "It's pure escapism is all it is," he told the <cite>Republic.</cite> "I'm not the first one to do it, nor shall I probably be the last. But I think it's really a part of the human condition that you've got to have some fun. You've got to get away from whatever you do to make a living or other parts of life that stress you out. I try to make it at least 50/50 fun to work and so far it's worked out." Buffett's evolving brand began in 1985 with the opening of a string of "Margaritaville"-themed stores and restaurants in Key West, followed in 1987 with the first Margaritaville Café nearby. Over the course of the next two decades, several more of each opened throughout Florida, New Orleans and California. The brand expanded to dozens of categories, including resorts, apparel and footwear for men and women, a radio station, a beer brand, ice tea, tequila and rum, home dcor, food items like salad dressing, Margaritaville Crunchy Pimento Cheese & Shrimp Bites and Margaritaville Cantina Style Medium Chunky Salsa, the Margaritaville at Sea cruise line and restaurants, including Margaritaville Restaurant, JWB Prime Steak and Seafood, 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill and LandShark Bar & Grill. <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/Jimmy_Buffett/images/Jimmy_Buffett7.gif" ALT="Jimmy Buffett" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">There also was a Broadway-bound jukebox musical, "Escape to Margaritaville," a romantic comedy in which a singer-bartender called Tully falls for the far more career-minded Rachel, who is vacationing with friends and hanging out at Margaritaville, the hotel bar where Tully works. Buffett also was the author of numerous books including <cite>Where Is Joe Merchant?</cite> and <cite>A Pirate Looks At Fifty</cite> and added movies to his resume as co-producer and co-star of an adaptation of <strong>Carl Hiaasen</strong>'s novel <cite>Hoot.</cite> Among those paying tribute to the laid-back musician on Twitter/X are former president <strong>Bill Clinton,</strong> who wrote Buffett's music "brought happiness to millions of people. I'll always be grateful for his kindness, generosity, and great performances through the years." Former U.S. Sen. <strong>Doug Jones</strong> posted that Buffett "lived life to the fullest and the world will miss him." <strong>Brian Wilson</strong> of the <strong>Beach Boys</strong> wrote: "Love and Mercy, Jimmy Buffett." Buffett is survived by his wife, Jane; daughters, Savannah and Sarah; and son, Cameron. - <cite>AP,</cite> 9/2/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-77913249370374370952023-08-25T09:28:00.005-07:002023-08-31T09:53:56.044-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on August 30th, 2023</b>
<P><strong>Peter Hince</strong>, a former roadie for <strong>Queen</strong> who for 13 years had a front row seat and backstage pass to some of the legendary English band's greatest moments, has released an archive of hundreds of photographs and memories -- many never seen before -- in his forthcoming book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1802796274/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Queen Uncovered</cite></a>. Hince is a photographer, writer and for well over a decade was the head roadie for Queen. The book covers his life on the road and in the studio with Queen, relaxing at parties, filming iconic music videos and much more. <cite>Queen Uncovered</cite> is being published on Oct. 12 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Queen's first major tour. <strong>Queen + Adam Lambert</strong>'s 20-date, 13-city fall US tour gets underway on Oct. 5 in Baltimore. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/26/23...... The 1979 movie <cite>Winter Kills</cite> is like a cicada -- a flop when it was first released, this wild, funny political thriller has resurfaced in theaters to new acclaim, this time with the blessing of auteur <strong>Quentin Tarantino</strong>. It all has something to do with the unimaginably vast conspiracy behind an assassination. The cast: <strong>Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Anthony Perkins</strong> and, in a cameo, <strong>Elizabeth Taylor</strong> as a White House courtesan. <cite>Winter Kills</cite> is currently in limited release and also available on Amazon. - <cite>People,</cite> 8/28/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/W/images/Who2.gif" ALT="The Who" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Surviving <strong>The Who</strong> co-founders <strong>Pete Townshend</strong> and <strong>Roger Daltrey</strong> planted trees in the Royal Gardens on the Royal Sandringham Estate of <strong>King Charles</strong> and <strong>Queen Camilla</strong> on Aug. 28 to help support the UK's Heritage Live sustainability initiative. Heritage Live hosted a series of inaugural outdoor concerts on the fourth weekend in August during which it strived to reduce the impact on the environment, and The Who performed a set packed with their greatest hits there on Aug. 28 after planting the trees. Tree planting is just one initiative devised with simplicity and effectiveness in mind -- other initiatives will include analysing every aspect of the events and reducing reliance on one-use plastic. Heritage Live aims to become a model of sustainability by engaging local communities surrounding the venues it works with. "I was very pleased to be asked by Heritage Live to plant this tree at Sandringham," Daltrey told reporters. "I am thrilled that the Laurel Oak has been planted adjacent to the oldest tree in Sandringham Gardens, a 700 year old Veteran Oak." His bandmate Townshend added that "Planting this tree is a great way of acknowledging Heritage Live's sustainability initiative. I hope this Tilia 'Winter Orange' has a happy life in Sandringham Gardens." Other artists performing during the special events in Norfolk were <strong>Sir Van Morrison</strong> and <strong>Robbie Williams</strong>. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/29/23...... <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> and <strong>Ringo Starr</strong> have added another first to their legendary <strong>Beatles</strong> <cite>Billboard</cite> pop chart history by having the first song that shared credited billing between the two, or any of the four Beatles including <strong>John Lennon</strong> and <strong>George Harrison</strong>, enter the charts outside the group. <strong>Dolly Parton</strong>'s version of the Fab Four classic "Let It Be," featuring Paul and Ringo, arrived on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart at No. 2, the Country Digital Song Sales at No. 15, and No. 22 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart for the week dated Sept. 2. The new version of "Let It Be" is set to be included on Parton's 30-song album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4FTN73N/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Rockstar</cite></a>, which will drop Nov. 17. The Beatles' original topped the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 for two weeks in 1970. The closest such occurrence previously happened with McCartney and Starr both received credit on <cite>Give My Regards to Broad Street,</cite> which hit No. 17 on the now defunct Top Videocassettes Sales and No. 30 on Top Videocassettes Rentals charts in 1985. Other collaborations between former Beatles include Harrison's <cite>All Things Must Pass</cite> LP on which Starr played drums on several tracks, and all three living Beatles at the time contributed to Harrison's 1981 No. 2 single "All Those Years Ago." Meanwhile, both McCartney, 81, and Starr, 83, have busy schedules in the coming weeks. Starr resumes touring with his All Starr Band Sept. 15 in Lake Tahoe, Nev., and will release the four-song EP <cite>Rewind Forward</cite> on Oct. 13, and McCartney's Got Back Tour hits Australia on Oct. 18. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/28/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/E/Elton_John/images/Elton_John108.gif" ALT="Elton John" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Elton John</strong> is reportedly "back home and in good health" after being hospitalized for one night following a fall and suffering minor injuries at his home in the south of France on Aug. 27. A spokesperson for the 76-year-old singer, who recently completed his 5-year-long Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour on July 8, said the star "visited the local hospital as a precautionary measure" and was "immediately discharged this morning and is now back at home and in good health." Sir Elton, who has walked with a visible limp for several years, assured fans he was okay after a British tabloid claimed he was "frail" alongside a picture of the rocker being helped into a wheelchair at an airport in Germany in June 2022. At the time, John said after a "rousing" two-and-a-half hour show he arrived at a closed Leipzig airport and faced an "extremely long walk" to his plane. He said he accepted a wheelchair ride to rest his hip; a previous hip injury had caused the postponement of his world tour due to a fall that doctors suggested required surgery. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/28/23...... A special Grammy Museum event in Los Angeles on Aug. 23 commemorated the 50th anniversary of <strong>Marvin Gaye</strong>'s seminal 1973 album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spgayemarvin.html"><cite>Let's Get It On</cite></a>. Moderated by UMe vp of A&R <strong>Harry Weinger</strong>, the panel of special guests included Motown great <strong>Smokey Robinson</strong>, songwriter/producer <strong>Jimmy Jam</strong> and Gaye biographer <strong>David Ritz</strong> (<cite>Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye</cite>). Gaye's children Marvin III and Nona were also in attendance. "Two of the greatest things that happened at Motown was when <strong>Stevie Wonder</strong> and Marvin Gaye produced their own music," said Smokey Robinson during the confab. "Listening to this sounds like music in heaven to me," added Jam of <cite>Let's Get It On.</cite> "It's a brilliant and sublime album with very powerful messages. With Marvin, the deeper you dig the better it gets." Weinger premiered several tracks from the deluxe edition, including "The Shadow of Your Smile" ("Marvin wanted to be the 'Black Sinatra'; he could sing anything," said Robinson) and the instrumental "Perfection" with <strong>Herbie Hancock</strong> on piano and Gaye writing/producing. Drawing "ahhs" from the audience was remix guru <strong>John Morales</strong>' stripped-down mix of "Just to Keep You Satisfied" that exquisitely showcases Gaye's searing vocals. On Aug. 25, Ume released a 50th anniversary digital reissue of <cite>Let's Get It On</cite> which boasts 33 bonus tracks, 18 of which are previously unreleased and include songs from a lost session by jazz icon Hancock. The new package replaces a deluxe edition of the album first issued in 2001. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/26/23...... <strong>Cliff Richard</strong> is releasing a new orchestral album of his greatest hits to celebrate his 65 years in the music industry. Sir Cliff, 82, will release <cite>Cliff with Strings -- My Kinda Life</cite> on Nov. 3 which features his most popular songs and favourite tracks reworked with arrangements by <strong>Chris Walden</strong>. From his debut UK number one single "Living Doll," released in 1959, as well as other number one hits "Summer Holiday," "The Young Ones" and "We Don't Talk Anymore," plus songs like "Wired for Sound," "Carrie," "My Kinda Life" and "The Best of Me" -- which was Cliff's 100th single -- the 12-track collection brings new life to Richard's original vocal recordings with beautiful new orchestral and string arrangements. The singer has also included his hit duet "Suddenly" with late actress-and-singer <strong>Olivia Newton-John</strong> -- who passed away in Aug. 2022 at the age of 73 from cancer -- which featured on the 1980 film <cite>Xanadu.</cite> Taken from one of their last performances together at Cliff's 75th birthday concert on Oct. 14, 2015, the new arrangement brings an emotional beauty to the two voices in harmony. <cite>Cliff with Strings -- My Kinda Life</cite> will be available digitally and on CD on East West Records on Nov. 3, with the vinyl release following on Nov. 24. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/29/23...... Seventies icon <strong>John Travolta</strong> was spotted hanging out with hard rockers <strong>Pantera</strong> after a stadium concert by <strong>Metallica</strong> at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. on Aug. 25. Pantera was the opening act, and the <cite>Saturday Night Fever</cite> star was among the revellers hanging out in the dressing room after the show. Others getting involved in the festivities included Mötley Crüe members <strong>Tommy Lee</strong> and <strong>John 5</strong> as well as <cite>Game Of Thrones</cite> star <strong>Jason Momoa</strong>. Pantera has shared what unfolded backstage on their <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwbE4_nyrz7/">Instagram account</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/28/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/images/Mark_Hamill.gif" ALT="Mark Hamill" ALIGN="RIGHT" WIDTH="66" HEIGHT="99" ALIGN="bottom">Seventies stars including <strong>Mark Hamill</strong> and <strong>Henry Winkler</strong> are among those across the entertainment industry reacting to the latest development in former US president <strong>Donald Trump</strong>'s sensational legal saga. Trump was booked and released in Atlanta's Fulton County jail on Aug. 24, amid 13 charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia. Following his arrest, he shared an image of his mugshot on X/Twitter, constituting his first post on the social media platform in two years (the former president was banned from the site in Jan. 2021 but his account was reinstated after Twitter was purchased by Tesla tycoon <strong>Elon Musk</strong>.) "Wonder if he's tired of winning yet," wrote <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#Star Wars"><cite>Star Wars</cite></a> actor Hamill, alongside the mugshot and the hashtag "#MAGAMugshot". Earlier that day, Hamill had also shared a quip punning on his <cite>Star Wars</cite> catchphrase: "May The Fourth Arrest Be With Him." Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_H-M.html#Happy Days"><cite>Happy Days</cite></a> actor Winkler picked up on the merchandising aspect, writing: "How will T.p use his mug shot to make money???," with "The Fonz" adding shortly after, "The tee shirt is already for sale !! Omg." Others reacting to the Trump mugshot included <strong>Rosie O'Donnell, John Cusak, Kathy Griffin, Piers Morgan</strong> and <strong>Michael Rapaport</strong>. - <cite>Independent.co.uk,</cite> 8/27/23...... <strong>Bernie Marsden</strong>, the beloved original guitarist for Classic Rockers <strong>Whitesnake</strong> and co-writer behind some of the band's biggest hits, died on Aug. 24. He was 72 years old. A cause of death has not been shared, but the BBC reported that he passed after an illness. Marsden's family shared the news via a statement posted to the rocker's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwXzAyCsSjW/">Instagram page</a>, along with a photo of Marsden smiling at the camera. "On behalf of his family, it is with deep sadness we announce the death of Bernie Marsden. Bernie died peacefully on Thursday evening with his wife, Fran, and daughters, Charlotte and Olivia, by his side. Bernie never lost his passion for music, writing and recording new songs until the end," reads the post. Marsden, who was from Buckingham, performed in bands as a teenager before getting his professional start with the rock band <strong>UFO</strong> in 1972. He went on to co-found Whitesnake with former <strong>Deep Purple</strong> singer <strong>David Coverdale</strong> in 1978, co-writing some of the band's biggest hits including "Here I Go Again," "She's a Woman" and "Trouble." The rock and blues guitarist, who contributed to Whitesnake's first five albums from 1978-1982, also went on to have a solo career, and performed with a number of other bands including the <strong>Moody Marsden Band</strong> and <strong>Alaska</strong>. He most recent solo project, <cite>Trios,</cite> was released in Aug. 2022. David Coverdale is among those to have paid tribute to the late musician, writing that he was "honoured" to have shared the stage with Marsden. "I've just woken up to the awful news that my old friend & former Snake Bernie Marsden has passed," he wrote on X/Twitter. "My sincere thoughts & prayers to his beloved family, friends & fans. A genuinely funny, gifted man, whom I was honored to know & share a stage with. RIP, Bernie." - <cite>Billboard/NME,</cite> 8/25/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Bob_Barker.gif" ALT="Bob Barker" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Veteran TV game show personality <strong>Bob Barker</strong>, who became a household name over a half century of hosting such shows as <cite>Truth or Consequences</cite> and <cite>The Price Is Right,</cite> died on Aug. 26 at his home in Los Angeles, according to his publicist Roger Neal. He was 99 years old. Mr. Barker was working in radio in 1956 when producer <strong>Ralph Edwards</strong> invited him to audition as the new host of <cite>Truth or Consequences,</cite> a game show in which audience members had to do wacky stunts -- the "consequence -- if they failed to answer a question -- the "truth," which was always the silly punchline to a riddle no one was ever meant to furnish. (Q: What did one eye say to another? A: Just between us, something smells.) He stayed with the show for 18 years -- including several years in a syndicated version. Meanwhile, he began hosting a resurrected version of <cite>The Price Is Right</cite> on CBS in 1972, taking over duties from <strong>Bill Cullen</strong>. It would become TV's longest-running game show and the last on a broadcast network of what in TV's early days had numbered dozens. "I have grown old in your service," the silver-haired, perennially tanned and dapper Mr. Barker joked on a prime-time television retrospective in the mid-'90s. Mr. Barker, also a longtime animal rights activist, was also praised by his longtime friend and estate co-executor <strong>Nancy Burnet</strong> in a statement: "I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally." Mr. Barker retired in June 2007, telling his studio audience: "I thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me into your home for more than 50 years." He also spent 20 years as host of the Miss USA Pageant and the Miss Universe Pageant, and had a memorable cameo appearance on the big screen in 1996, sparring with <strong>Adam Sandler</strong> in the movie <cite>Happy Gilmore.</cite> In 1994, the widowed Mr. Barker was sued for sexual harassment by <strong>Dian Parkinson</strong>, a <cite>Price Is Right</cite> model for 18 years. Barker admitted engaging in "hanky panky" with Parkinson from 1989-91 but said she initiated the relationship. Parkinson dropped the lawsuit in 1995, saying it was hurting her health. Neither that uproar, or another dispute with <cite>Price Is Right</cite> model <strong>Holly Hallstrom</strong> who claimed she was fired in 1995 because the show's producers believed she was fat, affected Mr. Barker's goodwill from the audience. Born in Darrington, Wash., in 1923, Mr. Barker's family moved to Springfield, Mo., where he attended high school. He served in the Navy in World War II. He married Dorothy Jo Gideon, his high school sweetheart; she died in 1981 after 37 years of marriage. They had no children. Mr. Barker was given a lifetime achievement award at the 26th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 1999. He closed his acceptance remarks with the signoff: "Have your pets spayed or neutered." Among those honoring Mr. Barker on <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewFromTV/status/1695492509013811431">Twitter/X</a> was his <cite>Price Is Right</cite> replacement <strong>Drew Carey</strong>. "Very sad day for the Price Is Right family, and animal lovers all over the world. There hasn't been a day on set that I didn't think of Bob Barker and thank him. I will carry his memory in my heart forever.#RIPBobBarker," Carey posted. Mr. Barker will be remembered in a one-hour <cite>The Price Is Right: A Tribute To Bob Barker</cite> special airing on CBS on Aug. 31 at 8-9 p.m. ET/PT and streaming on Paramount+. An encore broadcast will air on Labor Day during the regular weekday timeslot for <cite>The Price Is Right,</cite> 11 a.m. to Noon ET/10 a.m.-11 a.m. PT. - <cite>AP,</cite> 8/26/23.
<P>In 1979, a 17-year-old singer-songwriter in rural Washington state named <strong>Donnie Emerson</strong> put out an LP with his brother Joe called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VOJPCM/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Dreamin' Wild</cite></a>, a vanished, forgotten vanity project until it resurfaced to serious acclaim four decades later. But to Donnie the delayed triumph felt more like heartbreak, reminding him of his failures since. His story is told in the new film <cite>Dreamin' Wild,</cite> with <strong>Casey Affleck</strong> (<cite>Manchester by the Sea</cite>) in the titular role, and <strong>Zooey Deschanel</strong> as his wife. In a 2012 interview Donnie told <cite>The New York TImes,</cite> "I went into the world, and I got convoluted." That's exacty what the terrific performance by Affleck, who has few equals when in comes to the layered nuances of grief and regret, conveys. <cite>Dreamin' Wild</cite> is in theaters now, and its <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCXPBQQC/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro">original soundtrack</a> is available on vinyl and MP3. - <cite>People,</cite> 8/21/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/Santana/images/Santana9.gif" ALT="Carlos Santana" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Carlos Santana</strong> has apologized to the transgender community after a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZfqhU9dsCc">video clip</a> circulated showing legendary guitarist aking anti-trans statements during a concert in Atlantic City, N.J., in July. "When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are. Later on, when you grow out of it, you see things, and you start believing that you could be something that sounds good, but you know it ain't right," Santana says in the clip. ""Because a woman is a woman and a man is a man -- that's it. Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that's your business. I'm OK with that." On Aug. 24 the "Smooth" guitarist told <cite>Billboard</cite> in a statement that he deeply regretted what he said onstage. "I am sorry for my insensitive comments. They don't reflect that I want to honor and respect all person's ideals and beliefs," he wrote. "I realize that what I said hurt people and that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to the transgender community and everyone I offended." In another statement obtained by <cite>Billboard, the "Black Magic Woman"</cite> said that he wanted to "honor and respect all person's ideals and beliefs whether they are LGBTQ or not." He continued, saying that he would "pursue this goal to be happy and have fun, and for everyone to believe what they want and follow in your hearts without fear. It takes courage to grow and glow in the light that you are and to be true, genuine, and authentic. We grow and learn to shine our light with Love and compliments." Santana is far from the only performer to share negative comments about the trans community in recent weeks -- <strong>Alice Cooper</strong> recently shared his thoughts on gender-affirming care for trans kids with Stereogum.com, saying he was "afraid... it's a fad" and he felt children were not mature enough to make major decisions about their gender identity. "I find it wrong when you've got a 6-year-old kid who has no idea. He just wants to play, and you're confusing him telling him, 'Yeah, you're a boy, but you could be a girl if you want to be. I mean, if you identify as a tree & I'm going, 'Come on! What are we in, a <strong>Kurt Vonnegut</strong> novel? It's so absurd, that it's gone now to the point of absurdity." The 75-year-old shock rocker than took aim at "the whole woke thing" at large, claiming that society has taken progressive language too far. "Who's making the rules?" he asked. "It's getting to the point now where it's laughable. If anybody was trying to make a point on this thing, they turned it into a huge comedy. I don't know one person that agrees with the woke thing." In May, <strong>KISS</strong> guitarist <strong>Paul Stanley</strong> called gender-affirming care "a sad and dangerous fad," making similar claims to Cooper about children "playing" with gender rather than understanding their identity. <strong>Twisted Sister</strong> frontman <strong>Dee Snider</strong> backed up Stanley's comments, saying "there was a time where I 'felt pretty' too. Glad my parents didn't jump to any rash conclusions." Both Stanley and Snider have since walked back their comments. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/24/23...... <strong>Priscilla Presley</strong> has opened up about her last moments with late daughter <strong>Lisa Marie Presley</strong>, who died on Jan. 12 at age 54 after suffering from what was reported at the time as a cardiac arrest. On Jan. 10, Lisa Marie and her mother attended the Chateau Marmont in LA together to celebrate <strong>Austin Butler</strong> winning Best Actor at the 2023 Golden Globes for his titular role in <cite>Elvis.</cite> "We had just gotten there, you go down all these stairs," Priscilla recently explained to <cite>The Hollywood Reporter.</cite> "I tripped a little bit because I had these high heels on, and she started laughing so hard. I started laughing. We hadn't even had a drink yet. [Lisa Marie] goes, 'Oh my God, Mom, you can't even have a drink'. It was fun, a fun memory. Then we sat down and ordered drinks, and she says, 'Mom, my stomach hurts really bad'. We immediately got up and left." Lisa Marie's ex-husband <strong>Danny Keough</strong> called Priscilla two days later to tell her that her daughter had been hospitalized. "I got right in the car, but she was already gone," Priscilla remembered. "I still can't believe it. I don't wish this on any mother." Upon confirming Lisa Marie's death, Priscilla described her "beautiful daughter" as "the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known." In July, a new coroner's report confirmed that Lisa Marie had passed away due to a "sequelae of a small bowel obstruction." - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 8/24/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Paul_McCartney/images/Paul_McCartney109.gif" ALT="Paul McCartney" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Paul McCartney</strong> announced on his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwTFPrQs3Qw/">Instagram account</a> on Aug. 23 he'll be performing his first concert in Mexico City in six years on Nov. 14 at the Mexican capital's Foro Sol as part of his international Got Back Tour. "I'm very excited to say that I'm going to Mexico to give some concerts with my Got Back Tour in November," Sir Paul said in a press release. "I have very good memories of Mexico. Every time we're there we have a great time. So let's create more wonderful memories let's rock let's roll. And let's have a party! Party!," he added. Macca's Got Back Tour kicked off on Apr. 28, 2022, in Spokane, Wash., and toured 13 U.S. cities. In June 2022, the former Beatle headlined the Glastonbury Festival in England. After his visit to Mexico, McCartney will continue his tour in Brazil, where he has five concerts scheduled between November and December. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/24/23...... In other <strong>Beatles</strong>-related news, <strong>Ringo Starr</strong> released "Rewind Forward" on Aug. 23, the first single and title track from his forthcoming four-track EP which will drop on Oct. 13. <cite>Rewind Forward</cite> also will feature "Feeling the Sunlight," which he recorded with his old bandmate <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>. Commenting on the EP's title, Ringo said, "Rewind Forward was something I said out of the blue -- it's just one of those lines like a 'Hard Day's Night'. It just came to me. But it doesn't really make sense. I was trying to explain it to myself and the best I can tell you about what it means is: sometimes when you want to go forward you have to go back first." The EP also features the tracks "Shadows on the Wall" and "Miss Jean," which saw Ringo collaborating with other "old and new friends," including long-time collaborators <strong>Steve Lukather</strong> and <strong>Joe Williams</strong> who wrote the opening song "Shadows on the Wall." The EP also features contributions from <strong>Benmont Tench, Mike Campbell, Ian Hunter, Joe Walsh</strong> and <strong>Steve Dudas</strong>, among others. All songs were recorded at Ringo's home studio in Los Angeles except "Feeling the Sunlight," which was largely recorded in Britain. The new EP is the first fresh material Ringo has put out since his previous EPs <cite>Zoom in, Change the World</cite> and <cite>EP3</cite> which dropped in Sept. 2022. Ringo will kick off a 14-city North American autumn tour with his <strong>All Starr Band</strong> on 17 Sept. 17 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Canada. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/23/23...... On Aug. 21 <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> announced 18 North American fall dates for the latest leg of his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, which he launched in 2021. Dylan announced the news on Instagram alongside the tour's promotional poster: an old school film-inspired advertisement featuring a couple dancing in the shadows while a menacing skeletal figure looks at the viewer. The outing will kick off on Oct. 1 with the first of two dates at the Midland Theatre in Kansas City, MO, before moving on to St. Louis on Oct. 4 for a three-night stand at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago. He'll then play a pair of shows in Milwaukee at the Riverside Theater on Oct. 11 and 12 and gigs in Indianapolis (10/16), Cincinnati (10/20), Akron (10/21), Erie, Pa. (10/23), Rochester, N.Y. (10/24), two gigs in Toronto (10/26, 27), and Montreal (10/29) before wrapping in Schenectady, N.Y. on Oct. 30. Meanwhile, Universal Music Publishing Group and The Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, OK, have announced that a Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship will be awarded each year to two promising songwriters, an initiative that "identifies, mentors and develops rising talent, doing so with the resources of the Bob Dylan Center." Each Fellowship includes a $40,000 project stipend, public engagement and presentation opportunities, dedicated time in the Bob Dylan Archive to study the legendary artist's creative process, roundtrip airfare to Tulsa and accommodations, mentorship from the music publishing giant's songwriters and executives, recording time, and more. Joining the initial judges panel are <strong>Juliette Armanet, Patty Griffin, John Mellencamp, Carla Morrison</strong> and <strong>Nas</strong>. Eligible creators from around the globe can submit their work from now through Oct. 18, 2023. To meet the Fellowship criteria, entrants must be 18 years or older and unsigned to a publishing agreement of any kind at the time of the Fellowship start date, May, 1, 2024. For further details visit bobdylancenter.com/songwriterfellowship. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/21/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Black_Sabbath3.gif" ALT="Black Sabbath" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Black Sabbath</strong> is teaming up with the adventure lifestyle clothing brand Roark for a new collection of retro-inspired tees, shorts and more. The apparel line officially dropped on Aug. 23 with an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwSy6NLR9oS/">Instagram announcement</a> and features a limited edition mix of running tops, bottoms and an active bomber jacket all decorated with the iconic heavy metal band's logo and photos from the past. The collection infuses both brands' styles infuses heavy metal rock, youth and activeness into each piece. The photos used are also a nod to "the wild night in 1972 that the band spent in Roark's hometown of Laguna Beach," according to a press release. In other Sabbath-related news, co-founding member <strong>Geezer Butler</strong> has opened up about his battle with depression over the years. Speaking in a new interview with NPR's <cite>Bullseye With Jesse Thorn,</cite> the bassist opened up about how he first experienced depression during his early days in the band. "I wasn't depressed all the time. Just the occasional bout would come on me," Butler said. "At first, when it was getting really bad Back then nobody ever said anything about depression or anything like that, and people were terrified to mention that you might be depressed because you automatically thought you were gonna be taken away to a mental hospital and be locked away forever. So you couldn't talk about it to people in case that happened. One day I got a really bad bout of depression and I went to the doctor and he said, 'Oh, go down the pub and have a couple of pints. Or take the dog for a walk or something. You'll be all right.' And it was, like, 'No, I'm not gonna be all right. It doesn't work like that.' And that kept happening." The bassist went on to say that he wouldn't talk to anybody about his condition and he was often accused of being "moody and miserable." Butler went to say that it wasn't until the 1990s that he was eventually diagnosed with depression. "I was living in St. Louis at the time, and I had a bit of a nervous breakdown. And I went to this doctor, the usual doctor, and I just explained everything to him and he told me that I was clinically depressed and he put me on Prozac. And after six weeks, I finally came out of the depression. And I thought, 'Oh, yeah. This is what I'm supposed to feel like.' And ever since that, I've been OK." Butler recently released his memoir, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063242508/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath</cite></a>, which traces the founding member's personal and professional life - <cite>Billboard/NME,</cite> 8/23/23...... The <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> have apparently cryptically announced their new album <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> in an advertisement in the <cite>Hackney Gazette,</cite> a newspaper from a company which markets itself as "specialists in glass repair." But upon closer inspection, several clues point to the fact it could actually be the Stones' new album. Firstly in the title their iconic tongue logo is used to dot the "i" in the brand name Diamonds. In the ad's body text, there are several references to their hits including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Gimme Shelter" and "Shattered." The font used for <cite>Hackney Diamonds</cite> is also the same as the one used on their 1978 album <cite>Some Girls</cite> and the ad also says "established in 1962," the same year that band formed. The link to their website (www.hackneydiamonds.com) also allows users to register their interest but the conditions list Universal Music Group, which handles the Rolling Stones' back catalog. - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/22/23...... Two members of <strong>The Isley Brothers</strong> are headed for a long court battle over the legal rights to the group's name. On Aug. 23, Judge Thomas M. Durkin refused to dismiss <strong>Rudolph Isley</strong> lawsuit, which accuses brother <strong>Ronald Isley</strong> of improperly attempting to secure a federal trademark registration on the "The Isley Brothers" -- a name Rudolph claims is supposed to be jointly owned. Lawyers for Ronald had argued that the case should be tossed out because Rudolph surrendered any control over the name when he left the band. But in a ruling that noted the "unique circumstances" of band-name disputes, Judge Durkin said it could move forward toward trial: "Defendant's motion is denied." Barring a settlement, the ruling means the case will head into discovery, in which both sides will gather evidence to support their arguments, and then to an eventual jury trial. A spokeswoman for Ronald Isley did not immediately return a request for comment. Band names are a constant source of trademark disputes, with both current and former members of such acts as <strong>Journey, Stone Temple Pilots, Jefferson Starship, The Rascals, The Ebonys, The Commodores</strong> and <strong>The Platters</strong> disagreeing about who has the right to keep using a famous title. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/24/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/Q/images/Queen2.gif" ALT="Queen" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In 1978, <strong>Queen</strong> proclaimed that "fat bottom girls make the rockin' world go 'round," but the art-rockers' racy song is nowhere to be found on a new release of the British quartet's <cite>Greatest Hits.</cite> Recognized as the U.K.'s all-time best-selling album, Queen's early career compilation is now available on kids' audio platform Yoto, where according to a statement listeners can "rock out to" 16 classic tracks. But "Fat Bottomed Girls," one of the Rock And Roll Hall of Famers' naughtier songs, is missing from the published tracklist. The blurb accompanying the album points out that "the lyrics in some of these songs contain adult themes, including occasional references to violence and drugs." The songs are the original and unedited recordings, and that "parental discretion is advised" when playing the songs around younger children. "Fat Bottomed Girls" doesn't make the cut on Yoto, most likely due its lyrical content. On it, the late <strong>Freddie Mercury</strong> sings, 'Left alone with big fat Fanny/ She was such a naughty nanny/ Big woman, you made a bad boy out of me." Released in 1981, Queen's <cite>Greatest Hits</cite> set last year passed 1,000 weeks on the UK's Official Albums Chart Top 100, becoming just the third album to do so, and the first by a British act or a rock band; and became the first album to shift seven million chart sales in the U.K. The hits compilation crossed the six million threshold back in 2014. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/21/23...... Iconic soul singer <strong>Al Green</strong> has made his return to music by sharing a cover of <strong>Lou Reed</strong>'s "Perfect Day." The track is the first new music that the 77-year-old American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer has recorded in five years, and follows his cover of <strong>Freddy Fender</strong>'s "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" which he worked on in 2018 and shared two years later. The new track also sees him reunited with members of the Hi Rhythm Section, and was recorded back in February at the Sam Philips Recording studio in Memphis, Tenn. "I loved Lou's original 'Perfect Day'," Green said in a statement. "The song immediately puts you in a good mood. We wanted to preserve that spirit, while adding our own sauce and style." What's more, the cover of "Perfect Day" also sees him collaborate with alternative R&B singer, <strong>RAYE</strong>. The British artist contributes warm, soulful backing vocals throughout the track, as he takes the main lead. "Perfect Day" first appeared on Lou Reed's classic 1972 LP <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spreedlou.html"><cite>Transformer</cite></a>. In addition to releasing the new cover, Green has also announced details of new live performances, set to take place later in 2023. The two new shows, taking place in November, will follow his previously scheduled date at the Yaamava Theater in Highland, Calif. on Sept. 30. The first of the two new gigs will be held at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Mich. on Nov. 24, while the second show will take place in The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. the following day. Prior to his cover of "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," Green last released new music in 2008, in the form of his last album, <cite>Lay It Down.</cite> - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/22/23...... The late <strong>Prince</strong>'s Paisley Park Enterprises announced on Aug. 24 that it will release a super deluxe edition of the iconic funk-rocker's 13th studio album, <cite>Diamonds and Pearls</cite>. The 1991 album -- which marked Prince's first album with backing band <strong>The New Power Generation</strong> -- will be reissued through a partnership with Sony Music and will be available through all physical, digital and streaming partners. It will contain a total of 47 previously unreleased tracks, in addition to an unreleased two-hour concert from Prince's vault, and be released in three formats: a deluxe edition with a double CD or four LPs on 180 gram vinyl, and the remastered album will contain, depending on the buyer's choice, a single CD, a double off white "pearl" colored 180 gram vinyl LP (US only), or a double clear "diamond" colored 180 gram vinyl LP with download and streaming. The new edition of <cite>Diamonds and Pearls</cite> will arrive on Oct. 27. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/24/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/images/Devo.gif" ALT="Devo" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">On Aug. 21 <strong>DEVO</strong> confirmed to the UK paper <cite>The Guardian</cite> that their current world tour will be the Ohio-based new wave band's last after 50 years together. DEVO frontman <strong>Mark Mothersbaugh</strong> explained why the band had decided to wrap up the live portion of their career. "Are you married?" he asked. "Imagine you had four wives and you worked together. It's tricky being in a band." DEVO bassist <strong>Gerald Casale</strong> went on to explain that the band's "fully formed" identity meant that they were not necessarily vulnerable to people who want to 'grab you when you're malleable and change you'," adding that "they couldn't do that to DEVO because the armour was too strong." He went on to explain that the seamless nature of the band's concept could cause friction creatively. "You've got a body of work informed by a whole manifesto and philosophy," Casale said. "Do you let go and move on to the next thing? You want change, otherwise you're stale, but you don't want to be contrived." Mothersbaugh also joked that he was 'looking forward to 20733'. "We'll play 100th anniversary Devo shows and then maybe retire," he mused. DEVO has been praised by the likes of <strong>David Bowie</strong> and <strong>Iggy Pop</strong> throughout their career, while <strong>Nirvana</strong>'s <strong>Kurt Cobain</strong> once said: "Of all the bands who came from the underground and made it in the mainstream, DEVO were the most challenging and subversive of all." DEVO's recent sold-out show at London's Eventim Apollo on Aug. 19) marked the end of their European tour, and they now have a string of upcoming US dates kicking off in November. In March, a new full-length DEVO documentary, <cite>DEVO,</cite> was announced. It will be helmed by <cite>American Movie</cite> (1999) and <cite>Fyre</cite> (2019) director <strong>Chris Smith</strong>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/21/23...... <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> co-founder <strong>Mick Fleetwood</strong> announced on Aug. 20 that he plans to hold a benefit concert for the victims of the Hawaii wildfires. Many people have died or are missing in the expansive wildfires, and the blazes have destroyed Maui's historic Lahaina Town. Among the damage was Fleetwood's restaurant, which was completely destroyed. Sharing a statement, he said: "This is a devastating moment for MAUl and many are suffering unimaginable loss. Fleetwoods on Front Street has been lost and while we are heartbroken our main priority is the safety of our dear staff and team members. On behalf of myself and my family, I share my heartfelt thoughts and prayers for the people of MAUI." Now, Fleetwood has revealed to ET Canada his plans for a special gig to help raise funds for those affected. "I've already got a lovely sort of catalog of people that are concerned," he said. "I will remain mute on who they are, but I will either become part of something that we can do on a grand scale, which is great. Anything is great, and playing in Honolulu, about two weeks from now, and that concert's becoming -- <strong>Henry Kapono</strong> who lives in Oahu, was celebrating the 50th anniversary of his career -- well, I'm going to be doing that show, supporting. So, all of this is unfolding is something I feel I can be a part, or really be spearheading. And it's not now, but music heals, and music does its version of what I'm doing now!" - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/20/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/images/Bob_Feldman.gif" ALT="Bob Feldman" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Bob Feldman</strong>, the influential songwriter and producer behind some of the biggest hits of the 1960s including "My Boyfriend's Back" and "Hang On, Sloopy," has died at the age of 83, according to a statement from his close friend, musical collaborator and business partner <strong>Richard Gottehrer</strong>. "It's with great sadness that I announce the passing of Bob Feldman, my friend and legendary songwriting partner, in Grand Canyon Music and FGG Productions Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Myself," Gottehrer wrote in a statement sent to <cite>Billboard.</cite> "As a team we go back to the 1960's and the Brill Building days where we wrote and/or produced classics like 'My Boyfriend's Back,' 'I Want Candy,' 'Hang on Sloopy' and 'Sorrow,' which was eventually recorded and became an everlasting hit by <strong>David Bowie</strong>. We were even an 'Australian' band that called ourselves <strong>The Strangeloves</strong>. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Feldman and his neighbor <strong>Jerry Goldstein</strong> would frequently write songs together before meeting Gottehrer in 1962. The group also produced <strong>The McCoys</strong>' Hot 100 No. 1 smash "Hang on Sloopy -- which endures as an unofficial theme song at Ohio State University sports events -- all while making it big in their own group, The Strangeloves. As a band, they scored Hot 100 top 40 hits with "I Want Candy" (No. 11), "Cara-Lin" (No. 39) and "Night Time" (No. 30). <strong>Bow Wow Wow</strong> famously covered "Candy" in 1982, taking it back to the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 (it reached No. 62 that July). Mr. Feldman was also a published author, releasing his own book of verse, lyrics and memoirs in 2019 titled <cite>Simply Put! Thoughts and Feelings from the Heart.</cite> Mr. Feldman is survived by his two daughters, Kyle and Mahri. He is also the biological father of actor <strong>Corey Feldman</strong>, who emancipated himself from Bob and his mom Sheila as a teenager. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/24/23...... Actress <strong>Hersha Parady</strong>, whose three-season run as Walnut Grove schoolteacher Alice Garvey, wife of Jonathan Garvey (played by former L.A. Rams star <strong>Merlin Olsen</strong>) on <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_H-M.html#Little House on the Prairie"><cite>Little House on the Prairie</cite></a> came to an unforgettable, dark end for fans of the beloved NBC drama, died on Aug. 23 in Norfolk, Va., in the home of her son, Jonathan Peverall. Parady, 78, succumbed to a brain tumor according to her son, and he had set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. Parady and Olsen were introduced as a married cople on the <strong>Michael Landon</strong>-created <cite>Little House</cite> during the season four opening episode, "Castoffs," in Sept. 1977. On the sixth-season installment "May We Make Them Proud," which aired as a two-hour episode during a sweeps ratings period in Feb. 1980, Alice races into the School for the Blind, which has caught fire, to save some children inside, including Mary and Adam's (<strong>Melissa Sue Anderson, Linwood Boomer</strong>) infant son. Alice finds the baby and tries to break through an upstairs bedroom window to escape, but both wind up perishing in the blaze. Some viewers mistakenly thought Parady had used the doll that stood in for the infant as a "battering ram." "They did not rig the windows to break easily and I'm not, as Michael Landon pointed out a lot, a meek, delicate woman, so when I try to bust something, I usually succeed," Parady once said in an interview for the <cite>Little House</cite> Memories tribute site. Parady was up for the part of Caroline Ingalls on <cite>Little House</cite> before <strong>Karen Grassle</strong> was hired but made her first appearance on the show during the third season in 1976 as Eliza Ingalls, the sister-in-law of Landon's Charles Ingalls. She wound up playing Alice on 35 episodes. After <cite>Little House,</cite> Parady appeared in the films <cite>Raw Courage</cite> (1984) and <cite>The Break</cite> (1995) and on series including <cite>Unsolved Mysteries, Second Noah</cite> and <cite>Kenan & Kel,</cite> where she played Principal Dimly. Parady was married to producer John Peverall, who shared the best picture Oscar in 1979 for his work on <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_A-E.html#The Deer Hunter"><cite>The Deer Hunter</cite></a>. In addition to her son, survivors include her siblings, Patty, Kenny and Bobby. - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 8/24/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Ray_Hildebrand.gif" ALT="Ray Hildebrand" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Ray Hildebrand</strong>, the "Paul" in the '60s pop duo <strong>Paul & Paula</strong>, passed away "peacefully" according to his family in Kansas City, Mo. on Aug. 18. He was 82. Born Dec. 21, 1940, in Joshua, Tex., Mr. Hildebrand met his singing partner <strong>Jill Jackson</strong> (Paula) while attending Howard Payne College (now called Howard Payne University) in Brownwood the Lone Star State. Though never romantically involved, Paul & Paula landed a string of teenage love songs on the pop charts, including "Young Lovers," "First Quarrel," "First Day Back at School," and "Something Old, Something New," and their best-known hit, the multi-million-seller from 1963 <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/lyrics/song.php?sid=55693&aid=11474">"Hey Paula,"</a> which Hildebrand penned. The single logged three weeks at No. 1 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 chart. Mercury Records chief <strong>Shelby Singleton</strong> signed the pair, and reissued "Hey Paula" on its Phillips subsidiary. It was also Singleton who renamed the pair as Paul & Paula, apparently concerned that an act named Ray and Jill singing about "hey, hey Paula" and "hey, hey Paul" was a bridge too far. Paul & Paula released two albums and a Christmas-themed set, before disbanding in 1965, Hildebrand keen to complete his college education and pursue a different musical direction. The pair would remain friends, and occasionally reunited for special gigs. A devout Christian, Mr. Hildebrand traveled the country later in life sharing his music and faith, and worked with The Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is preceded in death by his wife, Judy Hendricks, and survived by his daughter, Heidi Sterling, and son Mike Hildebrand, both of Kansas City. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/21/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-15508908340554181552023-08-20T05:28:00.004-07:002023-08-27T06:43:28.125-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on August 20th, 2023</b>
<P>On Aug. 19 <strong>Joni Mitchell</strong> announced the third volume of her ongoing archival project. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFVZTYWT/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975)</cite></a> will be an 8-LP vinyl set featuring rarities, unheard tracks and more from three of the singer/songwriter's mid-'70s LP's: <cite>For the Roses</cite> (1972), <cite>Court and Spark</cite> (1974) and <cite>The Hissing of Summer Lawns</cite> (1975). It will arrive on Oct. 6 and follow 2020's <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_21_5.html"><cite>Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963 - 1967)</cite></a> and 2021's <cite>Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971)</cite>. A new demo version of Mitchell's 1974 #7 hit "Help Me" which will appear on <cite>The Asylum Years</cite> has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/Jx1UBDNzyLw">YouTube</a>. In July, Mitchell released a live album of her surprise 2022 comeback gig at the Newport Folk Festival, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3MSW2VK/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Joni Mitchell at Newport</cite></a>. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 8/19/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Michael_Jackson/images/Michael_Jackson50.gif" ALT="Michael Jackson" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">A three-judge panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal found on Aug. 18 that the lawsuits of two <strong>Michael Jackson</strong> sexual abuse accusers, <strong>Wade Robson</strong> and <strong>James Safechuck</strong>, should not have been dismissed by a lower court, and that the men can validly claim that the two Jackson-owned corporations that were named as defendants in the cases had a responsibility to protect them. It's the second time the lawsuits -- brought by Robson in 2013 and Safechuck the following year -- have been brought back after dismissal. The two men became more widely known for telling their stories in the 2019 HBO documentary <cite>Leaving Neverland.</cite> A judge who dismissed the suits in 2021 found that the corporations, MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc., could not be expected to function like "the Boy Scouts or a church where a child in their care could expect their protection." Jackson, who died in 2009, was the sole owner and only shareholder in the companies. Now the higher court judges have disagreed, writing that "a corporation that facilitates the sexual abuse of children by one of its employees is not excused from an affirmative duty to protect those children merely because it is solely owned by the perpetrator of the abuse." They added that "it would be perverse to find no duty based on the corporate defendant having only one shareholder. And so we reverse the judgments entered for the corporations." Jonathan Steinsapir, attorney for the Jackson estate, said they were "disappointed" in the ruling. Robson, now a 40-year-old choreographer, met Jackson when he was 5 years old. He went on to appear in three Jackson music videos. His lawsuit alleged that Jackson molested him over a seven-year period. Safechuck, now 45, said in his suit that he was 9 when he met Jackson while filming a Pepsi commercial. He said Jackson called him often and lavished him with gifts before moving on to sexually abusing him. - <cite>AP,</cite> 8/18/23...... Former <cite>Saturday Night Live</cite> cast member <strong>David Spade</strong> has recalled the time in Nov. 1991 when <strong>David Bowie</strong> was the musical guest on the show, and suggested that he himself play a receptionist that "stops you because he thinks they're better than you," rather than the celebrity who was never seen. "This [sketch] is so f---ing funny," Spade recalls Bowie telling him in a phone conversation at the time. "'This is exactly my life and these people I see.' And he goes, 'One tweak: Can I play the receptionist?'" Bowie added that it was "the funnier part" and that playing himself was "kind of boring" because "everyone's seen that." However, Spade turned down the request because he hoped it might become a recurring character. Spade also said he couldn't believe that he refused the legendary musician's suggestion, who came back with: "Well, what if the sketch never gets on [the show]?" But in the end, the sketch did not get picked up as a recurring one, and Spade recalled Bowie coming up to him at the end of the episode to say: "Hey, sorry man, I get what was going on and I shouldn't have been, like, a little chilly about it." - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/19/23...... Music from <strong>The Band</strong>'s catalog has gained in streaming sales after the Aug. 9 death of band co-founder <strong>Robbie Robertson</strong>. The Band's catalog is paced by a No. 1 re-entry for classic song "The Weight" on <cite>Billboard</cite>'s LyricFind U.S. and LyricFind Global tallies, which rank the fastest momentum-gaining tracks in lyric-search queries and usages in the U.S. and globally. According to LyricFind, 'The Weight" spiked by 1,878% in lyric usages and searches in the Aug. 4-10 tracking week. Globally, the count was up 1,846%. The Band songs "Chest Fever" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" appear at Nos. 6 and 9 on the U.S. survey, followed by Robertson solo tracks "Showdown at Big Sky" (No. 12) and "Somewhere Down the Crazy River" (No. 17). "Crazy Fever" (No. 15) and "Showdown at Big Sky" (No. 20) also made the Global list. The Band also racked up 4.7 million official on-demand streams in the U.S. Aug. 4-10, up 56% from 3 million the previous week (July 28-Aug. 3). The group also accrued 4,000 paid song downloads, up 815%, and moved 2,000 in album sales, a 278% surge. Robertson's solo material, meanwhile, earned 499,000 on-demand streams, a jump of 644%. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/17/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/images/Talking_Heads.gif" ALT="Talking Heads" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">In a new interview with <cite>People</cite> magazine, <strong>David Byrne</strong> said that he regrets the way <strong>Talking Heads</strong> split up, explaining that he was a "little tyrant" at the time. "As a younger person, I was not as pleasant to be around," Byrne says. " When I was working on some Talking Heads shows, I was more of a little tyrant. And then I learned to relax, and I also learned that collaborating with people, both sides get more if there's a good relationship instead of me telling everybody what to do. I think [the end] wasn't handled well. It was kind of ugly." The group, whose members have had a complicated relationship since their breakup in 1991, recently announced that they would be reuniting for a Q&A at the Toronto International Film Fest in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their legendary concert film, <cite>Stop Making Sense.</cite> The event will mark the band's first public appearance together in over 20 years. Talking Heads previously reunited in 1999 to promote the 15th-anniversary reissue of their film, and in 2002, they came together to perform four songs at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony which marked their only live performance since 1984. Earlier in 2023, Talking Heads honored <strong>Seymour Stein</strong>, the founder of their Sire Records label, after his passing at the age of 80. - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/17/23...... <strong>Elton John</strong> was spotted at a dinner party also attended by actor <strong>Kevin Spacey</strong> on Aug. 16, one month after giving testimony in the actor's sexual assault trial in the UK. In a video uploaded by a band named <strong>The Snugglers</strong> on Instagram, the pair are seen alongside John's husband <strong>David Furnish</strong> having dinner at restaurant La Petite Maison in Nice, France. On July 26, Spacey was cleared of nine sexual offence charges in London after a four-week trial, including seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity. Spacey was accused of the charges by four men, in incidents alleged to have taken place between 2001 and 2013. John and Furnish both provided evidence in the trial, where they shared recollections around a 2001 party hosted by them at the latter's home in Windsor. In testimony via video link, John said Spacey had attended the annual White Tie and Tiara Ball in 2001, but not any other year. One of Spacey's alleged victims claimed he was sexually assaulted by the actor on the way to the ball in 2002, which Spacey denied attending. In Furnish's testimony, he remembered Spacey attending the ball in 2001, saying "as an Oscar-winning actor, there was a lot of excitement he was at the ball." Ahead of the trial, Spacey denied all the charges and described the prosecution's case against him as "weak." Spacey will be featured in the upcoming thriller <cite>Control,</cite> where he provides the voice of the main antagonist, later in 2023. - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/18/23...... It was announced on Aug. 17 that Primary Wave Music has purchased the publishing rights of <strong>Styx</strong> member <strong>Dennis DeYoung</strong>, encompassing the majority of his compositions and master recordings. This includes Styx hits "Come Sail Away," "Babe," "Mr. Roboto," "Lady," "The Best of Times," and more. Primary Wave has recently also acquired entirely or an interest in the publishing and/or recording artist royalty income of members of such bands as <strong>Kool & The Gang, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doors, The Ramones</strong> and <strong>Huey Lewis and the News</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/17/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/B/Billy_Gibbons/images/Billy_Gibbons10.gif" ALT="Billy Gibbons" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The BMI music rights organization has announced it will present <strong>ZZ Top</strong>'s <strong>Billy Gibbons</strong> with its Troubadour Award on Sept. 18, during a private reception at BMI's Nashville office. While Gibbons is also known as a premier guitarist and entertainer through his musical accomplishments with ZZ Top, this accolade honors his songwriting work, as a composer who has "made a profound impact on the creative community as their craft continues to set the pace for generations to follow," according to a press release. As the chief songwriter for ZZ Top, Gibbons' writing credits include "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs," "Cheap Sunglasses" and "La Grange," the lead single from the band's breakthrough album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spzztop3.html"><cite>Tres Hombres</cite></a>, which garnered them mainstream success 50 years ago. "With a career spanning several decades, Billy has penned an array of timeless hits that have left an indelible mark on the music industry," <strong>Clay Bradley</strong>, BMI's vp of creative, Nashville, said in a statement. "His ability to craft lyrics that resonate with audiences across generations is a testament to his songwriting prowess and he is the epitome of what the BMI Troubadour Award represents." Previous Troubadour Award recipients have included <strong>John Hiatt, John Prine, Robert Earl Keen</strong> and <strong>Lucinda Williams</strong>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/16/23...... <strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> has said that after watching the new Amazon Prime series <cite>Daisy Jones & The Six</cite>, the new Amazon miniseries loosely based on Nicks and her <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> bandmate <strong>Lindsey Buckingham</strong>'s tortured romance, she was not sold. But after giving it another chance, lead actress <strong>Riley Keough</strong> -- who stars as the titular Daisy in the show -- changed her mind, Nicks shared in an Aug. 15 post to her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv-tYRMPl32/">Instagram account.</a> "Just finished watching @daisyjonesand6 for the 2nd time. In the beginning, it wasn't really my story, but Riley seamlessly, soon became my story. It brought back memories that made me feel like a ghost watching my own story," Nicks wrote, adding that "it was very emotional for me" and "I just wish [late <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> member] <strong>Christine [McVie]</strong> could have seen it. She would have loved it. Hopefully it will continue." Following the series premiere in March, <cite>Daisy Jones & The Six</cite> -- an entirely fictional band -- topped <cite>Billboard</cite>'s Emerging Artists chart (dated March 18), while the act's debut album, <cite>Aurora,</cite> debuted at No. 1 on the Soundtracks chart. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/16/23...... On Aug. 14 <strong>Smokey Robinson</strong> won a protracted legal battle with a former manager who claimed he was owed nearly $1 million in touring profits from the legendary Motown singer. Following a three-day trial that saw extended testimony from the "Tears of a Clown" singer himself, an eight-person federal jury found that Robinson did not owe those profits under a contract he signed with <strong>Eric Podwall</strong>, capping off more than six years of litigation over the soured partnership. Ahead of the verdict, Podwall had argued that Robinson agreed to pay 10% of all compensation, which included revenue from more than 100 concerts between 2013 and 2016. But Robinson argued back that the deal had only been intended to cover a small set of income, like film and television fees. In a statement, Robinson's lawyer Sasha Frid of Miller Barondess LLP called the verdict "a great result and victory for Smokey." Podwall first sued Robinson in 2016, claiming the music icon had signed a "binding written agreement" with him in 2012 for management services. He claimed Robinson had agreed to pay 10% of all compensation Robinson received for Robinson's services rendered or created during the term of the agreement. Podwall argued that he then guided Robinson through key business deals and more than 100 concerts, but that the star had later reneged on the deal. But during the three-day trial last week, Robinson and his lawyers told jurors that the agreement had not been intended to cover revenue from touring, with which Podwall had little involvement. Smokey himself took the witness stand on Aug. 11. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/16/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/N/images/Nile_Rodgers8.gif" ALT="Nile Rodgers" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Chic</strong>'s <strong>Nile Rodgers</strong> is condemning a far-right political party in Switzerland known as the Swiss People's Party (SVP) for allegedly using a "sound-alike" version of the <strong>Sister Sledge</strong> hit "We Are Family," which Rodgers wrote and produced, for a political video. "I wrote 'We Are Family' to be the ultimate song about inclusion and diversity at all levels, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion or sexual orientation," Rodgers posted on his X (Twitter) account on Aug. 15. "I condemn its use by the SVP (Swiss People's Party) or anyone else not keeping with the values of the song and all decent people. The purpose of the song is to bring joy to all with no exclusions!," he added. Rodgers also said that music publishers who own an interest in the song including Hipgnosis Songs, Sony Music, and WarnerChappell "are all working to have the SVP cease and desist their use of the song." The SVP have yet to respond to Rodgers' claims. - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/16/23...... The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame inside Boston's Boch Center Wang Theatre has announced a new <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> will open on Sept. 13. "Bruce Springsteen: Portraits of an American Music Icon" will feature an intimate look at "The Boss" through the lens of close friends, photographers, and family members. Curated by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, the exhibit will include over 40 photographs from six notable Springsteen photographers: <strong>Danny Clinch, Ed Gallucci, Eric Meola, Ron Pownall, Barry Schneier, Pamela Springsteen</strong> and <strong>Frank Stefanko</strong>. The FARHOF museum also showcases instruments and items of historical significance from such artists as <strong>Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Josh White, Oscar Brand</strong>, and many more. Tour tickets are $25 for adults and $17 for children, and for more info visit www.farhof.org. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/19/23...... In other Springsteen-related news, the rocker posted on his <a href="https://twitter.com/springsteen/status/1691872953414115424">X (formerly known as Twitter) page</a> that his concerts with the <strong>E Street Band</strong> at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on August 16 and 18 have been postponed due to illness. "We are working on rescheduling the dates so please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled shows," the post reads. This is the second time Springsteen has had to postpone shows on this tour. In March, he postponed and rescheduled three shows due to an unspecified illness. When asked to comment, Springsteen's reps referred to his X post. Initially announced in 2020 in support of his chart-topping <cite>Letter to You</cite> album, Springsteen and the band were forced to delay their tour twice because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2023 tour marks Springsteen's first major worldwide tour since his "The River Tour" six years ago. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/16/23...... <strong>Michael Parkinson</strong>, a legendary British chat show host who championed countless musicians across his career on TV including <strong>The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Tina Turner, David Bowie, George Michael, Robbie Williams</strong> and many more died on Aug. 16. He was 88. Parky, as he was affectionately known in his homeland, hosted a talk show that was a "must-see" staple on British TV, and while his predilection was for adult-leaning, often jazz-oriented performers, he also featured almost every big name in the pop music scene. Starting out as a print journalist, Mr. Parkinson became a producer at the commercial British TV channel Granada in the late 1960s. He became the archetypal chat show presenter via a weekly program for BBC1 which began in 1971 and ran on Saturday nights for 361 editions until 1982. His <cite>Parkinson</cite> show continued from 1998 until his retirement in Dec. 2007, with a star-studded finale which included such guests as <strong>David Beckham, Michael Caine, David Attenborough, Judi Dench, Billy Connolly</strong> and <strong>Cullum</strong>. Mr. Parkinson was saluted on numerous occasions for his work, and in 1998 became a Gold Badge recipient and 10 years later, was Knighted by <strong>Queen Elizabeth II</strong> for services to broadcasting. Paying tribute on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwC4JoBMmKq/">Instagram</a>, <strong>Elton John</strong> described Mr. Parksinson as "a TV legend who was one of the greats... I loved his company and his incredible knowledge of cricket and Barnsley Football Club. A real icon who brought out the very best in his guests. Condolences and love to Mary and his family." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/18/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/images/Jerry_Moss.gif" ALT="Jerry Moss" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Music industry giant <strong>Jerry Moss</strong>, who co-founded A&M Records with <strong>Herb Alpert</strong> and was ultimately inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, passed away at his home in Bel Air, Calif., on Aug. 16, according to a statement released by his family. He was 88. For more than 25 years, Alpert and Mr. Moss presided over one of the industry's most successful independent labels, releasing such blockbuster albums as Alpert's <cite>Whipped Cream & Other Delights,</cite> <strong>Carole King</strong>'s <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spking2.html"><cite>Tapestry</cite></a> (on the A&M-distributed label Ode), and <strong>Peter Frampton</strong>'s <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/frampton.html"><cite>Frampton Comes Alive!</cite></a>. A&M was also home to such major acts as <strong>Joe Cocker, The Carpenters, Cat Stevens, The Police, Janet Jackson, Soundgarden, Suzanne Vega, The Go-Gos</strong> and <strong>Sheryl Crow</strong>. Born in New York City and an English major at Brooklyn College, Mr. Moss had wanted to work in show business since waiting tables in his 20s and noticing that the entertainment industry patrons seemed to be having so much fun. After a six-month Army stint, he found work as a promoter for Coed Records and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he met and befriended Herb Alpert, a trumpeter, songwriter and entrepreneur. With an investment of $100 each, they formed Carnival Records and had a local hit with "Tell It to the Birds," an Alpert ballad released under the name of his son, <strong>Dore Alpert</strong>. After learning that another company was called Carnival, Alpert and Moss used the initials of their last names and renamed their business A&M, working out an office in Alpert's garage and designing the distinctive logo with the trumpet across the bottom. For several years they specialized in "easy listening" acts such as <strong>Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass</strong>, Brazilian artist <strong>Sergio Mendes</strong> and the folk-rock trio <strong>The Sandpipers</strong>. After attending the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, rock's first major festival, Mr. Moss began adding rock performers, including Cocker, <strong>Procol Harum, Free, Styx</strong> and <strong>Humble Pie</strong>. One of their biggest triumphs was <cite>Frampton Comes Alive!</cite> a live double album from 1976 that sold more than 6 million copies in its first year and transformed Frampton from mid-level performer to superstar. "Peter was a huge live star in markets like Detroit and San Francisco, so we made a suggestion that he make a live record," Moss told <cite>Rolling Stone</cite> in 2002. "What he was doing onstage wasn't like the records -- it was outrageously better. I remember being at the mix of <cite>Frampton Comes Alive!</cite> at Electric Lady studios, and I was so blown away I asked to make it a double album." A&M continued to expand their catalog through the 1970s and '80s, taking on The Police, <strong>Squeeze, Joe Jackson</strong> and other British New Wave artists, R&B musicians Janet Jackson and <strong>Barry White</strong> and country rockers <strong>.38 Special</strong> and the <strong>Ozark Mountain Daredevils</strong>. By the late '80s, Alpert and Mr. Moss were operating out of a Hollywood lot where <strong>Charlie Chaplin</strong> once made movies, but they struggled to keep up with ever-higher recording contracts and sold A&M to Polygram for an estimated $500 million. They remained at the label, but clashed with Polygram's management and left in 1993; one of their last signings was a singer-musician from Kennett, Mo., named Sheryl Crow. (Alpert and Moss later sued Polygram for violating their contract's integrity clause and reached a $200 million settlement.) For a few years, Alpert and Mr. Moss ran Almo Records, where performers included <strong>Garbage, Imogen Heap</strong> and <strong>Gillian Welch</strong>. Several artists who worked with Mr. Moss have shared rememberances and tributes on social media, including <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwBD0hXvA6Q/">Herb Alpert</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/peterframpton/status/1691961462086873342">Peter Frampton</a>, <strong>Dionne Warwick, Sting, Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, Amy Grant</strong> and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mr. Moss' survivors include his second wife, Tina Morse, and three children. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/16/23.
<P>Twenty-five letters sent to <strong>George Harrison</strong>'s mother <strong>Louise Harrison</strong> during the height of '60s Beatlemania from a young fan named Janet Gray are due to go under the hammer at the Liverpool Beatles Memorabilia Auction on Aug. 26. The pair are said to have had regular written correspondence between 1963 and 1966, and in one of the letters, Louise reavealed that she was "disgusted" at how audiences would scream throughout the <strong>Beatles</strong>' live shows. "I was disgusted at the way the so-called fans just screamed" at one of the Beatles' gigs in Manchester, Louise wrote. "Nobody with any sense would pay and queue for a ticket just to stand on a seat and scream and not hear one sound from the stage," she added. "I was really ashamed I was a female." The letter in question is expected to fetch £100-£150. Offering Gray some advice regarding her home life, Louise wrote: "I hope you will try and remember that your mum is your best friend, even if you don't see eye-to-eye on some issues. Thank God I get on fine with all my four children and they with each other." Per <a href="https://www.beatlesstory.com/blog/2019/03/31/mother-you-had-me-the-beatles-mothers-and-their-influence/">BeatlesStory.com</a>, Louise and George's father Harold would "invite fans into their home and loved chatting to fans about their son's success." The late musician's mother -- who died in 1970, aged 59 -- is said to have replied to thousands of letters from Beatles fans around the world. In another letter dated Aug. 14, 1966, Louise expressed her concern for her famous son's health, mentioned a minor car crash he'd been involved in, and admitted to feeling overwhelmed by all the fan mail she had received. "I am hoping the boys will have a successful tour of America despite all the rumours we have heard," she wrote. More info on the upcoming auction can be found at <a href="https://www.beatlesauction.co.uk">BeatlesAuction.co.uk</a>. - <cite>The BBC/New Musical Express,</cite> 8/15/23...... In other Beatles-related news, <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> shared her cover of "Let It Be" featuring <strong>Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mick Fleetwood</strong> and <strong>Peter Frampton</strong> on <a href="https://youtu.be/dXW-p4nKdDA">YouTube</a> on Aug. 18. The country superstar's take on the Beatles classic is taken from her forthcoming 49th solo studio album, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4FTN73N/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Rockstar</cite></a>, which will drop Nov. 17. Parton previously shared a cover of <strong>Queen</strong>'s "We Are the Champions" from the new album. - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/15/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/A/Alice_Cooper/images/Alice_Cooper29.gif" ALT="Alice Cooper" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, <strong>Alice Cooper</strong> has told the Ohio radio station QFM96 that he believes the Beatles would "absolutely" have reunited if <strong>John Lennon</strong> hadn't been murdered in 1980, a decade after the rock legends split acrimoniously. "Absolutely," Cooper said. "Here's the thing about them. When they were after each other's throats, when it came to the breakup and all that stuff, if anybody in the Vampires back in those days -- that was our drinking club -- if anybody said anything bad about Paul, John would take a swing at you, because that was his best friend. If anybody said anything about John to Paul, Paul would walk out of the room. He'd just walk out. Because you are not allowed to talk about their best friends. They were best friends no matter what was going on in the whole thing." Alice, 75, suggested Lennon wanted to make their music "more political" and that McCartney wasn't keen. He added: "One went one way, and one went the other. I think John wanted to be more political. Paul was not into that that much." The Coop's '70s L.A. drinking club, which also included the likes of Lennon, <strong>Ringo Starr, Keith Moon</strong> and <strong>Harry Nilsson</strong>, shares a name with his current supergroup the <strong>Hollywood Vampires</strong> with <strong>Johnny Depp, Joe Perry</strong>, and more. Meanwhile, Cooper has released the third single from his new LP <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7HCW516/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>Road</cite></a>, which is set to drop on Aug. 25. Alice said of the song: "'Welcome to the Show' is just that: telling the audience here it is. The show is ready to go, and we are fully loaded. Here it comes!" <cite>Road</cite> is Alice's first new music since his 2021 LP <cite>Detroit Stories,</cite> for which he has reunited with longtime rock producer <strong>Bob Ezrin</strong>. He recently wrapped a summer tour with the Hollywood Vampires. <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/15/23...... <cite>Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback,</cite> a new documentary that takes an in-depth look at the historical live-aired special dubbed the superstar's "comeback" performance on Dec. 3, 1968, premieres Aug. 15 on the Paramount+ streaming channel. Recorded before live studio audience in Burbank, Calif., the special was one of the most-watched programs of that year and marked a major turning point for the King of Rock 'n' Roll's career. In the new doc, fans can hear from the special's original director, <strong>Steve Binder</strong>, as well as interviews with Elvis experts, memories from Elvis' audience members and new versions of Elvis hits by musicians including <strong>Darius Rucker</strong> and <strong>Maffio</strong>. As a bonus, fans can see scenes that were cut from the original special. A trailer for the film has been shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/Ho36tS3EKLU">YouTube</a>. Meanwhile, Elvis's Cherry Red Hagstrom Viking II Gibson guitar he played in his '68 comeback special has just been officially valued at $5 million, which would make it the world's most valuable guitar. With Elvis' evergreen appeal -- he remains a musical phenomenon 46 years after his untimely 1977 death and in the past year alone <strong>Baz Luhrmann</strong>'s <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/extra_22_7.html"><cite>ELVIS biopic</cite></a> has been a critical and commercial smash hit -- that $5 million valuation may already be on the conservative side, and overtake the previous record by <strong>Kurt Cobain</strong>'s 1959 Martin D-18E played by the <strong>Nirvana</strong> legend in the band's MTV <cite>Unplugged</cite> special - <cite>Billboard/Music-News.com,</cite> 8/14/23...... <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> has spoken out on the death of his "lifelong friend" <strong>Robbie Robertson</strong>, who died after an unspecified long illness on Aug. 9. "This is shocking news," Dylan said in a statement provided to <cite>Billboard.</cite> "Robbie was a lifelong friend. His passing leaves a vacancy in the world." Robertson, whom Dylan famously called a "mathematical guitar genius," played guitar with Dylan starting in the mid-1960s, after Dylan became aware of <strong>Levon and the Hawks</strong>, an early iteration of what became <strong>The Band</strong>. The Hawks backed Dylan for several months, with their efforts captured on 1998's <cite>The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966: The Royal Albert Hall Concert.</cite> Robertson also played on Dylan's legendary 1966 album <cite>Blonde on Blonde,</cite> and Dylan and The Band famously recorded in 1967 at Big Pink, the house several members of The Band rented in West Saugerties, N.Y. Robertson and Dylan continued to collaborate for decades, including The Band covering Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" on 1971's <cite>Cahoots</cite> album and touring together in 1974, as well as recording Dylan's No. 1 studio album <cite>Planet Waves</cite> together. Meanwhile, <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> dedicated his emotional 2020 ballad "I'll See You in My Dreams" from his 2020 album with the <strong>E Street Band</strong>, <cite>Letter to You,</cite> to Robertson during his 2023 North American tour kick-off at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Aug. 9. To my good friend Robbie Robertson," Springsteen said before the band kicked into the song. The sentimental track is an a tribute to a lost loved one in which Springsteen takes solace in a dream world reunion as he surrounds himself with the departed's books and records. Fan-shot footage of the performance can be viewed on <a href="https://twitter.com/natashakorecki/status/1689490814643163137">Twitter</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/11/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/Stevie_Nicks/images/Stevie_Nicks26.gif" ALT="Stevie Nicks" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Stevie Nicks</strong> has shared a lengthy statement on how the recent wildfires that have devastated several areas near her home in Lahaina, Hawaii, have affected her and her neighbors. "As I am sure you have heard -- the island, Maui, where I own a house I have been staying at since the 80s -- and the small village, city, most magical place on earth, Lahaina, burned to the ground over the last few days," the <strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong> frontlady posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv3LAiCLf03/">Instagram</a> on Aug. 12. "And to make the situation worse my young niece, her husband, and their little boy had just arrived for a very needed vacation before she started up her school year (on her way to becoming a psychologist) for 10 days. They had one and a half days of fun and then -- the fire started." She continued: "The power went out at 5:12am (Tuesday morning) but they had no idea why -- It was still out at noon, realising that many surrounding houses had also lost power. It was a mystery. My house is 15 to 20 minutes from Lahaina -- but still no one knew about the fire. We knew here in Houston, but there was no way to get Jessi (my niece) on the phone. The entire area of Lahaina and everything around it was down. But here in Houston we knew." She went on to say that the island "defined Fleetwood Mac": "This island, in so many ways, defines Fleetwood Mac and me and our families. <strong>Mick [Fleetwood]</strong> and I came here in 1978, went up to Kula to look at a huge, beautiful house and stood in front of it listening to the gentle magical wind. He said to me, 'I will live and die on this island.' I knew he was telling the truth. <strong>John [McVie]</strong> also lived here in Maui for a long time -- <strong>Christine [McVie]</strong> never lived here but visited many times." Fleetwood, 76, was in Los Angeles visiting family when the wildfire broke out and flew back immediately, bringing relief supplies with him. He has yet to visit the ruins of his restaurant, which was about to celebrate its 11th anniversary this week, in the historic coastal town of Lahaina. "What I can do and I'm doing is being an advocate to say 'pay attention to what is going on'... that's actually way more helpful than going down and crying in Lahaina... that will happen, I'm sure, but not now," Fleetwood stated. At least 93 people have died since the fires broke out. - <cite>NME/Music-News.com,</cite> 8/13/23...... <strong>Lionel Richie</strong> infuriated fans on Aug. 12 when he cancelled a sold-out concert at New York's Madison Square Garden an hour after the start time by blaming bad weather. Richie and <strong>Earth, Wind & Fire</strong> had been due to headline the show, however with fans already at the venue for a 7:30 p.m. start time the gig was cancelled -- with Richie stating his plane was unable to land in New York due to the rain. "Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I'm unable to make it to the show tonight," he tweeted at 8.31 p.m. He then announced the show would be moved to Monday, writing: "I'm so bummed. We are rescheduling the show to Monday Aug 14. Can't wait to perform for you all. Tickets for tonight's show are valid for the show on Monday." However, fans who'd come from out of town to see the star were still angered at being left out of pocket, or because they couldn't make the new date. Video from inside the arena showed fans booing, while others shared their unhappiness on social media. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/14/23...... <strong>ABBA</strong> and Polar Music International AB have announced that an <cite>ABBA: The Movie - Fan Event</cite> will be coming to cinemas worldwide for two nights only on Sept. 17 and 19, transporting audiences to the disco era when the Swedish icons first ruled the charts and hearts of millions. Directed by the acclaimed Swedish director <strong>Lasse Hallström</strong> and starring <strong>Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus</strong> and <strong>Agnetha Fältskog</strong>, <cite>ABBA: The Movie</cite> captures the electrifying energy of the band's highly successful tour of Australia. The remastered film showcases the extraordinary footage and features electrifying renditions of ABBA's timeless hits, including chart-toppers such as "Dancing Queen," "SOS," "Name Of The Game" and "Waterloo." Tickets go on sale 16 August. Visit AbbaTheMovie.com for screening details and a full list of participating countries. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/13/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/M/Marvin_Gaye/images/Marvin_Gaye10.gif" ALT="Marvin Gaye" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Marvin Gaye</strong>'s landmark 1973 album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spgayemarvin.html"><cite>Let's Get It On</cite></a> is getting a 50th anniversary digital reissue with 18 never-before-released songs. Arriving Aug. 25 via Motown, the collection is comprised of 33 bonus tracks, and among the unreleased cuts are tracks recorded in 1974 for an album that never saw the light of day but was re-made in 1997 and became <cite>Vulnerable.</cite> The album's milestone will also be marked with a special event at the GRAMMY Museum on Aug. 23, featuring <strong>Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Jam</strong> and the biographer of the tome <cite>Divided Soul,</cite> <strong>David Ritz</strong>. Gaye was shot dead by his father in 1984, just a day before his 45th birthday. In 2021, Warner Bros. acquired the film rights for a Gaye biopic titled <cite>What's Going On</cite>. <strong>Allen Hughes</strong> will direct the film -- which is expected to have a budget of more than $80 million -- about the legendary soul singer, and he will produce the movie alongside <strong>Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine</strong> and <strong>Andrew Lazar</strong>. As well as showing how his music was a huge part of popular culture for decades, the film will also touch on the life of women who influenced his career, and his relationship with his father. It was initially revealed in 2018 that Dre was making a movie about Gaye, following a string of failed attempts by others to bring his life story to the big screen. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/11/23...... Speaking of biopics, the trailer and key art for an upcoming <strong>Marc Bolan</strong> and <strong>T. Rex</strong> documentary, <cite>AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex</cite> have bee shared on <a href="https://youtu.be/a9L6BwYQgKA">YouTube</a>. It tells the story of the Glam Rock leader and early punk champion and had its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. A BMG Production, the film was written and directed by <strong>Ethan Silverman</strong> with producer <strong>Bill Curbishley</strong>, and celebrates the late British rocker with a behind-the-scenes look at the tribute album of the same name released in 2020. The film includes some of the biggest names in music to include: <strong>U2, Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Ringo Starr, Nick Cave</strong> and <strong>Elton John</strong>, who celebrate Bolan's work in interviews and performance footage. These combine with archival footage to trace Bolan's life from his teenage years digging through Carnaby Street dustbins with <strong>David Bowie</strong> to his tragic death in 1977 at the age of 29. A one-night only preview event will be staged on Sept. 14, and the film will go into general release on Sept. 22. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/11/23...... A new exhibition devoted to late <strong>Queen</strong> frontman <strong>Freddie Mercury</strong> has launched at Sotheby's London. The extensive collection of items, including handwritten lyrics, personal Polaroid photos and costumes, can be viewed by Queen fans before going under the hammer by Sotheby's this September. Highlights of the "Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own" exhibit include the crown and cloak ensemble Mercury wore on "The Magic Tour" in 1986, his red kimono covered with fans, and his Yamaha grand piano on which he composed "We Are The Champions." The latter is expected to value at £2 million to £3 million. Other items in the collection include a handwritten draft of Queen's 1975 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody," Japanese vases, art by <strong>Salvador Dali</strong>, notebooks with guest lists and plans for dinner parties, Adidas high-top sneakers and outfits from throughout his stage career. Each of Sotheby's 15 galleries will be dedicated to a different aspect of Mercury's life, where visitors can walk through recreations of his bedroom, bar and dining room. In April, it was revealed that 1,400 items from Mercury's London home -- which had gone untouched for 30 years -- would be put up for auction by Sotheby's this September. The exhibition runs from Aug. 4 to Sept. 5 and is free to the public with no booking required. The items will then be sold across six auctions from September 6 onwards. More details can be found on the <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/auction-catalogue/2023/freddie-mercury-a-world-of-his-own-the-evening-sale?s=intro">Sotheby's website</a>. - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/11/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/John_Lydon__Rotten_.gif/images/John_Lydon16.gif" ALT="John Lydon" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The artist and anarchist behind the <strong>Sex Pistols</strong>' iconic artwork in the 1970s, <strong>Jamie MacGregor Reid</strong>, died on Aug. 8. He was 76 years old. In a touching ode, the John Marchant Gallery announced the sad news of his death on Aug. 9. "We sadly announce the passing of Jamie MacGregor Reid January 16, 1947 - August 8, 2023; artist, iconoclast, anarchist, punk, hippie, rebel and romantic. Jamie leaves behind a beloved daughter, Rowan; a granddaughter, Rose; and an enormous legacy. Universal Majesty, Verity, Love, Infinite." The punk visual artist -- who was best known for "Dcollage," the opposite of a collage -- created the ransom-note style newspaper cutting lettering that he famously used on the cover of the Pistols' 1977 song "God Save The Queen," depicting a young <strong>Queen Elizabeth II</strong> with the track's title slapped across the royal's eyes and mouth. The iconic artwork was based on <strong>Cecil Beaton</strong>'s photograph of the late monarch. <strong>John Lydon</strong> (aka <strong>Johnny Rotten</strong>) & Co. re-released their classic hit in time for the sovereign's Platinum Jubilee last June. The song, originally released in 1977 during The Queen's Silver Jubilee, was banned by the BBC and most radio stations but reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Charts. It is widely believed that the song was deliberately kept from the No. 1 spot on the charts due to its anti-royal stance. Reid created the lettering style for the cover artwork while designing the Suburban Press, a radical political magazine he ran for five years. It was also used on the classic Pistols album <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spsexpistols.html"><cite>Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols</cite></a> and the singles "Anarchy in the UK," "Pretty Vacant" and "Holidays in the Sun." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/10/23...... <strong>Janis Joplin</strong> and <strong>The Kinks</strong> will be among the 2023 inductees for London's Music Walk of Fame during red carpet ceremonies set for Sept. 4-9. <strong>UB40</strong>, Kiss FM founder <strong>Gordon Mac, Paul "Trouble" Anderson, The Sugarhill Gang, Eddy Grant, Buzzcocks, Billy Bragg, Shalamar</strong> and <strong>Harvey Goldsmith</strong> are also among the 11 music icons to be inducted. Janis Joplin's siblings Laura and Michael Joplin said: "It is a really special moment to see our sister being recognized by the Music Walk Of Fame. Janis's music resonated with a generation hungry for authenticity. Her legacy is a reminder that vulnerability can be a source of strength, and her voice continues to inspire countless others to embrace their true selves. At moments like this, it's a pleasure to see her legacy being honored in this way." The Music Walk of Fame is also set to welcome the new annual Camden Music Festival, a free event that will see parts of Camden High Street play host to an entire day of live entertainment and music on Sept. 9. Previous inductees include <strong>The Who, Madness, Soul II Soul, Amy Winehouse</strong> and <strong>David Bowie</strong>. For The Music Walk of Fame's schedule head to themusicwalkoffame.com. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/10/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/S/images/Suzanne_Somers.gif" ALT="Suzanne Somers" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Actress <strong>Suzanne Somers</strong>, 76, revealed in a July 31 Instagram post that her breast cancer has returned. First diagnosed in 2000, the <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/tvshows_N-W.html#Three's Company"><cite>Three's Company</cite></a> star wrote, "I know how to put on my battle gear and I'm a fighter." - <cite>People,</cite> 8/21/23...... <strong>Clarence Avant</strong>, whose decades of trailblazing work as an artist manager, mentor, executive and record label owner earned him the title of 'Godfather of Black Music," died on Aug. 13 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 92. "Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come," his family said in a statement. "The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss." As a New York-based manager early on in his career, the Greensboro, N.C. native worked with <strong>Sarah Vaughan, Freddie Hubbard, Little Willie John, Jimmy Smith</strong> and producer <strong>Creed Taylor</strong>, among others. He discovered and signed '70s hitmaker <strong>Bill Withers</strong>, whose breakthrough single, "Ain't No Sunshine," won the Grammy Award for best R&B song. In the '70s, Mr. Avant founded KAGB-FM (Avant Garde Broadcasting), one of the first Black-owned radio stations in the U.S. He also launched two record companies, Sussex and Tabu, cultivating rosters that included Withers, <strong>Dennis Coffey, the S.O.S. Band, Wadsworth Mansion, The Gallery</strong> and <strong>The Presidents</strong>, among others. He ran his own companies, Interior Music Group and Avant Garde Music, until they were sold in 2018 to Universal Music Group. Involved in the social, political and sporting arenas, his relationships range from the presidential (<strong>Bill Clinton, Barack Obama</strong>) to the entrepreneurial (<strong>Oprah Winfrey</strong>) to the boxing ring (<strong>Muhammad Ali</strong>, for whom he secured a variety special on ABC). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 and in 2019, was honored by the Recording Academy with the Grammy Salute to Industry Icons award. Talent mogul <strong>Irving Azoff</strong> weighed in on the loss of Mr. Avant on Aug. 14. "We have lost the godfather," he said in a statement. 'The business would look nothing like this if it weren't for Clarence. He had the biggest heart of any of us despite him trying to hide it! What a great man." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/14/23...... Broadway lyricist, director and writer <strong>Tom Jones</strong>, who created "The Fantasticks," the longest-running musical in history, died on Aug. 11 at his home in Sharon, Conn. He was 95. "The Fantasticks," based on an obscure play by <strong>Edmond Rostand</strong>, doesn't necessarily have the makings of a hit. The set is just a platform with poles, a curtain and a wooden box. The tale, a mock version of <cite>Romeo and Juliet,</cite> concerns a young girl and boy, secretly brought together by their fathers, and an assortment of odd characters. For nearly 42 years the show chugged along at the 153-seat Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village, finally closing in 2002 after 17,162 performances -- a victim both of a destroyed downtown after 9/11 and a new post-terrorism, edgy mood. Its best known song, "Try To Remember," has been recorded by hundreds of artists over the decades, including <strong>Ed Ames, Harry Belafonte, Barbra Streisand</strong> and <strong>Placido Domingo</strong>. "Soon It's Gonna Rain" and "They Were You" are also among the musical's most recognized songs. Mr. Jones is survived by two sons, Michael and Sam. "Such a good guy. I truly adored him," wrote Broadway veteran <strong>Danny Burstein</strong> on Facebook. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/13/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447062389938918485.post-82128037746901800022023-08-05T14:50:00.007-07:002023-08-20T05:25:54.321-07:00Favorite Seventies Artists In The News<P><b>Posted by Administrator on August 15th, 2023</b>
<P>Billboard.com has just compiled a ranking of the <a href="https://www.billboard.com/photos/best-album-covers-of-all-time-6715351/98-3-patti-smith-horses-1975-album-art-billboard-1240/">"100 Best Album Covers of All Time"</a>, and '70s artists making the Top 10 include <strong>The Beatles</strong> (No. 2, <cite>Abbey Road</cite>), <strong>Patti Smith</strong> (No. 3, <cite>Horses</cite>), <strong>Led Zeppelin</strong> (No. 5, <cite>Led Zeppelin</cite>), <strong>Pink Floyd</strong> (No. 6, <cite>The Dark Side of the Moon</cite>) and <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> (No. 9, <cite>Elvis Presley</cite>). Billboard's ranking begins as far back as the 1930s, and runs through the birth of rock n' roll, the start of hip-hop and beyond, right up to present day. Billboard has also started <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/best-album-cover-all-time-poll-1235387506/">a poll</a> for fans to choose their own all-time favorite album cover. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/7/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/images/Rolling_Stones5.gif" ALT="The Rolling Stones" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Statues of <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> and <strong>Keith Richards</strong> have been unveiled in the <strong>Rolling Stones</strong> legends' hometown in the London borough of Dartford. Designed and made by Stones fan <strong>Amy Goodman</strong>, the statues aim to capture the same energy and intensity that they bring to each of their performances, with Jagger shown mid-way through one of his trademark struts up and down the stage, while Richards is leaning back as he plays his "Micawber" Fender Telecaster -- which was gifted to him from another rock veteran, <strong>Eric Clapton</strong>. Unveiled at the town's One Bell Corner on Aug. 8, Dartford council official <strong>Jeremy Kite</strong> said: "In terms of culture and music, you do not get much more influential than the Rolling Stones. Their music has changed the face of popular music and these lads from Dartford are now two of the most recognisable and loved people in the world," and added that the local community have had "a long-held desire" to acknowledge the band's roots to the small town. The rock stars' ties to the area stem back to the early '60s, when Jagger and Richards (then known as Keith Richard) met as teenagers on the platform of Dartford's train station, and went on to form the iconic rock group the following year (1962). The statues can be viewed on <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/09/statues-of-mick-jagger-and-keith-richards-unveiled-in-home-town-of-dartford">TheGuardian.com</a>. Meanwhile, Richards took to Instagram to share a video of himself playing the piano and wishing the frontman Jagger a happy 80th birthday on July 26, while bandmate <strong>Ronnie Wood</strong> took to Twitter to share a compilation of photos of him and Jagger throughout the years. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 8/9/23...... <strong>Paul McCartney</strong>, who composed his 1991 "Liverpool Oratorio" work with composer <strong>Carl Davis</strong>, has paid tribute to the composer after Mr. Davis' family announced on Aug. 3 that he had died following a brain haemorrhage. "I was very sad to hear that my friend Carl Davis had passed away. Carl and I wrote the 'Liverpool Oratorio' together. It was my first full-length classical venture and I really enjoyed working with him to make it happen. I would show up at his house and we would start writing," McCartney posted on <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulMcCartney/status/1687860459393740800">Twitter</a> on Aug. 7. He added: "I would suggest an idea and he would write it down on the manuscript paper which made it easy for him to play the idea back to me and we progressed like that. He was a very skilful and fun man to be with." McCartney also shared a photo of the two sitting together at the piano, and closed his message with: "When we came to perform the piece at Liverpool Cathedral it was very exciting for me who had once failed an audition for the choir at the cathedral to be back there with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. I enjoyed my time with Carl very much and send my love and sympathies." Mr. Davis won a BAFTA and Ivor Novello award for his work on 1981's <cite>The French Lieutenant's Woman,</cite> and also worked on the BBC's 1995 adaptation of <cite>Pride And Prejudice.</cite> In other McCartney news, the <strong>Beatles</strong> legend has just added a second Sydney show to his forthcoming Australia tour, slated for this October and November. "Sydney, we've got great news!," reads an <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulMcCartney/status/1688278774113243136">Aug. 6 message</a> on McCartney's Twitter account. "Paul has added a second and final show at Allianz Stadium on October 28th, to his #PaulMcCartneyGotBack tour! More Information at https://t.co/KhK4WK9uaZ." McCartney announced on Aug. 1 that he'll launch a 6-city, 7-date tour down under on Oct. 18 in Adelaide, wrapping on Nov. 4 in Gold Coast. The announcement came just a day after he teased an international tour, and it is currently unclear if the musician will announce more global tour dates for the "Got Back" tour. - <cite>NME,</cite>. 8/7/23...... <strong>Olivia Newton-John</strong>'s daughter <strong>Chloe Lattanzi</strong> has told <cite>People</cite> magazine that her late mom visited her two weeks after the iconic <cite>Grease</cite> co-star died on Aug. 8, 2022 following a long battle with breast cancer. Lattanzi, a 37-year-old singer and actress, told the magazine: "Two weeks after she passed my phone accidentally took a picture of my dog, and there floating by his head was a little blue orb, the same colour as this. Mum and I had talked years back. We'd watch these paranormal shows, and I'd say, 'You gotta show up for me.' And she was like, 'I'll show up as one of those orb things.'" Olivia's widow, <strong>John Easterling</strong>, who married the <cite>Xanadu</cite> star in Peru in 2008, has said he also had a similar supernatural encounter with his late wife when he visited Peru in June with her ashes to commemorate what would have been their 15th wedding anniversary. "I took a picture, and this blue orb is right between my eyes," Easterling recalled. "It's been a supernatural year." - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/9/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/J/John_Lydon__Rotten_.gif/images/John_Lydon15.gif" ALT="John Lydon" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">Former <strong>The Sex Pistols</strong> frontman <strong>John Lydon</strong> (née <strong>Johnny Rotten</strong>) has told the UK's <cite>Uncut</cite> magazine that he is being stalked by a woman who claims to be his daughter, saying the woman's behavior has left him distressed to the point where he's filed a police report. The topic came up during the interview where he was asked about the meaning of the song "Walls" on Lydon's later band <strong>Public Image Ltd</strong>' new album <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C211W19K/ref=nosim/?tag=superseventiesro"><cite>End of the World</cite></a>, which hits stores on Aug. 11. "We all need barriers," he said. "We need some degree of separation from others, if only just for a sense of security," Lydon said. "At the moment I'm struggling with a stalker who is letting herself in my yard at night, running around claiming that she's my daughter. And she's in her 50s. It's the uncaring selfishness of it that is really upsetting. I've had stalkers in the past but this one is becoming just too irrational, and has potential for something much more serious, so I've had to report it. I don't like to get people into trouble but it's causing me stress. It's making me a bag of nerves." Lydon was also asked about his opinion on the debate about whether New York or London can claim to be the birthplace of punk rock. "There's all this nonsense about how punk rock came from New York, it's all f---ing bollocks," Lydon asserted in his typical blunt manner. "I came from a very strong culture, one that didn't need America to teach us how to be punks. The American punk scene was a bunch of twats in tight trousers, reading Rimbaud poetry from the depths of New York. We didn't need America. We had exciting things in our youth that had nothing to do with America. Punk was coming out of glam. <strong>Slade, Sweet, T Rex, Bowie, Showaddywaddy, Mud</strong>." - <cite>NME,</cite> 8/6/23...... British keyboardist <strong>John Gosling</strong>, who played for <strong>The Kinks</strong> during the 1970s, has died at age 75. Gosling joined the Kinks in 1970 and played on 10 of the rock band's albums, as well as the demo of the group's classic song "Lola." Gosling left the Kinks in 1978 and was briefly replaced by <strong>Gordon Edwards</strong> upon his departure. A year later, <strong>Ian Gibbons</strong> took over on keyboards. In 1994, he became a founding member of <strong>Kast Off Kinks</strong>, which included former Kinks members <strong>Mick Avory, Jim Rodford</strong> and <strong>John Dalton</strong>. He performed with the act until retiring in 2008. "Condolences to his wife Theresa and family. Rest in Peace dearest John," Kinks frontman <strong>Ray Davies</strong> wrote, with his brother and Kinks bandmate <strong>Dave Davies</strong> adding "He has been a friend and important contributor to the Kinks music during his time with us. Deepest sympathies to his wife and family. I will hold deep affection and love for him in my heart always. Great musician and a great man." The Kinks' announcement of Gosling's passing can be viewed on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheKinks/status/1687498669191307273">Twitter</a>. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/5/23...... Enigmatic singer-songwriter <strong>Sixto Diaz Rodriguez</strong> -- commonly referred to as just <strong>Rodriguez</strong> -- died on Aug. 8, according to a statement on his official website. He was 81. Mr. Rodriguez's slow boil rise to international acclaim was chronicled in the Oscar-winning 2012 documentary <cite>Searching for Sugar Man</cite>. The Dylan-esque folk singer recorded two albums in the early 1970s that were released to little notice, <cite>Cold Fact</cite> (1970) and <cite>Coming From Reality</cite> (1971), leading the aspiring troubadour to give up on his musical dream, start a family and pursue a philosophy degree as he unsuccessfully ran for a series of local political offices in his hometown of Detroit. After failed bids at mayor and state senate, Mr. Rodriguez could often be seen walking in Detroit's Cass Corridor neighborhood with a guitar slung over his shoulder, with most onlookers unaware of his former musical aspirations. That changed in 1979 when he was invited to perform in Australia to celebrate the re-release of his albums; he toured there again in 1981. At the time, it was rumored that he had taken his life by shooting himself on stage (another false story claimed he'd died of a drug overdose) after releasing <cite>Coming From Reality</cite> on Detroit's Sussex record label, a false report his absence only served to feed amid a bubbling popularity Down Under. A decade later, he discovered that his music was even more influential in South Africa, where, unbeknownst to him, his psychedelic-tinged, wistful folk ruminations had become wildly popular among South African youth, who embraced them as anthems against the repressive, racist apartheid government. Though long retired from touring, Mr. Rodriguez booked some arena gigs in the nation in 1998 to rabid response and later saw his music re-discovered by artists such as DJ/producer <strong>David Holmes</strong>, who used <cite>Cold Shot</cite>'s opening track, "Sugar Man" for his 2002 <cite>Come Get It, I Got It</cite> compilation alongside songs by <strong>Muddy Waters, The Staples Singers, Cyril Neville</strong> and <strong>Betty Adams</strong>. Rapper <strong>Nas</strong> sampled Mr. Rodriguez singing the chorus from "Sugar Man" on his 2001 song "You're Da Man." The uptick in interest led to the re-issues of the albums and a world tour, a renaissance that was capped by the best documentary feature Oscar-winning 2012 film <cite>Searching for Sugar Man,</cite> which chronicled the journey of two Cape Town fans -- rock journalist <strong>Craig Bartholomew</strong> and <strong>Stephen "Sugar" Segerman</strong> -- to find out what happened to their favorite singer. - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/9/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/W/images/William_Friedkin.gif" ALT="William Friedkin" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>William Friedkin</strong>, the Oscar-winning director of such iconic 1970s films as <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_F-O.html#The French Connection"><cite>The French Connection</cite></a> and <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_A-E.html#The Exorcist"><cite>The Exorcist</cite></a>, died on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles. He was 87 and died following a long illness, according to his son Cedric Friedkin. Born in Chicago on Aug. 29, 1939, Mr. Friedkin began working in local TV productions as a teenager and by age 16, he was directing live shows. He moved from live shows to documentaries, making 1962's <cite>The People Versus Paul Crump</cite>, the story of a prison inmate who rehabilitates himself on Death Row after being sentenced for the murder of a guard during a botched robbery at a Chicago food plant. Producer <strong>David Wolper</strong> was so impressed with it that he brought Mr. Friedkin to Hollywood to direct network TV shows. After working on such shows as <cite>The Bold Ones, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</cite> and the documentary <cite>The Thin Blue Line,</cite> Mr. Friedkin landed his first film, 1967's <cite>Good Times,</cite> a lighthearted musical romp headlined by <strong>Sonny and Cher</strong> in what would be their only movie appearance together. He followed that with <cite>The Night They Raided Minsky's,</cite> about backstage life at a burlesque theatre, and <cite>The Birthday Party,</cite> from a <strong>Harold Pinter</strong> play. He then gained critical attention with 1970's <cite>The Boys in the Band,</cite> a landmark film about gay men. He then cemented his legend with 1971's <cite>The French Connection</cite>, based on a true story and deals with the efforts of maverick New York City police Detective James "Popeye" Doyle to track down Frenchman Alain Charnier, mastermind of a large drug pipeline funneling heroin into the United States. The movie, which was made for only $2 million, became a box office hit when it was released in 1971. It contains one of the most thrilling chase scenes ever filmed, and won Academy Awards for best picture, screenplay and film editing. Two years later he directed <cite>The Exorcist</cite>, based on <strong>William Peter Blatty</strong>'s bestselling novel about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil, and it became the biggest movie of 1973. The movie, featuring harrowing scenes of a young girl's demonic possession and featuring a splendid cast, was so scary for its era that many viewers fled the theatre before it was over and some reported being unable to sleep for days afterward. <cite>The Exorcist</cite> received 10 Oscar nominations, including one for Friedkin as director, and won two, for Blatty's script and for sound. His 1977 film <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_P-Y.html#Sorcerer"><cite>Sorcerer</cite></a>, a gangster thriller starring <strong>Roy Scheider</strong>, was widely panned at the time and also failed with audiences. It's since been reappraised by critics and has become a cult classic that Mr. Friedkin himself would continue to defend, saying in 2017 that it's the only one of his films he could still watch. In recent years, Mr. Friedkin wrote a candid memoir, <cite>The Friedkin Connection,</cite> and directed several well-received movies adapted from Tracy Letts plays including <cite>Bug</cite> and <cite>Killer Joe,</cite> starring <strong>Matthew McConaughey</strong> as a hit man. A new film, <cite>The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,</cite> starring <strong>Kiefer Sutherland</strong>, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September. Mr. Friedkin had three brief marriages in the 1970s and '80s, to French actress <strong>Jeanne Moreau</strong>; British actress <strong>Lesley-Anne Down</strong>, with whom he had a son; and longtime Los Angeles TV news anchor <strong>Kelly Lange</strong>. In 1991, he married Paramount studio executive <strong>Sherry Lansing</strong>. Mr. Friedkin's fellow director legend <strong>Francis Ford Coppola</strong> praised his longtime friend in a statement, saying his films "are alive with his genius." "Pick any of them out of a hat and you'll be dazzled. His lovable, irascible personality was cover for a beautiful, brilliant, deep-feeling giant of a man. It's very hard to grasp that I will never enjoy his company again, but his work will at least stand in for him." - <cite>Associated Press,</cite> 8/7/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/Robbie_Robertson/images/Robbie_Robertson10.gif" ALT="Robbie Robertson" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Robbie Robertson</strong>, the beloved Canadian guitarist, songwriter and frontman of <strong>The Band</strong>, died after an as yet undisclosed long illness on Aug. 9. He was 80. The Toronto, Ontario-born Mr. Robertson began playing guitar at age 10, and at just 16 years old he joined drummer <strong>Levon Helm</strong> in <strong>The Hawks</strong>, the backing band for <strong>Ronnie Hawkins</strong>. The Hawks went on to play with <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> on his legendary Going Electric tours in 1965 and 1966, and recorded the seminal "basement tapes" with the legend before changing their group's name to The Band. They released their debut <cite>Music From Big Pink</cite> album in 1968, which featured the Robertson-penned classic, "The Weight," and the group performed at the legendary original Woodstock Festival in 1969. Mr. Robertson was the sole writer of The Band's first four hits on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 100 pop chart -- "The Weight" (No. 63), "Up on Cripple Creek" (No. 25), "Rag Mama Rag" (No. 57), and "Time to Kill" (No. 77). He was also the sole writer of the biggest hit <strong>Joan Baez</strong> ever had, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," which reached No. 3 in 1971. After eight years as a band, Robertson ended the group in 1976, culminating in The Band's legendary farewell concert, <cite>The Last Waltz</cite>. Dylan, <strong>Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Neil Diamond</strong> and <strong>Joni Mitchell</strong> all joined the group for the performance at San Francisco's Winterland and a <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/movies_F-O.html#The Last Waltz">corresponding concert film</a> was directed by <strong>Martin Scorsese</strong>. <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/spband.html"><cite>The Last Waltz</cite></a> soundtrack was released in 1978 and peaked at No. 16 on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 albums chart. Mr. Robertson also delved into the film world, co-writing, producing, appearing in and composing the source music for <cite>Carny</cite> (1979), starring <strong>Gary Busey</strong> and <strong>Jodie Foster</strong>. He went on to create and produce music for Scorsese's <cite>Raging Bull</cite> (1980), <cite>King Of Comedy</cite> (1983), and <cite>The Color Of Money</cite> (1986), which included "It's In The Way That You Use It," co-written with Clapton. Mr. Robertson also scored, consulted for, produced or supervised music for numerous iconic films throughout the years, including <cite>American Beauty</cite> (1999), <cite>Any Given Sunday</cite> (1999) <cite>Gangs Of New York</cite> (2002), <cite>The Departed</cite> (2006), <cite>Shutter Island</cite> (2009), <cite>The Wolf of Wall Street</cite> (2013), and <cite>Silence</cite> (2016). He recently completed his fourteenth film music project with frequent collaborator Scorsese, <cite>Killers of the Flower Moon.</cite> In 1987, he made his solo album debut with his Grammy nominated self-titled album, featuring guests <strong>Peter Gabriel</strong> and <strong>U2</strong> and the beloved track "Somewhere Down The Crazy River." <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/R/Robbie_Robertson/images/Robbie_Robertson7.gif" ALT="Robbie Robertson" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">His sixth and final solo album, <cite>Sinematic,</cite> was released in 2019. The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2008. Robertson never won a Grammy in competition, despite five nods over the years, but he won five Juno Awards in his native Canada, including three in 1989 -- album of the year (for his eponymous solo debut album), male vocalist of the year and producer of the year (in tandem with <strong>Daniel Lanois</strong>). Tributes from Mr. Robertson's famous friends and admirers poured in on social media following the news of his death. "The music world lost a great one with the passing of Robbie Robertson," Neil Diamond <a href="https://twitter.com/NeilDiamond/status/1689375020240482307">tweeted</a>. "Keep making that Beautiful Noise in the sky, Robbie. I'll miss you." <strong>Stephen Stills</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stephen__Stills/status/1689384861650366465">tweeted</a> that Mr. Robertson was "always kind and generous...rest in peace" while <strong>Stevie Van Zant</strong> posted to <a href="https://twitter.com/StevieVanZandt/status/1689381049657393155">Twitter</a> about his "good friend and a genius": "The Band's music shocked the excess out of the Renaissance and were an essential part of the final back-to-the-roots trend of '60s. He was an underrated brilliant guitar player adding greatly to Bob Dylan's best tour & best album." The <strong>Rolling Stones</strong>' <strong>Ronnie Wood</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/ronniewood/status/1689389489393745922">tweeted</a> the musician "was a lovely man, a great friend and will be dearly missed." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/9/23.
<P><strong>Queen + Adam Lambert</strong> announced on Aug. 1 that they'll return to Japan in Feb. 2024 for their first shows there since 2020. Current Queen frontman Lambert, along with founding guitarist <strong>Sir Brian May</strong> and founding drummer <strong>Roger Taylor</strong>, will kick off their series of dome concerts on Feb. 4 in Nagoya, before heading to Osaka and Sapporo, and wrapping with two consecutive nights at Tokyo Dome, on Feb. 13-14. In a statement, May, 76, and Taylor, 74, hinted that it "may be the last time" they travel to the Land of the Rising Sun to perform. "We are so excited to be returning to Japan, the country that has always held a special and most honoured place in our hearts. This may be the last time...who knows? We promise to bring a very real spectacular for you to enjoy!" The guitarist almost emphasised that this will be an even more ambitious version of the Rhapsody tour show and among the biggest concerts they've ever played in Japan." Lambert, 41, remarked that the 2020 Japan shows -- when the band played four massive sold-out shows for a combined audience of over 132,000 people across the country -- "were so much fun, the audiences were incredible!" and he "can't wait!" to perform there again. Before the Japan tour, Queen + Adam Lambert will launch a 20-date, 13-city fall U.S. tour this fall on Oct. 5 in Baltimore, wrapping on Nov. 12 in Los Angeles. - <cite>Music-News.com,</cite> 8/1/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/D/Dan_Fogelberg/images/Dan_Fogelberg4.gif" ALT="Dan Fogelberg" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">The estate of late singer/songwriter <strong>Dan Fogelberg</strong> has inked a deal with music mogul <strong>Irving Azoff</strong>'s IAG agency, a partnership that draws on one of the deepest professional and personal relationships of Azoff's life. Azoff and Fogelberg dropped out of the University of Illinois together in 1970s to find fame in fortune in L.A., moving into a one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood from which Azoff oversaw Fogelberg's budding career. Under his guidance, Fogelberg, who died in Dec. 2007 at age 56 from cancer, became one of the leading singer-songwriters of the '70s and '80s. For nearly 20 years, he was a mainstay on adult contemporary radio, scoring such top 10 hits as "Longer," "Heart Hotels," "Same Old Lang Syne," "Leader of the Band" and "Rhythm of the Rain." On Aug. 4, IAG announced it had acquired the controlling interests in a broad range of Fogelberg's rights, including name, image, likeness, sound recordings, audiovisual works and music publishing. The company declined to reveal the purchase price or the exact percentage it owns. His widow, <strong>Jean Fogelberg</strong>, controls the rest. "We started IAG [because] we wanted to have a place for clients and friends, but none of it goes deeper than Dan," says Azoff, who notes that he's still reeling from Dan's untimely death. "He was my closest friend. He played piano at my wedding when we walked down the aisle. We struggled together; we struck gold together." Nearly 16 years after Fogelberg's death, Azoff says it's time to reintroduce the artist to a new generation. "His catalog and songs stand the test of time," he says. Jean Fogelberg says she hopes to show a more well-rounded portrait of her late husband, including highlighting some of his harder-edged songs along with his progressive bluegrass (or "newgrass") period. "It always 'bothered him' that he wasn't widely known for his musical breadth," Jean says. To remedy that, IAG is already in talks with filmmakers about a documentary that would cover the musician's rich history. She's also writing a biography of Dan, based in part of 22 hours of recordings she made of Dan "talking about his life." And she feels the move has Dan's blessing: "I remember the main thing he told me about Irving was, 'When I'm gone, if you need anything, ask Irving. He'll be there for you.'" - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/4/23...... Speaking of IAG, <strong>Cher</strong> has also explained why she recently made a deal with the company for her past sound recordings and compositions: "I trust Irving." Cher, an Academy Award, Emmy and Grammy winner, has partnered with Azoff's Iconic Artists Group to expose new generations to her prolific, six-decade-long music career. Like many acts on IAG's growing roster, Cher has a relationship with Azoff that goes back to the '70s, when they were introduced by Cher's sister, <strong>Georganne LaPiere</strong>, who was a close friend of Azoff's. "I've never worked with her professionally," he says, "but obviously have been a fan." Cher says her decision to make a deal with IAG came down to the respect Azoff shows artists. 'I trust Irving," she says. "If he has a great idea, I respect him. And if I have a great idea, I know he will listen attentively. My voice will be heard." IAG's first project with Cher will celebrate the 25th anniversary of 'Believe," her electro-pop hit that arrived in Oct. 1998 and was <cite>Billboard</cite>'s No. 1 song of 1999. Cher, who is managed by <strong>Roger Davies</strong> and <strong>Lindsay Scott</strong>, concluded her last major tour in 2005 and a Las Vegas residency in 2011. Asked if she plans to tour again, she replies: "I don't know," although she says there will not be live performances tied to the anniversary of"'Believe": "I'm not going to be ready that soon." She would also like to explore releasing a box set of her lesser-known songs, including some of her more recent recordings. "Some of my favorite, favorite songs weren't hits," she says. "I wasn't a very good singer until, oh, my God, I was 40. I met my teacher [<strong>Adrienne Angel</strong>]. She made me a real singer." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/2/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/Peter_Gabriel/images/Peter_Gabriel14.gif" ALT="Peter Gabriel" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Peter Gabriel</strong> has returned to the <cite>Billboard</cite> airplay chart for the first time since 2008 -- and as a lead artist since 2002 -- with "Road to Joy," the latest taste from his upcoming and long-awaited album <cite>I/O</cite>. A specific release date for the former <strong>Genesis</strong> frontman's LP not been announced, but the artists has released a new song from the album during every full moon each month, with the 12th set for December. It's his first album of original material since Up in 2002. "Road to Joy" marks Gabriel's first entry on an airplay ranking since he was featured on <strong>Big Blue Ball</strong>'s "Burn You Up, Burn You Down," which peaked at No. 18 on Adult Alternative Airplay in 2008. His last time as a lead artist on Adult Alternative Airplay (which began in 1996) prior to "Road to Joy" had been in 2002, when "More Than This" peaked at No. 20. His four No. 1 hits on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart include "Shock the Monkey," "Sledgehammer," "In Your Eyes" and 'Digging in the Dirt." He has tallied three top 10s on the <cite>Billboard</cite> Hot 200 albums chart, one each in the '80s (<cite>So,</cite> No. 2), '90s (<cite>Us,</cite> No. 2) and '00s (<cite>Up,</cite> No. 9). - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/3/23...... In an interview with <cite>Today</cite> show host <strong>Hoda Kotb</strong> on Aug. 3, <strong>Tony Bennett</strong>'s widow <strong>Susan Benedetto</strong> revealed the last words Tony said before his passing on July 21 at age 96 following a years-long battle with Alzheimer's disease. "He would tell me that he loved me," said Susan. "He would wake up every day and still say that. He woke up happy every day. Even if he had had a bad day or night, he didn't remember it. That was the only blessing. He woke up happy. And he's just like, 'Susan. You're the best thing that ever happened to me.' And he would say that to me all the time." Benedetto and Bennett tied the knot in 2007, more than 20 years after their first meeting at one of his concerts in 1985. She also revealed that he sang one of his classic tracks before passing away. "He sang 'Because of You.' We were getting him up to exercise, and so it was easy to just latch onto the piano," she said. Her full interview can be viewed on <a href="https://youtu.be/xWMOlHedTMw">YouTube</a>. Meanwhile, the United States Senate passed a resolution on July 28 declaring Aug. 3 -- which is Bennett's birth date -- as Tony Bennett Day. Senate majority leader cited Bennett's service in World War II and his decision to march with <strong>Martin Luther King Jr.</strong> during a time when mainstream entertainers like Bennett participating in civil rights demonstrations wasn't popular. The resolution was passed by unanimous consent. Speaker Emerita and San Franciscan <strong>Nancy Pelosi</strong>, a longtime friend of Bennett's, introduced a similar resolution in the House of Representatives. - <cite>Billboard/Music-News.com,</cite> 8/3/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/T/images/Tony_Hicks3.gif" ALT="Tony Hicks" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2">While <strong>The Hollies</strong>' 1974 hit <a href="https://www.superseventies.com/lyrics/song.php?sid=215292&aid=16286">"The Air That I Breathe"</a> was modified for its use in the upcoming horror flick <cite>Saw X,</cite> Hollies guitarist/singer <strong>Tony Hicks</strong> says the producers have made it worth the band's consent. "They paid a fortune to us to use 'The Air That I Breathe' in the new 'Saw' movie that's coming out," said Hicks, 77. "They played around with the song. It's quite remarkable... we were very surprised." Hicks says the group nearly fell over when they received a rather large undisclosed sum for agreeing to the use of the hit, which is featured in the trailer for the upcoming instalment in the blockbuster horror franchise. The Hollies -- including Hicks's fellow co-founding member <strong>Bobby Elliott</strong>, 81 -- have announced they'll embark on a UK tour beginning Sept. 16 in Blackburn and wrapping on Nov. 9 at the iconic London Palladium. Tony says his band will never quit touring, and insists that choosing to play squash and go for runs instead of getting drunk with his bandmates after shows is the secret to him still being fit enough to tour in his late 70s. "I used to be a regular squash player and used to go jogging, I mean, I've jogged absolutely everywhere in in the world. That kept me going, you know, when you're on the road with a band, and you've arrived somewhere, I don't know, mid morning, and you've got until the night time before you do a performance. I mean, you either do that what I did, you know, got out and do exercises or you go in the bar and just get p----d. You know, I prefer to do what I did. And that kept me sort of pretty much sane and things." - <cite>Bang Showbiz,</cite> 8/5/23...... A new two-part docuseries, <cite>San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time</cite>, will examine the extremely musically fertile environment of San Francisco from 1965 to 1975 which gave birth to such music acts as the <strong>Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Sly and the Family Stone, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Steve Miller, Santana</strong> and many more. Premiering on premium cable channel MGM+ on Aug. 20 and Aug. 27, <cite>San Francisco Sounds</cite> will also showcase seminal Bay Area festivals such as Monterey Pop, Altamont and Woodstock that brought its musicians into the national forefront during that time. The documentary comes from the same team that produced the three-time Emmy-nominated doc <cite>Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time</cite>. "Just like with <cite>Laurel Canyon,</cite> I personally lived through this extraordinary musical period of time and visited the San Francisco scene on a regular basis, so I'm very excited to be working again with the same amazing team we assembled to create the <cite>Laurel Canyon</cite> doc series," said executive producer <strong>Frank Marshall</strong> in a previous statement. In a recently released trailer for <cite>San Francisco Sounds</cite> on <a href="https://youtu.be/-LTD7C-oFhc">YouTube</a>, even a young Minnesotan-turned-New-Yorker <strong>Bob Dylan</strong> praises the Northern California scene, declaring that "Jefferson Airplane are playing at Fillmore Auditorium, and I would like to go if I could." The Grateful Dead's <strong>Jerry Garcia</strong> chimes in on the scene as well, declaring it a peaceful one, even in the face of the Vietnam War: "We're not thinking about any kind of power, revolution or war." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/2/23...... On Aug. 1, <strong>Paul McCartney</strong> announced his first tour of Australia in six years will commence on Oct. 18 in Adelaide. The day before, Sir Paul had teased on his social media outlets that he had "news coming soon" of some type of world tour, and delivered the following day with his announcement of an "intimate" date at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Oct. 18, the only arena show on the itinerary which also includes stops in Melbourne (10/21), Newcastle (10/24), Sydney (10/27) and Brisbane (11/1) before wrapping at Gold Coast's Heritage Bank Stadium on Nov. 4. When McCartney and the <strong>Beatles</strong> played Adelaide in 1964, at the very peak of their powers, an estimated 350,000 people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the Fab Four. That's roughly one-third the city's current population. "I've got so many amazing memories of my time in Australia over the years," McCartney said in a statement. "Our last trip was so much fun. We had such an incredible time. Each show was a party so we know this is going to be incredibly special. Australia we are going to rock! I can't wait to see you." Joining Macca down under will be his longtime band, <strong>Paul "Wix" Wickens</strong> (keyboards), <strong>Brian Ray</strong> (bass/guitar), <strong>Rusty Anderson</strong> (guitar) and <strong>Abe Laboriel Jr</strong> (drums). - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 8/1/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/L/images/Lemmy_Kilmister5.gif" ALT="Lemmy Kilmister" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Motörhead</strong> icon <strong>Lemmy Kilmister</strong> has had more of his ashes scattered the mud at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. The famed UK heavy metal band played Wacken countless times during their decades-long career, and some of his ashes were spread as part of Wacken's "Lemmy Forever" festivities opening the festival in late July. "Lemmy coming back to Wacken is an enormous honour for us -- words can hardly express how enormous," said festival co-organiser <strong>Thomas Jensen</strong>. "We will create a place of remembrance for him that does justice to his significance for an entire genre and beyond." Jensen continued: "There has always been a special connection between Motörhead and Wacken Open Air; hardly any band has played here more often The fact that his journey also ends here will forever hold a special meaning." Some of Lemmy's ashes were already used to create tattoos for Motörhead's tour manager and production assistant. Meanwhile, the artist had also requested before his death for his ashes to be placed inside bullets and sent to his loved ones. Earlier in 2023, the band's rare 1998 cover of <strong>Metallica</strong>'s "Enter Sandman" was finally released on all major streaming platforms. - <cite>New Musical Express,</cite> 8/3/23...... Actor <strong>Mark Margolis</strong>, who turned in a commanding performance as the vindictive drug runner Hector Salamanca on the hit series <cite>Breaking Bad</cite> and <cite>Better Call Saul</cite>, died on Aug. 3 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City following a short illness. He was 83. A protegé of <strong>Stella Adler</strong> who did double duty as the legendary acting teacher's personal assistant, Mr. Margolis also stood out as the Bolivian henchman Alberto the Shadow in <strong>Brian De Palma</strong>'s Scarface (1983); as the gravelly voiced landlord Mr. Shickadance looking for the rent in <cite>Ace Ventura: Pet Detective</cite> (1994); and, from 1998-2003, as the HIV-infected mob boss Antonio Nappa on HBO's <cite>Oz.</cite> The Philadelphia native was also featured in several movies from acclaimed director <strong>Darren Aronofsky</strong>, including <cite>Pi, The Wrestler, Black Swan</cite> and <cite>Noah.</cite> After studying for a short time with Alder's rival, <strong>Lee Strasberg</strong>, Mr. Margolis made his onscreen debut as a surly airplane passenger in the X-rated <cite>The Opening of Misty Beethoven</cite> (1976), then had small roles in <cite>Going in Style</cite> (1979), De Palma's <cite>Dressed to Kill</cite> (1980) and <cite>Arthur</cite> (1981) before his nasty Alberto was killed by <strong>Al Pacino</strong>'s Tony Montana in <cite>Scarface.</cite> "I am just a journeyman actor," he once said. "Truth to tell, six months after <cite>Scarface,</cite> I had to take a job with a real estate development friend for a few months just to get by." Mr. Margolis was praised on Instagram by his fellow <cite>Breaking Bad</cite> star, <strong>Bryan Cranston</strong>. "Mark Margolis was a really good actor and a lovely human being. Fun and engaging off the set, and (in the case of <cite>Breaking Bad</cite> and <cite>Your Honor</cite>) intimidating and frightening on set. His quiet energy belied his mischievous nature and curious mind & And he loved sharing a good joke. & Rest now, Mark and thank you for your friendship and your exceptional body of work." He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, whom he married in June 1962, son Morgan Margolis, and three grandsons. - <cite>The Hollywood Reporter,</cite> 8/4/23...... <IMG SRC="https://www.superseventies.com/mugshots/P/images/Paul_Reubens.gif" ALT="Paul Reubens" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="2"><strong>Paul Reubens</strong>, the comic actor behind beloved character <strong>Pee-wee Herman</strong>, died on July 30 after a what was described as a long and brave battle with cancer. He was 70. Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness," read a message on Reubens' Facebook and Instagram pages. "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit." Included with the announcement was a message from Reubens himself. "Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years," he wrote. "I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have love you all so much and enjoyed making art for you." Reubens created the goofy, childlike character Pee-wee Herman in the 1970s while he was in the Los Angeles improv group The Foundlings. Pee-wee was always dressed in a light gray suit and red bowtie, and had a signature laugh. Pee-wee appeared not only on the 1980s Saturday morning children's show <cite>Pee-wee's Playhouse,</cite> but also in feature films <cite>Pee-wee's Big Adventure</cite> (1985), which was directed by <strong>Tim Burton</strong>, and <cite>Big Top Pee-wee</cite> (1988). The character didn't get another feature-length adventure until 2016, when <cite>Pee-wee's Big Holiday</cite> arrived as a Netflix original. During <cite>Pee-wee's Playhouse</cite>'s run, the show won 18 Daytime Emmys, and earned Reubens four nominations for outstanding performer in a children's series. The actor also received three Primetime Emmy nods during his career: art direction for a variety or music program in 1989 for "Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse"; guest actor in a comedy series in 1995 on <cite>Murphy Brown</cite>; and variety, music or comedy special in 2011 for "The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway." His success was nearly derailed in 1991, when he was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Fla., and paid a $75 fine. He ran afoul of the law again in 2001, when police seized images from his erotica collection. He was ultimately pleaded guilty in 2004 to an obscenity charge, and was fined $100 and placed on probation for three years, during which he agreed to register as a sex offender. <strong>Devo</strong> frontman <strong>Mark Mothersbaugh</strong> praised Reubens as a longtime friend and an artist who "changed the trajectory of my career. "He always had a good personality and a good heart," Mothersbaugh told Yahoo Music. "It's just shocking and sad that he's gone." - <cite>Billboard,</cite> 7/31/23.Administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14363516509559795773noreply@blogger.com0