Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on November 1st, 2026

Deep Purple announced on Oct. 31 that they were forced to cancel two shows in Germany after frontman Ian Gillan was hospitalized following a medical emergency. "This comes as a result of a medical emergency involving Ian Gillan, which has resulted in his current hospitalisation," wrote the band, adding that the cancellation of concerts in Leipzig and Hamburg came "with great disappointment." The band -- which also features founding members Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice along with Simon McBride (guitar) and Don Airey (keyboards) -- did not provide further details about Gillan's condition or indicate when he might be released from the hospital. The band added that it is working to find a "suitable time to reschedule" both concerts. Tickets purchased for the original dates will remain valid for the rescheduled performances. In October, former DP bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes underwent 10-hour open-heart surgery. Hughes, who announced his retirement from touring earlier in 2026, shared an update saying he was recovering at home following the procedure. - Billboard, 10/31/26...... Aerosmith returned from a three-year live performance hiatus on Oct. 29 with the first of two all-star "California Dream On: Aerosmith and Friends" shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In addition to a 45-minute set by Aerosmith -- their first full performance since singer Steven Tyler's 2023 vocal injury scuttled their planned "Peace Out - Farewell Tour" -- they were joined by Foo Fighters drummer/vocalist Dave Grohl, Heart, Sammy Hagar, Guns N' Roses, the Black Crowes and guitarist Joe Perry's Hollywood Vampires bandmate actor Johnny Depp. For most of Aerosmith's six-song, show-ending set, Grohl sat in with Tyler, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford and bassist Tom Hamilton in place of the band's co-founding drummer Joey Kramer, who has been on hiatus from the group since first taking a break due to health issues in 2020. At the close of Aerosmith's set, Tyler addressed the elephant in the room of their long break from performing: "Before we say good night, I just want to say what a ride it's been with my brothers -- Joe, Tom, Brad and Joey. Fifty-five f-king years, and we're the same f-king band that started fifty-five and a half years ago." Kramer then walked out and hugged Tyler and sat behind his drum kit, alongside Aerosmith's drum tech, John Douglas, who'd filled in for Kramer in his absence, and the band brought it all back home with their Top 10 1976 hit "Walk This Way." The night also included a five-song set from Guns N' Roses, who covered the early Aerosmith songs "Nobody's Fault," "Last Child" and "Season of Wither," in addition to their own indelible hits "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Paradise City." Heart took on two classics, Aerosmith's take on Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You)" (retitled "Never Loved a Girl" on 2004's blues covers album Honkin' on Bobo) and "Janie's Got a Gun" and country star Eric Church also picked a pair of favorites, "Rag Doll" and Aerosmith's No. 1 power ballad "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing." Tyler, 78, was diagnosed with a fractured larynx in Sept. 2023, just three dates into what was billed as the band's last tour. They initially postponed, then canceled the outing, announcing their official retirement from touring after more than five decades of road work. While the veteran band has not revealed whether these gigs are their true swan song, Variety noted that host comedian and fellow Boston native Bill Burr opened the night by called them "the final two shows in Aerosmith's history." A second Hollywood Bowl show is scheduled for Nov. 1. - Billboard, 10/30/26...... Blue Oyster Cult's 1976 hit "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" has jumped to the top of Billboard Top TV Songs chart after a synch of the song was used in the new season of Prime Video's series Reacher. "The Reaper" appears in the sixth episode of Reacher's fourth season; it aired on Sept. 2, with its season finale following two weeks later on Sept. 16. Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of Sept. 2026. - Billboard, 10/30/26...... Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers, a new documentary detailing the untold story of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, became available Oct. 30 for rent via Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play and Fandango, after a nearly nine-month run in film festivals and theaters. As the title indicates, Occupational Hazard is an origin story, from the beginnings of the Parrothead-In-Chief's career as a troubadour (after a tenure writing for Billboard) and his move to Key West, Fla., where he assembled the initial Coral Reefer lineup during the mid-70s, after using the name for an imaginary band during his solo performances before then. Narrated by Oscar-winning actor and Buffett friend Jeff Bridges, it details a decidedly different and significantly less polished ensemble than Parrotheads became used to from the late '70s until Buffett's death on Sept. 1, 2023. "We wanted to capture the time before the Parrothead phenomenon began, when it was still rough 'n' ready out on the road," says director-producer John H. Cunningham. "Those were wild times; many viewers who are watching this have no idea that period even existed for this band, because they've seen this very organized, polished group for such a long time," he says. "But the first years were a little bit different. Some of the band are starting to pass away and disappear without the history being recorded. So just for historical purposes, we thought this was an important time to document," he added. The film, which won audience awards at the Dallas International Film Festival and the Sarasota Film Festival, is loaded with archival footage and images -- including home movies shot by original Coral Reefer Roger Bartlett's girlfriend Phyllis McBride and the late harmonica player Greg "Fingers" Taylor's brother Brent, who was the band's assistant road manager for a time. - Billboard, 10/30/26...... A previously unseen David Bowie 1978 concert film, Stage, will debut at Berlin's Uber Arena on Feb. 14. According to a press release announcing the project, the sound and vision experience was designed around recently discovered and restored footage from the 1978 "Isolar II" world tour, on which Bowie performed songs from his landmark "Heroes" album. The film will be presented in a three-screen format, combining large-scale projections of footage assembled from raw, unseen 35mm film and transparent LED screens with an elaborate lighting design by acclaimed lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe (Rolling Stones, Elton John), with a newly created sound mix by Oscar-winner Paul Massey (Bohemian Rhapsody, Michael). Bowie conceived and produced Stage in 1978 during his Isolar II concerts at London's Earls Court, with the legendary footage going untouched in the late singer's archives for more than 50 years, according to the release, which promises that it showcases "Bowie at the zenith of his powers as a live performer" in what is said to be one of his best live performances. A teaser for the film can be viewed on X. - Billboard, 10/24/26...... The soundtrack and film for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's epic July 2025 "Back To The Beginning" show are getting an official release, and will feature behind-the-scenes footage, video tributes from Dolly Parton, and more. The soundtrack and concert film will be released on Dec. 11, and available on a variety of formats including 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, CD, and vinyl. Highlights on the Blu-ray release include footage of Jack Black performing "Mr. Crowley" and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst performing "Changes," as well as a Sounds of Birmingham documentary. Video tributes to Osbourne from Dolly Parton, AC/DC, Ricky Gervais and more are included too. In April 2027, there will also be the release of a "Deluxe Box Set" of the concert film, which will feature memorabilia, collectables, and a bonus HD Blu-ray featuring all 35 Ozzy and Black Sabbath songs, including the covers performed by the guests. That version will also come with a limited edition film poster, a hardback book about the show, and an Ozzy Pendant Necklace. The huge one-day event, organized by Sharon Osbourne with musical direction from Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello, took place at Villa Park in Birmingham in July 2025. It marked both Osbourne's final solo performance and the last ever show from Sabbath's original line-up -- with the frontman Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward playing live together for the first time in two decades. Meanwhile, two previously-unheard Ozzy tracks are set to be released to coincide with the upcoming movie being made about Osbourne's life. According to a source in The Sun's "Bizarre" column, the songs are described as still being "works in progress," and even Ozzy's widow Sharon, who managed his career, hasn't heard them. "Those tracks have only been heard by [2022 Patient Number 9 producer] Andrew Watt and his musicians." Sharon and son Jack Osbourne have been the driving forces behind the biopic and the film is moving forward, though fans may have a long wait for both the movie and the songs as it is still in development. A source said: "The script is being worked on as a final draft with Sony Studios looking for directors." - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 10/28/26...... A Los Angeles judge says Universal Music Group (UMG) can keep pursuing a legal battle demanding the return of what the label has called the "first known Beatles recording" from the estate of a famed Abbey Road sound engineer. In October, Judge David Cowan ruled that Calderstone Productions -- a UMG unit that administers the Beatles catalog -- had legal standing to seek to recover the rare tape from the estate of Geoff Emerick, who the label claims stole it decades ago. Emerick's estate, which says he rescued a piece of history from destruction, had argued UMG couldn't show a "chain of title" to prove it was the rightful legal successor to Abbey Road, meaning it lacked ownership rights in the first place. But in an Oct. 16 ruling, Judge Cowan rejected that argument: "Calderstone shows how the chain of title gives it the right to pursue its underlying conversion claim," the judge said, using the legal term for the civil law equivalent of theft. The decision sets the stage for an early 2027 trial over the big remaining issue: Whether Abbey Road legally abandoned ownership of the tape. The estate says it was basically thrown away and that Emerick saved it. UMG argues back that it was always company property: "At issue in this action is a highly valuable artifact of rock and roll history that was stolen." The courtroom showdown, currently scheduled for January, will be a bench trial before the same probate judge, without the kind of jury that often decides civil trials. Beyond the issue of abandonment, it will likely also touch on whether the entire dispute is past the statute of limitations. - Billboard, 10/28/26...... A new George Harrison photo book titled The Third Eye: Early Photographs features never before-seen photos of the Fab Four in their heyday. Billed as an "intimate, beautiful collection of more than 200 never-before-collected photos of the Beatles at work and at play," The Third Eye's photos were taken by Harrison through his Pentax film camera between 1963 and 1970 and span the most prolific years of the Beatles' career, covering everything from the making of seminal albums like A Hard Day's Night to the band's famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show and subsequent tours around the world. First announced in 2025, the book was released Oct. 6 and has shot to number one on Amazon's bestselling photography books chart. - Billboard, 10/28/26...... Interviewed on the Classic Album Review YouTube channel, The Who's Pete Townshend revealed that he "never really got into Led Zeppelin" and felt like they were "trying to pinch our audience." During the show, host Barry Robinson asked him about his thoughts on how The Who impacted the music industry, and whether they could be considered pioneers of heavy metal. The question seemed to reference past comments made by Who frontman Roger Daltrey, who told Rolling Stone earlier in 2026 that he thinks his band "were the first heavy metal band" and that they paved the way for the genre in the '60s. Asked if he agreed with the statement, Townshend said: "No, I don't necessarily think so. I think [our 1970 live album] Live At Leeds is probably as explosive as it got." He also added that while they did have "some heavy stuff" in their discography, they didn't center purely around that sound. He went on to speak about other bands of that era, and said that "the only heavy metal I really listened to was AC/DC." "I never really got into Led Zeppelin," he added, "which is strange because today I've recently been trying to get Jimmy Page to have lunch with me. I sent him a note recently just saying, 'I've been listening to all of the Zeppelin albums again,' and I thought I should. And there's some f---ing great stuff there." As for why he never got into Led Zep's music, Townshend shared: "At the time I didn't like it that they were, in a sense, trying to pinch our audience. I'd been through it before with Jimi Hendrix coming over with his big amplifiers and his distortion and his wah-wah pedal, and having to admit, 'Wow, here is a guitar genius.'" Townshend also spoke about Black Sabbath, and had a similar attitude, despite the Birmingham, UK band widely being considered the pioneers of heavy metal. "I don't know about bands like Black Sabbath and so on because I really didn't listen to them, despite the fact that I think they were great fun and enjoyable," he explained. "And I really love the parts of the music business where people don't take themselves too seriously. That was my issue in my early days - I felt I was carrying a big cross, a big manifesto for rock and roll. I felt that this was important for me to deliver." The Who played their final-ever live shows in 2025, however, earlier this year Townshend hinted that there could be more to come from the band. "We are always trying to come up with something special, and God Willing will continue to do that, hoping one day we can astound you the way we used to," he said. - NME, 10/28/26...... KISS is prepping a two-part KISS: End of the Road documentary chronicling the final tour of the glam-rockers that will debut on Nov. 19 on the band's KISSOnline platform, followed by a roll-out on other platforms. "With unprecedented access to KISS's historic End of The Road World Tour, KISS: End of The Road chronicles the final live chapter of one of rock's most legendary bands, capturing the camaraderie, conflicts, challenges and emotion behind their journey to one last performance at Madison Square Garden, while also exploring how the band plans to carry its legacy forward in the years ahead," according to a press release. In a statement, singer/guitarist Paul Stanley said, "The End of The Road World Tour was the culmination of fifty years of touring to elevate the live concert experience for fans old and new. A defining moment in KISS history. The documentary takes everyone along with us to see and be a part of all the unseen moments that made this last tour one of the wildest, most memorable rides of our career. We can't wait for the world to see it through our eyes for the very first time and relive the magic of these shows." KISS's long farewell tour launched in Jan. 2019 and wound down on Dec. 2, 2023 with a show at Madison Square Garden. The film will premiere during a special livestream on the KISS website in November, with fans able to sign up now to access the stream for $14.99. Attendees at the upcoming "KISS Kruise: Land-Locked in Vegas" will get the first chance to watch the documentary during the Nov. 13-15 event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. KISS bassist Gene Simmons recently told the NewsNation media outlet that KISS stopped touring out of "respect" for their fans. "You've got to know when to gracefully and proudly step off that stage, because you have to understand that KISS was and continues to be the only band of its type, " he said. "Every show I had to spit fire... fly through the air, keep my tongue out all the time. Wear 70 lbs, as much as that, or as little as 50 to 60 lbs of armour, studs, guitars, and all on seven-inch platformed boots for two hours. It's exhausting. I'm 77 now, and boy, do I look good. But you've got to know -- you've got to respect the fans enough to know when to get off that stage," he added. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 10/28/26...... A letter by late The Rolling Stones member Brian Jones urging Charlie Watts to join the band is up for auction. The historic letter, dated 3 June 1962, is being auctioned by Watts' sister after more than six decades in the family and its contents have now been revealed publicly for the first time. Jones, who co-founded the Stones before being dismissed from the band in June 1969 -- a month before drowning in his swimming pool at the age of 27 -- due to alcohol and drug problems, urged Watts to quit Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and join the group he had formed alongside Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. He wrote: "Dear Charlie, if you consider this letter impertinent, please excuse me... I don't know at the moment what your relationship with Korner's band is. "I noticed Nick Nicholls was drumming last night at Ealing. If you are not going to work with Alex in the future, and still want to play R+B, we are looking for a good drummer. Already we consider our band far better than Alex's -- we are getting a very tightly-knit sound." Jones also informed Watts, who passed away at the age of 80 in 2021, that the band was rehearsing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The letter is expected to sell for between $70,000 and $80,000 and will be on display to the public at Sotheby's New York from Dec. 2-8, with online bidding open from Dec. 2-15 before the item's sale on Dec. 15. - Music-News.com, 10/28/26...... On Oct. 28 it was announced that ABBA's "Mamma Mia! The Party" dining experience will have its Australian premiere in Mar. 2027 at Sydney Event Centre at The Star. Created by ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus, "Mamma Mia! The Party" is an immersive theatrical dining event, where guests soak up the pop legends' music in a restaurant recreated to look like a taverna on the Greek island of Skopelos, where most of the feature film was shot. Dinners are treated to Mediterranean cuisine and, of course, many of ABBA's hits, performed by a live band and cast of 20 musicians and performers. Sydney is the third city to host "Mamma Mia! The Party" after Stockholm, which is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, and London, now its seventh year, collectively clocking up over 1,500 performances and welcoming 700,000 diners. The event's official trailer can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 10/28/26...... Actress Barbara Barrie, who appeared in such fims as Breaking Away (1979), One Potato, Two Potato (1964), and Company (1970), died on Oct. 28. She was 95. Ms. Barrie was also known for her stint in the popular '70s ABC sitcom Barney Miller (1975-78), and as the grandma of Brooke Shields's character on Suddenly Susan (1996-2000). Ms. Barrie, who wrote and spoke about her battle with cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, opted for via medically assisted suicide because of a terminal cancer diagnosis. - Variety, 10/28/26...... Acclaimed British actor Patrick Stewart best known for his work on Star Trek, died on Oct. 28 following a brief and poignant journey" with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. He was 86. Born on July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, Mr. Stewart made his professional theater debut in 1959, eventually joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. He spent the next two decades performing in both classical and contemporary productions -- Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"; Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" -- alongside fellow stage greats such as Ben Kingsley and Helen Mirren. In the mid '80s, Mr. Stewart moved to Los Angeles to star in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran from 1987 to 1994, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He later reprised the role on the big screen for a series of Star Trek films, including Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). Mr. Stewart had more than 160 credits as an actor, most recently as the voice of Avery Bullock on the animated comedy series American Dad!. He will also appear posthumously in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday as Professor Charles Xavier, a role he played in several previous X-Men films. In 2010, Mr. Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and given the title of Sir in honor of his contributions to TV, film and theater. "We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today," Hugh Jackman, who starred alongside Mr. Stewart in X-Men, wrote in an Instagram post. "And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days." - Yahoo Entertainment, 10/29/26...... Donnie Iris, the Pennsylvania rocker best known for his 1981 No. 29 Billboard Hot 100 new wave hit "Ah! Leah!" and his 1970s No. 2 song "The Rapper" with the group The Jaggerz, has died at 83. A beloved staple of the Pittsburgh music scene, Elwood City, Pa., native Iris was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2023 shortly after his 80th birthday show, later canceling several shows and continuing to perform until announcing his retirement from the stage earlier this month after a final gig at Citizens Live at The Wylie in Pittsburg on Sept. 28. "After much thought, and in light of recent health issues, I have made the difficult decision to retire from future concert performances," he wrote on Oct. 9. "Music has given me far more than I could ever put into words. From the earliest days to every chapter of my life, your support has been a constant source of joy and inspiration." New Castle, Pa. native Donnie Iris found success pretty quickly with "The Rapper" from his group The Jaggerz, a swinging rock tune about a smooth-talking dude who uses a series of smarmy lines to pick up women at bars. After The Jaggerz split a few years later, Iris joined the group Wild Cherry -- two years after they scored their most well-known hit, "Play That Funky Music" -- to help them in the studio and play live guitar on the road. He performed on their 1979 album Only the Wild Survive, and then split the group with keyboardist Mark Avsec to form Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. The group hit pay dirt with their 1980 debut on Midwest Records, Back on the Streets, which featured their breakout hit "Ah! Leah!," a longing tune about romantic obsession on which he sings, "Leah, it's been a long time, you're such a sight/ You're lookin' better than a body has a right to/ Don't you know we're playin' with fire?/ But we can't stop this burnin' desire." The album topped out at No. 57 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned the band's biggest-ever chart hit, the doo-woppy "My Girl," which topped out at No. 25. The musician released another half dozen albums with the Cruisers through 2010's studio swan song, the Christmas album Ah! Leluiah! and continued touring with the group in the Pittsburgh area and beyond until his final gig in October. - Billboard, 10/27/26...... Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress who costarred with Rock Hudson in the 1970s TV crime series McMillan & Wife and later costarred with Jane Curtin in the sitcom Kate & Allie in the 1980s, died on Oct. 27. She was 80. Born Susan Jane Miller on Aug. 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, she was raised in the northern Illinois city of Rockford, where her father had transferred for work. She began modeling as a teenager in Paris. At 20, she moved back to Los Angeles and landed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios. She made her television debut in the 1966 movie Fame is the Name of the Game with Tony Franciosa. She got another break when it became a series called The Name of the Game in 1968, with rotating lead characters played by Franciosa, Gene Barry and Robert Stack. Ms. Saint James provided the show continuity in her role as Peggy Maxwell, a research assistant who worked for all three men. She won an Emmy Award for the part in 1969. Before The Name of the Game, the actress had a recurring role in the crime-caper series It Takes a Thief starring Robert Wagner. Her other early TV credits included Ironside, McCloud and Alias Smith and Jones. In 1980, she guest-starred in an episode of M*A*S*H. Ms. Saint James left the NBC show before its sixth and final season because of a contract dispute, with her character killed off in a plane crash. She then turned to feature films. She played opposite Peter Fonda in Outlaw Blues in 1977. She costarred with George Hamilton in the 1979 vampire spoof Love at First Bite and joined Jessica Lange and Curtin in the 1980 comedy heist How to Beat the High Cost of Living. While guest-hosting Saturday Night Live in 1981, she met Dick Ebersol, the show's then-executive producer and the future chairman of NBC Sports. They married barely six weeks after meeting and had three sons, Charlie, Willie and Teddy. She filed for divorce from Ebersol in 2002, but they reconciled later that year. Teddy died at age 14 in a 2004 private plane crash that also killed the pilot and flight attendant; Ebersol and Charlie survived with serious injuries. "She never met a stranger," her family said in a statement to People. "Every person she met became the most important person in the room at that moment, from a fellow board member to the clerk at the shoe store, who usually walked away knowing her entire life story." - AP,10/27/26...... Elke Sommer, who rose from European cinema to become one of the most recognizable international actresses of the 1960s, died on Oct. 29. She was 85. Among her biggest roles was Maria Gambrelli opposite Peter Sellers in A Shot in the Dark, one of the most beloved films of the Pink Panther era. She also starred alongside Paul Newman in The Prize, played Linka Karensky in the Dean Martin spy adventure The Wrecking Crew, and showed a darker side in cult favorites such as Lisa and the Devil and Baron Blood. Her comic range was also on display in Carry On Behind, where she played Professor Anna Vooshka. Ms. Sommer remained a familiar presence on television through appearances in The Muppet Show, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna. Years later, she reached another generation as the German voice of Yzma in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. - Variety, 10/29/26.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on October 27th, 2026

A tribute to late country/pop superstar Dolly Parton was held at Belmont University's Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville on Oct. 21 and earned nearly 5 million viewers as it was telecast on ABC and livestreamed on Disney+. The star-studded CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton event featured performances from the likes of Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Ella Langley, Lady A and Zac Bro for a No. 1 rankng in total viewers from 9 to 11 p.m., according to a press release. Following the special's airing, the Country Music Association, in collaboration with Belmont University, The Walt Disney Company and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp revealed that a previously announced commitment to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library resulted in a combined donation of $1 million. Repeats of the special are currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. - Billboard, 10/26/26...... Neil Young has filed another lawsuit against Pres. Donald Trump for using Young's 1989 song "Rockin' in the Free World" at political rallies without a license. Young sued Trump's political action committee, Trump 47 Committee Inc., on Oct. 26 for copyright infringement and is seeking $10 million in damages for the use of "Rockin' in the Free World" as Trump's walk-up song at an Oct. 12 rally for the upcoming midterm elections in Youngstown, Oh. Young claims he did not, and never would, grant Trump's PAC a public performance license to use his song, says the Trump campaign should have known this was illegal because Young previously sued the campaign for the same thing during his 2020 presidential run. According to Young, Trump's campaign quickly settled the 2020 lawsuit and promised that "it would never again use 'Rockin' in the Free World' without a license and permission from Young." Young is asking for a legal injunction preventing further misuse, and also seeking hefty financial damages. "Among other things, Young has suffered damage to his reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way," write Young's lawyers. In the suit, his legal teams states: "'Rockin' in the Free World' is a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten. The lyrics paint vivid street-level portraits -- a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair, garbage piling in the shadows of prosperity -- while the repeated chorus delivers a savage irony, celebrating freedom that clearly isn't shared by all. In short, the song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for." The White House has yet to comment on the lawsuit. Young is only one of a slew of musicians, including The White Stripes and the estates of Tom Petty and Isaac Hayes, who have gone public with their distaste for the practice ever since Trump entered politics in 2016. - Billboard, 10/26/26...... In a new interview with the BBC, Sharon Osbourne reveals she still looks at her late husband Ozzy Osbourne's grave every day at her Buckinghamshire, England estate, over a year since his July 22, 2025 death at age 76. "You've lost the love of your life, so you don't just wake up and go, 'I'm fine now. I'm cured.' You never get over it," Sharon said. "But you learn to live with it, and that's what I'm trying to do. So you either sit in a room and don't come out, or you accept it, befriend it, and that's it." Sharon added the family collected all the cards and messages left at public memorials in Ozzy's hometown of Birmingham, England, as well as the floral tributes left behind by the thousands who attended the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's public funeral procession in his hometown on July 30, 2025. The items have been sorted and photographed, while the flowers were composted into the family garden at their 250-acre private estate, Welders House, in Buckinghamshire. Sharon said there was "no way" she could have put Ozzy in a public graveyard." "I've seen what happens to other people in the public eye," she said. "There's no peace because people want to come and they want to pay their respects. That's an ongoing thing, and I wanted Ozzy to rest and just be." Asked how often she visit's Ozzy's grave, Sharon said, "of course, every day. I can see him from my window." Sharon said she also talks to her late husband of half a century "regularly," though she declined to reveal what they discuss. - Billboard, 10/26/26...... The record collecting and music discovery platform Discogs.com has teamed up with Germany-based indie record store Black Plastic Records for the public sale of nearly 1,300 rare records from The Beatles from the private collection of an anonymous fan. The collection, compiled over decades by a dedicated fan who tracked down original pressings and rare singles and editions in different countries, represents an uncommonly extensive archive of Beatles recordings from the U.K. and continental Europe. Following the fan's death, Black Plastic Records, a shop located in Dortmund, Germany, acquired the collection from his estate. The collection includes nearly 1,500 records total, though only around 1,300 will be available for purchase. Included in the sale are: a rare 1963 promotional pressing of The Beatles' debut studio album Please Please Me, one of an estimated 250 copies produced for British radio stations; an early promotional copy of the 1963 single "From Me to You"; an original 1963 U.K. mono first pressing of Please Please Me, featuring the black-and-gold Parlophone label; a rare 1968 pressing of The Beatles (better known as "The White Album") featuring the Parlophone label; and a 1970 U.K. box set edition of Let It Be -- including the original slipcase, fragile interior tray and book of photographs from the band's recording sessions -- described in a press release as "remarkably well-preserved." The first drop of roughly 1,300 records will be available to purchase exclusively through discogs.com starting Friday (Oct. 30) at 8:00 a.m. ET. The sale will remain exclusive to Discogs for the first 10 days, though in-store browsing and pickup will be offered at Black Plastic Records. Previous sales in the series have included the personal collections of late Television frontman Tom Verlaine and rock journalist and author Mikal Gilmore. - Billboard, 10/26/26...... AI tech behemoth Anthropic has been sued for allegedly stealing Elvis Presley music to train their AI models without permission from the owners of Presley's music. The music owners' lawsuit, filed on Oct. 23, claims that Anthropic, the tech behemoth behind Claude, infringed 274 of the King of Rock & Roll's copyrighted songs, including famed hits like "Can't Help Falling in Love," "A Little Less Conversation" and "Don't Be Cruel." "The Elvis Plaintiffs bring this action to enforce these exclusive rights against the defendant that has built its entire business model based on copyright infringement at a scale never seen before," writes Richard Busch, the lead attorney behind the lawsuit. "The Elvis Plaintiffs are deeply protective of these iconic songs." The case was filed by a unit of Authentic Brands Group, the licensing giant that largely controls the intellectual property rights to Elvis, including much of his song catalog, his brand trademarks and the rights to his name, image and likeness. It was co-filed by various other entities that own Elvis rights. Though music companies like Universal Music Group have already repeatedly sued AI companies for stealing their IP, the new lawsuit represents by far the most high-profile legal action filed on behalf of an individual musician -- in this case, arguably the most famous recording artist of all time. Like other AI firms, Anthropic is already facing numerous lawsuits over the process of "training" their models to create new ones, which involves ingesting millions of existing works without permission. AI companies say that process is protected by copyright's fair use defense, but that issue remains pending across dozens of lawsuits -- with billions of dollars in potential damages at stake. In a statement to Billboard, an Anthropic spokesperson said: "We disagree with the claims and intend to defend this case fully." - Billboard, 10/24/26...... Speaking to Rolling Stone, Elvis Costello revealed he was "on the verge" of releasing what he calls his "ragtime songs" 35 years ago, but stopped in his tracks because they were too "revealing." "I felt [at the time that] they revealed too much, which is why they were never released until now," Costello mused. "I was on the verge of releasing them like 35 years ago, and then I thought, 'No, they just -- everybody will see.'" However, when it comes to listening to the "vaudeville-sounding songs" now, Costello said they're "nothing to be embarrassed about" and "sound like somebody learning." Costello, who has just dropped a 49th anniversary edition of his classic debut album My Aim is True, added that "everybody has to start somewhere." "And again, I would be delighted if some younger writers listened to those songs and it gave them any confidence in what they were doing, because you can hear the ambition to do something, and it isn't quite formed," he noted. Elvis also opened up about writing one of his most famous songs -- "Alison" -- and how a woman in the supermarket inspired the classic track. "I never wanted to tell people, have this mental image of somebody. You know, I slightly romanticised this encounter with this supermarket checkout girl that just was somebody I thought, like sometimes like when you do a drawing, there's sometimes a model," he said. "There was something disappointed in her eyes that stuck with me, and maybe it was just the boredom of the job. I don't know." He also said the perception of the song was never meant to be a "murder ballad," as he sighed: "I cannot understand why anybody took that out of it." - Music-News.com, 10/26/26...... The first-ever fully authorized Fleetwood Mac documentary has been given a release date of Jan. 29, 2027, on Apple TV. Announced back in 2024, Fleetwood Mac: The Chain is the "definitive" chronicle of the legendary band. "From director Frank Marshall, this Apple Original Films documentary will take you on the epic journey of the generation-defining Fleetwood Mac," a presser states. Apple also confirmed that the documentary will consist of new interviews with the band's surviving members, never-before-seen footage, and archival interviews with the late Christine McVie. "For the first time ever, Fleetwood Mac is telling their story in their own words," reads the announcement. "The documentary offers fans a definitive and unprecedented look at Fleetwood Mac's story, bringing together the voices, memories and perspectives of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks," the release continued. "It takes fans through the highs and lows of their brilliant career, illuminating the exceptional ingredients each member brought to the band's uncommon alchemy -- a musical union that sold more than 220 million records worldwide. The documentary explores what allowed this combination of artists to create singular musical work again and again, and what drew them back together and held them there when every possible pressure, both outside and inside the band, threatened to blow them apart." A brand new teaser for the documentary has been shared on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 10/23/26...... The Eagles have extended their residency at the visually stimulating Las Vegas Sphere into December and January 2027 due to high demand. The residency will now go until to the end of Jan. 2027, giving fans even more chances to see the band perform before the conclusion of their farewell "Long Goodbye" tour. Remaining "Eagles: Live at Sphere" dates are set for Nov. 13-14 and 27-28; Dec. 4-5 and 11-12; and Jan. 8-9 and 22-23, 2027. Tickets are available on StubHub from $404, as well as on Vivid Seats, Seat Geek, Gametime, TicketNetwork, and other online sellers. - Billboard, 10/22/26...... Talking Heads have announced a new career-spanning coffee table book titled New Feeling that will drop on May 18, 2027 in coordination with the 50th anniversary of the band's debut album, Talking Heads: 77. Described as an "upbeat, offbeat, over-the-top celebration" of the band featuring original essays from singer David Byrne, drummer Chris Frantz, bassist Tina Weymouth and guitarist/keyboardist Jerry Harrison, the 368-page book will also feature the handwritten lyrics for "Psycho Killer," "Life During Wartime" and other classics, as well as annotated concert playlists, album cover sketches, film and video storyboards, along with essays by contemporary musicians and writers including Jeff Bridges, Dave Eggers, Blondie's Debbie Harry, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Lorde, Questlove and James Wolcott. In a video announcement on Instagram, Weymouth said, "for the first time, the four of us have come together to write and curate a comprehensive coffee table book on Talking Heads." Harrison added that among the treasures in the collection are personal photos that haven't left the band's archive in more than 40 years, as well as album sketches and other rare keepsakes. Talking Heads, who released their final studio album, Naked, in 1988, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 -- where they reunited to perform some of their most beloved hits -- and have appeared together a handful of times over the past few years, including in 2023 to promote the remastered 40th anniversary re-release of Stop Making Sense. - Billboard, 10/22/26...... Stevie Wonder has taken legal action to evict a woman who's lived rent-free in his Los Angeles house since 1988. Wonder filed a suit against the woman, Carmen Efferson, on Oct. 22 to demand she move out of a three-bedroom house he owns in the ritzy Hollywood Hills neighborhood. The court papers say Efferson has lived for free in the home for 38 years under an oral agreement. The woman, who is credited as having produced the music video for the Stevie Wonder/Michael Jackson collaboration "Get It" in 1988, confirmed to Billboard that she was engaged to Wonder when she moved into the house, though the two never married. According to the suit, Wonder's representatives tried to enter the Hollywood house three times in July of this year to inspect it for a property insurance renewal, but Efferson refused to let them in and told Wonder's attorney to "f--- the f--- off" in an email." In response, Wonder's lawyers served Efferson with multiple legal notices warning that they would seek her eviction if she did not let in the insurance inspectors. "The choice is yours," wrote Huff. She did not comply, leading Wonder's attorney to file the eviction lawsuit. In technical terms, Wonder is suing Efferson for unlawful detainer. The singer wants a judge to order her removed from the Hollywood house, and he says Efferson should pay damages of $600 because her behavior led the home's property insurance to lapse. - Billboard, 10/23/26...... Tom Jones has announced the postponement of two shows after he was down with "a bad case of the flu." Sir Tom, 86, took to social media to confirm his San Diego and Los Angeles concerts couldn't go ahead, but he has rescheduled the two concerts for Nov. 3 and 4. "I've had a great time these last few weeks, completing 20 shows and singing for wonderful audiences across the USA, but unexpectedly I've been hit with a bad case of the flu," he wrote. "Following doctor's advice, I unfortunately have to reschedule tonight's show in Los Angeles and tomorrow's show in San Diego. I've had news that these shows will now be re-scheduled as follows - The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, San Diego on Tuesday November 3rd and The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles on Wednesday November 4th." He added that he is "truly sorry" for postponing the gigs, and informed supporters they can have a refund if they cannot attend either of the rescheduled dates. "I'm truly sorry for any inconvenience caused. I look forward to seeing you all soon," he said. "All tickets for the original dates will remain valid, however, if customers are unable to attend the rescheduled dates, they are advised to contact their original point of purchase for a refund." In July 2025, Jones had to postpone a concert after he contracted an "upper respiratory infection," and was forced to reschedule his gig in Bremen, Germany on July 22nd, 2025, to undergo "treatment" and rest up. - Music-News.com, 10/27/26...... Bernie Taupin released The Sea Has No Mercy, his first solo album in more than 40 years, on Oct. 23 on Vertigo Records/MCA Nashville. Taupin, best known as Elton John's songwriting partner, says writing his 2023 bestselling memoir Scattershot, inspired "something in me that started making me write things for myself by myself in the same vein." Taupin is also working on a new documentary about his career in music, and added that "at the same time, we started making this documentary, so it was like a trifecta." "It was almost this whole idea of different ways of presenting myself without being completely self-involved -- which, unfortunately, it probably sounds like," he adds with a laugh. "I wanted to visualize my past, my present and my possible future very specifically and the only way I could do that was to write these biographical songs," Taupin, 76, continues, addressing The Sea Has No Mercy's very personal and reflective nature. "This was a completely 100% selfish endeavor. If other people had assisted me in writing them, they would not have had the cohesive nature that they have." The album includes guest vocals from Taupin's good friend Brandi Carlile, who sings on "Come on California" -- a song he originally thought to ask Joni Mitchell to perform on, but Taupin says he told his manager/wife, "I don't have the balls to call Joni to ask her." Taupin will play the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for the first time on Nov. 7, backed by The Tennessee Stone Cutters, the musicians who accompany him on The Sea Has No Mercy. His appearance will mark his first public musical performance in nearly 30 years. Videos for "Come On California" and the album's title track can be streamed on YouTube. So what's next for Bernie? "I'm happy to be a little bit selfish in my old age and be able to present my life in the way that I want it to be viewed and listened to before I leave this mortal coil I got a lot more to say and do, but I'm having the time of my life right now," he says. "I love my life." - Billboard, 10/22/26...... Cliff Richard has revealed he's "learning reggae" for a musical version of "The Lord Is My Shepherd" which is being put together by songwriter Chris Eaton, who penned Sir Cliff's 1990 Christmas single "Saviour's Day" which hit the number one spot on the UK singles chart. During a question-and-answer session at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, Londo reported by The Sun newspaper, the singer explained: "I've never sung reggae before, but Chris is really good at it. He's phrased it like that, so I'm learning reggae. "He's written me Number Ones at Christmas, and his new song is based on one of the psalms. I can't sing it yet as I've not learnt it. But it goes: 'The Lord Is My Shepherd' ... and it's reggae." Meanwhile, Richard has put his stamp on some of his favourite chart-topping tracks spanning eight decades, including "Spirit In the Sky," "Oh Pretty Woman," "Return To Sender," a new version of "White Christmas" and a cover of Harry Styles' track "Sign of the Times" on his new album Only Number Ones. Sir Cliff said: "I suggested to Warner Music that I record an album of songs that made it to No.1. Thank heavens they agreed!! That album will be released on Nov. 27. - Music-News.com, 10/23/27...... Actor Walter Koenig, who was best known for playing Ensign Pavel Chekov on the original 1960s Star Trek TV series, has died at the age of 90. Mr. Koenig played the character on the original series from 1967 to 1969 and reprised the role in six Star Trek movies featuring the original cast. He also appeared in 1994's Star Trek Generations and had a voice cameo in a 2023 episode of Star Trek: Picard. As Pavel Chekov, the Chicago-born Mr. Koenig "helped inspire audiences with his optimism, humour, and adventurous spirit," according to his rep. "His remarkable talent continued to shine in his later years, most recently with his performance in the short film Mr. Fleischmann, for which he received the Platinum Award for Best Actor at the 2026 Independent Shorts Awards -- a fitting recognition of a lifetime devoted to his craft," the rep added. Mr. Koenig reportedly died "of old age at home in North Hollywood last night surrounded by his daughter and niece." - Toronto Sun, 10/26/27...... Veteran actor Tom Skerritt, who starred in the TV series Picket Fences and appeared in movies ranging from MASH to Ted, died on Oct. 21 of natural causes. He was 93. The lean, rugged, mustachioed actor won an Emmy in 1993 and was also nominated in 1994 for playing Jimmy Brock, sheriff of the oddball town at the center of David E. Kelley's CBS dramedy Picket Fences. He also shared SAG Award nominations for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series for Picket Fences in 1995 and 1996 while also being nominated for outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series in 1995. In the 2000s he guested on The West Wing as a senator, on Law & Order: SVU as a biased judge and on HBO's Huff as the father of Hank Azaria's title character, replacing Robert Forster in the role. He recurred from 2006-09 on ABC's Brothers & Sisters as family patriarch William Walker and guested on The Good Wife in 2014 and on Madam Secretary in 2015. On the big screen, his many credits include such acclaimed films as MASH (1970), The Turning Point (1977), Alien (1979), and A River Runs Through It (1992). Thomas Roy Skerritt was born in Detroit and attended Wayne State University and UCLA. He did a stint in the U.S. Air Force. He made his feature debut in the Korean War drama War Hunt (1962), starring John Saxon and Sydney Pollack. He next appeared in the 1965 feature "Those Calloways." Mr. Skerritt was thrice married, and is survived by third wife Julie Tokashiki, whom he married in 1998; sons Andy and Matt, a director, and daughter Erin by Shanks; and son Colin by Oran. - Variety, 10/23/26...... Michael Gray, the star of the 1970s Shazam! television series, died on Oct. 23 in Palm Desert from natural causes. He was 75. Gray first got his break in television in 1972 when he was cast in NBC's The Little People alongside Brian Keith and Shelly Fabares. Early in his career, he held several supporting roles across series including playing Marcia's boyfriend Jeff on The Brady Bunch as well as appearing on Dynasty, Marcus Welby, M.D., Room 222 and The Flying Nun, as well in films such as Run, Simon, Run, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Myra Breckinridge. In 1974, he joined the cast of Shazam! as Billy Batson, starring alongside John Davey and Les Tremayne in the series, which ran for three seasons until 1976. Gray became a teen idol, frequently appearing on the covers of Tiger Beat and other teen magazines. Gray was born in Chicago on Sept. 2, 1951, and was raised in Miami Beach, Fla., before moving to Los Angeles to study acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and pursue his career in entertainment. After landing his role in Shazam!, Gray began to feel typecast and took a hiatus from acting. During this time, he worked in children's theater education and men's fashion, as well as owning and operating a floral business with his wife, Stacy. Following the 2012 resurgence of Shazam!, he frequently attended fan conventions and reconnected with his fanbase while also pursuing roles in projects such as the Surge of Power franchise. - Variety 10/23/26...... Actress/singer Peggy King, a 1950s television and recording star, died on Oct. 25 following a battle with Alzheimer's at the Saunders House Assisted Living facility in Wynnewood, Pa. She was 96. Ms. King appeared on shows including Bob Hope's Chevy Show, American Bandstand, The Steve Allen Show, The Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle, What's My Line?, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson The Perry Como Show, The Garry Moore Show and The Jack Benny Program. Her dramatic credits include roles on Maverick and Dragnet. She was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2010 and was among the first celebrities honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ms. King's last released recording was the album "Songs a la King," released in 2016. She performed regularly in the Philadelphia area, New York and Los Angeles as late as 2014. She is survived by her daughter, Suzy Rudofker, and son-in-law, Dwain Goforth. - Variety, 10/26/26.

A playful new single called "Who You Callin' Crazy" was released by The Rolling Stones on Oct. 20 as the latest teaser from the forthcoming deluxe edition of the band's latest album Foreign Tongues. Earlier in October, the Stones announced an extended "Loose Lips" version of the album, which will feature five previously unreleased songs, all written and recorded around the same time as the original tracklist of 14 songs. "Who You Callin' Crazy," whose official lyric video has been shared on YouTube, sees the British rock giants embracing an uplifting, feel-good sound. "If I look nervous, about to collapse/ if I'm squirming like a rat in a trap/ I keep blinking, my nose starts to twitch/ I keep scratching, don't know where to itch," Mick Jagger sings in the playful opening verse, building towards the confrontational, upbeat chorus, surrounded by backing singers: "I wanna know who, who you calling crazy." Other new songs on the deluxe edition include "Bad Luck Hideaway," which was shared on Oct. 16 and features a duet vocal by Jagger and Keith Richards, as well as drums by the late Charlie Watts. That track was previously released as a bonus track on the iTunes exclusive edition of Foreign Tongues, and was recently made available via online platforms as the B-side to "Mr Charm." The "Loose Lips" edition of Foreign Tongues will drop Nov. 27 via Polydor/Universal Music. - New Musical Express, 10/20/26...... A tribute to country rock icon Gram Parsons will take place at Los Angeles' Troubadour on Nov. 11 ahead of Parsons' posthumous induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame three days later. Emmylou Harris, one of Parsons' key musical collaborators during his short lifetime, will top the bill, along with Elvis Costello, who covered a pair of Parsons songs on his 1981 country covers album Almost Blue and contributed to the 1999 tribute album Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons. Also featured will be sets of Parsons tunes from the likes of the Black Crowes, Margo Price, Grace Potter, Jesse Welles, the Head and the Heart, Madison Cunningham, Jim Lauderdale, Harper Simon and Grahame Lesh, as well as L.A.'s Parsons-infuenced country rockers Beachwood Sparks. The event is being co-produced by Parson's daughter, Polly Parsons, along with Vector Management and Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Shirley Halperin, along with the Parsons estate and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The show will benefit the L.A. sober living house for women Friendly House Foundation and Backline, which provides mental health and wellness resources for music industry professionals and their families. During his brief, hugely influential career, Parsons performed with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the International Submarine Band and released two beloved solo albums, including GP and Grievous Angel, honing a unique sound that drew from country, R&B and folk and is widely credited with laying the groundwork for the alt-country and country rock genres. Parsons, who died in Sept. 1973 at age 26 of an accidental overdose, will be inducted into the Rock Hall in the Early Influence category at this year's ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Nov. 14. The ceremony will be taped and telecast on ABC and Disney+ in December. - Billboard, 10/21/26...... Alice Cooper's third memoir, Devil On My Shoulder, has become an international bestseller three weeks after its Oct. 6 release and topped charts across The New York Times, The Sunday Times and Amazon. Cooper says that 90% of the stories in his third book are true, marking a change from his 1976 autobiography, Me, Alice: The Autobiography of Alice Cooper, which he dismissed as "a drunken rant," and affirms that this account is more reliable. "Nobody really pushed Me, Alice," Cooper recalled to Billboard. "Nobody pushed Golf Monster. They were kind of OK, and they were fun. But this was the book we actually took a lot of time on." Cooper explained that the goal of his 2026 tome is not to invent a persona -- since he's already done that -- but to reckon with the man behind it. Across the pages of Devil On My Shoulder, Cooper revisits the addiction he battled in the '70s and '80s that eventually led to his sobriety, his return to Christianity and the tension between his stage character and the real him. The memoir has been released in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook options. Meanwhile, the shock rock icon is preparing to hit the road for his fall North American tour, with upcoming stops in cities including Richmond, Atlantic City, St. Louis, San Diego, San Jose, Las Vegas, and Windsor, Ontario. - Billboard, 10/20/26...... On Oct. 20 The Beatles' Apple Corps unveiled ambitious plans to transform the "Beatles Story" museum in Liverpool into an 100,000-square-foot attraction set to open in 2028, alongside a "Yellow Submarine"-themed viewing experience atop St. John's Beacon, the city's second-tallest building. The redevelopment will see the long-running, award-winning Beatles attraction relocate from its current home at Albert Dock to the former St Johns Market site in St Johns Shopping Centre, directly opposite Liverpool Lime Street train station, and will more than quadruple its current footprint. Fans can register their interest via the official Beatles website at thebeatles/liverpool. Apple Corps, the company founded by The Beatles in 1968 to oversee their creative and business interests, will take over the running of the "Beatles Story" at its existing location before moving the attraction to its new home in 2028. It will mark the company's second permanent Beatles fan experience, following a planned destination at the band's Savile Row headquarters in London, which is due to open at the end of 2027. In a statement, Paul McCartney said: "I find it incredible and humbling that people are still interested in our story and it's very exciting to me that The Beatles Story and The Beacon are being transformed in such an exciting way in the heart of Liverpool city. He continued: "I love Liverpool. It's part of who I am, it's part of who The Beatles are. If you'd told us this was going to happen when we were hanging out and getting started we'd never have believed it. The extraordinary plans the Apple Corps team have shown me for The Beatles Story take me right back to that journey, from Liverpool to the world and back home again. It couldn't have happened without Liverpool and I can't wait for people to be able to step into our story and share the experience." Ringo Starr also weighed in: "Liverpool was, and still is, a music city. And now we are expanding the The Beatles Story Experience in Liverpool. The beat goes on. I also love that proceeds from every ticket will go back to support new Liverpool artists. It is great to be part of this - deep down I am still a Scouser - I love what Apple (Corps) and Liverpool are doing. Peace and love, Ringo." - Billboard, 10/20/26...... Longtime liberal activist and frequent Donald Trump critic Bette Midler was honored with the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Okla., on Oct. 16. Before accepting the award, Midler sang an updated version of folk icon Woody Guthrie's 1940s protest classic "All You Fascists (Bound to Lose)," and just so no one missed the message, she wore a T-shirt embossed with the blunt song title. "Justice doesn't always come from the courthouse," Midler said. "Sometimes the law is late, overdressed, and on the wrong side. Justice comes from a beat-up guitar instead. So, when I wanted to say something about what I was seeing going on today, I took his [Woody's] song, and I put new words in its mouth, because the old fights came back in new suits. They always do." She continued, "Thank you for accepting me, and for letting me rewrite the song, that became my small contribution to the Resistance. We're having a knife fight in a phone booth. These are hard and terrible times. A war is being waged against us, and we are all being drafted. Whether the letter arrives or not. Thank you for noticing that I showed up for duty." Midler released her spirited version of Guthrie's song on YouTube in April, accompanied by this message: "You know I've been around a long time, but I have never lived through what we are living through now. The great Woody Guthrie wrote this song many years ago. I changed some of the words to fit our times, and I hope you'll sing it when you are marching. Because sometimes people, sometimes you just gotta SING OUT!" Midler had teamed with Eric Kornfeld to write her derivative of Guthrie's protest classic. She also executive produced the video, which featured cameos by such celebrities as Barbara Hershey, Midler's co-star in Beaches, and David Hyde Pierce, her co-star in the Broadway revival of "Hello, Dolly!". The Woody Guthrie Prize seeks to recognize artists who reflect Guthrie's belief that music can be a force for social justice and change. Guthrie died in 1967 at age 55. Midler, 80, has won three Grammys, three Primetime Emmys and a Tony (plus a non-competitive Tony). She has received two Oscar nominations, and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2021. Previous Woody Guthrie Prize recipients include U2, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Chuck D, Norman Lear, Kris Kristofferson and Pete Seeger, who was honored with the inaugural award in 2014. - Billboard, 10/17/26...... Rod Stewart, who recently underwent a heart procedure, has declared his condition is "f----ing brilliant" when asked by reporters as he escorted his wife Penny Lancaster out of a "Sinatra: The Musical" showing in London on Oct. 19. "I swam 400 meters the other day," added the 81-year-old Stewart, who canceled one of his concerts in June one hour before showtime due to a reported acute upper respiratory infection. Two months later, he underwent a coronary stent procedure, which ultimately led to the cancellation of the rest of his tour on doctor's orders. Stewart is now planning to return to the stage in 2027 for one last farewell tour, with dates set for April through July 2027. "Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce that next year will be my last tour ever," Stewart told fans on Instagram in September. "I'm not retiring, but this will be the last rock n' roll tour. So I want to thank you for everything you've given me and hopefully I've given you something in return." - Billboard, 10/20/26...... The B-52s have been tapped to be honored with the 2,861st star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame on Oct. 29. "The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome the B-52s to the Hollywood Walk of Fame," Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez said in a statement on Oct. 20. "Honoring The B-52s with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a celebration of their unforgettable music, fearless spirit and the nostalgia they've created for generations of fans. Their unique sound and energy have truly become part of Hollywood's musical history," she said. SiriusXM radio personality Richard Blade will emcee the event, and 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Go-Go's, who received their star in 2011, and musician/actor/comedian Fred Armisen, are set to speak at the livestreamed event. The group's star is located at 6212 Hollywood Boulevard in front of Amoeba Music. The B-52s peaked in 1989 with their album Cosmic Thing, which reached No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and remained on the chart for 65 weeks. The album spawned the back-to-back hit singles, "Love Shack" and "Roam." The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson and Keith Strickland.Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985, and Strickland stopped touring with the band in 2013. Following several farewell tour announcements, The B-52s will wrap its current "Cosmic De-Evolution Tour," which they are co-headlining with Devo, in Palm Desert, Calif., on Oct. 31. - Music-News.com, 10/20/26...... Michael star Jaafar Jackson has spoken about the cut third act of the Michael Jackson biopic that was set to deal with child abuse allegations. Released in Apr. 2026, Michael tels the story of the King of Pop from his time in the Jackson 5 to become one of the biggest solo stars in the world. However Michael didn't include any reference to the child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson, though the story was included in the initial screenplay. During production, a clause in a legal settlement was discovered, which forbid the Jackson estate from mentioning one of the accusers, Jordan Chandler, meaning that the production spent $15 million on reshoots. The movie ultimately ended at a different point in Jackson's life, shifting the narrative tension onto his relationship with his father, Joe (Colman Domingo). Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew who played the King Of Pop in the biopic, has now spoken about leaving that material on the cutting room floor. "It was a massive shoot. I've heard many stories from other actors about how much you shoot on a project that doesn't make it into the final picture. In the editing room, you go through scenes looking for specific performances or takes and things change constantly. So going in, I knew not everything we shot would make it into the final picture," he said in an interview with Variety. "But for me, it was the most rewarding experience because even the things that weren't used, the experience I got from them, made me a better actor. I feel like that will happen many more times with other projects. You wish a certain performance was in there and it's not. That's something you have to deal with when making a film. Seeing a film about your own family can make a lot of people uncomfortable because you have your own idea of what that is, and it's hard to capture it in a two-hour film. But the response I got from my family was incredible," he added. Michael had the biggest ever opening for a musical biopic and went on to take more than $1 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing biopic of all time. In August, it was confirmed that Michael will be getting a sequel and will address abuse allegations from Michael's point of view. However, speaking to Variety, Jaafar confirmed that he's not been told "anything concrete" about the sequel. "Whatever decision is made, I'm more than ready to get back into it." - NME, 10/20/26...... Country Music Hall of Fame inductee John Anderson died "peacefully in his sleep" on Oct. 21, according to his family. He was 71. A native of Apopka, Fla., Anderson relocated to Nashville in 1971. An early job saw him nailing shingles onto the roof of the new Grand Ole Opry House ahead of that iconic building's 1974 opening. Anderson, who battled health issues in recent years but pushed through the pain, was known for such country hits as 1983 CMA Single of the Year "Swingin'," "Straight Tequila Night," and "Seminole Wind." With his distinctive voice, he landed five No. 1s, among 20 top 10s, on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, with those top 10s spanning 1981-95. On Top Country Albums, he notched five top 10s, from the years 1982-92. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2026. In addition to his family who said he "made every ordinary moment feel special," he was also praised by such fellow country stars as Blake Shelton and John Rich, who called him "my favorite country artist of all time." - Billboard, 10/21/26...... Rick Wakeman delivered a masterful performance at the "Starmus VIII" astronomical gathering at Tenerife in the Canary Islands on Oct. 20. The prog-rock titan debuted his brand-new composition, "Echoes from Black Holes." Merging grand classical structures and cosmic storytelling, the world premiere captivated an audience filled with eminent scientists, astronomers, and music enthusiasts. The piece grew from an idea by Starmus co-founder Garik Israelian, who envisioned taking a historic lecture on black holes delivered by the late Stephen Hawking, dividing it into distinct segments, and setting it to music paired with vivid backdrop visuals. Inspired by Hawking's concepts, Wakeman took the vision and brought it to life, interspersing his dramatic keyboard arrangements with Hawking's own recorded voice to seamlessly bind the musical movements together. As the final section concluded, the venue erupted into an enthusiastic standing ovation. Wakeman initially left the stage to roaring applause, but with the audience refusing to leave their seats, the keyboard wizard returned for an extraordinary two-song encore. To cap off the evening, the former Yes keyboardist offered a brilliant display of his musical genius by reimagining two Beatles classics through the lens of legendary classical composers. He first performed "Help!" styled as a romantic piece by French composer Camille Saint-Sanës, before transforming "Eleanor Rigby" into a dark, driving arrangement in the theatrical tradition of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. The entire performance by Wakeman, who has struggled with recent health scares, can be viewed on YouTube. - Music-News.com, 10/20/26...... Betty McGuire, the actress best known for her role as grandmother Kate Malone on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains, died Oct. 8 at the Motion Picture & Television Fund's Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, Calif., of natural causes. She was 100. Ms. McGuire had a seven-year run on Growing Pains as Kate Malone, mother to Joanna Kerns' Maggie. She was a recurring character in Seasons 1-2 and again in Seasons 4-7. Aside from Growing Pains, Ms. McGuire's career in television includes appearances in shows including Falcon Crest, The Doris Day Show Columbo, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Hill Street Blues, ER, CSI: Miami, MacGyver, Moonlighting and Charlie's Angels. On the silver screen, Ms. McGuire appeared in feature films such as Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke and Michael Crichton's Coma. Later in life, Ms. McGuire volunteered as a receptionist and advocate at the Coalition for Economic Survival legal clinic in Los Angeles to offer support for low-income tenants facing eviction. She was an active resident of The Motion Picture & Television Fund Home. On Channel 22, the on-campus TV station at the retirement community, she hosted her own talk show, GabFest. - Variety, 10/19/26...... Richard Riehle, known for his roles in Office Space, Star Trek, and Halloween II, has passed away at 78. The veteran actor appeared in more than 400 film and television projects during his career. Riehle died of natural causes in Los Angeles, according to his friends, TMZ.com reported. Born in Menomonee Falls, Wisc., in 1948, the actor was best known for playing Tom Smykowski in the acclaimed workplace comedy Office Space, which also featured Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston. Riehle made his film debut in the 1975 True Grit sequel Rooster Cogburn, which featured Riehle in an uncredited role alongside John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn. He also appeared in numerous TV shows such as Grounded for Life, One Life to Live, Dragnet, Quantum Leap, The Golden Girls, Roseanne, The West Wing, ER, Modern Family, The Mindy Project, NCIS, The Middle, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager. - Variety, 10/19/26.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on Oct. 15, Billy Joel revealed he's "not allowed to drive" after stepping away from the stage in 2025 and is preparing to auction off his beloved collection of over 70 vintage motorcycles. Announcing he was canceling his previously scheduled 2025-2026 tour at the time, Joel said that the brain disorder he'd been experiencing had "been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance" and that he was undergoing physical therapy under his doctor's instructions. In his Hollywood Reporter interview, Joel said, "I have to take a series of tests before I know," adding, "I can't drive right now. I'm not allowed to drive." He said a neurologist informed him that "every time you do a show, it's like you're getting a concussion." Billy continued: "I'm into my 70s now, and I realized I can't ride as much as I used to. I don't want to die like a bug on a windshield. So I thought I'd put a lot of them on auction." He said his brain disorder makes riding a bit "iffy," and he realized "it's time for me to turn it over to somebody else." In September, The Piano Man said that he didn't want people worrying about his health. "I know people are worried about me because they read that I have a brain disorder, which sounds a lot worse than it actually is," he said on SiriusXM when taking calls from fans. "I'm okay. My balance isn't that good. Lost a little bit of my hearing, but that may have to do with my age, too, and the rock and roll life and the loud volume probably didn't help. But I'm fine. I want people to not have to worry about me. I'm okay." Joel has been collecting and restoring vintage bikes for decades, and for 15 years, he ran 20th Century Cycles on Long Island, a shop for storing and servicing his bikes that doubled as a free museum to showcase his collection before shuttering the business in 2025. The auction of his personal motorcycle collection is scheduled for Nov. 20 and 21. - Rolling Stone, 10/15/26...... More than six decades after becoming a permanent resident of the U.S., Canadian-born Joni Mitchell has officially become a United States citizen. The legendary singer/songwriter shared the news via an Instagram post on Oct. 13, posting a photo of herself smiling while holding a miniature American flag. She also uploaded a video showing her being applauded as she stepped forward during her citizenship ceremony. "A journey that began 62 years ago," she captioned the post, and did not provide further details about her decision to pursue American citizenship. Born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, in 1943, Mitchell first moved to the U.S. in the mid-1960s, settling in Los Angeles and becoming a defining figure in the Laurel Canyon music scene alongside fellow singer/songwriters and musicians such as members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Over the decades, Mitchell built a catalog that would influence generations of artists, earning her a place among the most celebrated and recognized songwriters in popular music. Her relationship with the U.S., however, has not always been straightforward. During a 2024 performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Mitchell made her political feelings known with a blunt expletive directed at then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. She followed it with a lament about her inability to vote as a Canadian citizen, jokingly referring to herself as "one of those lousy immigrants." Mitchell, who celebrates her 83rd birthday on Nov. 7, leaves an extraordinary legacy behind her and has spent decades influencing American music. - Billboard, 10/13/26...... Roger Waters has called Metallica frontman James Hetfield a "complete prick" who has "an IQ of about three" after Hetfield made comments during a Metallica show at the Las Vegas Sphere on Oct. 10 criticizing other artists with "bullshit agendas" about the world's issues. "Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit, OK," he shared. "No bullshit. We're here to forget about all the outside shit, OK? Metallica's agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!" Although Hetfield didn't mention any names, some fans have speculated that it could be a nod to rapper Macklemore, who was dropped as a support act for Ed Sheeran's "Loop" tour after making a speech calling for a "free Palestine," or possibly other younger artists including Hayley Williams, who criticized ICE during her recent concerts, or even Tom Morello who recently enlisted Jack Black, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen and more for his politically-charged "Power To The People" festival. Now, former Pink Floyd star Waters has shared his thoughts on the comments made by Hetfield, calling him a "prick." "Can we stop talking about this prick?" he said when making a guest appearance on Katie Halper's podcast. "I'm so bored with him. He's just showing that he's a complete prick. He's got an IQ of about three, and why we're talking about him, I honestly don't know, because he's a nobody." Waters continued: "He may have a few hundred million dollars or whatever, but he's a prick, and he's no musician. I heard them playing acoustic instruments, and they couldn't. It was appalling." Metallica have been largely apolitical over the years, and back in 2017 Hetfield said that he wanted to keep his thoughts about Donald Trump to himself, arguing that politics "separates" people. Footage of Hetfield's swipe at other artists has been shared on X, and Waters' comments can be viewed on Instagram. - New Musical Express, 10/16/26...... The early '80s English rock supergroup Asia is returning with its first studio album in 12 years, Indigo. Asia's history is almost too perfectly engineered to be true: four musicians drawn from major prog-rock acts of the 1970s -- John Wetton of King Crimson, Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Steve Howe of Yes and Geoff Downes of the Buggles -- came together in 1982 to form a supergroup that quickly became something much bigger, with their self-titled debut reportedly selling as many as 80,000 copies a day. Then came changes. Wetton gave way to John Payne on lead vocals as the 1980s became the 1990s, and Asia continued producing chorus-driven, highly melodic rock. In 2006, the original four reunited for three albums and tours before members once again began peeling away. Wetton died in 2017, following the release of Asia's 2014 studio album, Gravitas. Downes now leads a new lineup of Asia with vocalist Harry Whitley on Indigo, and the collection balances radio-ready rock with ambitious progressive explorations while honoring the band's legacy and his songwriting partnership with Wetton. There are the radio-friendly songs of their 1982 debut similar to "Heat of the Moment" and "Only Time Will Tell," but also longer, more experimental pieces that allow the musicians to stretch. Indigo doesn't erase or replace either chapter of the band's history. Instead, it shows how Asia can sound when its history is allowed to evolve. Indigo arrives on Nov. 6, and he official video for the album's first single, "Arcadia," can be streamed on YouTube. - Canoe.com, 10/15/26...... Neil Young is raving about the new controversial Tom Cruise film Digger, calling it "the best film I have ever seen." Co-written and directed by Oscar-winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant) and follows oil tycoon Digger Rockwell (Cruise) as he tries to save the lives of thousands from an environmental disaster that he's behind. The satirical black comedy also features plenty of genre-twists which divided critics, who largely panned the film. While the movie has struggled at the box office -- only taking in $20 million against a production budget of $160 million and is on track to become one of the biggest flops in Hollywood history -- several artists have praised the film. Actress Anne Hathaway called it "smart, trippy, aggressive, funny and ambitious" in a glowing review on her Letterboxd account, and Neil Young has shared a lengthy blog post where he calls Digger the "best movie I've ever seen." "None of the reviews I have read describe this film adequately, in my opinion. They seem to miss the overall effect and most of them are negative," he wrote. "This film lives in a world of art. It is its own best review. Don't read any other reviews and forget this one before you see Digger." He went on to say that it would be "misleading" to view Digger as your typical Tom Cruise blockbuster. "I do not view this film as a commercial venture. Rather it is an artful film of our times. The things that are said in Digger are a direct reflection of today's political and social world. The film is so full of artful expression and radical change ups, that it may be too much to take in for those expecting a commercial film like we are used to today." He described Digger as a "must see for those frustrated by the lack of genuine engagement present in much, if not all, of today's offerings," and encouraged fans to see it with "an open mind." "Stick with it when you are sure it is no good. Stay. Don't be confused by its approach. This is the greatest film -- work of art I have seen, and that's just my opinion," he continued. "You must stay open and see it. Forget everything I said." The Digger official trailer can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 10/16/26...... Former Black Sabbath and Deep Purple singer/bassist Glenn Hughes has told fans that he is on the mend after undergoing another major heart procedure. In an Instagram post on Oct. 16, Hughes said he is "Now Home after an 8 day stay, and a 10 hour open heart surgery operation, called aortic valve replacement, exactly the same procedure I had done in 2013, at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, Westwood, LA." Hughes, 75, praised his doctor, the head of cardiothoracic surgery at UCLA, and the staff and assured fans, "Each day as I move forward, I am getting my energy back. There is only love in my life. There are no mistakes." In August, Hughes announced that he was retiring from touring effective immediately, calling off a planned six-week tour due to health issues and giving up on life on the road after half a century on doctor's advice that he needed heart surgery. "This past year, I've had some health issues. The results from numerous MRIs, CT scans, and an echocardiogram have alerted my medical team, that I need another open-heart surgery," he wrote at the time. "I really have no option and no choice as health is my number one priority. Grateful to have been chosen with a life full with the gift of music Thank you for walking beside me." Beginning his career as the singer of the British funk-rock band Trapeze in the early 1970s, Hughes got the chance of a lifetime when he was tapped to replace Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover in 1973, where he sang alongside lead singer David Coverdale on three albums. After Deep Purple's original breakup, Hughes struck out on his own, releasing his 1977 solo debut, Play Me Out, the first of more than a dozen solo LPs he's released. He played with a number of bands throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, including stepping in to sing lead vocals on the 1986 Black Sabbath album Seventh Star. In his new post, Hughes kept a chin-up attitude about his health, writing, "Everything is in its right place. Never believe that there is something wrong in your life. You are where you're supposed to be. Going through those experiences that are necessary for you right now. When you become angry at yourself, because you don't like the experiences that you are going through, you are hindering your growth. Rather be grateful, & thankful, for every experience that you're going through." - Billboard, 10/16/26...... The deluxe reissue of The Beatles' 1965 LP Rubber Soul has risen to the top of Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, also claiming first place on the publication's Top Album Sales and Vinyl Albums charts. In the week ending Oct. 8, Rubber Soul earned 58,000 equivalent album units in the United States, up 1,626% from the previous period's 4,000, according to Luminate. Of its 58,000-unit sum, 50,000 copies are via album sales, which allows the set to reenter the all-genre Top Album Sales chart at No. 1, the band's eighth leader since the chart launched in 1991. It also tops Vinyl Albums with 24,000 copies being sold via the vinyl configuration, the English quartet's seventh top spot on the 15-year-old chart. Rubber Soul becomes The Beatles' seventh No. 1 on Top Rock Albums, which began in 2006. It first reigned in 2007 with Love (the companion album to its Cirque du Soleil show) and had most recently reigned via a similar reissue of Revolver in 2022. Reissues of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2017 and Abbey Road in 2019 have also topped the chart in previous years; for the reissues, all versions of the album are combined for tracking and charting purposes. Rubber Soul was reissued in a variety of configurations, including a four-CD, five-LP reissue includes original and new mixes of the album as well as demos and alternate session takes. It also contains a home demo of the previously unheard song "Little Girl" that was written and recorded by John Lennon. Meanwhile, Paul McCartney has claimed he can remember details of his birth. Appearing on Amy Poehler's podcast Good Hang on Oct. 13, Paul explained that he believes can actually remember being born. These things, you don't know if you've made it up. But I have this feeling that I kind of remember being born," he began. "I was born in a place in Liverpool called Walton Hospital, which was a real old Victorian thing; I think it had been something else before a hospital." Sir Paul went on to list some details of the hospital, however he emphasized that he is unsure whether the memories are real or if he had dreamed them up later. "So, I kind of remember white tiles, very sort of hygienic white tiles and chrome instruments and a clanging, because I was a forceps birth. They had to pull me out," the 84-year-old continued, adding: "I don't know if it's true." Also on the podcast, Macca cleared up an annoying "tall tale" that he says filmmakers keep getting wrong about The Beatles. When Poehler asked who was the tallest Beatle, McCartney said a bit defensively, "We were all the same height," holding up a finger in emphasis. "You really were," Poehler said with a sly smile as she willfully opened the Pandora's box. "You know I've got a thing about that, do you?" McCartney shot back as Poehler feigned ignorance and let out a laugh. After Poehler said "You really were," McCartney said: "Oh my God. Well, we were all the same height and Ringo [Starr] was a bit smaller." Elsewhere, the animal rights group PETA has sent an official letter to the UK's Omega Auctions asking for 43 Elswick Street, the Liverpool house where McCartney first learned to play the guitar, to be donated to the charitable organization. With the property set to go under the hammer, PETA aims to transform the historic home into a dedicated museum celebrating the music legend's lifelong advocacy for animals and the planet. In the letter, PETA highlights how McCartney has spent decades using his global music platform, voice, and influence to encourage environmental stewardship and kindness toward animals. As a committed vegetarian, McCartney once famously declared, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian." Alongside his daughters Mary and Stella McCartney, he has carried forward the legacy of his late wife, Linda McCartney, through impactful global initiatives such as Meat Free Monday, inspiring millions worldwide to leave animals off their plates. Finally on the Fab Four front, Sean Ono Lennon has clarified fan speculation about how his deceased dad John Lennon divided inheritance between him and his half brother Julian Lennon. Replying to a post on X on Oct. 11 in which someone presumed, "One guy inherited most of the estate, the other largely cut out and forced to engaged in decades-long litigation in pursuit of a comparatively small share of it. Unbearably painful and enraging for the one, surely pretty darn awkward for the other. That they remain friends (and largely always were) is testimony to the redemptive power of being a chill dude with broad implications for the wider world." The comment was tied to a post from Sean a day earlier of the Lennon brothers enjoying a nice day out in nature to celebrate his 51st birthday and, according to Sean, the commenter got it all wrong. "Julian and I inherited the same amount from our dad," he wrote. "Our trusts were equal. Although his was slightly more, but negligibly so." Sean is the adult son of John and wife Yoko Ono and Julian, 63, is Lennon's eldest, from his six-year marriage to his first wife, Cynthia Lennon. The two appear to have developed a close relationship and often share pictures together on their socials, including posing together at the 2021 Los Angeles premiere of Peter Jackson's Beatles miniseries Get Back. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 10/15/26...... On Oct. 15 Blondie announced their first new album in nine years, High Noon, will be released on Feb. 26 via BMG Music. According to a release, the 13-track set mixes their "classic punk/new wave energy with dance music and Latin rhythms" on songs that feature contributions from former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, and Beirut's Zach Condon, among others. It is also the last recording co-founders singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein made with late drummer and fellow co-founder Clem Burke before his death in 2025. "This album is classic Blondie -- an amalgamation of all our different influences and eras into something new," said Harry in the statement. "This music feels grounded in the present, shaped by who we are and how we're living now." High Noon will be the New Wave icons' first LP of new material since 2017's Pollinator, and like that album, High Noon was produced by John Congleton, and the group said that following Burke's death at 70 from cancer in Apr. 2025 the record took on added meaning. "It's been a long, strange ride, and somehow here we are with another Blondie album," said Stein of the latest from the band formed in New York in 1974, which now stands as one of the last remaining groups still making new music from an era that spawned the likes of Talking Heads, The Ramones, Television and Patti Smith. "I'm not sure what the f--- I'm supposed to say at this point, except that we're incredibly grateful for all your support over the years." The new album's first single, the Johnny Marr-penned "Spectral Eyes," can be previewed on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 10/15/26...... The Rolling Stones have announced a release date for a deluxe edition of their 25th album Foreign Tongues, just five months after its July release. The update, dubbed Foreign Tongues, Loose Lips, is due out on Nov. 27 from Capitol Records and it will feature five new songs from the sessions for the LP that has already spawned the singles "Rough and Twisted," "In the Stars," "Jealous Lover" and "Mr. Charm." It will feature the previously issued iTunes bonus track "Bad Luck Hideaway," a duet between singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards that was recently made available across other digital platforms as the B-side the latest streaming single "Mr. Charm." Also included will be "Who You Callin' Crazy," featuring British jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine, which was released digitally on Oct. 16. The other songs include "Where There's a Will," "Human Tide," and "She Still Comes Around," none of which have been previously available. All five extra songs will be available in a standalone vinyl edition, as well as in a deluxe 2CD edition and across all digital formats. The vinyl edition -- which will come on heavyweight red vinyl -- will feature all five Loose Lips songs on LP, alongside the original Foreign Tongues album. - Billboard, 10/14/26...... Al Jardine says that despite years of animosity and legal battles between himself and fellow founding The Beach Boys member Mike Love, he still feels for his former longtime bandmate after seeing footage of the 85-year-old Love struggling during a recent performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. "It's shocking and I was really depressed," Jardine told Rolling Stone about his concern for Love performing with the surf pop legends at a time when the last remaining original member of the group is struggling with his health. "I had to really shake myself out of it just to get onstage. Just the optics of it were just awful and I'm speechless," Jardine, 84 said of the feelings he had watching Love remain seated during the band's show and sing the occasional background as the bandleader told the audience that he's been "going through some health issues for quite a while." That same night Jardine, the only other surviving member of the BB, was playing his own show with fellow former BB band members Bruce Johnston and David Marks at the Cerritos Center for the Performing arts in Cerritos, Calif. His gig also featured appearances from Carnie Wilson (late BB founder Brian Wilson's daughter and member of the 1990s group Wilson Phillips), Marilyn Wilson (Brian Wilson's first wife), as well as Jan and Dean's Dean Torrence. Asked if he thinks Love's band are going to play more shows, Jardine said: "That's just not right, that I can see. Obviously, he's a total pro. He wants to be onstage, but he just doesn't know how not to do it. He doesn't know what else to do, so I think he's trapped." Love has sued ardine several times over his use of the Beach Boys name, including in 2003 for touring under the names "Beach Boys Family & Friends," claiming that the gigs represented unfair competition with the Love-led Beach Boys. The Beach Boys have a handful of upcoming dates on their schedule, including a Nov. 11 performance at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park in Orlando, Fla., and a Nov. 13 show at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristol, Va., as well as a May 8, 2027 booking at River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta, Canada. - Billboard, 10/14/26...... Led Zeppelin has finally allowed "Stairway to Heaven" to be used on screen in the trailer for the upcoming movie Narnia: The Magician's Nephew because of their love for C.S. Lewis. The pioneering heavy metal band have never let the original recording of their iconic 1971 track be licensed for use in a film or TV series before, but filmmaker Greta Gerwig says she was able to convince them for her latest offering. Speaking during a Q+A with former late night TV host Stephen Colbert, she said: "They had not let it be used in anything. I was so moved that they allowed me to use the song." Gerwig said she spoke to Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, who wrote the song, and got them to personally sign off on using the song in marketing for Narnia. "I showed them and I talked to them, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. They did it because they saw the heart of the story in the film and they, too, love C.S. Lewis, and they have a reverence for his work. The whole thing was very fortuitous. I'm so happy that it got to be this song," she sad. Gerwig added she was determined to use "Stairway" in her film's first trailer as a way of introducing her adaptation. "It's an epic song. It's an amazing song. It's a narrative. It's about a spiritual journey. It's about the true path of enlightenment and spirituality, and then this path of false idols and the wrong roads you can go down. And I was like, 'This is exactly the story of this movie.'," she noted. Led Zeppelin have rejected several approaches to use "Stairway" on screen in the past. In 1992's Wayne's World, the titular character did play the opening notes in the guitar store, but the band forced them to remove the snippet from broadcast, video and foreign releases. The band also rejected a proposal by director Cameron Crowe for the song to be used in his 2000 film Almost Famous. Starring Daniel Craig and Cary Mulligan, Narnia: The Magician's Nephew will open in theaters on Feb. 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on Apr. 2. The full official trailer can be viewed on YouTube. - Music-News.com, 10/16/26...... Michael Jackson's legendary 1993 Super Bowl halftime performance is getting a documentary titled Spectacle: Michael Jackson at the Superbowl. Directed by Bao Nguyen, whose previous credits include Netflix's The Greatest Night in Pop, the feature-length documentary will explore the behind-the-scenes journey that brought Jackson's halftime show to life. The film will also include never-before-seen footage of the pop superstar and his team, giving fans a new perspective on a performance that helped reshape one of television's biggest annual events. A newly released teaser, available on YouTube, shows a glimpse of the spectacle, with footage of Jackson commanding the stage at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., in his signature military-inspired outfit as thousands of fans fill the venue, chanting his name. The clip also previews the documentary's title before revealing its February premiere on Hulu and ESPN. Jackson's appearance at Super Bowl XXVII on Jan. 31, 1993, marked a turning point for the halftime show. Instead of a typical intermission between the game's two halves, the performance was an event of its own. It helped establish the halftime stage as a destination for some of the biggest names in music. Elsewhere, MJ has surged to the front of the pack in the race for the UK's Official biggest album of 2026 as the third quarter comes to a close. Following the release of the cinematic biopic Michael in April, public interest in the King of Pop's legendary musical catalogue has reached a massive fever pitch. His 2005 compilation release, The Essential Michael Jackson, has now amassed over 508,000 UK chart units this year alone. That impressive tally sees the late icon overtake Olivia Dean's acclaimed record The Art of Loving at No. 2, as well as Harry Styles' Kiss All The Time. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 10/13/26...... For the 36th time, Sammy Hagar has celebrated his birthday with a star-studded bash at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Hagar celebrated turning 79 on Oct. 13 over three nights -- Oct. 9, 11 and 13 -- with guest-filled rock n' roll festivities, and says he already has his eye on turning 80 with a different kind of party next year. "My dream would be to play somewhere where I can accommodate every ticket request, and everybody who never got to be at the Bash could come to this final bash," Hagar told Billboard. Hagar says that this year he received 100,000 requests for about 1,600 tickets over the three nights, a number that continues to grow every year. "I would love to be able to say to everyone, 'Guess what? You're all gonna be able to get a show.' If I have to play four or five nights somewhere, maybe I play a big stadium, maybe we block off the whole town of Cabo and do it for free. I don't know what we're gonna do yet, but I do know for my 80th birthday, that would be the dream." For this year's bash, Hagar assembled a house band reuniting him with members of his Waboritas -- guitarist Vic Johnson and bassist Mona Gnader -- joined by drummer Kenny Aronoff from Chickenfoot and Hagar's recent Van Halen-oriented Best of All Worlds band, and guitarist Stevie Salas. Hagar says he plans on focusing on his "Red Rocker" years in 2026, which, he adds, will include the entire debut album from Montrose from 1973. "The musicians wanted to do that stuff," Hagar explains. "I'm really looking forward to doing the full Montrose record. That's gonna be pushing my ass, lemme tell ya. I was 24 years old!" - Billboard, 10/13/26...... Sir Cliff Richard celebrated his 86th birthday on Oct. 14 alongside his devoted fans at a special afternoon tea event held at London's Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane. Hosted by UK radio legend Ken Bruce, the gathering marked the upcoming release of his 48th studio album, Only Number Ones, with the music icon exclusively sharing a selection of new tracks with those in attendance. Fans who secured entry by pre-ordering the album were treated to photos with the "Devil Woman" singer and enjoyed a classic afternoon tea featuring sandwiches, scones, and bespoke desserts. During the event, Sir Cliff was presented with a birthday cake to celebrate his milestone year. Guests also heard an exclusive preview of "My Sweet Lord" and his brand-new version of "Oh, Pretty Woman" --a track originally taken to No. 1 in the UK by Roy Orbison 62 years ago, which Sir Cliff officially released on his birthday. "I am so thrilled to have been able to celebrate my 86th birthday with my fans," said Sir Cliff. "They have always been very special to me and are the reason why I continue to make music and tour. They helped me all of these years to get to number one, and it is great that I am now able to give back with my own versions of number one tracks that I personally love." Arriving on Nov. 27 in the UK and Dec. 4 in the US via major streaming platforms and retailers, Only Number Ones sees Sir Cliff put his signature touch on iconic chart-toppers spanning eight decades. The record features covers of tracks originally made famous by The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, The Monkees, Elvis Presley and Harry Styles, alongside a fresh 2026 rendition of "White Christmas." - Music-News.com, 10/15/26.