Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on October 7th, 2026

A rare Led Zeppelin single that the band ordered to be recalled and destroyed has been found on the UK version of Antiques Roadshow. Taping the show in Wales, a man named Caerphilly Castle brought in a seven-inch single of the group's classic "Whole Lotta Love," telling antiques expert Marc Allum how he managed to get his hands on it. "I was looking for records to start a disco and out of his bag came a couple of records and he went 'you can have those'," he told Allum, to which the expert said that the vinyl was only ever released in the US and "shouldn't really exist" in the UK. "There are a lot of myths and stories that build up around these things, and I heard that 500 were pressed and they went out," he continued. "This came about apparently because there was a kind of disparity between the relationship between the band, the management and the record company, and Led Zeppelin the band hadn't agreed to have any singles released." Allum also noted that there were some finger marks and light scratches on the vinyl, and while it was "difficult to put a value on," he estimated that it could fetch around £1,000 at auction. Castle also said that despite its rarity, the people who came to his disco were not "impressed" with it, and that "it cleared the dance floor" when he would put it on. "It's been with me for 55 years and I will probably give it to my daughters to do what they want to do with it. I don't think I will play it again as it will devalue it," he added. "Whole Lotta Love"' was the opening track for the band's 1969 second album Led Zeppelin II, which also featured such classic Led Zep numbers as "What Is and What Should Never Be," "The Lemon Song" and "Ramble On." "Whole Lotta Love" was certified gold in the US and had a rare single pressing of 500 copies made by Atlantic Records. The band had a strict no-single rule throughout their career, and only wanted their music to be released as full albums. As a result, their manager Peter Grant ordered all copies of the single to be recalled and destroyed. - New Musical Express, 10/6/26...... Elvis Costello has revealed he once pitched himself as the bandleader for the now-canceled CBS late night talk show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Interviewed on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Costello said that he pitched himself for the job before the show's original bandleader, Jon Batiste, got the gig. "It was an impulsive thing to put myself forward," Costello said of his offer to have himself an his band, the Impostors, serve as the house band on the show that was canceled by the network and aired its final show on May 21 of this year. Costello said when host Stephen Colbert asked his advice about the role, "I said, 'What about me?' And I think he thought I was joking, and I said, 'No, I'm not joking.'" While a Colbert spokesperson did not comment on the report, Costello said there were "serious discussions" about him taking on the role that he said he pitched after watching acts such as the long-running Tonight Show house band The Roots deftly navigate a four-show-a-week gig while also recording new music and avoiding the grind of touring. Costello, 72, who noted that after he pitched himself (and his band) he quickly realized the idea might not work for them, as they're scattered across the U.S. and Europe, including France-based keyboardist and longtime collaborator Steve Nieve. "I started to think about how much it asked of my bandmates, that they would all have to relocate," said Costello, who is the only member of the group based in New York, where the show taped. "It would have never worked. We would've been asking an awful lot, and the money involved and everything would've been unbelievable to relocate three band members to New York," he added. Though he missed out on the Colbert gig, the "Veronica" singer ended up making an appearance on the May 21 Late Show finale, where the host sang the My Aim Is True deep cut "Jump Up" with Costello, Batiste and his bandleader successor, Louis Cato, as part of a medley that featured a Paul McCartney-led "Hello Goodbye." - Billboard, 10/6/26...... Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Dave Matthews and Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler were among the musicians participating in the inauguaral edition of Tom Morello's "Power To The People" festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., on Oct. 3. Held to "bring together artists, fans, activists, organizations and community leaders for an unforgettable day celebrating the power of music and collective action to inspire change," the event organized by the Rage Against The Machine frontman saw some unique collaborations when it kicked off early that day. One of the biggest moments of the festival came when School of Rock star Jack Black took to the stage alongside Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Cypress Hill, Tom Morello, Public Enemy's Chuck D, and Anthrax's Scott Ian to break out a cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," which has been shared on YouTube. One of the most star-studded moments of the festival was the all-star jam session that came at the very end of the night, which started out with Springsteen on the stage solo, performing his politically charged song "Streets Of Minneapolis," before inviting Baez to join him for a cover of Bob Dylan's "Chimes Of Freedom." The collaboration with Springsteen at the one-day festival comes on the heels of Morello touring with The Boss on the New Jersey rocker's "Land Of Hope And Dreams" tour earlier in 2026. - Billboard, 10/6/26...... In a recent interview with London's The Times, Queen guitarist Brian May revealed that his legendary band won't be touring again. "A close family friend died when we were in the States, so I said to my tour manager, 'I'll just nip home for a few days and come back'," May, 79, said. "She looked me in the eyes and said, 'You know you can't do that.' I love to play, I love to travel, but the trade-off is sacrificing your freedom. I have a wife (actress Anita Dobson), grandchildren and a lot of astrophysics I want to do, so I'm thinking maybe 50 years is enough." Since 2005, May and his co-founding Queen bandmate Roger Taylor have toured with singers Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert filling in for the band's late frontman Freddie Mercury. Queen and Lambert, who have worked together since 2011, concluded their last tour in Feb. 2024. Later that year, May suffered a "minor stroke" and was temporarily unable to use his left arm. He has since made a full recovery. - Music-News.com, 10/6/26...... Alice Cooper released his third memoir, Devil On My Shoulder, on Oct. 6, and says he wants to set the record straight with this one -- or as straight as it can be. "I've rarely allowed facts to get in the way of telling a good story," Cooper says of his earlier memoirs." He even acknowledges in the new book's preface, "I'd go as far as to say I've been the most outrageously unreliable interviewee of all time, weaving a tangled web of embellishments and exaggerations as I went alonguntil even I couldn't separate fact from fiction." Devil On My Shoulder is certainly the most detailed account of Cooper's "eviloution," from growing up in Detroit through the original Alice Cooper band's formation in Phoenix, its time in Los Angeles and subsequent rise to notorious -- and often reviled -- superstardom with horror-show onstage theatrics and big hits such as "Eighteen," "School's Out" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy." He leaves some of the legends dangling -- maintaining that "I still don't know who had the chicken" that he threw into the audience at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival in 1969 -- while he comes clean about others, including the mundane origins of the Alice Cooper name. "The real story at the time was not as good as the one that was a like... the reincarnation of the witch and the Ouija board and all of that," he says. "I just said, 'Look, it's a better story.' What we learned at that point was you didn't have to (say) it, you just have to not deny it." Cooper launches a national book tour in the US on Oct. 7 in New York City and will also appear at the NYC Comic-Con the following day, before heading overseas to promote the memoir on Oct. 11 in Cardiff, Wales. He'll also be doing book-siginings in Cardiff, Brighton, London, Manchester, Stockton, Glasgow and Wolverhampton. On Nov. 2, he'll participate in a Q&A at Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of fame and on Nov. 5 greet fans in Livonia, Mich. at Rock City Music. Alice kicks off a 16-date fall U.S. tour on Oct. 27 in Clearwater, Fla., wrapping on Nov. 21 in Reno, Nev., and beginning a "Welcome To Our Nightmare" residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 4-6. - Billboard, 10/6/26...... Heavy metal pioneer and Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi has helped raise more than £15,000 to launch a brand-new scholarship supporting the next generation of musical talent in Birmingham. The funds were generated during a sell-out headline event, "An Evening with Tony Iommi," held at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's Bradshaw Hall. Fans travelled from across North America, South America, and Europe to pack the venue, kicking off the night with a stunning string quartet performance of Black Sabbath's classic "Paranoid" by Conservatoire students in the group Jezt. Hosted by legendary U.K. sports broadcaster and close friend Gary Newbon, the evening saw Iommi reflect on his extraordinary life and career. The guitar icon discussed the origins of his pioneering sound, which was forged after an industrial factory accident at age 17 cost him the tips of his fingers. Drawing inspiration from jazz great Django Reinhardt, Iommi crafted makeshift prosthetic tips and adapted his technique, paving the way for the birth of heavy metal. - Music-News.com, 10/6/26...... Roxy Music have shared a previously unreleased early demo of "Pyjamarama," taken from their forthcoming expanded reissue of their 1973 sophomore effort For Your Pleasure. Featuring only Bryan Ferry's voice and acoustic guitar, it also documents the first time the Roxy Music frontman had written a song using the instrument. The demo, available on Spotify.com, was recorded while Ferry was staying alone at a remote cottage in the Derbyshire Dales, where he retreated amid the band's hectic touring schedule to concentrate on writing their second album. Roxy Music have also shared a newly recovered performance of "Pyjamarama" from Top Of The Pops in Mar. 1973 on YouTube. The tape had been missing from the BBC archive, but was recently rediscovered in a collection belonging to mobile disco DJ Roger Hill. Due out on Nov.r 6 via UMR/Island EMI, the Super Deluxe edition spans three CDs and a DVD, featuring songwriting demos, rehearsals, AIR Studios outtakes, BBC sessions, instrumentals and archive TV and concert footage from 1972 and 1973. Roxy Music most recently reunited for a 50th anniversary tour in 2022, with Ferry, Manzanera, Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson performing together for the first time in more than a decade. - NME, 10/3/26...... Grammy-winning songwriter Jimmy Webb will be profiled on PBS' long-running series Great Performances on Oct. 30. Jimmy Webb: American Songwriter will include a Webb concert recorded in Feb. 2026, in which he takes the stage to perform such classics as "Wichita Lineman," "Highwayman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Galveston" and "MacArthur Park." Webb is joined by guest artists Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, Ashley Campbell (Glen Campbell's daughter), all of whom perform and offer commentary. The program also features archival clips of Webb's hits sung by the original artists: Campbell, The 5th Dimension and Richard Harris and a notable cover version of "MacArthur Park" by Donna Summer, who took a disco version to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. - Billboard, 10/6/26...... A new David Bowie tribute called "Bowie80" started on Oct. 5 with a series of events celebrating what would have been the iconic musician's 80th birthday on Jan. 8, 2027. As part of the collection, there will be special events, releases, anniversaries, collaborations and fan experiences around the world, as well as limited-edition merchandise made especially for the occasion. To kick off the initiative is a new partnership with Nordstrom, who will be celebrating the music legend with three immersive shops in its Seattle, NYC, and Chicago flagships. Each will hold a range of exclusive and limited-edition collections, and collaborations also come from Undercover, Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith and AllSaints. Also in the US, there is a celebration of Bowie from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, which is hosting a retail pop-up that will run from mid-November up until January across its museum store, online shop, and airport location. The Rock Hall will also be holding some fan events, including Bowie-themed presentations, trivia, and an exhibition. More details about the latter, including the photographers included in the exhibition will be announced at a later date. Limited edition merchandise for the celebration of Bowie's 80th birthday will be launched by Perryscope Productions, longtime merchandising representatives for Bowie, on his webstore. Other new events as part of "Bowie80" include "Strange Fascination" -- a major photography exhibition celebrating the artistry and evolution of the songwriter -- which is held at Morrison Hotel Gallery in New York City and West Hollywood next February, as well as a new live symphonic concert production called "BOWIE (breaking) GLASS." On top of all that, there will also be another collaboration with the V&A in London for "Bowie80" -- this time showing artefacts from Bowie's 90,000-item archive. After launching in London, it will head on tour, going to Dundee and Blackpool in 2027, before visiting further venues in 2028 and 2029. - NME, 10/5/26...... Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has teased the band my perform their first live show in more than three years in a stort video with famed rock photographer Ross Halpin posted on Instagram. In the video, 78-year-old Tyler climbs a ladder outside the famed Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles to affix some letters to its iconic marquee, with Halfin along to help with the spelling. "Y H W," Halfin says in the video as Tyler shouts, "Gimme the O! Ampersand! Ampersand!" "Don't you miss performing?" Halpin asks. "Of all the things I ever missed, I miss my mind the most," Tyler responds as the two enjoy smoothies and gaze at the marquee with the dates Oct. 29 and Nov. 1 on it. Aerosmith were forced to abandon their planned final outing, "Peace Out" Farewell Tour, in Sept. 2023 due to Tyler's fractured larynx, which the singer suffered just three shows into what was booked as their last road hurrah. The tour was first postponed, then subsequently canceled and the band announced a retirement from touring. Tyler and bandmate Joe Perry then went on to record an Aerosmith EP with rapper Yungblud, 2025's One More Time, and Tyler has made a few singing appearances, including a six-song set at the annual Grammy Awards benefit for his Janie's Fund and last summer's massive "Back to the Beginning" farewell concert by Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. - Billboard, 10/6/26...... AC/DC brought out Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl during their set on Oct. 2 at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. "Hey everybody, we got something to tell you. You better listen up close now. A very good friend of ours asked us today if he could come up and join us on the stage for 'Highway for Hell'," singer Brian Johnson told the crowd. "And we said, 'Yes Dave, you can.' David Grohl!" The MetLife show marked the final date of AC/DC's "Power Up" Tour in support of the band's 2020 album, Power Up, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. AC/DC has not announced additional dates beyond the "Power Up" Tour. At the end of their show, Johnson told the audience, "Good night, hope we'll see you again." Footage of Johnson introducing Grohl can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 10/3/26...... Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Oct. 3, Paul McCartney revealed how he wound up performing at Taylor Swift's much-ballyhooed marriage to Travis Kelce on July 3 at Madison Square Garden. "Did you know you were gonna sing going in?" host Jimmy Kimmel asked, getting the scoop for the general public, whose curiosity about the wedding still lingers. "Yep. She asked me to do it," McCartney said, verifying that the song he sang was the 1964 Beatles classic "I Want to Hold Your Hand." "That was her request? Or she asked you to pick a song?" was Kimmel's next question. "Yeah, it was, yeah," Macca answered, then added that he'd hoped Swift would join in on the performance since she was on the stage already. "I said, 'You should sing along. You should sing to" Sir Paul recounted, then paused. "Your man." Seemingly forgetting the name of Swift's husband for a moment, after a quick laugh from the audience and a nudge from Kimmel he came back with: "I know. Travis." "Seems like reasonable advice," Kimmel quipped of McCartney's idea for a live wedding-day collab with Swift, and then wrapped the interview, which has been shared on YouTube. Elsewhere, Phil Collins has seemingly reignited his long-running feud with McCartney -- suggesting that the Beatles legend was behind him being taken out of a documentary. The spat between the two dates back over 20 years ago, when the singer, drummer and Genesis member was allegedly on the receiving end of a belittling comment from McCartney when he met him at Buckingham Palace. Collins opened up about the supposed incident in 2016, saying that he approached McCartney and his then-wife Heather Mills at the palace in 2002 and asked them to sign a "first edition of The Beatles by Hunter Davies". "I said, 'Hey Paul, do you mind signing this for me?' And he said, 'Oh Heather, our little Phil's a bit of a Beatles fan,' Collins claimed. "And I thought, 'You f---. You f---'. Never forgot it." "He has this thing when he's talking to you, where he makes you feel [like], 'I know this must be hard for you because I'm a Beatle. I'm Paul McCartney and it must be very hard for you to actually be holding a conversation with me.'" Since then, the two seemed to have put the feud to one side. In 2018, Collins announced details of a huge, 59-track box set that featured the Beatles star, and earlier this summer he said that he "wish[ed]" that he never spoke publicly about the feud -- particularly as they had now "made up." Now though, it looks like the feud could come back again, as Collins has made a sly quip, suggesting that McCartney could be the reason why a mention of him was taken out of a Beatles documentary. Speaking at a Q&A in London with Steven Wilson to celebrate 45 years of his 1981 album Face Value, Collins shared that he was originally mentioned in The Beatles Anthology documentary. "The one feather in my cap, which I'll never forget, was with The Beatles Anthology. The three got the tapes out of "Tomorrow Never Knows." And they were playing it on the multi-track," he said. "I thought, 'The Beatles mentioned my name'," he added. "I went back to watch it recently and they'd taken it out. It's not there anymore I don't know, maybe McCartney didn't like it." McCartney has not publicly responded to the comments made by Collins. - Billboard/NME, 10/3/26...... In other Beatles news, the deluxe reissue of the quartet's 1965 classic Rubber Soul is on track to hit No. 1 on the U.K.s Official Albums Chart, exactly 60 years after its last appearance at the top. Should the Fab Four clinch the top spot, it will be their first chart-topping album milestone since Oct. 2019, when their Abbey Road reissue similarly rebounded back to the summit. Holding the record for more weeks at No. 1 than any other act in U.K. chart history, the group is once again poised to roll back the years and reign supreme. This newly enriched Rubber Soulreissue brings together 24 early session recordings, including 20 previously unreleased takes and three captivating home demos. Fans have been particularly excited to discover early versions of timeless classics like "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out," alongside a rare, previously unheard John Lennon demo titled "Little Girl." - Music-News.com, 10/5/26...... Former The Doobie Brothers member and '80s solo star Michael McDonald has reconnected with a son he put up for adaption at age 14, nearly 6 decades later. McDonald made contact a year and a half ago with biological son Michael Goessling, who recalls putting it together over a preliminary phone call that he was related to a rock star. Adopted as a baby, 59-year-old Goessling told NBC that he never knew his biological parents until last year, when he received a letter informing him that they wanted to meet him. His first conversation with McDonald was over the phone. "I just said: 'What a voice that guy has!'" Goessling said. "It just sounded so familiar, but I couldn't place it. Finally, I just said: 'Are you Michael McDonald?' And he chuckled and he said, 'Yeah, I'm afraid so.'" Goessling also figured out the identity of his birth father after McDonald told him he was a musician with a gig that night at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. A quick Google search showed that the Doobie Brothers were booked for the venue on that date. "There are still days I wake up, and my first thought is I am coming out of the craziest dream, and it's been a year and a half," Goessling added. "I'm still trying to get my head around all of it." Back when McDonald was 14, he had a child with his middle-school girlfriend. The pair put the child up for adoption, and the musician went on to replace Tom Johnston as the lead singer of the Doobie Brothers. McDonald has five Grammys to his name and helped the Doobie Brothers score Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 "What A Fool Believes," as well as other top 10 hits such as "Real Love" and "The Doctor." Goessling also told NBC that he never harbored resentment for his biological parents -- who he says are still good friends -- for putting him up for adoption. "I just wanted to thank them for the choices they made on my behalf and for giving me a shot in this world, and how grateful I was for that," he said. "They were always heroes in my story." - Billboard, 10/2/26...... Alexander Skarsgård appears in the the video for the new The Rolling Stones single "Mr. Charm" as a sweat-soaked, shirtless dancer in front of a flaming tree. The band dropped the video for the latest Foreign Tongues single on Oct. 1 and it is a feast for the eyes and senses. The Henry Scholfield-directed clip, which can be viewed on YouTube, has a pretty simple premise: Skarsgård shows up to sleepy Palmdale, Calif. with his Blue Steel gaze to charm the locals and hoof his way through town. The scene opens at an old gas station, where the Pillion actor struts up in his red cowboy boots, tight black jeans, chest full of silver necklaces and fringed buckskin jacket (but, as noted above, no shirt), strikes a pose, checks his 'fit in the mirror and then slinks around making everyone fall in love with him. The lyrics to the classic Stones rocker say it all: "I could show you places that you have never seen/ And fill your mind with images of tantalizing dreams/ And caves full of crystals shot through with pinks and greens/ And no man's land in the Darkest Days of 1916/ Call me Mr. Charm, Mr. Charm, Mr. Charm/ Call me Mr. Charm, Mr. Charm, Mr. Charm," Mick Jagger sings. "Mr. Charm" is the latest single from Foreign Tongues, which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 200 in July. Previous videos from the album have also featured some Hollywood stars, including Anya Taylor-Joy and Charles Melton in "Jealous Lover" and Odessa A'Zion in "In the Stars." - Billboard, 10/2/26...... As the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 50th anniversary commemoration ramps up, original drummer Stan Lynch is adding his own tribute with "High Flying Bird," a sentimental song and video dedicated to his late musical cohort. The song will appear on upcoming Origins 1971-1978 box set, out Nov. 6, and curated by Petty's daughter, Adria. "At the time I had this song I had started years ago that was evoking my feelings towards Tom, but that's such a touchy, personal thing," Lynch says. "I wasn't sure I would ever want to put out a song with that kind of through-line. But then when I saw all the (archival material), I kind of went, 'Hey.'" Despite the acrimony over his departure from the Heartbreakers 32 years ago, Lynch -- who subsequently came back to good terms with all of his bandmates -- is feeling positive about what's going on in the band's orbit these days. In recent years he filled in on drums for guitarist Mike Campbell's Dirty Knobs band, and on Sept. 16 Lynch joined the other Heartbreakers at the 25th Annual Americana Honors & Awards in Nashville, where the group performed with Chris Stapleton in front and also received a Lifetime Achievement Award. - Billboard, 10/2/26...... The Beach Boys have canceled another planned comeback gig -- this one on Oct. 9 in Bloomington, Ill. -- after gradually cancelling all their dates over the past three months. Facebook post by the Grossinger Motors Arena says the show has been "cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances." Co-founder and frontman Mike Love has been taking time to "recharge" following an unspecified health ailment, according to recent reports. The group last played a public show on July in Valdosta, Ga., following a sketchy few months where Love appeared gaunt and sang in a raspy, diminished voice. A month later, the group postponed all their shows until late September so that Love had additional time to rest. But when September came, the four planned concerts were cancelled without explanation. Love and the rest of the touring band, including frequent guest John Stamos, came together on Oct. 3 for a private show in Dana Point, Calif. Few details of that show have come out, but a photo uploaded to the group's fan forum shows Love seated in a chair onstage. Al Jardine, the only other living member of the original BB lineup, continues to tour with veteran members of Brian Wilson's backing group. - Music-News.com, 10/6/26...... R&B icon Freddie Jackson, known for such hits as "You Are My Lady," "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)" and "Love Me Down," died on Oct. 5. He was 70. Born in Harlem, N.Y., on Oct. 2, 1956, Jackson began singing as a youth in his church choir. At that point in time, he met his later record producer and songwriting partner Paul Laurence. As a member of Laurence's group LJE (Laurence Jones Ensemble), Jackson began playing clubs in New York before relocating west in the late '70s to join the California funk band Mystic Merlin. After returning to New York, Jackson reteamed with Laurence at Hush Productions, where he sang on demos and doing background vocals for Melba Moore, Evelyn "Champagne" King and Angela Bofill. Stepping out on his own, he hit his stride as a solo singer with Capitol Records in 1985 with the R&B No. 1 "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)," which reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. He received two Grammy nominations in 1986 -- best new artist and best R&B vocal performance, male, for "You Are My Lady." From there, Jackson churned out a string of 10 No. 1 R&B gems -- as well as several top 10 singles -- between 1985 and 1992. All told, Jackson logged 35 entries on the R&B songs chart with his silky-smooth tenor: 19 went top 10, and with 10 reigning at No. 1. On the albums front, Jackson scored four No. 1s on the R&B chart: Rock Me Tonight, Just Like the First Time, Don't Let Love Slip Away and Do Me Again. He also earned a top 10 slot for Time for Love. Jackson continued to record well into the 2000s (including 2006's Transitions and 2010's For You), and remained a popular concert and festival draw. His additional career credits include the 1989 soundtrack for the film All Dogs Go to Heaven ("Love Survives" with Irene Cara), an appearance as a singer on a 1989 episode of The Golden Girls ("Two Rode Together") and a cameo in the 1990 movie King of New York. "It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Freddie Jackson, who went home to rest last night," his family posted on Instagram. "Freddie was more than a legendary voice. He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends and his music with everything he had. To everyone who ever sang along, danced or felt something when Freddie took the stage: thank you." No cause of his death has been revealed. - Billboard, 10/6/26.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on August 18th, 2026

A previously unheard David Bowie demo titled "Today" has been shared on YouTube, taken from the upcoming David Bowie: The Shel Talmy Recordings album. The release comes as a series of early Bowie songs from 1965 are to be released on a new album featuring a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page. Set to arrive on Sept. 18 via Parlophone, the songs were recorded before the singer -- real name Davie Jones -- went on to adopt the David Bowie moniker. They were all made alongside legendary producer Shel Talmy, who was responsible for hits from The Who and The Kinks. The album will also include 10 previously unheard tracks, as well as musical contributions from The Yardbirds and Nicky Hopkins (The Rolling Stones, The Beatles). - NME, 8/14/26...... Roxy Music has announced on Instagram that an expanded reissue of their 1973 sophomore effort For Your Pleasure is set for release on Nov. 6. With unheard studio recordings, songwriting sketches, rehearsals, outtakes, live sessions and rare unseen performances, the 2026 edition of For Your Pleasure takes listeners back to its creation, and the central question of how to tackle the daunting second album. "It was a good pressure. Realising, now there's an audience to write for. An intelligent audience," Roxy frontman Bryan Ferry reflected. "I felt a responsibility for the work that I hadn't for the first album, certainly with regard to the lyrics. "There was a hunger in the whole band to do more: a very strong urge to get back into a recording studio and make a better record than the first one. Nick de Ville had a cottage in Derbyshire, and offered to let me have it for a few days. So I went up there with the sole purpose of writing songs." "Grey Lagoons (1971 demo)," a track on the new reissue, has been shared on Spotify.com. That demo that formed part of the homemade tape that first brought Roxy Music to the attention of the music press. The 2026 edition of For Your Pleasure will be available in a variety of formats including 2LP Black vinyl, and in Blue Pearl Vinyl as a D2C Exclusive, 2CD, Digital, Blu-Ray, Dolby ATMOS, and as a 3CD+1DVD Super Deluxe Edition. The 2CD Deluxe Edition includes the original album, plus AIR Studios outtakes, singles and BBC sessions, presented in a hardcover digibook with a new essay and unseen images, while the 2LP Vinyl edition features the original album, plus AIR Studios outtakes in a gatefold sleeve. - NME, 8/13/26...... On Aug. 14, Carly Simon released her new studio LP Comes in Waves, her first album of original material since 2008's This Kind of Love. In July, Simon announced she had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and treated for skin cancer. "It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly," she said in a statement. "Parkinson's is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I'm so tired I can't get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself." But she says recording new music has been a salve. "Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape. It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room. It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life." Simon wrote five of the songs by herself, penning the remaining with numbers of collaborators, including her son Ben Taylor, who also helped produce the set. - Billboard, 8/17/26...... The Four Seasons legend Frankie Valli has responded to his brother's recent claims that 92-year-old Frankie will be retiring soon. Earlier in August Bobby Valli took to Facebook to announce his brother "will soon retire." Alongside a photograph of them together that was taken in 2025, he posted in part: "My brother Frankie whom I am so proud of and love him dearly [has] had a magnificent career in music... He has millions of fans you love him dearly." After listing his brother's achievements over the years, Bobby added: "He will now retire." But Frankie has now denied his brother's claims, writing on his own Instagram page: "In spite of what you might have heard, I am not retired." Bobby then put out another statement on Facebook saying: "I apologize, I was misinformed. I was under the impression my brother Frankie was retiring. Hoping for him to have a speedy recovery to continue his illustrious career!" Frankie was set to continue his farewell, "The Last Encores Tour," which began in 2023, until November of this year. But in a statement earlier this year, he said: "I'm so sorry to disappoint the folks who have purchased tickets to my shows, but I have decided to take the rest of the year off from touring to focus on my health. I'm looking forward to getting healthy and seeing you all again soon," he added. "Thank you for all your good wishes." Vallie's break from performing comes two years after he issued a statement addressing concerns over his health and well-being, sparked by footage that appeared to show him lip-syncing while displaying difficulty keeping up with the music. - NME, 8/17/26...... Founding Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore joined his old bandmates recently at a concert in Wantagh, N.Y. for a rendition of the group's 1972 classic song, "Smoke On The Water," and says the reunion could be the "last time" the bandmates ever see each other. Interviewed about the gig by Guitar Player magazine, Blackmore said: "It was very moving because I went on very quickly and had to play immediately. I couldn't warm up, but I wasn't there to be playing correct notes." "I was there to see old friends I hadn't seen in 40 years and we're all getting older. I think we realised it could be the last time we see each other, maybe," he added. Earlier in the conversation, Blackmore explained: "I woke up one morning thinking, the day before their show [thinking], 'You know it would be good for the fans if I just got up for one song, probably 'Smoke' and just show that were not at each other's throats and don't hate each other'." He then spoke further about the "very emotional" reunion with his fellow classic members Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover, admitting that it was "tricky." "I didn't play anything too technical, as I felt I should stick to the rudiments of being simple," Blackmore continued. "I still lost my place at one point, but it's not why I was there. I was there to heal any wounds - but there weren't any wounds. Everyone was like, we were in the army, all along the Western front and we were all getting together again. Very emotional moment." The concert also saw the first performance Blackmore shared with Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey in 44 years, following the latter's exit from Rainbow in 1982. Blackmore discussed his past clashes with Gillan that led to his departure from Deep Purple in 1993, too. "We're two alpha guys," he explained. "I'm used to running a band, and I think he's used to running a band. So we clashed in the old days. But all that changed." Deep Purple are currently out on a North American tour in support of their latest album, Splat!, which was released in July. They'll play a huge show at London's Royal Albert Hall in November as part of their upcoming UK and European leg. In 2025, Ian Gillan revealed he was losing his eyesight and said that retirement was "not far off." "It's one of those things. I've only got 30 per cent vision," he explained. - New Musical Express, 8/18/26...... Dolly Parton has apologized for missing the opening of a new attraction at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on Aug. 14 due to her ongoing struggle with unspecified health issues. Dollywood president Eugene Naughton shared a personal video from the 80-year-old country legend welcoming the first riders of the park's newest roller coaster in which she apologized for not being there with them. "Well, hey Eugene. I'm right here Well, kind of. Sorta," Parton said in the whimsical clip in which she sprouted colorful butterfly wings and seemed to be interacting with Naughton in real time. "I'm still in Nashville, and I'm sorry about that. I was supposed to be there in person like I planned." Dolly noted that she's already shared with fans that she's had some recent "health issues" and that sometimes she gets "a little dizzy" and dehydrated, which might explain why her doctors advised her against making the 200-mile trek to the park for the opening of the new attraction. "My Nashville doctor has kinda clipped my wings, saying, 'You ain't traveling this week.' So I guess, if your doctor tells you, 'you ain't traveling this week,' you ain't traveling this week," she laughed. She energetically encouraged Naughton to tell the assembled fans all about the new ride, told them to have fun and promised that she would see them "down the road." Parton has largely been out of the public eye since announcing the postponement of her Las Vegas residency in September due to a "few" undisclosed medical procedures. She made a rare in-person appearance in March to deliver the keynote address marking the 41st anniversary of Dollywood on this year's opening day. - Billboard, 8/18/26...... Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan and Harris Dickinson -- the four actors lined up to portray The Beatles in the upcoming four-part Beatles biopic series, The Beatles -- A Four-Film Cinematic Event -- recently recreated the Fab Four's iconic Abbey Road cover shoot. In footage posted by fans on Instagram of what appears to be the film's recreation of the iconic cover, you can see John Lennon (Dickinson), Paul McCartney (Mescal), George Harrison (Quinn) and Ringo Starr (Keoghan), taking that stroll and then headed back across the street for another take. The four-part project, with each film focusing on a particular member, is slated to release in Apr. 2028. So far, director Sam Mendes has not revealed any of the plot points for the ambitious project that will be the first-ever movie to be granted the rights to the Beatles' discography. The real Beatles originally walked across the road outside the EMI Studios in London on the street that helped name their eleventh studio album -- and the last one they recorded together, though Let It Be was released afterward -- on Aug. 8, 1969. - Billboard, 8/17/26...... Legendary pop songwriter Jimmy Webb is celebrating turing 80 on Aug. 15 by announcing a new album, Yours For the Taking: The Found Songs of Jimmy Webb, due out Oct. 23 on Sun Records. As the title indicates, "it's pretty much overlooked or unrecorded, neglected in a way, music that my wife [album executive producer Laura Savini Webb] and some of the younger people around me really inspired me to go back and finish," Webb -- who penned the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits "MacArthur Park," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston" and "Up, Up and Away," among many other classics -- told Billboard via Zoom from Long Island. "And my children say, 'Y'know, dad, you wrote this. This is great. This could've been a hit.' So the basis of this album is rebirth, recycling that youthful energy and not letting (the songs) just molder away in the attic but to go back and flip those pancakes again and see what we can come up with. It's very invigorating. Very inspiring. Just 'cause I'm 80 doesn't mean I've lost that fire, y'know? I may be 80 on the outside, but I'm always 18 on the inside." The three-time Grammy winner says "Winter Clothes" -- which is presented on the album via the demo as well as a "polished up" new recording with Graham Nash guesting -- dates back to the early '70s, and was written with Frank Sinatra in mind. "Mr. Sinatra thought he might record it, but he thought I needed to work on it," says Webb, who still refers to Ol' Blue Eyes formally "because he might be listening." "When Mr. Sinatra says, 'Y'know, kid, this is pretty good, but I think it needs some work,' you listen to him. He was telling me some really important stuff. I never really took that song back to him, but I never gave up on the idea. I thought it was a pretty good song, so when we decided to do this (album), it felt like it was time to bring it back out." Webb will take the new songs and the rest of his body of work back on the road in November, with tour dates in New York City (Nov. 1), Boston (Nov. 7) and Roslyn, N.Y. (Nov. 21). His official 80th birthday celebration, meanwhile, takes place Feb. 4 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center in California. - Billboard, 8/14/26...... Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris has been placed in a medically induced coma following what his family has described as a critical medical emergency earlier this month. Paris, 58, was hospitalized on Aug. 6, shortly before the group was due to perform with Lionel Richie at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The show was postponed minutes before it was scheduled to begin, with the band citing "a medical emergency involving a member of our band." The SFFD confirmed that crews responded to a report of a cardiac incident at the venue and transported one person to a hospital in critical condition, though the family has not publicly confirmed the nature of Paris' condition. A GoFundMe campaign established to support Paris and his family has raised nearly $70,000 toward a $75,000 goal, with several of his bandmates among the donors. EW&F resumed their tour two days after the postponed show, with former member Sonny Emory filling in on drums. The San Francisco concert has been rescheduled for Sept. 26. Paris joined the band in 2001, playing on studio albums including 2003's The Promise and 2005's Illumination, and has also worked with artists including Patti LaBelle and Sheila E. The band is currently the subject of a Questlove-directed documentary that premiered in June. - Billboard, 8/16/26...... '70s pop singer/songwriter Stephen Bishop has unveiled a new song he recorded for his 1976 debut album, Careless. The album included the now Yacht Rock classic, the swaying "On & On," which peaked at No. 11 on the hit parade, as well as its breezy predecessor "Save It for a Rainy Day," which reached No. 22. Bishop is releasing a 50th anniversary edition of Careless which can be ordered on StephenBishopMerch.com. The 50th-anniversary limited vinyl edition of Careless with two additional previously unreleased songs and a 20-page booklet was released on Aug. 14. Of Careless, which featured Eric Clapton, Art Garfunkel, Andrew Gold and Chaka Khan, and its ongoing popularity (Keith Urban just covered it on his new Yacht Rock album), Bishop says, "It's hard to believe 50 years have gone by. Music was different then -- you brought an album home, put it on the turntable, and listened from beginning to end. I'm thankful Careless has been part of so many people's lives, and it's been wonderful seeing new generations discover it. People of all ages still come up to me and tell me how these songs have stayed with them through different chapters of their lives. Even many of my friends and fellow musicians have shared what the album has meant to them over the years. That's incredibly humbling, and it's an honor I'll never take for granted." The album served as fans' musical introduction to Bishop, who went on to continue his successful solo career, including recording the 1982 top 30 hit "It Might Be You," the theme from Tootsie, which received an Oscar nomination for best original song for songwriters Dave Grusin, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman. Bishop himself was then nominated for a best original song Oscar three years later for writing "Separate Lives," performed by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin from the movie White Nights. Bishop will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Careless at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Oct. 9. - Billboard, 8/13/26...... The venerable music marketer Columbia House has announced on its website that the company would stop receiving orders after Sept. 15. Columbia House was launched by Columbia Records back in 1955. The service was designed to help music lovers in rural or suburban areas who did not have convenient access to a local music store. Customers could order records by mail and have them delivered straight to the proverbial front door. Membership often came with promo discounts -- if the subscriber promised to purchase a minimum number of regular-priced records within the first year, not including the cost of shipping and handling. Getting out from under the weight of membership was no small task, either. Still, the company was a major player on the music scene for decades. By the mid-90s, Columbia had more than 16 million members, accounting for more than 15% of CD sales in the United States. In the end however, the digital age began a slow and steady decline for the company with the rise of file sharing services like Napster and LimeWire. After a series of ownership changes, Columbia House filed for bankruptcy in 2015. After they stopped selling music to Americans in 2015 and Canadians in 2010, the company focused primarily on DVD and Blu-ray sales, but that section of the marketplace soon dried up with the advent of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV. xisting memberships and outstanding purchases will be honored as the business winds down. On the main page, the company is currently selling DVDs and books. - Toronto Sun, 8/18/26...... Dave Marsh, one of the most influential music writers of his generation and a passionate activist for health care, social justice and freedom of expression, died on Aug. 14. He was 72. The cause of his death has not been reported but he had been in declining health in recent years. Born in Pontiac, Mich., in 1950, Marsh grew up immersed in the sounds of Detroit -- Motown, R&B, and rock 'n' roll -- inspiring a lifelong belief in the power of music. He was among the first editors of Creem magazine when it launched in 1969. He also wrote extensively for Rolling Stone and other publications and authored more than two dozen books on artists including Elvis Presley, The Who and Bruce Springsteen. His 1979 biography, Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, became a New York Times bestseller. In 1993, Marsh shared a Grammy for best album notes for Aretha Franklin's Queen of Soul. He also co-founded the newsletter Rap & Rock Confidential and, in 2004, joined SiriusXM, hosting Kick Out the for 19 years, along with Live from E Street Nation and Live from the Land of Hope and Dreams. He was married to Barbara Carr, longtime co-manager of Springsteen. Following the death of their daughter, Kristen Ann Carr, in 1993 at age 21 of sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, Marsh co-founded and served as a trustee of the The Kristen Ann Carr Fund to advance sarcoma research and support families affected by cancer. "Here on E Street, the irreplaceable loss of Dave Marsh has us heartbroken," Springsteen wrote in a statement shared on Instagram on Aug. 15. "My great friend Dave, with his straight out of Detroit attitude, was a true Rock 'n' Roll lifer. He was soulful, intelligent, heartfelt, opinionated, bruising and often fantastically argumentative. Watching Jon Landau and Dave drive each other crazy over some arcane piece of music would make my day. He wrote the first book about me, Born To Run, and Dave always had my back. He deeply believed in what I was trying to accomplish and his lifetime of support meant the world to me." In 2021, a host of authors, activists and artists -- including Springsteen, Tom Morello, Pete Townshend, Nona Hendryx, Dion DiMucci, Jackson Browne and Steven Van Zandt -- took part in online sessions billed as "Land of Hope and Dreams: A Celebration of Dave Marsh's Work and Vision." He was predeceased by his daughters Kristen Ann Carr and Sasha Carr, and is survived by his wife, Barbara Carr. - Billboard, 8/15/26.

Fleetwood Mac's 1988 greatest hits album has reached even greater heights after a new expanded reissue reached the top 10 on Billboard's 35-year-old Top Album Sales chart for the first time. Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits re-entered the Aug. 15-dated chart at No. 10, besting its previous high of No. 13 (set in 2016), after the album was bolstered with seven additional hits and issued digitally and on multiple physical formats. The standard version of Greatest Hits remains a 16-song edition, and the new deluxe edition adds seven further hits. The deluxe set was released via digital download services and streamers on June 10, and physical formats followed on July 31. The deluxe package bowed across six double-vinyl variants and a two-CD offering. In the tracking week ending Aug. 6, Greatest Hits sold nearly 6,000 copies in the United States, according to Luminate -- a gain of 286% as compared to its sales in the previous week. - Billboard, 8/11/26...... On Aug. 12 Rod Stewart cancelled the remaining dates on his North American farewell tour after undergoing a routine coronary stent procedure. Stewart, 81, had been scheduled to perform at Ohio's Riverbend Music Center on Aug. 9, but cancelled the show at the last minute, stating in a press release that it was due to an "unforeseen but minor medical procedure." The 1994 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee than went on to cancel his remaining tour dates after the procedure. He was set to perform at Morton Amphitheater in Kansas City, Mo. on Aug. 15), Las Vegas on Aug. 18 for a performance at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, followed by gigs in Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, plus a run of shows in Mexico (Sept. 9-13). In a statement issued to Rolling Stone, Stewart's reps said he was "doing well" and that "on the advice of his doctors, he will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage. Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates." In his own message posted to Instagram on Aug. 11, Stewart assured fans that he was "already feeling better and very much on the mend." He said that while he was "deeply disappointed to miss these shows," he looked forward to returning to playing live in the future. After touring with the Jeff Beck Group, Faces and as a solo artist for over 60 years. Stewart has most recently been on the road with his "One Last Time" trek since 2024. - Billboard, 8/12/26...... A lawsuit brought by four siblings who claimed they were abused by Michael Jackson has been tossed out of court, with the judge ruling that under the clear terms of a 2019 settlement between the family and the Jackson estate, all related disputes must be handled in confidential arbitration. "Although the allegations are horrific, the court is without discretion to do aught but enforce the language of the arbitration clause," wrote federal judge Herrn D. Vera on Aug. 12. Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo Cascio grew up with Jackson and once referred to themselves as his "second family." While previously staunch defenders of the King of Pop against pedophilia claims, the family members alleged in a February lawsuit that Jackson raped and molested them as children over the course of more than a decade. The Jackson estate strongly denies these claims, which the Cascios first raised in 2019 after the release of the explosive HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. The four siblings, along with their fifth brother Frank, claimed privately at the time that this documentary "deprogrammed" them. The estate paid them a $3.5 million settlement without admitting any wrongdoing. The Cascios now say that settlement is void and unenforceable because they were coerced into signing it. Judge Vera ruled that those arguments, "while serious," clearly do not belong in a public courtroom under the terms of the settlement. "While plaintiffs are fully within their rights to raise questions about unconscionability, those challenges must be presented later before an arbitrator," wrote the judge. Jackson, who died in 2009, was never convicted or held legally liable for any accusation of child sex abuse during his lifetime; he settled a civil claim in 1994 without admitting any wrongdoing, and he was acquitted at a criminal trial in 2005. Two other former young acquaintances of Jackson's, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, continue to litigate civil abuse claims against the estate. - Billboard, 8/12/26...... Rock's most famous combination lead guitarist and astrophysicist has shared his advice on how best to view the solar eclipse in northern Europe on Aug. 12. Brian May, who is qualified astrophysicist after achieving a PHD degree in 2007, gave regular updates about the celestial phenomenon on his Instagram page and shared advice on how best to view it. In one particular post, he showed a partial eclipse, and also warned against "looking straight at the Sun" and not going "anywhere near a telescope or binoculars pointed at the Sun." He also suggested "making a small pin hole in a sheet of cardboard," and "practice projecting an image of the Sun through this hole on to a piece of white card." In another post he shows himself in Spain preparing for the eclipse, saying he is hopeful of seeing a total eclipse but fears "there may be clouds in the way." Speaking to BBC Newsnight about the event May said: "It's kind of a life changing experience, to see at total eclipse of the Sun every time." "This is only 1 minute 40 seconds or so," he went on before adding: "I just wanna use my eyes and ears, every sense to absorb what I'm really taking part in. "It's a unique experience because you feel that you know where you are in space. It's the only time that happens, You're looking in towards the centre of our solar system, the Sun and you can never do this any other time, you can see the little family of planets around you and see the odd star around you... Suddenly you realise you're on this ball of rock and it kind of feels like you could fall off, it's an amazing feeling." Elsewhere, May has insisted "we actually don't need AI" after using the tech to recreate an iconic Queen album cover. May took to Instagram to share a version of the artwork for the classic 1980 Queen record 'The Game', which he used Meta AI to create. The original cover sees all four members of Queen standing side-by-side in matching leather jackets, and is rendered unrecognizable in the AI version May shared. May captioned the picture of the shoddy cover: "I just had to share this with you guys. I asked Meta AI to show me what the cover of THE GAME album looked like. This is what it gave me ! Good job, eh? So this is the kind of intelligence that will soon be ruling the world ??! Well, great. Maybe this is the time to realise WE ACTUALLY DON'T NEED AI !!" May then said that he was "now very serious," adding: "I believe the price we are about to pay for this 'inevitable' development is way too high. We must not allow these hideous Data Centres to be built in the UK. They will destroy our beautiful country, like they are already destroying beautiful America." Addressing UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, May signed off his post by writing: "Dear Andy -- you must stop it now. Before it's too late." - New Musical Express, 8/12/26...... After recently abruptly cancelling an Aug. 5 gig at the Hollywood Bowl due to "unforeseen personal matters," ZZ Top says it will continue with its "The Big One" summer U.S. tour with a replacement drummer after longtime drummer Frank Beard has temporarily left the road for undisclosed reasons. A spokesman for the band says that the outing will continue with founding vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons and late co-founder bassist Dusty Hill's longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, who was tapped to join the group following Hill's death at 72 in 2021. Beard, 77, has been behind the kit for the group for more than 55 years and experienced a series of health issues over the past few years. In Mar. 2025, the group announced that he had "temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term." At the time, longtime drum tech John Douglas stepped up, just as he had in Oct. 2022 when Beard was forced to miss a Paris show due to an emergency appendectomy. Beard has played on all of the group's records from 1971's First Album through their most recent LP, 2012's La Futura. "The Big One" tour is slated to continue to 13 states in the western US and New England, with the final U.S. date taking place in Port Wentworth, Ga. on Oct. 9 before the band moves on to gigs in Mexico and South America in November. - Billboard, 8/11/26...... Rush guitarist Geddy Lee has shared a surreal moment from the start of Rush's "Fifty Something" tour, describing an encounter that left him questioning whether the band's late drummer Neil Peart was somehow in the ether nearby. When asked whether he has felt Peart's presence during the run, Lee laughed at the "spooky question" before revealing a story from the tour's opening night in Los Angeles. He explained to Toronto's Q107 radio station that he was texting bandmate Alex Lifeson from his hotel room when he noticed something unusual on the floor outside his door. The tour's promotional poster features two birds on a wire, with one flying away -- and the creature in front of him looked uncannily similar. "My door to my room was open a crack, and I don't know if you've seen the posters [for Rush's Fifty Something tour] that have two birds on a wire and the one bird is flying away. I looked in front of me, on the floor, and there was a bird on the floor that looked just like that bird in the poster. I was kind of shocked. And, you know, I love birds, so I approached it, and it flew by me and flew into my bedroom and sat on the edge of my bed. And when I approached it, it was like it was looking at me, and then it flew out the door. So, I quickly ran to the computer and was texting Al this crazy story that had just happened." Lee stressed that he's not someone who believes in "mumbo jumbo," but admitted the timing and symbolism made the moment feel "remarkable." - Music-News.com, 8/11/26...... Iconic U.K. New Wave rocker Elvis Costello has announced he will play a solo acoustic show at Canada's Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Nov. 21 as a fundraiser for the Owen Hart Foundation. This will be the second time the foundation has hosted Costello, an iconic and influential performer who released his first album, My Aim is True, in 1977 and quickly emerged as one of the most literate and eclectic songwriters of the punk/New Wave movement. The concert will mark The Owen Hart Foundation's 27th anniversary and will also feature a celebrity online auction to raise additional funds. Named after late Calgary wrestler Owen Hart, who died at the age of 34 in 1999, the foundation was founded by his wife Martha Hart. Funds are raised for education, affordable housing and international aid for vulnerable people. Past concerts have featured Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Bob Newhart, Sarah McLachlan and Martin Short. In October, Costello will release an ironically named 49th anniversary My Aim Is True box set, featuring a remastered version of the album and 52 never-before-heard demos. - Canoe.com, 8/12/26...... After years of turning down interviews for other people's books, The Brady Bunch actress Eve Plumb is releasing her own memoir, Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond, on Apr. 28. Plumb says the book's title started as a promise stamped on a product. Back when she and her husband were building their company, a branding conversation led her to a single line of copy. "Put a smile on your face," she recalled telling him, and that little tagline eventually grew into "happiness included." The phrase stuck. "I've just always loved that phrase," she shared, and "it just seemed very fitting for the book." It also happened to sum up her life so far. Plumb is passionate about her home goods line, PlumbGoods, and its companion coffee brand, aptly called Happiness Included Coffee. She co-owns both with her husband Ken Pace. "All the coffees are named after different types of terriers," she explained, with each blend built around a little mascot and a personality of its own. She was inspired by her fondness for Scottie and terrier imagery from the 1930's and 1940's when designing the terrier design for the logo and packaging. Another cool thing about their coffee brand is that they give a whopping 50 percent of all their net profits to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Eve and Ken also have a one-eyed terrier mix that they rescued from A New Leash on Life. People had been asking the actress for her Brady memories for years, hoping to include them in their books. But she says she realized that if she was going to share those stories, they belonged in a book of her own, and now turned out to be the perfect time for her to share them. "I think you know when things are right," she reflected, describing how a project can sit in the back of your mind for years before it finally feels ready. Plumb, a recovering breast cancer victim, says she only decided to include her experiences with breast cancer in the book after a dinner with friends that included Christopher Knight, her former co-star who played Peter Brady on The Brady Bunch. Sitting around a table at the Smoke House in the San Fernando Valley, Plumb floated the idea of leaviing the diagnosis out, and the people who love her wouldn't hear of it. "You have to," they told her. She's glad she listened. "It's been so long and I'm so removed from it that it's easier to talk about." "You don't push yourself forward. You don't brag about yourself," she said of the old-fashioned values she grew up with, which made writing a memoir a genuine step outside her comfort zone. - Y! Entertainment, 8/8/26...... Ben Jones, the actor-turned-politician best known for playing Cooter Davenport on the 1979-1985 CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard, died on Aug. 9 from a heart attack, according to his wife Alma Viator. He was 84. Viator announced her husband's death in a Facebook post that afternoon with a photo of Mr. Jones holding his dog. "I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack," she wrote. "He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the raves to come on and whoop the Yankees. Ben had the most amazing, rich, full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so much." In The Dukes of Hazzard, Mr. Jones played Cooter Davenport, the Hazzard County mechanic and an honorary member of the Duke clan. Appearing in 142 episodes, he starred alongside Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, Sorrell Brooke and Waylon Jennings. Dukes star Wopat paid tribute to Mr. Jones on social media. He wrote in an Instagram post, "'The Dukes of Hazzard' lost another integral part of their cast today. Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business. He will be sorely missed... Denver Pyle frequently said to Ben, 'I'm not your Uncle Jesse!' But I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today." In 1988, Mr. Jones ran for Congress in Georgia's Fourth Congressional District and won by 20 points. He was reelected in 1990. Four years later, redistricting took his seat, and he lost his next race against Newt Gingrich. - Variety, 8/10/26.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 19th, 2026

Classic songs from such artists as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Journey, John Denver, Bruce Springsteen and Creedence Clearwater Revival have reentered the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart following a festive Fourth of July holiday and continued buzz surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026. Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" returns at No. 31 (9.3 million streams, up 75%), marking the Southern rockers' first appearance since 1978. The song hit No. 8 in 1974. Plus, Journey is back on the Hot 100 for the first time since 1997 with "Don't Stop Believin'." The No. 9 hit from 1981 re-charts at No. 35 thanks to holiday streams (8.2 million, up 27%) and after it was played June 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle as the crowd of 67,000 sang along. Fans that day also crooned John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," a reentry at No. 41 (7 million, up 62%). Denver, who died in 1997, last appeared on the Hot 100 in 1984. The song, with Fat City, became his breakthrough hit, rising to No. 2 in 1971. "Born in the U.S.A." hit No. 9 on the Hot 100 in 1985, becoming one of seven top 10s from the blockbuster set of the same name. It had last appeared on the chart that March. "Fortunate Son" reached No. 14 in 1969. CCR makes its first Hot 100 visit in more than 50 years, since the band's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" wrapped its run in March 1976. - Billboard, 7/14/26...... On July 16 Bob Dylan officially announced he'll embark on a brand-new UK tour in 2026 in November and December that will feature a five-night stand at London's Royal Festival Hall. Alongside his London residency, the tour will stop at major venues across the country, including Bournemouth, Birmingham, and Sheffield, followed by a double-night run at the Opera House in Blackpool before he heads to London. Dylan's ongoing "Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour" -- named after his surprise, critically acclaimed 2020 studio album -- has been met with massive international praise. The upcoming London dates will mark the legendary artist's first performance in the British capital since a triumphant three-night run at the Royal Albert Hall back in 2024. The UK tour will be hosted in partnership with Yondr, which requires all attendees to secure their mobile phones and video cameras in specialized pouches for the duration of the performance to ensure an intimate and completely undistracted atmosphere. - Music-News.com, 7/16/26...... As they score their 15th UK Number One on the Official Albums Chart on July 17 with their 25th studio LP Foreign Tongues, The Rolling Stones have equalled The Beatles in number one albums in the UK, with only Robbie Williams ahead of them by one album on the all-time list. The OAC announced the Stones' latest feat on its Instagram page, writing "It's official - The Rolling Stones and The Beatles now have more Number 1 albums than any other band in history... upon Foreign Tongues topping the Offical Albums Chart today." Featuring guest contributions from Paul McCartney, The Cure's Robert Smith, Steve Winwood and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Foreign Tongues has received positive critical reception as well, with People magazine writing "its relentlessly energetic swagger and delicious riffs make for the group's best stuff in years." The Stones' first chart-topping album was their self-titled debut in 1964, meaning the band have now returned to the summit more than 62 years later. Meanwhile, frontman Mick Jagger's reaction to England's recent lost in the World Cup semi-final game has gone viral across the Internet. Jagger attended the game between England and Argentina on July 15 which England lost 2-1, and footage of Jagger's disappointed head shake after the loss has resonated with fans across the globe. "Mick Jagger speaks for the nation," said one fan of the clip, which can be viewed on X/Twitter. - New Musical Express, 7/18/26...... England's Birmingham City Council has authorized "Ozzy Day" celebrations to celebrate perhaps its most famous son, metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, exactly one year after his passing. Featuring festivities, music and film screenings, Ozzy Day will take place on July 22 to commemorate the Black Sabbath singer and solo star. According to the BCC, the city center will include "a free program of live music, public art, special performances and shared moments celebrating the life, legacy and Birmingham roots of the Prince of Darkness." Writing on its website, the council said that key locations in his upbringing and musical journey will be a part of the tribute, including the Black Sabbath Bench and Bridge, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham New Street Station, Bullring, Selfridges and Martineau Place. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will perform a special lunchtime performance at the Bullring shopping center, while the city's train station will feature an Ozzy the Bull statue in reference to the city's famous statue. The full program of the festivities can be viewed at www.birmingham.gov.uk. Osbourne died at his Buckinghamshire home following a heart attack at the age of 76 on July 22, 2025, two weeks after Osbourne and his bandmates hosted the "Back to the Beginning" charity concert. - Billboard, 7/17/26...... AC/DC kicked off their 2026 North American tour in Charlotte, N.C., on July 11 with a 21-song setlist packed with hits. The Aussie headbangers opened up with their classic "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" from 1979's Highway To Hell, followed by the title track from that record later in the night. Two songs from their latest album, 2020's Power Up made the cut too: "Shot In The Dark" and "Demon Fire," as did five songs from fan favorite 1980 album Back In Black, including "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Hells Bells" and the title track. The set wrapped up with "T.N.T" and "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)," and the set also came just two days after their late frontman Bon Scott would have turned 80-years-old. The dates, which mark the latest leg of the rock icons' "PWR/UP" tour, continued in Ohio, before more shows in Wisconsin, Texas and Colorado later in July. In August, AC/DC will play in California, Nevada, Georgia and more, before wrapping up the North American leg in Montana, New Jersey, Philadelphia and more. - NME, 7/15/26...... David Byrne has announced a new UK book tour later in 2026 to promote his new book Sleeping Beauties, which will drop on Oct. 8 in the UK and Oct. 6 in the US. Published by Penguin Random House, the book centers on philosophical questions including why some ideas are considered ahead of their time and naturally move back into the spotlight when the world is ready for them. Across the tour, the former Talking Heads frontman will share his own answers to questions like that, and also share his admiration for certain visionaries who helped craft the world around them or make art that resonates with him. Kicking off at Hackney Empire in London on Nov. 8, the tour will continue to Brighton (11/9), Manchester (11/11), and Bristol (11/12) before wrapping at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on Nov. 13. The artist has announced he will donate his fees from the upcoming book tour to the Rocksteady Foundation, a non-profit organization which provides free music lessons to children around the UK. Earlier in July Byrne performed live at the 10th anniversary edition of Mad Cool festival in Madrid, Spain, and his upcoming shows include Edinburgh on July 21, Cardiff on July 26, and a headlining slot at Latitude Festival in Suffolk on July 24. - NME, 7/17/26...... Early David Bowie recordings produced by legendary producer Shel Talmy in 1965 are to be released on a new album featuring contributions from a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page. Featuring 10 previously unheard Bowie songs, David Bowie: The Shel Talmy Recordings is set for release on Sept. 18 via Parlophone and will feature the most complete collection of songs before he officially became Bowie and recorded under the name Davie Jones. Shel Talmy, who produced hits for The Who and The Kinks, recorded the songs with Bowie and his band at the time, The Lower Third, as well as some solo demos for Bowie. - NME, 7/16/26...... Speaking of The Kinks, founding brothers Ray and Dave Davies are joining forces with acclaimed painter Christian Furr for a landmark summer art exhibition in the UK. Titled "The Kinks: Brothers," the exhibition will run from July 24 to September 6, 2026, at the prestigious Gibson Garage London, marking a unique creative reunion for the legendary musical siblings. The inspiration for the collection stems from a vintage 1968 passport photobooth photograph of Ray and Dave taken in East Finchley, North London. Furr has reimagined this intimate moment across a series of vibrant, original paintings. When Dave Davies first saw the completed artworks, he was so deeply moved that he immediately began painting directly onto the canvases himself, adding a raw, collaborative layer to the physical pieces. Visual art has always been deeply woven into the fabric of Kinks history. Before helping to change the face of global rock music, Ray studied painting at Hornsey College of Art, while Dave has pursued painting for decades. The brothers' creative journey originally began in the front room of their childhood home in Muswell Hill, where they wrote and rehearsed their earliest material, including the seminal 1964 hit "You Really Got Me." - Music-News.com, 7/14/26...... KISS announced on July 15 they are cruising back to Las Vegas for their annual "KISS Kruise: Land-locked in Vegas" event. The second edition of the terra firma-based dry voyage will take place from Nov. 13-15 at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and feature a special all-star tribute to the band's original guitarist Ace Frehley, who died in Oct. 2025 at 74. "The Ace Frehley All-Star Tribute" will feature a memorial to the "Spaceman" from singer/bassist Gene Simmons, guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, former guitarist Tommy Thayer and longtime drummer Eric Singer. The bandmates -- who each personally selected a song that they will perform individually as part of the tribute -- will be joined by as-yet-unannounced special guest stars, with support from the Ace Frehley Band. "Another year of the KISS Kruise experience and the best one yet is on the way. Everything we've learned at sea and on land over the past years is going into making this the ultimate weekend with us," said Stanley in a statement. "No ship?!? No problem! What's so awesome about KISS Kruise: Land-Locked is that it's a full-scale resort takeover created to give us all 100% of what we've come to love and expect. We can't wait to be back together with the KISS Army and Navy from around the world for more killer performances, incredible artists, events, and exclusive experiences you won't find anywhere else." Other festivities include a KISS look-alike contest, KISS Army karaoke, late night DJ sets, interactive and replica exhibits, archival displays, and exclusive merch. Ticket and accomodations information can be found at kisskruisevegas.com. - Billboard, 7/15/26...... A new book by Paul McCartney's former manager Richard Ogden includes claims that Sir Paul wasn't exactly the most genial musician all the time, despite his outward appearance as the eternally "thumbs aloft" family man in Wings and in his solo career since. In Bigger Than The Beatles - Sixty Years in Show Business, Ogden writes that when warned his tours were losing money, McCartney would apparently repeat (loudly) the mantra: "Paul McCartney doesn't lose money!" He also reportedly said at an early meeting with Ogden: "I don't work to budgets, I don't need to." Ogden, who oversaw five of Macca's solo albums plus two tours between 1987 and 1993, describes how the former Beatle would routinely dress him down for hours as they wrangled over tours and finances. In one of his first acts, Ogden recalled that he told Paul that none of the 20 tracks on his new album was "strong enough" to be released as a single. "[Paul's late first wife] Linda, looking at me all wide-eyed, said, "Ooh, now you've done it. No one ever spoke to him like that before." "It undoubtedly earned me my first black mark," Ogden writes. - DailyMail.com, 7/16/26..... Speaking to podcaster Rick Beato in a new YouTube interview, Billy Joel said he quit songwriting more than three decades ago because he didn't want to "dilute his legacy." Joel, 77, said he knew he was finished after completing River of Dreams in 1993. "When I got to the end of writing River of Dreams, I felt like I was done," Joel said. "I was married, I had a child. I didn't want to lock myself in a cave and devote myself like a monk to writing anymore. I had done it 12 times and I thought, 'You know what? The Beatles had 12 albums.' And that was just enough for me." The Piano Man said he didn't want to become another artist who slowly fizzles out. "Maybe they're not as good as they used to be or they're not as motivated as they were, but it ends up trailing off. I didn't want to go like that Saying no sometimes is really hard to do," he said. Although he stopped making pop records, Joel didn't stop creating music entirely. He released his classical album Fantasies and Delusions in 2001 and returned with the standalone single "Turn the Lights Back On" in 2024. He said: "I did a whole album of classical piano pieces after that. That's where I wanted to go I didn't want to just keep beating a dead horse and being played because I was Billy Joel." Billy noted the pressure to match his own past work became unbearable. "You get to a point you can't do it anymore. You've tapped it out, you reached such a high level that you can't stand not reaching that level anymore and you hate yourself. You beat yourself up, and I didn't want to put myself through that anymore." Joel admitted he even warned others about the emotional toll of chasing perfection: "You better learn how to stop songwriting because it's gonna drive you crazy. You'll go insane." - Music-News.com, 7/15/26...... In a new interview with BBC Radio 2, Queen drummer opened up about the chances of the band touring again. "Well, it is a big machine to gear up, if you know what I mean." He went on to say that he "loved playing live, always have," but the possibility of a future tour is largely down to how guitarist Brian May feels about it. "I think it's more down to Brian [May] than me," he said, before giving it his approval, adding, "So if we both wanna do it, I'd be happy to. But we'll see. Never say never." Taylor then praised current Queen frontman Adam Lambert, saying, "We have been working for a while with Adam Lambert, who has the most incredible voice." Taylor's comments come after May said earlier this year that he would refuse to tour in the US, reasoning that the country is a "dangerous place." Before that, the longtime animal rights activist said that Queen would not headline Glastonbury Festival "because of the politics of the people who run it," citing founder Michael Eavis' support of badger culling in the UK over the years. Last fall, May revealed that Queen had worked on some new material with Lambert, and said they had considered bringing their live show to The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. "I'm very keen on the Sphere," May explained. "It's got my mind working." May's wife Anita Dobson implied in December that, despite Queen working on new music, it was unlikely that they would resume full-scale touring. "They will do little bits and bobs, but they won't do those big tours," she said. May suffered a minor stroke in 2024, and last November said his health issues had served as a "wake-up call." - NME, 7/14/26...... Speaking of The Sphere, Rush are reportedly "in talks" over a residency at the innovative Las Vegas venue. The "Tom Sawyer" hitmakers -- who were previously said to have rejected a Vegas residency at the T-Mobile Arena in late 2015 and early 2016 -- are thought to have been in talks with Sphere bosses "for a while," according to The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column. "The Sphere has become the premium entertainment spot in Vegas," the source said. "All the acts who have performed there have been at capacity for every show because audiences love the audio-visual experience." - Music-News.com, 7/17/26...... Oscar-winning Irish actress Brenda Fricker, whose career stretched decades but who became unforgettable to millions as the gentle "Pigeon Lady" in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, died on July 16. She was 81. At 19, Ms. Fricker landed an uncredited role in the 1964 film Of Human Bondage, kicking off a career that would eventually make her one of Ireland's most respected performers. After years of television and film work, Ms. Fricker broke through in 1986 as nurse Megan Roach on the BBC drama Casualty. Four years later came the role that changed everything -- playing the mother of Daniel Day-Lewis' Christy Brown in My Left Foot, which earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1990. U.S. ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh described Ms. Fricker as "a giant of Irish film," writing on X that "From Dublin to Hollywood, her work brought Ireland's stories to the world and inspired generations on both sides of the Atlantic." - Canoe.com, 7/17/26...... Veteran TV actor Hal Williams, who appeared in American sitcom staples like 227 and Sanford and Son, has died, according to his manager. He was 91. Mr. Williams appeared in 22 episodes of the top-rated Sanford and Son as Officer "Smitty" Smith. The character was part of a duo with Howard Platt's Officer "Hoppy" Hopkins. The pair had a recurring bit where Hopkins would lead by outlining a case with complicated police jargon, and it would be up to Smith to spell it all out again in layman's terms. Mr. Williams' other TV credits include On the Rocks, The Waltons, Private Benjamin and The Sinbad Show. His most recent TV role was on CBS' Matlock remake. On the film side, Mr. Williams appeared in Hardcore, The Rookie, Percy & Thunder, Guess Who and Flight. - Variety, 7/16/26.

The Michael Jackson biopic Michael has reached an extraordinary milestone -- the first biopic of not only a music star but of any famous individual to earn $1 billion at the box office. Michael, which stars the late singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson and follows the life of MJ from his days in the Jackson 5 up until his 1980s "Bad" world tour, debuted to the largest-ever opening weekend for a biopic and subsequently becoming the highest-grossing biopic ever made, beating the Oscar-winning best picture Oppenheimer. It has now been confirmed that Michael has taken in $1.001 billion (£750 million) globally, making it the first of its genre to pass the milestone. "Reaching this extraordinary $1 billion milestone with Michael is a deeply humbling moment that celebrates the tireless dedication of our incredible producers, cast, crew, and partners," director Antoine Fuqua said in a statement. "This achievement belongs to everyone who came together with a shared vision to honour one of the greatest artists the world has ever known. I am profoundly grateful to the audiences around the globe who embraced this film, showed up in theatres, and connected with this story across generations and cultures," he added. - New Musical Express, 7/13/26...... ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus was the opening keynote speaker at the UN's AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland on July 13 and said artists "deserve a place at the table" in the age of AI. Ulvaeus asked the simple question "AI is good for whom?" and urged the audience to remember the point of view of artists and creatives in the pursuit of AI development. "A technology is good when the human beings whose work made it possible are not erased by it, when they consent to it, when they share in what it creates," he said. Ulvaeus continued that he hopes "one extra chair will always be reserved at that table for the creators whose work made these systems possible. These tools are extraordinary, but they could not have been built without us." Ulvaeus has never been shy about embracing emerging technology -- just a few years ago, the iconic Swedish pop quartet used "motion capture and motion learning" to create the groundbreaking virtual ABBA Voyage show in London, which uses technology to de-age and simulate the performances of the four singers night after night. "Some people sometimes ask me, 'How can you lecture the world about AI and human creativity, and then sell tickets to watch a machine perform as you?'" he explained. "The answer is one word: consent. We chose it. We participated in it. We are paid for it. The technology serves the artist because the artists were at the table from the very beginning, and the audiences love it. So, I guess that's AI for good." Ulvaeus continued, "I'm not going to stand here and tell you that machine-made music is cold or soulless, and that audiences will always hear the difference. I know that isn't true. I am genuinely in awe of the tools that have been built, but awe is not the same as acceptance." Notably, Ulvaeus did not complain about how record labels and publishers specifically are treating licensed training data, but his address added to the growing chorus of music industry power players asking for consensual AI training in 2026. - Billboard, 7/13/26...... Appearing at his annual "Peace and Love" event on July 7 to celebrate his 86th birthday, Ringo Starr revealed that The Beatles had one rule on long van rides: "own up to the fart." Offering the tip to young musicians starting out, he said: "If you're in the van and you fart - own up to it." "We just occasionally with four guys in a three-hour car journey, one of us would make a noise. And at the beginning, it was like 'well, it wasn't me." Starr continued: "And we realized, well, just to get it out of the way, say I did it. And it worked a treat and it took the pressure off. It wasn't a thing. We didn't like go oh, 'I'm going next'." Elsewhere, Ringo -- who continues to hit the road with his All Star Band -- confessed that he intended to quit touring in 2021, but five years on, he cannot get enough of playing live. "I have been calling it the last tour since 2021 -- and my kids are fed up with me now. I say ' That's it - I am not going out anymore'; and they are like 'oh dad you said that last year'," the infatigable musician said. "And I out again. I am out this year. It is what I do. It is how it is. I have got a great band and it just works. We used to rehearse for two days, now we rehearse for two hours and we are ready to rock." Ringo also admitted he's clueless about why he connects so strongly with younger generations: "I don't know (why I appeal to them), but I have got 10 grandkids. I don't know what it is. It is one of those things." - Music-News.com, 7/13/26...... Co-founding Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward took to Instagram on July 9 to reveal he now uses a wheelchair, but said he "can still play pretty good for 78." In a post captioned "Something New To Let You Know About," the percussionist said: "I'm announcing today somewhat sadly but nonetheless truthfully, that I've reached a place where publicly more and more I need to use a wheelchair, mostly in airports, or public events. I can still walk, let there be no doubt, but I can't walk very far without needing to rest, meaning I need to sit down." He went on to explain that he first began using the wheelchair occasionally about 18 months ago, "mostly in airports," but has started depending on it more following his 78th birthday this past May. "I was a long distance walker, I've walked in many different parts of the world, and I'm still a drummer," Ward continued. "I can still play pretty good for 78 years old." "My talents and ambitions, and my unyielding need to be artful, and to play drums, is still as strong as it was so many years ago now," the rocker added. "I'm just saying if you see me in a wheelchair, I'm just catching a ride, I'm not in retirement or ill or giving up, or any of those thoughts that ignite when we see people in wheelchairs." Ward ended his message with a promise to "keep rocking until I'm dead" and his thought that because secrets "can be dangerous to our health, I'm letting transparency prevail, with love and progression." He also shared a photo of himself in his wheelchair, smiling at the camera. Ward helped found Black Sabbath in the late '60s before leaving the lineup in the early '80s. He would still make occasional appearances with the band up until Ozzy Osbourne's farewell concert in Birmingham, England in July 2025. - Billboard, 7/9/26...... The Sex Pistols have announced a new reissue of their 1996 live album Filthy Lucre Live to mark 30 years since the band's shock reunion. The album captured their performance at London's Finsbury Park on June 23, 1996, with Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock back on stage together in one of the decade's most unexpected returns. Filthy Lucre Live is set to be reissued on Nov. 20 via UMR as a 2LP red vinyl set and single CD, and featuring the bonus tracks "No Fun" and "Buddies" for the first time on the release. The Pistols' Finsbury Park show came at the height of Britpop and Euro '96 fever. In football England had beaten Spain on penalties the previous day, and Stuart Pearce and future England manager Gareth Southgate were at the show to introduce the band on stage. - NME, 7/10/26...... The Rolling Stones launched their new album Foreign Tongues in London on July 8 with a spectacular drone show and star studded party. Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood hosted friends, guests and the likes of Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Sam Fender, Sacha Baron Cohen, John McEnroe and Glen Matlock at the St. Clement hotel. Along with longtime keyboard collaborator Matt Clifford, the Stones also treated the crowd to an intimate live performance of the Foreign Tongues track "Ringing Hollow," which can be viewed on Instagram. Following their performance, a spectacular, light show was staged over the River Thames, illuminating the London skyline with the band's classic tongue and album artwork, above the London Eye and Big Ben. The light show was linked to their recent release "In The Stars," and can also be viewed on Instagram The display was created by internationally acclaimed designer Patrick Woodroffe, who said: "The music for the 500 drone light show was set to the new Stones song 'In The Stars' and is a fitting metaphor to see the iconic and much loved Stones' tongue hanging over the River Thames to celebrate a record made here in the city of London." Meanwhile, Foreign Tongues is charging toward the top spot on the current U.K. Official Albums Chart and is on track to become the British rockers' 15th U.K. No. 1 album. The landmark achievement comes an incredible 62 years after their self-titled debut record first topped the U.K. charts back in 1964. Elsewhere, Mick Jagger appeared on Conan O'Brien's "Needs a Friend" podcast on July 13 and revealed he regretted taking John Lennon advice about not meeting Elvis Presley, as The Beatles famously once did back in 1965. "I remember John telling me, 'You should never meet your heroes. I would never meet Elvis, Mick, if I were you,'" he recalled. "And so, I didn't. I took John's advice. It was really stupid of me, really. I'd love to have met Elvis." Jagger said Lennon gave him the warning on several occasions before the King of Rock and Roll passed away in 1977 at the age of 42. "I wanted to keep my Elvis to myself, my version of Elvis," the 82-year-old mused. "And so, I didn't want my version of Elvis shattered like John's was, but maybe my Elvis version would have been different." Lastly in Rolling Stones news, on July 8 the band announced that they will take fans on a six-decade trip through their history in an immersive Roblox game that launched July 10, the same day they dropped Foreign Tongues. According to a release announcing the project, the Stones teamed up with more than a dozen members of Roblox's global creator community to reimagine their iconic tongue-and-lips logo on both virtual and physical merchandise that fans can transfer from their avatar into the physical world. The on-platform game will allow players to interact with items from the band's history trapped in colorful crystals inspired by their 2023 Hackney Diamonds album, with users progressing through decades representing the group's various eras. A preview of the game can be streamed on Instagram. - NME/Music-News.com/Billboard, 7/9/26...... Black entrepreneur George E. Johnson, known for founding a leading Black hair care products company and sponsoring the iconic hit R&B dance show Soul Train, died on July 6 from respiratory illness or natural causes. He was 99 years old. Mr. Johnson founded Johnson Products in 1954 alongside his wife, Joan, creating brands such as Ultra Sheen, Afro Sheen, Classy Curl, and Curly Perm. The company served a market largely ignored by mainstream beauty brands, introducing innovations like a smoke-reducing home-use straightener for women. By the 1960s, Johnson Products held a dominant share of the Black hair care market, influencing styling trends from hair relaxers to Afros and Jheri curls. In 1971, Johnson Products became the first Black-owned company listed on the American Stock Exchange, marking a milestone for Black entrepreneurship. It was also the first Black-owned national sponsor of Soul Train which expanded the show's reach from a local program to a cultural fixture. The sponsorship gave unprecedented national exposure to a Black-owned brand while aligning it with the era's expressions of Black pride. Beyond business, Mr. Johnson supported educational and civic initiatives, mentored entrepreneurs, and was honored with awards including Harvard University's W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2025 for his contributions to African American history and culture. - MSN.com, 7/7/26...... Actor Randolph Mantooth, known for playing paramedic Johnny Gage on the 1972-77 NBC series Emergency!, died July 9 in a Ventura, Calif. hospice, according to his brother. He was 80. Mr. Mantooth broke out in 1972 when he was cast in Emergency!, which introduced the profession of paramedics to the public. He co-starred with Kevin Tighe in the popular series which ran for six seasons, and performed most of his own stunts. The Sacramento native, whose father was of Cherokee and Seminole descent, studied at Santa Barbara City College and earned a scholarship to New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After he was discovered onstage in New York and signed to a Universal contract, he began appearing on TV shows including Ironside, The Virginian, Marcus Welby, M.D. and The Bold Ones. He also played his Emergency! character Gage on other shows such as Adam-12, and remained an advocate for firefighters, paramedics and EMTs throughout his life. Other credits include appearances in Dallas, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Loving and the soaps As the World Turns and One Life to Live. Mr. Mantooth had been diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and is survived by his wife Kristen and his siblings Donald and Tonya. - Variety, 7/10/26...... New Zealand actor Sam Neill, one of Hollywood's most beloved actors, passed away in Sydney, Australia, on July 13. He was 78. Neill was best known for bringing Dr. Alan Grant to life in the Jurassic Park franchise, and leaves behind a career that spanned five decades and earned admiration across film and TV. Neill began building his screen career in the 1970s before becoming an international star. He earned early acclaim with films such as My Brilliant Career and Possession, but global audiences came to know him as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993). He was also featured in such well-known titles as The Hunt for Red October, The Piano, Event Horizon and The Horse Whisperer. His credits also include Peaky Blinders, where he portrayed Chief Inspector Chester Campbell. Over the years, he built a reputation as an actor who could fit into almost any kind of role. That versatility earned him plenty of recognition, including several AACTA Awards and New Zealand Film and Television Awards. In an Instagram post, his family said he died on July 13 in Sydney "surrounded by family" and passed away "with the dignity that has characterised his whole life." - ComingSoon.net, 7/13/26...... Welsh pop singer Bonnie Tyler, the voice behind such hit power ballads as "Total Eclipse of The Heart" and "It's a Heartache," died on July 9 in a Portugese hospital. She was 75. A statement posted by her reps on her Facebook page later that day said that the singer "unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for." Her death follows emergency intestinal surgery in May, which took place in Faro, Portugal, where Tyler had a home. She was later placed in an induced coma. Born Gaynor Hopkins in Neath, Wales, Tyler rose to international prominence in the late 1970s with ballad "It's a Heartache," before reaching global superstardom in 1983 with "Total Eclipse of The Heart." Written and produced by Meatloaf collaborator Jim Steinman, the dramatic mini-epic spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Tyler the first and only Welsh-born singer to top the chart to the present date. The song, which featured on her album Faster Than the Speed of Night, earned Tyler Grammy nominations for female pop vocal performance and female rock performance, and became one of the defining records of its era. She then followed with another enduring classic, the urgent "Holding Out for a Hero," from the film soundtrack to Footloose. Tyler's distinct, raspy vocal style, developed after early vocal cord surgery, became her signature. Across a career spanning more than five decades, Tyler released 18 studio albums. She represented the U.K. in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Believe in Me," finishing in 19th place. She was also made an MBE in 2023 for her services to music, after being named in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. Tyler had been due to perform at the Sunshine Festival in Worcester, England this summer, along with a number of European dates, and was also booked to perform at Cardiff's Utilita Arena on Dec. 17. Her final full show took place at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on Mar. 19. Tributes to Tyler on social media included Wales Secretary Jo Stevens, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Sir Cliff Richard, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bryan Adams, Suzi Quatro and Katrina of Katrina and the Waves. - Billboard/NME, 7/9/26...... Comedic actress Louise Lasser, best known for playing the befuddled Mary Hartman on the hit 1970s syndicated sitcom Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, died on July 6 at her home in Manhattan. She was 87. Born in Manhattan on Apr. 11, 1939, Ms. Lasser spent her childhood in the Bronx, where she attended Fieldston, a prestigious private school. At Brandeis University, she majored in political science but also appeared in shows that friends wrote. She dropped out during her senior year and began acting lessons with Sanford Meisner. Living with her parents in Manhattan, she worked in theater and cabaret, and appeared in television commercials, notably for NyQuil and Excedrin. She was the first actress to win a Clio Award, the advertising industry's highest honor. In 1962 she understudied a rising star, the 20-year-old Barbra Streisand, in the Broadway musical "I Can Get It for You Wholesale," and briefly took over the role when Streisand left. She met future husband Woody Allen on a double date -- he was with the other woman -- and made her screen debut in The Laughmakers, a 1962 TV pilot Allen wrote. Set at a comedy club, it never became a series but was broadcast as a special. The two began dating and married in 1966. After an uncredited part as a masseuse in the Peter Sellers comedy What's New Pussycat? (1965), written by Allen, she had a voice-over in What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966), Allen's directorial debut. She later appeared in three additional movies helmed by Allen -- Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask). But Ms. Lasser became best known for her portrayal of the Ohio housewife Mary Hartman, dressed in the pigtails and puffed sleeves. Premiering in January 1976, the Norman Lear-created Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was a phenomenon, a syndicated parody of midcentury soap operas that ran Mondays through Fridays after the late news in most major markets. It followed Mary as she tried to hold herself together amid mass murders, sex scandals and everyday consumer anxieties. She wore pigtails, puffed sleeves and gingham (while real American women were in Dorothy Hamill bobs and designer denim); fretted about waxy yellow buildup on her kitchen floor; and was emotionally abused by her conveniently impotent blue-collar husband (Greg Mullavey). Articles about the series proliferated, and Ms. Lasser -- somehow simultaneously neurotic and girlish -- appeared on the covers of major magazines, including People, Newsweek, Ms. and Rolling Stone. The show ran only a year and a half, from Jan. 1976 to July 1977, but racked up 325 episodes. She is survived by her longtime partner, Michael Citriniti. - The New York Times, 7/10/26.