Billboard is reporting that Dionne Warwick is planning the final album of her storied career, DWuets, and its first single, "Ocean in the Desert," will arrive on Mar. 20. In addition, DWuets will feature the first-time collaboration of Warwick, a five-time Grammy winner, and Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren. Commemorating that occasion, the album borrows part of its title from the duo's initials. Warren, also a 17-time Oscar songwriting nominee, wrote all the songs on DWuets, while Warwick's manager/son Damon Elliott produced all of the album's duets. Among the performing collaborators on DWuets are Emmy-, Tony- and Grammy Award-winner Cynthia Erivo, as well as rising and newly minted Grammy winner Kehlani, who contributes to the second single. Warwick and Erivo initially met when the latter performed "Alfie" while honoring Warwick at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023. "Alfie," a pop (No. 15) and R&B (No. 5) hit for Warwick in 1967, is one of three of the songstress's classics inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, along with "Walk on By" and "Don't Make Me Over." Warwick's other accolades include a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Of working with Erivo, Warwick commented in the press announcement, "It was such a joy to be in the studio harmonizing with such a talented entertainer as Cynthia. We immediately bonded and had so much fun recording this beautiful song." "It was so warm being in the studio with Dionne; it was like a mother-daughter relationship," added Erivo. "This experience was like the godmother of music coming in and saying to me 'I knight you.'" - Billboard, 3/9/26...... 
On Mar. 10 Alice Cooper announced details of a new "definitive autobiography," Devil On My Shoulder, confirmed plans for a new UK Q&A book tour. The memoir, the shock-rocker's first, is set to be published by Ebury Spotlight on Oct. 8, and promises to lift the lid on the huge career and the intriguing personal life of the 78-year-old rock icon. It promises to explore how Alice's two personas -- the theatrical, elaborate rock star, and the sober pastor's son who played him and has been married for 50 years -- intertwine. "Alice is still on tour around the world today, a proper senile delinquent playing hundreds of gigs every year, while I myself am reformed," Cooper said. "And with the benefit of hindsight and a certain maturity, I'd like to describe our journey to hell and back together, because it's not only rock stars who can lose their way." It will also reveal how the rocker, real name Vincent Damon Furnier, began the group 'Alice Cooper' in the late '60s, and later went on to adopt the name as his own moniker, and later change it legally after becoming lost in the character's identity. "I was born Vincent Damon Furnier but, seduced by my character's reputation, changed my name legally to Alice Cooper, and in the process lost sight of who I really was," Cooper added. "The mild-mannered, all-American boy I'd once been became a monster and a mortal danger to himself." There will also be anecdotes that feature some of Alice's most famous acquaintances, including Salvador Dal, Bob Hope, John Lennon, Groucho Marx, Vincent Price, Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Gerald Ford and Andy Warhol and others, as well as deeper topics explored. To celebrate the upcoming release, Cooper will be headed out on a UK book tour later in 2026, which kicks off on Oct. 11 at the New Theatre in Cardiff. From there, there are stops at the Cambridge Corn Exchange (Oct. 12), London Palladium and Brighton Dome over the following three-nights. Dates wrap up in Manchester (Oct. 16), Stockton (Oct. 17), Glasgow (Oct. 19) and Wolverhampton (Oct. 20). Cooper will also be among the headliners at the UK's "Louder Than Life" summer festival alongside the likes of Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Tool, Limp Bizkit, and others. In 2025, Alice reunited with his original group for an intimate show in London, and shared his first album with them in over 50 years, titled The Revenge Of Alice Cooper. - New Musical Express, 3/10/26...... Elton John will be honored with the 15th Glenn Gould Prize Laureate at an all-star Canadian gala in Toronto on May 9. Diana Krall, The Beaches, Ron Sexsmith, Jeremy Dutcher, LOONY, Emily D'Angelo, Ryan Wang and more -- all handpicked by John, who will be in attendance -- are to perform at the event at the city's Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort. Often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of the Arts," the Glenn Gould Prize recognizes a living individual of any nationality or creative field for a lifetime of artistic achievement that has enriched humanity. "In selecting Elton John, we chose to honour someone whose artistic achievements have been transformed into profound social impact," said former prime minister Kim Campbell, who serves on the prize jury. "He has used his success to change lives, embodying the very highest ideals of the arts." Established in 1987, the Prize includes a $100,000 award for the Laureate, who also personally selects a young artist to receive the $25,000 Glenn Gould Protgé Prize, celebrating the vital role of mentorship. Through the Elton John AIDS Foundation, founded in 1992, John has also helped raise over $650 million US for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care worldwide. John is also married to Torontonian David Furnish and the couple have two children. - Canoe.com, 3/9/26...... 
The BBC is reportedly planning a major televised tribute to David Bowie this summer, stepping in to fill the gap left by the off-year of the Glastonbury Festival. The UK paper The Mirror reports that the broadcaster is preparing a star-studded celebration of the late music legend -- who died aged 69 in Jan. 2016 following a private cancer battle -- featuring a roster of high-profile performers backed by an all-star band and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Organisers reportedly want the event to serve as a long-overdue national salute to Bowie, whose influence continues to shape generations of artists. One source described the project as "a thank you to David Bowie and a celebration of his continued influence among today's artists," adding that the scale of the show will be unlike anything previously staged for the late icon in the UK. All proceeds from the concert will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust and the music-therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins, echoing Bowie's long association with charitable causes. Despite the artist's towering legacy, the UK has never hosted a Bowie tribute concert of this magnitude. The largest to date took place at New York's Carnegie Hall four months after his death in 2016, featuring performances from Debbie Harry, Cyndi Lauper and Michael Stipe. Meanwhile, the Bowie supergroup Holy Holy, featuring musicians who closely collaborated with the rocker including drummer Woody Woodmansey and Tony Visconti, will embark on a farewell tour of the UK this fall. The 12-date run begins in Glasgow on Sept. 3, and concludes in Hull on Sept. 19, with a London show at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on Sept. 10. - Music-News.com, 3/10/26...... A huge statue of Ozzy Osbourne is set to be unveiled at the UK's Hellfest this summer in tribute to the late Heavy Metal pioneer. Ozzy's wife, Sharon Osbourne, shared the news at the MIDEM music industry conference in Cannes, France on Mar. 4, and gave fans a glimpse of the statue, too. Oh, there he is. Look at him, a rock god," Sharon said while images of the in-progress statue were shown on a screen. "That is going to debut at Hellfest, and that is June 18th. And the whole family will be there to see it. And it's such a great tribute. It's amazing. So, I can only thank [Hellfest director] Ben [Barbaud]. Just bless you. It's an amazing piece of art." This year, Hellfest will run from June 18 to June 21, with Bring Me The Horizon, Iron Maiden, Limp Bizkit and The Offspring headlining. Ozzy's statue can be viewed during Sharon's interview on YouTube, about 48 minutes into the video. Meanwhile, Sharon has revealed that she's planning to take the Ozzy exhibition that's currently at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to "tour the world." "Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero" was originally opened by Sharon on June 25, 2025, to coincide with the band's historic "Back To The Beginning" concert at Villa Park on July 5. It would serve as Black Sabbath and Ozzy's final show before his death two weeks later. - NME, 3/5/26...... 
Interviewed in a cover story for the new People magazine, Valerie Bertinelli describes herself as "a survivor" after her last relationship, with writer Mike Goodnough, ended in a difficult breakup in 2024, two divorces, struggles with weight, and being sexually abused at 11, which she reveals in her new memoir, Getting Naked. "I had no plan to reveal this," the former One Day at a Time and celebrity chef star says. "This was going to be a book about teaching people how to love themselves. Then I had a huge anxiety attack at the end of '24 that really brought me to my knees, and I knew I needed to do more work, and that's when I really dug deep." Asked why she decided to reveal it now, Bertinelli says: "If I can help anybody, then great. Now, this has taken me 10 years at least [but] I don't feel shame about it anymore... I guess because I'm healing from it, and it's not so scary anymore. I can say it out loud. I was sexually assaulted. It doesn't feel like it owns me anymore." Bertinelli, 65, says there will "always be a huge part of my heart that contains Ed (Eddie Van Halen, her first husband)." "He gave me the greatest gift: our son (Wolfgang Van Halen). Would we have ever been intimate again? I don't think so. But I've never loved another man the way I loved Ed." Up next for Val: On May 9 she returns to acting in the Lifetime movie Love, Again alongside Eric McCormack, which she calls "a gorgeous love story." - People, 3/16/26...... Tommy DeCarlo, who spent nearly 20 years singing with classic rockers Boston following the death of original vocalist Brad Delp, died on Mar. 9. He was 60. DeCarlo's family confirmed his death on social media, noting that he'd been diagnosed with brain cancer last September. "It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our Dad, Tommy DeCarlo, on Monday, March 9th, 2026. He fought with incredible strength and courage right up until the very end," the family wrote. "During this difficult time, we kindly ask that friends and fans respect our family's privacy as we grieve and support one another. Rest in peace, Dad." "When I first began to listen to Boston as a young teenager, I absolutely loved Brad's voice," DeCarlo penned in a bio on the official Boston website. "It wasn't like I was trying to sing like Brad; it was just that I loved to sing along with him." At the time, in the mid-70s, Boston was one of the biggest rock groups in the world, with their 1976 self-titled debut quickly went platinum on the strength of hits like "More Than a Feeling" and "Peace of Mind." In 2007, after Delp died by suicide, DeCarlo joined the band. He spent the next two decades touring with Boston. He leaves behind his wife, Annie, and his two adult children, Talia and Tommy Jr. - Music-News.com, 3/10/26...... 
Iconic counterculture musician Country Joe McDonald of Country Joe and the Fish, whose Vietnam War protest anthem "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" became a defining song of the 1960s protest movement, died at his home in Berkeley, Calif., on Mar. 9 from complications related to Parkinson's disease, according to his wife. He was 84. Born Joseph Allen McDonald on Jan. 1, 1942, in Washington, D.C., Mr. McDonald rose to prominence as the frontman of Country Joe and the Fish, a San Francisco Bay Area psychedelic rock band that emerged from the counterculture scene in the mid-1960s. The group blended politically charged lyrics with psychedelic rock and became closely associated with the anti-war movement of the era. McDonald's most enduring composition, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag," became a rallying cry for Vietnam War protesters. The song reached global notoriety during Mr. McDonald's solo appearance at the 1969 Woodstock festival, where he led the crowd through the now-famous "Fish Cheer," a call-and-response chant that encouraged hundreds of thousands of attendees to spell out an expletive before launching into the anti-war anthem. The performance was later included in the documentary film Woodstock. Reflecting on the song decades later, McDonald said its message was intentionally aimed at political leadership rather than soldiers fighting in the conflict. "The important thing about the Fixin' to Die Rag was that it had a new point of view that did not blame soldiers for war," McDonald told TheStreetSpirit.com in a 2016 interview, adding, "It just blamed the politicians, and it blamed the manufacturers of weapons. It didn't blame the soldiers. Someone who was in the military could sing the song, and the attitude is, 'Whoopee, we're all going to die'. Most peace songs of the era blamed the soldiers for the war." Country Joe and the Fish released their debut album, Electric Music for the Mind and Body, in 1967. The record helped establish the band within the San Francisco psychedelic rock movement alongside groups such as Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead. After the group dissolved in the 1970s, Mr. McDonald continued recording and performing as a solo artist, releasing dozens of albums across folk, rock and politically themed songwriting. His 1986 album Vietnam Experience revisited the cultural impact of the war that had defined much of his early work. Before launching his music career, Mr. McDonald served in the U.S. Navy from 1959 to 1962. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1965 and soon co-founded Country Joe and the Fish in Berkeley with guitarist Barry "The Fish" Melton. Although his commercial peak came during the late 1960s counterculture era, Mr. McDonald remained active in music for decades, performing at festivals and continuing to write songs reflecting on war, politics and social change. His music became closely intertwined with the protest-song tradition of the late 1960s, a period when artists increasingly used popular music as a platform for political expression. Alongside figures such as Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, Mr. McDonald helped shape the soundtrack of the anti-war movement, using satire and sharp political commentary to capture the frustrations of a generation confronting the Vietnam War. He worked with Vietnam War veterans' associations, and continued writing and performing up until the 2010s. - Billboard, 3/9/26.
Paul McCartney has paid tribute to his "dear old mate" and former The Quarrymen bandmate Len Garry, who died on Mar. 2 of pneumonia at the age of 84. Sir Paul shared a photo on Instagram of the original Quarrymen in tribute with the caption: "My dear old mate from the Quarrymen, Len Garry, has passed away. He was a lovely guy and I'm sad to see him go but glad that we had so many fun times together. Rest in Peace Len, Love Paul." McCartney and Garry began making music together as schoolboys and were both part of The Quarrymen's first steady line-up, which also consisted of John Lennon, Colin Hanton, Rod Davis, Pete Shotton and Eric Griffiths. Lennon was already part of the band when McCartney joined in 1957, which was how they first met. George Harrison later joined the group on bass and after numerous line-up and name changes, they became the Beatles. A further tribute shared on The Quarrymen's social media said: "He will be sorely missed by us and Beatle fans across the globe. Our thoughts are with Len's family and friends at this difficult time." - NME, 3/4/26...... 
Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr has announced his next album will be titled Long Long Road and released on Apr. 24. Featuring the likes of Sheryl Crow and St. Vincent, the 10-track record was co-written by Ringo and legendary producer T Bone Burnett, who he worked with on his 2025 record Look Up. It will also feature appearances from Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz. "I'm blessed to have T Bone in my life right now and working with me on these records," Ringo said in a statement. "After we did the last record, which I love listening to, this one just sort of happened. I like to say sometimes I make the right moves, like you can go left or right at any point, and one of the right moves was hooking up with T Bone for Look Up, and now for this one, which I'm calling Long Long Road, because I've been on a long long road." The album was recorded in Nashville and L.A. and largely features the same musicians as Look Up. The country and Americana-influenced record was particularly influenced by late rockabilly legend Carl Perkins. Ringo said: "I recorded two Carl Perkins songs with The Beatles, and both T Bone and I wanted one on this record and he found this beautiful track I'd never heard before, I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore." Ringo and his All Starr Band will kick off a 10-date spring tour on May 29 in Temecula, Calif., also visiting San Diego; Charlotte, N.C.; Tuscon; Lincoln, Neb.; Paso Robles, Calif.; Albuquerque; San Jose; and Tempe, Ariz. before wrapping at L.A.'s Greek Theatre on June 15. - Music-News.com, 3/4/26...... Sharon Osbourne confirmed on Mar. 4 that Ozzfest will be resurrected in her late hubby Ozzy Osbourne's home town of Birmingham, UK as a two-day event at Villa Park, the home grounds of the Aston Villa Football Club, which also served as the site of Osbourne's final "Back to the Beginning" Black Sabbath farewell concert in 2025. We want to do two days in Aston Villa and then come to America," Sharon said on The Osbournes podcast before making a call-out to all the Ozzfest fans out there to let her know where the festival should visit and who they want to see in its latest incarnation. In keeping with Ozzy's push to showcase new, up-and-coming talent on Ozzfest, Sharon also said the team behind Ozzfest is looking for those kinds of bands right now, "because that's what your dad would want." Meanwhile, a huge statue of Ozzy is set to be unveiled at Hellfest in Clisson, France this summer in tribute to the late heavy metal icon. "Oh, there he is. Look at him, a rock god," Sharon said during an appearance on the MetalXS podcast while images of the in-progress statue were shown on a screen. "That is going to debut at Hellfest, and that is June 18th. And the whole family will be there to see it. And it's such a great tribute. It's amazing. So, I can only thank [Hellfest director] Ben [Barbaud]. Just bless you. It's an amazing piece of art." This year, Hellfest will run from June 18 to June 21 with a line-up including Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Limp Bizkit, Tom Morello and The Offspring, among many others. Also Sharon recently revealed that she's planning to take the Ozzy exhibition that's currently at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to "tour the world." "Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero" was originally opened by Sharon on June 25, 2025, to coincide with the band's historic "Back To The Beginning" concert at Villa Park on July 5. It would serve as Black Sabbath and Ozzy's final show before his death two weeks later. Following Ozzy's death on July 22, 2025, the exhibition was extended until Jan. 2026 with the blessing of the Osbournes. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 3/5/26...... 
Longtime Beach Boys member Bruce Johnston has told Rolling Stone that he plans to retire from touring to focus on songwriting and recording. Johnston, 83, added that he still intends to join the band for special performances, specifically the upcoming July 2-4 gigs at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles as part of the events celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary. After touring and recording with the BB for 61 years and performing upwards of 6,000 concerts, Johnston says "it's time for Part Three of my lengthy musical career." "I can write songs forever and wait until you hear what's coming!!! As my major talent beyond singing is songwriting, now is the time to get serious again," he continued. "In addition, I'm currently working on developing a speaking-engagement chapter of my career -- inspired in part by Cary Grant, who long ago made a similar move after his movie career... I might even sing 'Disney Girls' & 'I Write The Songs',!! he wrote, the latter in reference to, respectively, one of the handful of songs he wrote for the band, as well as the 1976 No. 1 Barry Manilow hit he penned. "This isn't goodbye, it's see you soon. I am forever grateful to be a part of the Beach Boys musical legacy." With the exception of a 2012 world tour in support of the That's Why God Made the Radio album, Johnston has been the only other old-school member of the group to tour with cofounding BB member Mike Love for the past 28 years. He originally joined in band in 1965, four years after its founding, to help fill in for musical mastermind Brian Wilson when he stepped aside to focus on studio recordings. After splitting in 1972 to pursue solo work and songwriting, Johnston returned in 1978 and had been a reliable touring and recording member ever since. Love becomes the lone original-era member still touring with the band; fellow co-founder singer/rhythm guitarist Al Jardine stopped touring with the Love-led version of the BB in 2012. Chris Cron, the lead singer for the BB tribute act Pet Sounds Live, will replace Johnston in the touring version of the group. - Billboard, 3/5/26...... 
Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1973 track "Free Bird" has netted big gains on multiple Billboard charts dated Mar. 7 after the song became the unofficial anthem for the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams at the 2026 Winter Olympics. "Free Bird" returns to Hot Rock & Alternative Songs at No. 15 on the strength of 3.2 million official U.S. streams (up 35%), 343,000 in radio airplay audience (up 17%) and 3,000 downloads sold (up 217%) in the week ending Feb. 26, according to Luminate. Older songs are allowed to re-enter rankings such as Hot Rock & Alternative Songs if in the top half of chart points and with a meaningful reason for their return. The driving anthem, from Skynyrd's breakthrough LP Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, blared after the U.S. men's and women's teams scored during the Olympics. The women's squad won the gold medal Feb. 19, following up its 2018 win, while the men's team triumphed among all nations for the first time since 1980 on Feb. 22. Each team added its third total gold medal, with the men's team also having won in 1960 and the women's, in 1998. "Free Bird" reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 during its original chart run in 1975. The set peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, becoming the first of the band's 12 top 40 entries, through Last of a Dying Breed (No. 14, 2012). - Billboard, 3/3/26...... Paraphrasing one of his most famous songs, Barry Manilow gave a cheery health update on Instagram on Mar. 3 after being forced to postpone his recent tour due to lung cancer surgery. "Well, looks like I made it and I look fabulous, right?," the 82-year-old singer said. Manilow, looking healthy and energetic, added, "You know, with everything that's going on in the world, I wanted to check in and share some good news. In fact, it's great news." Manilow's new single, "Once Before I Go," currently sits at No. 26 on the Mar. 7-dated Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The latest charting extends the Brooklyn-born singer's run of six decades, beginning in 1974 with his classic breakthrough hit "Mandy" and reaching into this year. "How do you like that?" Manilow asked about his single's success. "Like my grandmother once said, next thing you know, they'll be walking on the moon." Manilow thanked industry legend Clive Davis for suggesting the moving ballad -- written by acclaimed songwriters Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Demonte Posey -- as well as all the radio stations for playing it and fans for listening to the track. He also thanked everyone who has reached out with messages of support over the past few months as he dealt with his health emergency. "It's been a long ride and since I have no patience, it's been agony," he said. "But I am getting stronger and I have great doctors and wonderful friends and family, but I am so looking forward to getting back on stage." In February, Manilow revealed that he needed to reschedule some more shows and take additional time to recover from a January operation related to stage one lung cancer diagnosed last year. Following the tough visit with his surgeon, he postponed the first batch of 2026 arena dates originally scheduled to run from Feb. 27-March 17. Though Manilow is rescheduling his first 13 arena shows, he said at the time that his doctor felt it was still "likely" he could perform in Las Vegas on Mar. 26-28 and Apr. 2-4. His Mar. 26 Vegas residency show is still listed on his official website, which also lists an Apr. 13 show at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y. as his next confirmed non-residency date. - Billboard, 3/3/26...... 
After a recent round on the Rock Legends Cruise, The Guess Who principals Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman have announced they will be taking their recent ownership of The Guess Who moniker on the road this spring. The duo kicks off its "Takin' It Back Tour" at home with previously announced Canadian dates that begin May 26 date in Moncton, N.B. The U.S. run starts in late June, when it brings the show south of the border for two dozen concerts staring June 25 in Shakopee, Minn., wrapping on Aug. 23 in Vancouver, B.C. Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder opens the headlining dates. The tour marks the first time in 23 years Cummings and Bachman have toured as The Guess Who, following last year's legal triumph over what they call "the fake Guess Who," run for decades by bassist Jim Kale and drummer Garry Peterson, who cofounded the band with Bachman as Chad Allan & the Reflections during 1962 in Winnipeg. "It was enough already. They tarnished what we created," Cummings, who joined in 1966, told Billboard in a Zoom call with Bachman. "I remember I went on Facebook and talked to people and there were a lot of remarks about the fake Guess Who, about the band going on stage and kind of dishonoring the songs. So Randy and I are out here now, honoring the history of The Guess Who." Bachman adds, "You can only sit around for so long and watch people tarnish something you built, something that's intangible -- that's called a reputation. It's with music, it's with fans. It's making music that is the soundtrack of our lives, and everybody who hears it and buys it falls in love with it and cherishes it. To see it stolen and not given justice and then hearing about it from your fans was terrible. So be able to be part of that again and see the reaction of the fans, it's really special." The duo say they plan to keep The Guess Who on the road for the foreseeable future, but they say new music will have to wait. "There's no time for that right now," says Cummings, who released a solo album -- A Few Good Moments -- during 2024. "Right now, let's get out there and rekindle the legacy that has been tarnished. New music may come later, but that's not on our agenda right now. We're going out to rebuild what the fake band broke down." The band's ambitious 35-city North American tour will wrap in Vancouver, B.C. on Aug. 23. - Billboard, 3/3/26...... A group of siblings who claim they were abused by Michael Jackson have brought new child sex trafficking claims against the King of Pop's estate. Four of the five Cascio siblings -- Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo -- alleged in a federal lawsuit filed on Feb. 27 that Jackson raped and molested them as children over the course of more than a decade, including at his Neverland ranch and while on the road for the Dangerous world tour and HIStory world tour in the 1990s. The fifth sibling, Frank Cascio, has made similar sex abuse claims in a separate pending legal proceeding. "Jackson groomed and brainwashed each plaintiff," reads the lawsuit, filed by attorney Howard King. "After the abuse started, he isolated them emotionally, and sometimes physically, from responsible adults and from each other. He plied them with drugs and alcohol. He showed them pornography, including pictures of unclothed children, to normalize the abuse and desensitize them. He made them fear and distrust others by convincing them that not only his life, but also their lives and the lives of their family members, would be destroyed if anyone found out what he was doing to them." A lawyer for Jackson's estate, Marty Singer, denied the Cascios' allegations in a Feb. 27 statement and said the new lawsuit is a "desperate money grab" and "transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael's estate and companies." - Billboard, 3/2/26...... Legendary Notre Dame college football coach Lou Holtz died on Mar. 4. He was 89. In his five-decade career, Mr. Holtz led football teams at several universities, including William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota and South Carolina. During his time with Notre Dame, he led the team -- known as The Fighting Irish -- to 100 victories. He won 249 total games across his 33 seasons of coaching. "Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field, earning their respect and admiration for a lifetime," Notre Dame said in a statement. The long-time Republican spoke at the party's convention in 2020 to endorse Donald Trump for president. Pres. Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honour, that December. "Holtz is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others," his family said in a statement. Videos of his inspirational speeches to his players before games earned him fans in the years after his coaching career ended. Following his sport career, he went on to become a commentators for broadcasters ESPN and CBS. - The BBC, 3/4/26...... 
On Mar. 4 the Los Angeles City Council officially designated the iconic The Brady Bunch house in the San Fernando Valley as a Historic-Cultural Monument. The house was used for exterior shots only on The Brady Bunch and recently underwent a $1.9 million renovation to transform the interiors to match the show sets on HGTV's A Very Brady Renovation. The current owner, Tina Trahan, opened up the property for a limited run of tours in Nov. 2025. "Long before it became a pop culture pilgrimage site and backdrop for countless photo ops, the Brady Bunch House helped shape America's vision of family life in the late 1960s and early '70s -- especially the idea of a blended family," Adrian Scott, president of the L.A. Conservancy, told the Los Angeles Times. He added: "We're thrilled to see it now designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument, ensuring the Brady Bunch -- and their iconic home -- remain part of Los Angeles' story." On Jan. 15, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission voted to recommend the house, located at 11222 Dilling St., in Studio City, as a landmark. The Planning and Land Use Commission approved the designation a month later, and the city council made the final unanimous approval. The Brady home was first constructed in 1959 by architect Harry M. Londelius, according to the Times. It was later used in exterior shots of during The Brady Bunch's entire run from 1969 to 1974. All of the shows interior scenes were filmed on a studio set nearby. A $1.9 million renovation by HGTV brought in 28 million viewers as the Brady siblings helped perfect the 2,000 sq. ft., addition. In 2023, Brady superfan Trahan and her husband Chris Elbrecht, a former chief executive of HBO, purchased the property for $3.2 million, but at the time Trahan described it as "her worst investment ever." The network subsequently filmed a limited series entitled A Very Brady Renovation, in which hosts Drew and Jonathan Scott worked with fellow HGTV stars and the actors who played all six Brady kids to transform the interior of the home to match what was seen in the show. - People, 5/5/26.
As Jethro Tull released 
Heart's Ann Wilson has been performing in a wheelchair on Heart's "Royal Flush" tour because she suffered a nasty fall five days before her tour kicked off. Wilson, 74, postponed Heart's 2024 tour last summer after being diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and undergoing surgery, but she has since completed treatment and revealed her current health woes are down to a recent tumble. During a recent episode of her After Dinner Thinks With Ann Wilson podcast, she explained: "I think some people thought that I was in a wheelchair because of cancer, which I just kicked its ass and I'm nice and clear now. It's not about cancer. It's about me being a klutz and missing a step and falling into a parking lot and busting my elbow in three places and then having to have it pinned back together with screws and all that kind of stuff." She went on to add: "In other ways, I'm perfectly fine. It's just I don't have the use of my left arm right now. So it's hard to navigate when you just have one hand and your other whole arm is in a sling. And you don't have the same balance. So I had to get used to that. And singing on stage, I really think that the pain level is still way too high for me to take it out of the sling so I chose to sit because then I can just concentrate on singing and not on keeping my balance and having somebody out there catching me when I reel to the side." Heart kicked off its current tour in Las Vegas on Feb. 28 and they will continue performing across North America this spring and summer until they wrap with a set at The Great Allentown Fair in Allentown, Penn. on Aug. 27. - Music-News.com, 3/7/25...... On Mar. 5 Pink Floyd released the trailer for the newly restored version of their concert film Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII on 
Paul McCartney is giving a little help to his late friend Joe Cocker as the "blue-eyed soul" singer is a contender for the class of 2025 
Trailblazing "Godfather of Soul" James Brown has placed a new song on a Billboard chart for the first time since 1993 as "Bad," his co-billed collaboration with rapper 310babii, has reached No. 37 on the music industry outlet's Rhythmic Airplay chart dated Mar. 8. The new single samples Brown's "The Boss" from his 1973 album, Black Caesar. For Brown, who died in 2006 at age 73, "Bad" is the legend's maiden appearance on the Rhythmic Airplay chart, which launched in Oct. 1992. It's his first new recording on any Billboard songs chart since 1993's "Can't Get Any Harder," which netted a No. 76 high on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Some of his best-known recordings, including "I Got You (I Feel Good)," "Living in America" and "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto" banked time on digital song sales or other charts in recent years due to commercial syncs or holiday-fueled consumption. From 1958-1986, Brown accumulated his 91 Billboard Hot 100 hits, with a No. 3 career high through "I Got You (I Feel Good)" in 1965. Thanks to his storied career, Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's inaugural 1986 class alongside legends such as Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. The official video of 310babii & James Brown's "Bad" can be viewed on 
Dan Fogelberg's breakthrough 1974 second album 
Joey Molland, the guitarist and last surviving member of the Beatlesque '70s rock band Badfinger, passed away on Mar. 1 while surrounded by his longtime partner, Mary, his two sons and other family members, according to a post on Badfinger's Facebook page. He was 77. While a cause of death was not specified, Molland had faced ongoing health challenges in recent years, including a recent battle with pneumonia. "Thank you, Joey for keeping the band's music alive for so long and for being a friend to us all," the Facebook post read. The Welsh band Badfinger, originally known as The Iveys, was one of the first acts signed by The Beatles' Apple Records. Molland joined the group in 1969, after the recording of their debut album, Magic Christian Music, which featured the Paul McCartney-written hit "Come and Get It." The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1970. Molland's first album with Badfinger was 1971's 
Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes are revisiting their 1999 collaboration with an 
Nick Simmons and Evan Stanley, the sons of KISS' Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, have recorded 10 songs together, and the pair recently shared photos with fans on 
As the divisiveness in American politics grows increasingly sharper, veteran classic rock producer Bob Ezrin has said he plans to renounce his US citizenship and make a full return to his native country of Canada from his most recent US base, Nashville. Ezrin explained to the UK paper The Globe that the current polarized state of American politics and society is the driving force behind this move. "In the last few years, it seems as if America is split in half," Ezrin says. "The voices of a radical right have become so much louder. Conspiracy theories abound, people are armed to the teeth, and it's just a different place than the place I went to." Already a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Ezrin was recently named as a recipient of the lifetime artistic achievement award by The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation, honoured for a legendary discography that includes milestone albums by such international stars as Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, U2, Deep Purple, Rod Stewart, Nine Inch Nails, Kiss, Lou Reed, Taylor Swift and many more. He received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year in 1981 as producer of Pink Floyd's 
Robert John, the Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter whose inimitable voice lent itself to a number of Billboard Hot 100 hits including 
David Johansen, frontman with glam rock band New York Dolls, died on Mar. 1 at his home in New York City. He was 75. "David Johansen died at home in NYC on Friday afternoon holding hands with his wife, Mara Hennessey, and daughter Leah, surrounded by music, flowers and love," his rep said in a statement. "He died of natural causes after nearly a decade of illness." The news of Johansen's death comes after the punk pioneer announced in early February that he was battling stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor. The musician was diagnosed in 2020, and after a fall that broke his back in two places in Nov. 2024, he decided to share his story. "We've been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation," revealed Johansen, who also acted and has appeared in films such as Scrooged and TV shows including Oz. "This is the worst pain I've ever experienced in my entire life. I've never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency. Thank you." The Staten Island-born Johansen joined the Dolls in 1971, playing his first show with the group at a homeless shelter on Christmas Eve that year. Favoring simple, sloppy rock n' roll over the increasingly complex and conceptual rock music of the early '70s, New York Dolls made up for what they lacked in technical mastery and professionalism with attitude, gender-bending fashion (women's clothes and high heels) and gobs of lipstick. Gigging around Manhattan in 1972, the group steadily increasing in popularity among young, disaffected audiences looking for something different and the NYC art crowd. The group's self-titled 1973 album is a no-notes distillation of their rough-and-tumble, campy take on the straight-forward, blues-boosted rock n' roll of the '50s. "Personality Crisis" is a wild, careening send-up of self-obsessed people manufacturing drama for attention that rings as true today as it did half a century ago; "Looking for a Kiss" opens with a cheeky reference to The Shangri-Las; and while the Dolls weren't renowned for their lyricism, "Frankenstein" is a clever metaphor for the lumbering, confused and patched-together New York City of the '70s. Despite inspiring countless punks, glam rockers, heavy metal bands and Morrissey (who cites seeing the band on TV as a watershed moment in his life), 
He isn't quite "slip-slidin' away" yet -- on Feb. 18 Paul Simon announced an ambitious 2025 North American tour on 
In what is likely a major disappointment to many fans, Ozzy Osbourne has said he won't play a full Black Sabbath set at the band's upcoming farwell show on July 5 in Birmingham, UK. Osbourne made the announcement on his Ozzy Speaks program on SiriusXM channel Ozzy's Boneyard, where he provided an update as to his plans for the recently-announced "Back to the Beginning" concert with the "ultimate" Sabbath lineup of Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. "I'm not planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath but I am doing little bits and pieces with them," the "War Pigs" singer explained. "I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable." Osbourne hasn't performed a full set since Dec. 31, 2018 on the final date of his "No More Tours" tour. Just two months later, the heavy metal pioneer was diagnosed with Parkinson's, and any plans for further large-scale performances have been affected by numerous cancellations and health issues. "I am trying to get back on my feet," Osbourne added. "When you get up in the morning, you just jump out of bed. I have to balance myself, but I'm not dead. I'm still actively doing things." Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Guns N' Roses, Tool and Jason Mamoa have been added to the lineup of the final Black Sabbath concert. Aquaman actor Momoa will host the event, while Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello will serve as musical director. Other previously announced acts include Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Rival Sons, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, songwriter-producer Andrew Watt, and bassist Dave Ellefson. Osbourne and Billy Morrison have shared their new single, "Gods Of Rock N Roll," on 
Queen guitarist Brian May. Created with significant design input from May, only 100 of the Brian May SJ-200 12-String models will be available worldwide in a limited run via Gibson.com, the Gibson Garage Nashville and London, and authorized Gibson dealers. In a press release, May said he "had the idea for the guitar when I needed a 12-String on tour, and the one I was accustomed to wasn't performing right on stage." "The guys at Gibson very kindly said, 'We'll make you something special that you can use on the tours.' One of the things I asked for was for the octaves to be placed around the other way from where it is normally done, because I like to pick upwards and hear the top notes when I'm playing," he added. Referring to his other career as an astronomer, he said: "Gibson was able to put the universe on it in a figurative way and the planet Mercury is here, and that is a little nod to a friend of mine that is always with me." An episode of the Gibson TV podcast with May introducing the instrument has been shared on 
A unique version of the classic Procol Harum single "A Whiter Shade of Pale" featuring late singer Gary Brooker is among the songs on the new charity album 
Scottish drummer Jamie Muir, a former drummer of the British prog rock group King Crimson, died of as yet undisclosed causes on Feb. 17. He was 82. News of his passing was confirmed by his friend and bandmate Bill Bruford, who wrote on Facebook: "Jamie Muir died today, 17.02.2025, in Cornwall, UK, with his brother George by his side." Mr. Muir was best known for his stint with the legendary King Crimson from 1972 to 1973, playing most prominently on their fifth studio album Larks' Tongues In Aspic, released in 1973. Born in Edinburgh in 1942 and educated at the Edinburgh College Of Art, he moved to London in the 1960s as a passionate jazz trombonist, before switching to percussion. In London, he was involved in several free improvisational groups, including The Music Improvisation Company, and played with respected figures such as Derek Bailey and Evan Parker. King Crimson leader Robert Fripp invited him to join the band via a phone call in the summer of 1972, alongside a new incarnation of the band that included Yes drummer Bruford, bassist John Wetton and violinist David Cross. After just a year, and just days after the release of Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Muir abruptly left King Crimson and moved to a monastery in southern Scotland to pursue life as a Buddhist monk. He did return to music in 1980, appearing on albums by Bailey and Parker, as well as the soundtrack of the 1983 British independent film Ghost Dance. In 1990, he withdrew from the music industry once again, opting to devote his time to painting. Mr. Muir's passing comes just months after King Crimson songwriter and lyricist Peter Sinfield died, aged 80, on Nov. 14. Robert Fripp paid tribute to Mr. Muir on Instagram, writing: "Jamie Muir was a major, and continuing, influence on my thinking, not only musical. A wonderful and mysterious person. Of the five members of KC 1972, Jamie had the greatest authority, experience and presence. Fly well, Master Muir." - NME, 2/18/25.
A rep for Don Felder says the former Eagles guitarist is "feeling much better" after a medical emergency during a Rock Legends Cruise performance on Feb. 13. In a video shared by an attendee and posted on the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com, Felder is seen introducing the Eagles classic, "Tequila Sunrise," sharing the inspiration behind the song before he began strumming his guitar to perform it. He then appears to look to crew members on the side stage and lose balance, before a member of his team and his bandmates helped escort him offstage. The crowd cheered in support for the musician before the video ends. Posting on Instagram, his rep said medical personnel determined that Felder "was deemed to be suffering from dehydration... He was given fluids, and is feeling much better." The statement continued that the remainder of Felder's cruise performances will be rescheduled to "ensure he has ample time to rehydrate and recover fully," before concluding, "Thank you for your understanding and remember -- drink your water!" Felder, 77, performed with the Eagles from 1974 to 2001, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 1998. After his departure from the group, he filed two lawsuits alleging wrongful termination, breach of implied-in-fact contract and breach of fiduciary duty, though the case was settled in 2007. Felder published the book, Heaven and Hell: My Life in The Eagles, in 2007. - Billboard, 2/14/25...... In other Eagles-related news, a rare book dealer filed a lawsuit against band co-founder Don Henley, their manager Irving Azoff, and their attorneys in New York state court on Feb. 6. Henley and his co-defendants are being sued by Glenn Horowitz, one of the men who was criminally charged for allegedly attempting to sell handwritten lyrics connected to the Eagles' 1976 album 
English Heritage, the charity responsible for the National Heritage Collection of England, announced on 
Patti Smith has announced she'll be hitting the road in the U.K. and U.S. this fall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her iconic debut album, 
10cc's Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley celebrated the 50th anniversary of their 1975 hit 
The Stylistics have shared their first new song in more than 16 years, "Yes, I Will," featuring country star Shania Twain. The '70s soul legends -- who are behind the hits "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "I'm Stone in Love with You," "Break Up to Make Up" and