Ronnie Wood has revealed the new long-rumored Faces album has stalled because it's hard to make the Rolling Stones guitarist's schedule line up with his former Faces bandmate Rod Stewart's. Rumors of a Faces reunion, which would also include drummer Kenney Jones, have been swirling for years, and recently gained momentum in June when Wood joined Stewart during his "Legends Slot" appearance at the UK's Glastonbury 2025 for the Faces classic "Stay With Me." Earlier in 2025, Jones told The Telegraph newspaper that the band had recorded "about 11 tracks" at RAK Studios in London. However during a recent appearance on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Wood said, "We've got these songs that we're working on from back in the day, but it's hard to make our times tally... When we do get a chance to get in the studio again, we will finish off these songs. We've got a good body of songs going." In 2020, Wood, Stewart and Jones performed a live rendition of "Stay With Me" at that year's BRIT Awards. The following year, Wood spoke to The Times and said that his bandmates recently visited his new London home and that they "have been recording some new Faces music." Faces' founding keyboardist Ian McLagan died of a stroke back in 2014, and bassist Ronnie Lane passed away more than a decade earlier in 1997. Active from 1969-1975, the band recorded four studio albums after being formed from the ashes of the Small Faces. - New Musical Express, 10/12/25...... 
Posting on his Neil Young Archives site, Neil Young says he's pulling his music from Amazon.com because Amazon founder Jeff Bezos supports the Trump administration. "The time is here. FORGET AMAZON," Young posted under a header that includes the words, "BEZOS SUPPORTS THIS GOVERNMENT," a reference to Bezos. "Soon my music will not be there," Young continued. "It is easy to buy local. Support your community. Go to the local store. Don't go back to the big corporations who have sold out America." Young's post also included a larger call for people to discontinue shopping at Amazon and the upscale grocery chain Whole Foods, which the online retail giant acquired in 2017. The musician also seemed to call for a boycott of Facebook, writing "FORGET FACEBOOK" under a logo of the social media platform's parent company, Meta. In August, Young left Facebook after a Reuters report claimed Meta had allowed AI chatbots to communicate with minors using "romantic or sensual" language. "We all have to give up something to save America from the Corporate Control Age it is entering," Young continued. "They need you to buy from them. Don't." Finally, Young referenced the current shutdown of the U.S. government, writing, "They shut down our government your income your safety your family's health security. Take America Back together, stop buying from the big corporations support local business. Do the right thing. Show who you are." Young, who has been openly critical of Pres. Donald Trump over the years, released the song "Big Crime" with his band Chrome Hearts in September that railed against recent actions by the president -- who is never mentioned by name -- with lyrics like, "No more money to the fascists/ The billionaire fascists/ Time to blackout the system/ No more great again." An exact date when Young's music will be pulled from Amazon has yet to be announced. - Billboard, 10/10/25...... In related news, Blue Öyster Cult has addressed the use of Pres. Donald Trump's use of their 1976 hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" in an AI video mocking Democrats. In the clip, a rendering of Trump wearing a dark cloak hits a cowbell to the notorious beat of "Reaper," while a faux VP JD Vance plays the drumset. "Dems, you babies/ Here comes the reaper," reads onscreen text in place of the song's actual lyrics. "Gonna tie your hands Cry baby end your plan." Shortly after the video was posted, the group shared a statement on Instagram and its other socials. "Let's clarify a few things: BLUE ÖYSTER CULT was not contacted or notified in advance," the group wrote. Though the bandmates didn't explicitly say whether they personally approved of the song's inclusion, they did make sure to distance themselves from the video's creation. "The copyright in the song (Don't Fear) The Reaper is 100% owned by SONY MUSIC," their post continued. The rockers added, "BLUE ÖYSTER CULT has no legal right to either authorize or withhold usage, which is 100% controlled by SONY MUSIC." Trump's frequent use of AI has quickly become a hallmark of his social media strategy, posting countless pieces of AI-generated content to his social media, including doctored images falsely portraying Taylor Swift as one of his supporters in 2024. - Billboard, 10/7/25...... Queen has been named the UK's most played rock act of the 21st century according to a new PPL chart to celebrate the country's upcoming National Album Day 2025. The chart says the band have amassed over 400 million seconds of radio and TV airplay in the UK, the equivalent of 12.5 years of continuous play this century, with their most played track being "A Kind Of Magic." "Congratulations to Queen on this great accolade in such a significant anniversary year for their first Number One album ['A Night At The Opera']," PPL DEO Peter Leathem said in a statement. "It's a testament to their expansive and much-loved music catalogue that they continue to mean so much to UK audiences to this very day." Reacting to the accolade, guitarist Brian May said: "Astounding news! Bearing in mind that most of Queen's major works were done in the 20th century, it's amazing to top a 21st century list. Big thanks to all our fans." Queen are set to release a 50th anniversary vinyl reissue of A Night At The Opera which features their iconic hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" on National Album Day on Oct. 18. It will be given a release on crystal clear vinyl and gold labels worldwide. Other '70s acts making the top 10 include David Bowie (#2), Fleetwood Mac (#5), The Rolling Stones (#7), and The Police (#8). - NME, 10/8/25...... 
Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain is denying he's planning to leave the band, despite recent claims to that effect from the band's guitarist Neal Schon. On Oct. 9, Schon posted on X that Cain "announced his farewell to Journey tonight...[but] I'm nowhere near done! Journey has so much more life ahead! I'm sure we will have a great tour!" In response to Schon's comments, Cain's representatives released a statement on X, denying that he had given any confirmation that he is quitting the band: "We will be touring with Jon all through 26-27 celebrating the music we've created." Schon later clarified that Cain would still tour with the band for all dates in 2026 and 2027, although no tour dates have yet been announced. "Jonathan Cain remains an active member of Journey," the statement read. "And any reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate. He is fully dedicated to touring with the band over the next couple of years and has only expressed plans to retire at a later time." Earlier Cain did, however, suggest in a recent appearance on the Strang Report podcast that he has plans to leave Journey, describing a 2026 tour with the band as "our farewell Journey tour," adding: "So I'll be saying goodbye to that." Cain and Schon have been locked in a bitter public dispute for some time -- in 2024, Cain filed a lawsuit against Schon during the band's co-headline tour with Def Leppard, on grounds of frustrations over his "expenses related to the tour," including "budgeting and spending" of the band's credit card over personal expenses. Schon, who is the band's lead guitarist and sole original member, owns 50% of the band via entity Freedom 2020, with Cain owning the other half, making it a deadlock when it comes to company decisions. Cain is the second longest serving member of Journey, having joined it in 1980. - NME, 10/11/25...... Speaking of Def Leppard, the English hard rockers became the 2,824th entertainment act to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a ceremony in Los Angeles on Oct. 9. Officials from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce presented the band -- currently comprised of Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Rick Savage, Vivian Campbell, and Rick Allen -- with the honor under the category of "Recording" in recognition of their contribution to the music industry. "Are we in good company or what?" Elliott declared. "So, from all of us up here, including (founding member) Pete Willis and the late great Steve Clark, we all say to each and every one of you, to our collective families, especially our parents who helped us get where we are now, just simply to our incredible, loving fan base out there, two words -- thank you." Also in attendance was Jon Bon Jovi, who noted his band and Def Leppard hit it off immediately after first hooking up in 1986. "Hanging out with Joe and the guys felt like hanging with my own band, but with a different accent," he quipped. - Music-News.com, 10/10/25...... 
Oscar-nominated Irish actress Saoirse Ronan (Ladybird, Little Women) has reportedly been cast as Linda McCartney in the upcoming Beatles "Four Film Cinematic Event" directed by Sam Mendes. Deadline.com is reporting that -- according to multiple sources -- Ronan will portray Paul McCartney's first wife in the upcoming series of biopics. Reps for distributors Sony Pictures are yet to make an official comment. Ronan, 31, has received four Oscar nominations across an illustrious career and appeared in addiction-recovery drama The Outrun in 2024. More recently, she led the dark comedy Bad Apples, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Ronan joins a cast that includes Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon. With scripts written by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne, the films are expected to arrive in spring 2028, though official details currently remain scant. Linda Eastman and Paul met in 1967, and they were married until her death from cancer in 1998. She was a photographer, musician and animal rights activist who founded a vegetarian food company. She also performed alongside Paul as part of his post-Beatles band, Wings. - Billboard, 10/9/25...... KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was hospitalized after a car crash in Malibu, Calif., on Oct. 7. According to NBC4 Los Angeles the crash was reported to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department just before 1:00 p.m. PT when Simmons' Lincoln Navigator reportedly crashed into a parked car on Pacific Coast Highway. He told deputies on the scene that he had either fainted or passed out before the crash, according to the L.A. Sheriff. Simmons' wife, Shannon Tweed, told NBC4 that the rocker was recovering at home, while a rep for KISS told Billboard on Oct. 8 that Simmons is "already back to work." Also on Oct. 8, Simmons posted on his X account thanking everyone for "the kind wishes" and assuring, "I'm completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens. Especially to those of us [who are] horrible drivers. And that's me. All is well." Meanwhile, in November KISS are slated to perform together for the first time since Dec. 2023, when they wrapped up their End of The Road Tour with a two-night stand at New York City's Madison Square Garden. The band also announced in March that they would reunite as part of the three-day KISS Kruise: Landlocked in Vegas event, which runs Nov. 14-16 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The event promises two makeup-free KISS Unmasked shows -- one acoustic and one electric -- plus activities with Simmons, founding frontman Paul Stanley and 2002-23 guitarist/vocalist Tommy Thayer. - Billboard, 10/8/25...... Dolly Parton is assuring fans that she's "OK" amid online rumors that had been spreading regarding the 79-year-old singer's health. "I don't think God is through with me and I ain't done workin'," the Country Music Hall of Famer said in a video on Instagram on Oct. 8. "Well, today's Oct. 8 and obviously I'm here doing some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, which is why I'm dressed kinda like a country-western girl, but before I got started, I wanted to say, I know lately, everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am do I look sick to you?! I'm workin' hard here," she said in the video. "Anyway, I wanted to put everybody's mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate," she said, noting that she appreciated fans' prayers. Dolly went on to emphasize that that she's doing fine for now, though she does have some health issues to address. "I want you to know that I'm OK," she continued. "I've got some problems as I mentioned.... Nothin' major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, where I'm kinda havin' a few treatments here and there." Rumors about Parton's health kicked into high gear on Oct. 7 after her sister Freida posted on social media, asking for people to pray for the singer. Freida soon followed up with a post apologizing for worrying fans and saying that Parton had simply been feeling "under the weather." - Billboard, 10/8/25...... Kraftwerk have added two UK shows to their 2026 "Multimedia" UK and Ireland tour due to "exceptional demand." In summer 2026, Kraftwerk will kick off the shows at Dublin's Bord Gais Energy Theatre on May 17, before heading to Belfast, Wolverhampton, Manchester, Glasgow, Stockton, Sheffield, Brighton, Bristol and Bournemouth. They will then play shows at London's Royal Albert Hall, before rounding off the tour with gigs in Liverpool, Nottingham and finally Edinburgh's Playhouse on June 9. Founder Ralf Hütter and Co. have now announced that two extra dates will be added -- a second performance at Manchester's O2 Apollo on May 23, and an evening show at London's Royal Albert Hall at 10:00 p.m. on June 5 (following a 6:00 p.m. show on the same day). The German electronic pioneers have already taken the tour through North America earlier in 2025, as well as playing a set at Coachella. Earlier in October, they announced dates for the UK and Ireland leg, their first tour in the region since 2017. While Kraftwerk have not toured the UK since 2017, they did appear at the Forever Now Festival in Milton Keynes in June. The band's "Multimedia Tour" began back in 2012 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. - NME, 10/11/25...... 
As Linda Ronstadt reissues a 50th-anniversary vinyl edition of her 1975 album Prisoner in Disguise, the retired iconic pop singer has written an accompanying letter looking back at the album that further cemented her reputation as a major '70s singing talent and supreme song interpreter. Ronstadt brought her powerhouse, supple vocals to the Peter Asher-produced album, whether it be on her tender version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" (the two later came together with Emmylou Harris for the revered group Trio), as well as a gorgeous interpretation of Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears" and spunky, upbeat take on Martha and the Vandellas' "Heat Wave," which reached No. 5 on the hit parade. In a letter obtained by Billboard, Ronstadt writes, "It's hard to believe that it's been [50] years since the initial release of my sixth solo album, Prisoner in Disguise. Thinking back over that half-century, there are several things that stand out in my memory." The letter serves almost as a time capsule of the history of Southern California rock and the incredible singer/songwriter community that she surrounded herself with in the '70s, whether it be Don Henley and Glenn Frey, who were in her band before leaving to found the Eagles, or upon first hearing the title track, written by J.D. Souther. Linda says she wanted to record Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears" because they are both sopranos, and he "has a beautiful, soprano-like voice and sings in my keys, so I could easily sing along with him on the radio." She also revealed she admonished her old bandmate Glenn Frey, an aggressive card player, to take it easy on Smokey during poker games "because I had a crush on [him] and I was afraid he wouldn't like me if he lost too much money to my guitar player." In addition to addressing the now legendary singer/songwriters who contributed tracks, including Neil Young, James Taylor, Jimmy Cliff and Lowell George, Ronstadt gives special credit to a source of support who was left out of the original liner notes -- a teddy bear named Alfred. "[That] was the name I gave to the three-foot teddy bear that Peter Asher installed in the vocal booth for me during the sessions for the project... I guess you could say that Alfred would qualify as a support animal, for he was certainly a great comfort to me. Sadly, his name did not make it into the original credits, but I'm taking this opportunity to correct that right now. Thank you, Alfred." The 180-gram, 45RPM two-LP Prisoner in Disguise vinyl set is available for order on the Mobile Fidelity Labs website and was mastered from the original analog master tapes. In 2021, Ronstadt, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2012, sold her recorded music assets to Irving Azoff's Iconic Music Group. The deal formed a partnership between Iconic and Ronstadt and her business team -- including manager John Boylan and Janet Stark -- to market her catalog and preserve her legacy in the digital era. - Billboard, 10/8/25...... Drummer Thommy Price, known for his work with Joan Jett and the Blackhawks and Billy Idol, died on Oct. 10 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 68. Posting on Instagram, Price's wife Stefunny confirmed the death, calling him "a devoted husband and proud father and powerhouse drummer and songwriter." Price played with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts from 1987 until 2017 and Jett was among those to pay tribute to him on Instagram. "He was a drummer's drummer and admired by so many. Our hearts are heavy. Sending love to his beautiful family. We love you Thommy," the post reads. Also paying tribute on Instagram was Billy Idol. "Thommy was a fantastic musician and drummer who, in 1983, came in at the last minute and put his definitive stamp on my 'Rebel Yell' album," he wrote. "He helped us to bring it to an incredible finish and toured with us on the Rebel Yell and Whiplash Smile tours." Price was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1956 and also played with Scandal, Mink DeVille and Love Crushed Velvet. He also played on studio records by a range of artists, including Roger Daltrey, The Waterboys, Blue Oyster Cult, The Psychedelic Furs, Ronnie Spector and Debbie Harry. He is survived by his wife Stefunny and daughter Brooklyn. - NME, 10/11/25...... Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning star of the 1977 Woody Allen comedy classic Annie Hall and 1972's acclaimed The Godfather, has died at the age of 79. No details about the cause of death have been provided. Keaton won an Oscar for her performance in the title role of Annie Hall and was nominated three more times, for Reds (1981), Marvin's Room (1996) and Something's Gotta Give (2003). Known as a master of both comedy and drama, Keaton landed an early role as Kay Adams-Corleone, the wife of Al Pacino's Michael Corleone, in Francis Ford Coppola's epic mafia classic The Godfather. The same year, she starred in Play It Again, Sam, opposite Allen, with whom she would make a total of eight feature films, including Manhattan, Sleeper and Love And Death. Born on Jan. 5, 1946 in Los Angeles, Keaton and studied drama at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, where she began performing on stage. She gained notice in the 1968 Broadway production of Hair and made her screen debut in 1970's Lovers And Other Strangers. After winning the Oscar for Annie Hall, she pivoted to more serious work, including playing the feminist and political activist Louise Bryant in Warren Beatty's Reds and a leukemia patient in Marvin's Room. The prolific actor continued to show off her comic talents, in titles such as The First Wives Club, Baby Boom, Father Of The Bride and Something's Gotta Give, and found success later in her career with Morning Glory, Book Club and Hampstead. Her directoral credits include the 1987 video for Belinda Carlisle's hit "Heaven Is a Place on Earth," the same year as her directorial debut film Heaven, a documentary about the afterlife, was released. She is survived by her adopted daughter Dexter and son Duke. - NME, 10/11/25...... 
The Moody Blues bassist/vocalist John Lodge died "suddenly and unexpectedly" on Oct. 10, according to a Facebook post by his family. He was 82. "It is with the deepest sadness that we have to announce that John Lodge, our darling husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law and brother, has been suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us," his family said. "As anyone who knew this massive-hearted man knows, it was his enduring love of his wife, Kirsten, and his family, that was the most important thing to him, followed by his passion for music, and his faith," they continued, nodding to his evangelical Christian beliefs. We will forever miss his love, smile, kindness, and his absolute and never-ending support. We are heartbroken, but will walk forwards into peace surrounded by the love he had for each of us. As John would always say at the end of the show, thank you for keeping the faith." His family continued: "He was never happier than being on stage. He was just a singer in a rock'n'roll band and he adored performing with his band and son-in-law, Jon, and being able to continue sharing this music with his fans." Born in Birmingham, England on July 20, 1945, Mr. Lodge joined the Moody Blues in 1966 with fellow singer Justin Hayward, following the departures of guitarist/vocalist Denny Laine and bassist Clint Warwick. He featured on some of band's best-known albums including 1967's Days Of Future Passed and 1968's more experimental effort In Search Of The Lost Chord. Mr. Lodge also played on hits including "Nights In White Satin," "Question" and "Isn't Life Strange." In 1975, he collaborated with Hayward on the U.S. top 20 album Blue Jays, and in 1977 released the solo LP Natural Avenue. Mr. Lodge continued making records with the Moody Blues until their final album, December, Christmas LP released in 2003. They performed live until 2018, the same year that they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. His death follows the recent passing of Moodies keyboard player and founding member Mike Pinder, whose death was confirmed by Mr. Lodge in Apr. 2024. - NME, 10/10/25.
Elton John played to the biggest crowd since he quit touring in 2023 on Oct. 5 after a Grand Prix race in Singapore. Elton's 16-song set lasted for 90-minutes before an audience of 70,000 people after the Formula One race, and packed with the biggest songs from his illustrious career. The performance came two years on from the conclusion of his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour, which wrapped with an emotional concert in Stockholm, Sweden in the summer of 2023. "Singapore, you were electric!" John wrote on Instagram after the show. "What a feeling being with over 70,000 of you - thank you for being such an incredible crowd." John always said that he would possibly still play "the odd show" after retiring from touring. So far, these have included the 50th annual Candlelight Concert in the US in Dec. 2024 and the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center last summer. In 2023, Sir Elton also played live at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony, where he inducted his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. His final UK headline performance took place in June 2023, when he delivered a historic, career-spanning set on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival. Fan-captured footage from the Singapore show can be viewed on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 10/7/25...... 
On Oct 6 Rush surviving members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson announced they'll embark on their first tour in 11 years beginning in June 2026. The legendary prog rockers announced dates for a 12-show North American swing they are calling the "Fifty Something Tour." It will mark the first time singer/bassist Lee and guitarist/vocalist Lifeson hit the road since the group wrapped their "R40" 40th anniversary tour on Aug.1, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles. According to a press release, the outing will be a celebration of Rush's "music, legacy and the life of late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart"; the band's time-keeper and primary lyricist died of the brain cancer glioblastoma on Jan. 7, 2020 at age 67. Fittingly, the tour will kick off on June 7 with the first of two shows at the KIA Forum in L.A., followed by shows in Mexico City, Fort Worth, Chicago, New York and Toronto, wrapping up on Sept. 17 at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The "evening with" shows will feature the band playing two sets a night, with each show featuring a distinctive set of songs pulled from a setlist of 35 hits and fan favorites. They will be joined on the dates by German drummer/composer/producer Anika Nilles, 41, who has performed with Jeff Beck and released four solo albums. "It's been over 10 years since Alex and I have performed the music of RUSH alongside our fallen bandmate and friend Neil," wrote Geddy Lee in a statement. "A lifetime's worth of songs that we had put our cumulative hearts and souls into writing, recording and playing together onstage. And so, after all that has gone down since that last show, Alex and I have done some serious soul searching and come to the decision that we f---ing miss it, and that it's time for a celebration of 50-something years of RUSH music... No small task, because as we all know Neil was irreplaceable," he added. Fans can get in on a Rush artist pre-sale by signing up at Ticketmaster.com by Oct. 9 at 11:50 p.m. ET; the general on-sale beings on Oct. 17 at 12 p.m. local time for the U.S. and Canada and 11 a.m. local time for Mexico. Meanwhile, in January Rush released the 50-track super deluxe anthology RUSH 50, which runs from the first-ever reissue of their 1973 debut single through a live recording of the final song the trio played together during the "R40 Tour" closer at the Forum. - Billboard, 10/6/25...... Among the more salacious claims in Lionel Richie new memoir Truly is that his "We Are The World" collaborator Michael Jackson was nicknamed "Smelly" for poor hygiene and would "wear pants until they were unwearable." Richie says the King of Pop led an "eccentric" day-to-day life, "like an absent-minded professor but still a kid." He went on to claim that late music producer Quincey Jones, who worked with Jackson on some of his most famous songs, would tease Jackson with the nickname "Smelly." He also claims in his book: "Michael would laugh too, realizing that he was oblivious to the fact that he hadn't changed or washed his clothes for a couple of days or so... We all have our quirks." Richie says his poor hygiene was partly due to his extreme level of fame, saying he couldn't simply visit a department store to buy things or risk being mobbed by fans. Also, he says when he sent clothes for cleaning, they'd often never be returned on account of his fame. "Everybody kept something for a souvenir," writes Richie. "He just got into the habit of wearing the same pants until they were unwearable." He continues: "(Michael) was on tour performing in the elaborate costumes made for him by his stylists, or he was in his pyjama bottoms and slippers in the studio or he was in his going-out attire. Or he was at home in something loose and comfortable so he could practice his dance moves and play with his menagerie of pets." - NME, 10/6/25...... As she kicked off her 2025 North American tour at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 1, Stevie Nicks performed a Fleetwood Mac track no one could have expected. Towards the end of her career-spanning set, Stevie surprised the audience by performing "Angel" for the first time since 1983. Not only was it the first time she's performed the track in over four decades, it's also the first time she's played the track solo. Elsewhere during her set, she performed a slew of other FM classics such as "Dreams," "Gypsy," "Gold Dust Woman," "Rhiannon" and "Landslide." She also covered Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" and performed her own solo hits "Outside The Rain," "The Lighthouse," "Stand Back," "Edge Of Seventeen" and more. Fan-shot footage of Stevie's "Angel" performance has been shared on X.com. Nicks's tour was originally set to kick off in August, but was rescheduled after the singer suffered a shoulder fracture. The August and September dates have since been rescheduled for late October, November and December. Meanwhile, a reissue of Nicks and her former partner Lindsey Buckingham's 1973 LP Buckingham Nicks recently debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart in the US. - NME, 10/3/25...... 
On Oct. 1 The Who performed their final show of their North American farewell tour at the Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, Calif. Surviving co-founding members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend and co. opened the performance with a live rendition of "I Can't Explain," before rocking other Who chestnuts including "Substitute," "Who Are You," "I Can See For Miles" and "Pinball Wizard." The penultimate track of the night was "The Song Is Over" from the band's 1971 fifth studio album, Who's Next, and the band made a final goodbye with a tender performance of "Tea & Theatre" -- a single from their 11th studio set, 2006's Endless Wire. "I suppose, you know, it's goodbye," Townshend told the audience at the end. "That's what it is. To what we know as The Who, it's goodbye. What Roger and I will get up to next, who knows? If we last any longer, I'm sure we'll get up to all kinds of mischief. We'll do stuff together, I'm sharing some stuff, all kinds [of] bits and pieces. But for this kind of thing, it's goodbye. And you were last!" Daltrey said: "Thank you so much for your support, over all the years. It means so much to us. It was every band's dream in the '60s to make it in America. And thanks to you guys, you made it happen for us. Thank you so much!" A fan-shot clip of the moment has been shared on YouTube. It currently seems unlikely that there will be a final album from The Who. Townshend expressed his desire for the band to make another record in 2024, but said there was "a bit of a river to cross" in convincing Daltrey. "What's the point?" Daltrey said in 2023. "We released an album four years ago [2019's WHO], and it did nothing. It's a great album too, but there isn't the interest out there for new music these days. People want to hear the old music. I don't know why, but that's the fact." - NME, 10/3/25...... In a new Ozzy Osbourne documentary aired by BBC One on Oct. 2, Ozzy reflected on the "emotional" yet "terribly frustrating" final Black Sabbath show this summer. Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home is an intimate film that charts the final years of the rock icon's life as he prepared to get fit enough to perform at the huge "Back To The Beginning" farewell show in Birmingham on July 5. In poignant scenes at the end of the documentary, Osbourne spoke about the experience of performing in front of 44,000 people for one final time. In footage captured five days after the show, Ozzy sat in his kitchen with his son Jack and daughter Kelly Osbourne, and they reflected on their favorite moments from the gig. "I have to say that my favourite part of the whole weekend was when dad sang 'Mama, I'm Coming Home'," Kelly said. "I don't feel like there was one dry eye. Oh my god, dad, everybody was crying." Ozzy responded: "I got all emotional with that. I couldn't f---ing get the words out, I was just swallowing my f----ing emotion." Jack interjected to say: "The guys from Metallica, Slayer, Tool, everybody was just up there, like, crying." The conversation prompted Ozzy to share: "The only thing I really got what was terribly frustrating for me, I had to sit there instead of running across the stage. That was fucking torture, because I wanted to get off that [chair] so much... It was very humbling, to sit in that chair for nine songs. What a great way to go out, that gig was." Another new Ozzy documentary, No Escape From Now, details the Prince Of Darkness' final six years and is now streaming in the US via Paramount+. Its trailer can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 10/3/25...... AC/DC has been hit with a formal noise complaint by the Edinburgh council after playing a show at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium over the summer. On Aug. 21, AC/DC played their first gig in Scotland in a decade with a high-octane set that garnered eight complaints from locals about the noise pollution, the BBC reported. Environmental health officers were said to have carried out noise measurements at the venue and other city locations, and reported that the "permitted noise level was exceeded" during the AC/DC concert, with officials pointing largely to fireworks set off at the end of the shows for the excessive noise. A spokesperson for the council said they will now recommend that fireworks are not used during future events at the stadium. Also hit with a noise complaint was Oasis, who played three concerts earlier in the month that also attracted complaints. - NME, 10/2/25...... 
It has been revealed that the surviving members of The Cars -- guitarist Elliot Easton, drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Greg Hawkes -- have been working on new music started by late Cars frontman Ric Ocasek. The trio of the legendary new wave band have been building a collection of tracks from the dozens of demos Ocasek left behind, as was teased in the new Cars biography The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told by Buffalo Tom frontman Bill Janovitz. According to Janovitz, after Ocasek's passing Hawkes received a trove of more than 20 demo recordings, curated by one of Ocasek's longtime confidants. Among them was "I Just Can't Stay," a rare gem showcasing vocals from both Ocasek and late bassist Benjamin Orr, believed to originate from their collaborative days before The Cars officially formed. After initial production work with Ed Valauskas and engineer Joel Edinberg, Hawkes invited drummer David Robinson and guitarist Elliot Easton to join the effort. Easton is said to have started adding his guitar parts in Aug.2024, starting with "I Just Can't Stay" and "Can't Stop the Rain." The latter boasts an epic solo by Easton. Janovitz penned: "Elliot's twenty-five second solo on 'Can't Stop the Rain' is sure to put smiles on the faces of fans, as it did for me." As it stands, there is no official release date for the project. The book notes that the estates of Ocasek and Orr are said to be "optimistic that disagreements about Cars' business would not get in the way of giving their fans unheard Cars music." Ocasek died at the age of 75 from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in 2019. His last music release was his final solo album, 2005's Nexterday. Orr lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 53 in 2000. The Cars, formed in Boston in 1976, reunited in 2010 and released the album Move Like This in 2011, but disbanded again shortly afterward. The band came together once more for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2018. - Music-News.com, 10/2/25...... Film and television actor James (Jim) Mitchum, the son of the legendary Hollywood star Robert Mitchum, died on Sept. 20 at his home in Skull Valley, Ariz. He was 84. Jim Mitchum appeared in over 35 titles between 1949 and 1994, including such titles as Thunder Road and Moonrunners. - Variety, 10/2/25...... Ike Turner, Jr., musician and son of Ike Turner and Tina Turner, died on Oct. 4 in Los Angeles, just one day after his 67th birthday. The musician had suffered from kidney failure after several years of ill health. His niece also told TMZ.com that he had struggled with heart problems and had a stroke in September. The musician, who largely stayed away from the spotlight despite the fame of his parents, lost his father, Ike, in 2007 at the age of 76, followed by Tina, who died at 83 in 2023. Ike and Tina married in 1962 and shared four children. Tina adopted Ike Sr.'s two sons from his previous relationship -- Ike Jr. and Michael Turner. When he was a teenager, Ike Sr. took his son out of the studio to join him in running his recording studio. He also worked for a short time as Tina's sound engineer. Both Ike Jr. and his father went on to win a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album, Risin' with the Blues,, in 2007. - NME, 10/6/25...... 
Chris Dreja, a core member of the seminal British blues-rock band The Yardbirds and who helped shape the sound of some of their biggest hits, passed away on Oct. 2, according to his sister-in-law, Muriel Levy. He was 79. "It is with a deep sadness that I have to announce that my brother-in-law Chris Dreja, former member of legendary band The Yardbirds, rhythm guitarist and also bass player has passed away after years of health problems," Levy posted. "I share the pain with my sister Kate who took care of him during all those years and his daughter Jackie... May he RIP." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, into which Dreja was inducted as a member of The Yardbirds in 1992, paid homage to the band's "innovations in feedback and distortion" and credited them for informing a slew of burgeoning genres like psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and punk in their short-lived but highly influential tenure" in a post on X/Twitter. They also noted that Dreja co-wrote all their material once he joined in the early '60s, including the seminal hit "Over Under Sideways Down'" on their self-titled 1966 album and several tracks on 1967's Little Games. Dreja's former Yardbirds bandmate Jimmy Page also paid tribute on Instagram, sharing a picture of the two of them together and writing: "I heard today of the passing of musician Chris Dreja, who passionately played with the iconic Yardbirds, on rhythm guitar and then the bass. I hadn't seen him in a while, and I wish I had. RIP Chris." Born Christopher Walenty Dreja, the musician grew up in Kingston Upon Thames and was immersed in rock and roll music from his teen years. His brother was a classmate of original Yardbirds lead guitarist Anthony "Top" Topham, who he'd ultimately form The Yardbirds with. In 1963, Dreja and Topham, alongside Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith, co-founded the Metropolitan Blues Quartet, a blues band which later evolved into The Yardbirds. Dreja started out as their rhythm guitarist but switched to bass in 1966 following Samwell-Smith's departure and Page's arrival. Subsequent years saw Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck pass through the band as lead guitarist. The years that followed saw Clapton leave the band for John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Beck's addition to their line-up. The years that followed were their most successful, spurning tracks like "Evil Hearted You," "Still I'm Sad," "Over Under Sideways Down" and their 1966 self-titled album -- often called "Roger the Engineer," after the cover Dreja illustrated. His artistic endeavours also saw him work as as a photographer for many years, shooting the likes of Bob Dylan, Tina Turner and Led Zeppelin. After the Yardbirds split, Page went on to form the latter band and offered Dreja a spot as their bassist, which he wound up declining, instead opting to pursue photography. Dreja went on to co-found Box of Frogs with former bandmates McCarthy and Samwell-Smith in the early 1980s. He later reunited with drummer Jim McCarty to revive The Yardbirds in the '90s, touring and recording with a rotating cast of musicians until stepping back in 2013 due to health issues. - NME, 10/2/25.
ZZ Top issued a statement via the 
Speaking to the UK paper The Telegraph, former Faces drummer Kenney Jones revealed that he and his surviving former bandmates Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood have recorded "about 11 tracks" at RAK Studios in London for what would be their first album in over 50 years. Jones also confirmed that musician and TV personality Jools Holland also contributed to one track. "Not all of them are going to be right [for the album], but most of them are good." Jones continued: "I can't see it coming out this year. But I can see it coming out next year. Everyone's doing different things. We do little snippets [of recording] here and there. Then all of a sudden, The Stones are out [on tour] again, Rod's out again..." First formed in 1969 as the result of a merger between members of Small Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, Faces were around for six years before guitarist Wood left to join the Rolling Stones, and Stewart continued his ongoing successful solo career. The group would release four albums throughout their career, with 1971's 
Sammy Hagar says his guitar playing on his upcoming single "Encore. Thank You. Goodnight" was inspired by a guitar lick that his late Van Halen bandmate Eddie Van Halen showed him in a dream. "About two months ago, I had this dream and Eddie came," Hagar told Ultimate Classic Rock about the inspiration for the song. "We were in a room like this, [with] a bunch of people around. It was just like he'd been gone. It was not like he was passed, but he had just been out of my life and we hadn't seen each other for a while. He's going, 'Man, let's write some music!' I said, 'Yeah, f--k it, man. Here, let's go!'" In the dream, Hagar said Van Halen showed him "this harmonic thing he slid up to a chord, like a slide guitar... We wrote a song with that lick." The next morning, the veteran rock singer and guitarist said he got up and wrote the new song, which he titled, in part, "Thank You" because he'd used "the f---in' lick that he showed me in the song." While the track came together too late to be included on Hagar's 2022 Crazy Times album with his band the Circle, on Instagram earlier this week Hagar said he "can't wait" for the world to finally hear his tribute to his late bandmate. The post describes the song that also features Joe Satriani, drummer Kenny Aronoff and former VH bassist Michael Anthony as "inspired by a dream and brought to reality through introspective lyrics, powerful chords and rhythmic guitar and drums." - Billboard, 4/24/25...... Carlos Santana postponed a planned show in San Antonio, Tex. on Apr. 22 after being rushed to a local hospital. Santana, 77, was booked to play San Antonio's Majestic Theatre, but reportedly fell ill during soundcheck as a result of dehydration. According to a statement from the venue, manager Michael Vrionis said the guitarist was taken to a San Antonio hospital for observation. "It is with profound disappointment that I have to inform you all that tonight's show in San Antonio has been postponed," Vrionis said in a statement on 
After years of health issues, Ozzy Osbourne is making sure that he's in top shape when he suits up for what is being billed as Black Sabbath's final-ever performance on July 5 in Villa Park in the band's hometown of Birmingham, England. In a new interview with Billy Morrison on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard channel, Osbourne, 76, said he's been in "heavy training" for the show that will see rock's Prince of Darkness reunite with his bandmates for one last time on a bill that will also include the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Alice in Chains and many others. "I haven't done anything for, this will be seven years, and so I've been through all this surgery. It really is like starting from scratch," said Osbourne, who has been dealing with a Parkinson's disease diagnosis as well as a 2019 fall that aggravated a previous spinal injury and required multiple surgeries. Osbourne said his workouts include endurance training due to his long lay-off from performance. "The first thing to go when you're laid up is your stamina, so believe it or so, I'm doing two sets of three-minute walks and weight training. I'm going and going you know," he said. " I'm waking up in my body, you know. I mean, three minutes to you, for instance, is nothing, but I've been laying on my back recovering from umpteen surgeries." Osbourne talking about his training regimen on Ozzy Speaks can be streamed on 
David Thomas, the howling lead singer of long-running Cleveland-bred post-punk rockers Pere Ubu, died on Apr. 23 in his home town of Brighton & Hove [in the U.K.]. He was 71. Thomas' passing was announced on Pere Ubu's 
Veteran producer Roy Thomas Baker, whose credits feature some of rock's biggest hits including Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and other tracks by the likes of Journey, Yes, The Cars, Cheap Trick, Guns N' Roses and Smashing Pumpkins, died at his home in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., on Apr. 12, his family announced on Apr. 22. He was 78 and a cause of death has yet to be revealed. The producer's credits feature a who's who of rock stars over the past half-century, with Baker also producing Foreigner, Devo and Mötley Crüe, in addition to the above named acts. Baker worked with Queen on five of the band's 1970s albums, including on their bombastic 
Smith's booking evoked a mixed response from Christian groups, with Catholic organisation Portosalvo describing the decision as "blasphemous," following the singer's 1975 song "Gloria," which famously featured the lines: "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Francis, who was recently hospitalized for weeks with double pneumonia, was largely considered the most progressive pope to date, and had fans in several high-profile artists, with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Bono, Leonardo DiCaprio and Angelina Jolie attending papal audiences with him over the years. The death of the pontiff, who became pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned, was detailed in a statement by Cardinal Kevin Farrell on 
Billboard is reporting that Alice Cooper has reunited with his original band for their first album in 51 years on his next album, 
Bruce Springsteen dropped 
Songwriter Toby Gad, who has worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Fergie, Madonna and many more throughout the years, is set to share a posthumous song by '70s disco queen Donna Summer later in 2025. Gad, who recently dropped an new album that reimagines some of his biggest hits in his career, recently told BANG Showbiz that he has another release on the way -- a previously unreleased song from Summer, which the two worked on shortly before her death in 2012. "Moving forward, I'm releasing new singles of new songs with the same sonic signature," he told the outlet. "And one song I wrote was with Donna Summer before she passed, which I'm going to release. That's an unreleased song I'm working on and in a couple of months that will come out, and I'm very proud of it." Gad and Summer had worked together for the 'I Feel Love' singer's final album, 2008's Crayons. Recalling their time in the studio and during the writing process, Gad said: "Donna and I, we spent some beautiful times at her beach house. I worked with her on her last album. I had three songs on her last album. She was such an icon, so I'm really proud of that one coming out soon." More details about the track, including the title and release date, are expected to be shared soon. In other Donna Summer news, it was reported earlier this year that Kanye West and the late singer's estate had finally reached a settlement over the alleged "illegal" use of 'I Feel Love' on the controversial rapper's Vultures 1 album. A copyright infringement lawsuit was filed against both West and Ty Dolla $ign by Summer's husband Bruce Sudano, claiming that the two rappers did not have permission to sample the 1977 disco hit on their collaborative album. - NME, 4/17/25...... Greek art designer Ioannis Vasilopoulos, who has designed album cover artwork for such famous hard rock and heavy metal bands as Deep Purple, Bon Jovi, King Crimson and Extreme, has died at age 66 of as yet undisclosed causes. Vasilopoulos had been selling prints of his work on his official website prior to his passing. His family shared a stateent on Facebook on Apr. 8, writing: "The outpouring of love for Ioannis and his work is a great comfort. Ioannis wanted to do so many new things, and as a family, we have been tasked with continuing his work. His energy will live on through his incredible art. His bright smile and child-like excitement live on in his works. Ioannis will undoubtedly be remembered as one of rock's all-time great artists." Some of the more notable album artworks designed by Vasilopoulos include Deep Purple's Rapture Of The Deep, Sepultura's Chaos A.D., Extreme's Extreme II: Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairytale), and King Crimson's The ConstruKction Of Light. - NME, 4/11/25.