July 2012

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted in Main by Administrator on July 31st, 2012

A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge orders on July 27 that an investigation be launched into the well-being of Michael Jackson's children, and a lawyer for Jackson matriarch Katherine Jackson says she will move to share guardianship with another adult relative..... James Taylor reveals to USA Today that "Hourglass" and "Gorilla" are his favorites among his own albums..... Music from such famous '70s British rock stars as the Who, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, David Bowie, Queen, Eric Clapton and Pink Floy is used during the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony in London on July 27..... Welsh crooner Tom Jones apologizes to fans for pulling out of an Olympics celebration set for Hyde Park on July 28 after contracting bronchitis..... Van Halen's "Jump" is voted "the most popular sporting song" in a new poll conducted by the UK's PRS for Music..... Kiss launches a new online tool calle Kiss Social Hub in conjunction with its 40-date summer coheadlining tour with Motley Crue..... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announce they'll play an additional 16 dates in the US and Canada after they wrap an epic 11-week trip through Europe..... In a recent interview with Classic Rock magazine, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts reveals that he "needs two years off from Ronnie Wood after we stop touring."..... Veteran British rocker Eric Burdon is admitted into a California hospital for successful back surgery on July 27..... A staff writer for The New Yorker magazine resigns and the publication of his best-selling book "Imagine - How Creativity Works" is halted after he acknowledges inventing quotes by Bob Dylan..... Former Commodores star Lionel Richie joins Jimmy Buffett for a one-off opening act appearance at Buffett's concert at the Comerica Park in Detroit on July 28..... Larry Hoppen, the guitarist who co-founded the 1970s pop-rock group Orleans and sang lead on the group's hits including "Still the One" and "Dance With Me," dies at age 61 on July 24 in Florida of undisclosed causes..... Crooner Tony Martin, a romantic idol whose career spanned from the Great Depression to the 21st century, dies of natural causes in his West Los Angeles home on July 30 at age 98.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted in Main by Administrator on July 26th, 2012

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge appoints the son of former Jackson Five member Tito Jackson to serve as temporary guardian of Michael Jackson's children on July 25 in the absence of the Jackson matriarch Katherine Jackson and in the midst a feud over the pop superstar's estate..... Paul McCartney is one of the latest guest bloggers on the popular American news website The Huffington Post, blogging with a post titled "Come Together, to Save the Arctic"..... A new Beatles compilation titled "Tomorrow Never Knows" is released exclusively on iTunes on July 24..... Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne posts on Twitter on July 24 that she's ready to give up her position as one of the judges on NBC's "America's Got Talent."..... The Official UK Charts Company announces on July 22 that Elton John has topped the UK album chart for the first time in 22 years with his new album "Good Morning to the Night."..... Elton John, Pete Townshend and Robert Plant sign an anti-piracy letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron that is published in the UK paper The Guardian..... Country music legend Willie Nelson will be among a group of musicians and actors participating in a travelling tour by train that's set to get underway on Oct. 20 in Duluth, Ga..... The website Gawker.com is reporting a malicious computer virus might be responsible for the AC-DC song "Thunderstruck" blasting at maximum volume at a nuclear facility in Iran..... A limited-edition deluxe 35th anniversary box set of the Sex Pistols' 1977 album "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" will hit stores on Sept. 24..... The Velvet Underground's classic 1967 debut album "The Velvet Underground and Nico" will receive a 6-disc 45th anniversary release on Oct. 1..... Rock 'n' roll pioneer Chuck Berry will be the subject of a week-long celebration hosted by the Cleveland-based Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this fall..... A whopping 15,000-word profile in a recent edition of The New Yorker magazine shadows Bruce Springsteen from this year's earlier "Wrecking Ball" tour rehearsals through his current tour of Europe and reveals that the New Jersey rocker has been seeing a therapist ever since 1982..... The '70s Southern rock band the Outlaws announce they'll release their first studio album in 18 years in September..... "The Jeffersons" actor Sherman Hemsley dies at age 74 at his home in El Paso, Tex., on July 24 of natural causes after an extended illness..... Frank Pierson, a TV and movie screenwriter-director who won an Academy Award for best original screenplay for the acclaimed 1975 film "Dog Day Afternoon," dies at age 87.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted in Main by Administrator on July 21st, 2012

Keith Richards admits he sometimes forgets how to play Rolling Stones songs in a recent interview with a UK radio program..... The Neilsen company releases statistics indicating sales of "old albums" have overtaken sales of "new albums" for the first time over the last six months in the US..... The Who announces on July 18 that they will embark on a 36-date "Quadrophenia Tour" this fall, their first North American concert tour in four years..... Roger Daltrey is honored with an honorary degree from the UK's Middlesex University on July 18 in recognition for his contribution to the music and acting industry over his six-decade career..... The J. Geils Band announces it will reform in late August -- sans guitarist John Geils -- for a summer tour of the U.S. cities..... Bruce Springsteen hits back at the organizers of London's Hard Rock Calling festival on July 17 in Dublin, Ireland, after the plug was pulled on his set during a duet with Paul McCartney during the Hard Rock fest on July 14 by coming onstage with a huge power generator prop..... In a July 16 interview with Britain's The Independent newspaper, former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant finally confirms rumours that his is married to singer Patty Griffin, revealing they "eloped" in Texas in 2011..... In Elton John's new book "Love Is the Cure - On Life, Loss and the End of AIDS," the pop megastar has set his sights on an ambitious goal -- eradicating AIDS..... Country-pop crossover pioneer Glen Campbell announces he's cancelling his tour of Australia and New Zealand with Kenny Rogers in August for health reasons..... Lawyers for Michael Jackson's estate blast five of his siblings, including Jermaine and Janet Jackson, for questioning the authenticity of the star's will, branding the allegation "false and defamatory."..... A rare edition of the Beatles' first U.S. release on Vee-Jay Records, "Introducing the Beatles," sells for $14,999 on July 12 on eBay to a private collector..... Patti Smith will contribute to a new solo EP by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea..... A Curtis Mayfield tribute concert, "Here But I'm Gone - A 70th Birthday Tribute to Curtis Mayfield," will be held July 20 at New York's Lincoln Center..... Aretha Franklin fires off a terse email to two U.S. talk show hosts after they questioned the star's suitability as a judge on "American Idol."..... Bob Dylan announces he'll mount a massive 32-date tour of North American arenas beginning Oct. 5 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and running through Nov. 21 in Brooklyn, N.Y...... Prominent Motown studio musician and Funk Brothers member Bob Babbitt dies on July 16 in Nashville, Tenn., after a battle with brain cancer at age 74..... Comedy writer-entertainer Tom Davis, who with Al Franken helped develop some of the most popular skits in the early years of "Saturday Night Live," dies on July 19 of throat and neck cancer at age 59..... Kitty Wells, the "Queen of Country Music" who opened the door to a host of female country music headliners, diesd on July 16 at her home in Nashville of complications from a stroke at age 92..... Oscar-winning actress Celeste Holm dies on July 15 in her New York City apartment at age 95..... TV director-producer Bill Asher, who worked on such classic sitcoms as " Love Lucy" and "Bewitched," dies at a facility in Palm Desert, Calif., on July 16 of complications from Alzheimer's disease at age 90.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted in Main by Administrator on July 16th, 2012

"I Got a Name - The Jim Croce Story," a new book about Jim Croce that finally tells the complete tale of one of rock's most tragic stories, is published by Da Capo Press..... Organizers of the UK's Hard Rock Calling festival say a curfew that was laid down by authorities forced them to switch off the microphones at the end of a marathon 29-song set by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on July 14 as the New Jersey rocker was joined by Paul McCartney onstage..... Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler issuesa statement on July 12 saying he's bowing out of his job as a judge on the top-rated US talent show "American Idol" to dedicate more time to himself and the band..... Aretha Franklin is reportedly interested in joining the judging panel on "American Idol" in the wake of the exit of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, who has also announdes she's leaving the show..... Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood says on July 12 that his famous rock 'n' roll band has been rehearsing in a studio in New York recently for a possible 50th anniversary tour in 2013..... '70s New Wave artist Joe Jackson announces plans to mount a 16-show U.S. tour between Sept. 15 and Oct. 6, then tour Europe from Oct. 14 to Nov. 17..... An attorney representing Bob Dylan is denying claims that the electric guitar he played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when he famously announced that he was "going electric" has been found in the home of a New Jersey woman..... Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks reveals on a CBS morning news/talk show on July 12 that all members of the Mac are on board to tour in 2013..... Bebe Buell, the mother of actress Liv Tyler and a former lover of Mick Jagger and David Bowie, dispels claims made in a new Mick Jagger biography that the two famous rockers tried to lure her into a few orgies in the 1970s as she was dating both of them at the same time..... There are reports in the British papers that Paul McCartney has hired Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Kaiser Chiefs, Duran Duran) to produce his new album..... A floating hotel based on the Beatles' song and film "Yellow Submarine" opens in Liverpool..... Appearing on NBC's "Today" show on July 14, Elton John says he "wasted" a big part of his life because of drug addiction..... Concert trade publication "Pollstar" reports that former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters is the top-selling live act for the first half of 2012..... Former Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers will perform a benefit show for Kids Rock Free, a music education program he's been supporting since 2003, on July 28 in Corona, Calif..... U.S. researchers name a Caribbean parasite after '70s reggae legend Bob Marley..... On July 12 a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge rules that a cousin of Stevie Wonder will stand trial on extortion charges after hearing testimony that the man and his girlfriend attempted to sell a film ranting against the Motown legend's treatment of his family for millions of dollars..... The mysterious sudden death of actor Sylvester Stallone's 36-year-old son Sage Stallone on July 13 has reportedly leaves the "Rocky" star devastated.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted in Main by Administrator on July 11th, 2012

Posting on the Van Halen fansite Van Halen News Desk, VH frontman David Lee Roth says the band "has not had the honor of performing at the 2013 Super Bowl bestowed upon us yet, though it is one we would accept in a NY minute."..... Tony award-winning actress Nina Arianda ("Midnight in Paris," "Tower Heist") is tapped to portray Janis Joplin in a forthcoming biopic of the Texas-born rock legend..... Filmmaker Spike Lee is putting the finishing touches on a new Michael Jackson documentary that focuses on the late pop superstar's "Bad" album and ensuing world tour..... California Saga, a new group comprised of eight offspring of current Beach Boys members, makes their live debut opening for their famous fathers on June 2, and is set to perform again on July 10 at the Grammy Museum..... Mick Jagger's daughter Georgia May Jagger is being featured in a new ad campaign for '80s superstar Madonna's new clothing line, Material Girl..... Members of the Rolling Stones will attend a photographic exhibition in their honor in London on July 12 to mark the exact 50th anniversary of their first gig at London's Marquee Club..... Paul Stanley tells Classic Rock magazine that there's still no love lost between him and his former co-founding Kiss members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley and he doesn't want them back in the band..... Columbia-Legacy announces it will release "The Singer," a 2-CD Art Garfunke restrospective, on Aug. 28..... The 2012 edition of the long-running Farm Aid benefit concert will be held in chocolate capital Hershey, Pa., on Sept. 22..... The creators of the popular video game "Halo" have an esteemed new music collaborator -- Sir Paul McCartney..... Ringo Starr celebrates his 72nd birthday in Nashville, Tenn., on July 7 by holding a "peace and love" get together at midday..... Stephen Stills reveals that Crosby, Stills and Nash won't be making a new studio album, despite the upcoming release of a new CSN DVD called "CSN 2012."..... A new documentary about the Clash makes its premiere on the first day of the inaugural four-day CBGB Festival in New York on July 5..... Queen guitarist Brian May, who has turned his estate in Surrey, UK into a wildlife refuge, tells the London Sunday Times on July 8 that he would "rather be remembered for saving animals" than being a member of one of the world's most famous rock bands..... Queen's classic track "Bohemian Rhapsody" is among ten singles that announces he'll play a string of solo acoustic dates in the US this September and October..... "Wild" Mick Brown, a drummer in Ted Nugent's current touring band, lives up to his nickname on July 7 when he was arrested by police in Bangor, Me. for allegedly driving drunk in a golf cart stolen from a concert venue..... The cast of the hit '70s retro-themed sitcom "Happy Days" settles its long-running merchandising revenue battle with CBS and Paramount Studios before a scheduled trial date of July 17..... Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine, known for appearing in such films as "Marty" and television series as "McHale's Navy," dies of renal failure at a Los Angeles hospital on July 8 at age 95..... "My Three Sons" star Don Grady -- who was also one of Disney's original Mousketeers -- dies at age 68 on June 27 following a cancer battle..... Norman Felton, a TV producer who worked on such iconic '60s shows as "Dr. Kildare" and "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," dies of natural causes on June 25 at age 99 in Santa Barbara, Cal.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted in Main by Administrator on July 6th, 2012

Last surviving Bee Gees member Barry Gibb, who lost his bandmate brothers Robin Gibb in May and Maurice Gibb in 2003, announces he is planning to return to the stage as a solo star and continue to perform the Bee Gees' famous songs in honour of his deceased brothers, which also includes youngest sibling Andy Gibb..... Kiss releases a "Hell or Hallelujah," a single from their forthcoming album Monster which is due in October..... Elton John uses an AIDS charity concert in Kiev, Ukraine on June 30 to make an emotional appeal to the country to stop what he called "persecution of gays..... Artwork created by Obama "Hope" artist Shepard Fairey for Neil Young's new album "Americana" goes on display at L.A.'s Perry Rubenstein Gallery..... Def Leppard records "forgeries" of some of their classics including "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Rock of Ages" in order to "wrestle control of their career back" from Universal Music Group..... "Robert Plant and the Band of Joy - Live from the Artists Den," a DVD of Robert Plant and the Band of Joy's Feb. 2011 concert in Nashville, Tenn., hits stores on July 10..... Aerosmith is forced to postpone a July 3 concert in Bristow, Va., as frontman Steven Tyler is under doctor's orders "to refrain from performing to provide vocal rest."..... ZZ Top mainman Billy Gibbons reveals during a UK music program that he and bandmate Dusty Hill once turned down an offer of $1 million from the Gillette razor blade manufacturer to shave off their beards..... After postponing all tour dates after June 26, Van Halen has now canceled those shows, reports the concert industry company Pollstar..... Bob Dylan shocks fans at England's Hop Farm Festival on June 30 by playing a grand piano..... Ex-Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde gives his newborn son a suitably metal name, Sabbath..... Punk legend Patti Smith is added to the bill of the UK's End of the Road festival, which is set for Larmer Tree Gardens in Wiltshire from Aug. 31 - Sept. 2..... Meat Loaf launches a legal battle against an impersonator for allegedly misleading fans over the Internet..... A Hofner bass guitar owned by Paul McCartney sells for more than $64,000 US at a fundraiser for music charity Nordoff Robbins..... Eric Sykes, a widely-acclaimed British comedy actor and writer and one of the most popular comedians of his generation, dies following a brief undisclosed illness on July 4 at age 89.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted in Main by Administrator on July 1st, 2012

Cher takes heat from some prominent members of the Mormon church after posting an attack on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney via her Twitter.com account on June 29..... Bruce Springsteen is named the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year by the Recording Academy -- the group that puts on the Grammy Awards -- for his creative and philanthropic contributions..... Rod Stewart inks a new long-term, multi-album deal with Universal Music Group, and his first release under the new contract will be his first-ever Christmas album..... Though the Beach Boys' 50th anniversary reunion tour comes to an end on Sept. 28 in London, the band says they may well "do it again," both on the road and in the recording studio..... Several Michael Jackson collectibles are a big draw at a music and sports memorabilia auction conducted by Julien's auction house in Beverly Hills, Calf., on June 24, the day before the three-year anniversary of the King of Pop's death..... Michael Jackson's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray reportedly says he now regrets not testifying at his trial over the death of Jackson..... Van Morrison re-signs with Blue Note Records, the label which released his Grammy-nominated "What's Wrong With This Picture?" album in 2003..... The Rolling Stones commission artist Shepard Fairey to update their famous tongue-and-lip logo with a new 50th anniversary design..... Ringo Starr shoots down reports that one of his sons might participate in new band comprised of the Beatles' offspring..... A new Broadway musical showcasing Berry Gordy Jr. and his legendary Motown Records label is set to open in the spring of 2013..... The Fox TV channel announces at the recent Entertainment Licensing Expo in Las Vegas that they'll launch a line of merchandise inspired by Seventies shock-rock stalwarts Kiss's guest appearances on the animated TV series "Family Guy."..... A Michigan man is arrested for stealing several priceless items from Bob Seger's home in Orchard Lake, Mich., after attending a party at the house..... The Clash's Mick Jones and his Justice Band are confirmed to headline this summer's Strummer Of Love Festival, which will mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Clash frontman Joe Strummer..... Steven Tyler reveals during a live call-in to a Cleveland radio station on June 27 that the release date of his band's forthcoming studio album "Music From Another Dimension" has been pushed back from Aug. 28 to Nov. 6..... Emmylou Harris announces she'll be touring Australia this fall..... David Bowie's son Duncan Jones has become engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Rodene Ronquillo..... Screenwriter and director Nora Ephron, who wrote the screenplay for the 1989 romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally," passes away on June 26 after a battle with acute myeloid leukaemia at age 71.