Posted by Administrator on May 6th, 2025
Pink Floyd are on track to claim their seventh UK number one album with the rerelease of the soundtrack of their legendary 1975 concert film Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII. Released on May 2 also in a Blu-ray cinema version and other formats, was directed by Adrian Maben and filmed in the hauntingly atmospheric Roman amphitheatre of Pompeii and has been remixed by acclaimed producer Steven Wilson. The legendary prog rockers' previous UK number ones included Atom Heart Mother (1970), Wish You Were Here (1975), The Final Cut (1983), The Division Bell (1994), Pulse (Live) (1995), and The Endless River (2014). Final chart positions will be confirmed on May 9 by the UK's Official Charts Company. - Music-News.com, 5/6/25...... 
Jimmy Page has been hit with another lawsuit over the songwriting credits of the 1968 Led Zepplin track "Dazed and Confused." Musician Jake Holmes, who is said to have written the original track that inspired the famous Zeppelin release in 1967, alleges Page heard the song in August of that year when he opened for Page's previous band, The Yardbirds. The Yardbirds went on to share their own version of the song shortly afterwards and played it regularly at their shows. Although an official studio version was never made, they did share live recordings of their version of "Dazed And Confused" in 1967 and 1968. Later, Page would share another version of the song with Led Zep that appeared on the band's 1968 debut album. This sounded very similar to the original version by Holmes (which can be heard on YouTube), although it contained new lyrics and instrumental melodies written by Page. It remains one of Led Zeppelin's most popular songs. Holmes first filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against against Page in 2010, and the settlement (decided outside of court) led to the songwriting credit on the Led Zeppelin version being changed to "inspired by Jake Holmes." It was unclear whether or not the agreement also applied to recordings shared by The Yardbirds, and now that several archival releases from the band have been shared, the lawsuit from Holmes has been revived once more. In the new lawsuit, Holmes claims that he has not been given credit nor royalties for the early versions of "Dazed And Confused" performed by The Yardbirds. The suit references the newly shared film Becoming Led Zeppelin, which has the Led Zeppelin version credited as "inspired by Jake Holmes" but the Yardbirds version as only "written by Jimmy Page." It also names Sony Pictures and music publisher Warner Chappell as defendants. Page's legal team has yet to make a public statement about the revived lawsuit from Holmes. - New Musical Express, 5/6/25...... Two months before Black Sabbath's final-ever live show at Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England on July 5, Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler says he has some intense anxieties ahead of the gig. Speaking to the UK paper The Guardian, Butler admitted that while he's unsure of how the performance will roll out, or how band frontman Ozzy Osbourne's health may affect the show. Butler says the lofty expectations behind such a gig have left him feeling immensely anxious. "I'm already having palpitations," he noted. "In fact, I had a nightmare last night. I dreamed everything went wrong on stage and we all turned to dust. It's important that we leave a great impression, since it's the final time that people will experience us live. So it has to be great on the night." While Osbourne hasn't performed a full set since Dec. 31, 2018 -- two months before his diagnosis of Parkinson's -- he's previously lowered expectations for the upcoming gig, noting he isn't "planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath," but rather "little bits and pieces" with the group. "I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable," he explained. Ozzy, who also participated in the interview, once again pointed out that Sabbath aren't planning on performing a full-length set. "We're only playing a couple of songs each," he explained. "I don't want people thinking, 'We're getting ripped off', because it's just going to be -- what's the word? -- a sample, you're going to get a few songs each by Ozzy and Sabbath." The event, which will raise funds for three charities -- Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Children's Hospice -- will see the band's classic line-up -- Osbourne, Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward -- play live together for the first time in two decades, while the likes of Metallica, Judas Priest, Slayer, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Megadeath, and myriad others also join the bill. In a new interview with the UK's The Guardian, Ozzy's wife/manager Sharon Osborne confirmed that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is set to perform at the event too, as are the surviving members of Soundgarden. For Tyler, the gig will mark one of the few live appearances since he abruptly retired from touring in Aug. 2024. The decision was made after he suffered a serious vocal cord injury while kicking off Aerosmith's final tour. Although he has not played any full shows since the news, he has taken to the stage once since the injury -- playing at a charity event in February and breaking out some of his biggest hits. - Billboard/NME, 5/5/25...... 
Shortly after performing a solo set at the 2025 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, Calif. on Apr. 27, Sammy Hagar has spoken to Rolling Stone about his ongoing feud with his former Van Halen bandmate Alex Van Halen. Hagar said he wonders if "jealousy" is the reason why Alex hasn't spoken to him in 21 years. In a 2022 interview, Hagar said the drummer had completely cut him off, adding that "Alex has got a stick up his ass about something with me still." Notably, Alex also left details of Hagar's years in Van Halen out of recent memoir, Brothers, whose narrative ends before the departure of original VH vocalist David Lee Roth. Hagar told Rolling Stone that he "dreamt about Alex the other night, man." "It was crazy. And it was so friggin' real," he said. "I was saying, 'What are you pissed off at me about, man? What the f---? Now just tell me what your problem is. What did I do? Just tell me.'" Hagar also wondered if it was related to the fact that the Van Halen band has been relatively inactive in music while he himself continues to tour. "I think Al's angry because I'm out doing it, and [bassist] Mike [Anthony] and I are out doing it, and he can't," he suggests. "He's not a singer. He's not a guitar player. He is not really a band leader. And he seems like he doesn't want to play drums or can't play drums anymore, and he can't go write a new record. Alex wasn't the songwriter in the band. He was the drummer. Eddie and I wrote the songs. Dave and Eddie wrote the songs, and so we can go out and do them. I think that really bothers him that Mike and I are still out there doing it. I would feel bad. If I put myself in his shoes, I would feel terrible if I couldn't do it anymore. But I'm the happiest guy out of all of them. That pisses people off in itself. Being too happy, people don't like that." The interviewer countered with the suggestion that Alex's health could be to blame, as well as the difficulty of playing without his brother following Eddie Van Halen's death in 2020. "Yeah, I'd say so. And I'm okay with it. Al, you're fine. Just leave me alone. I'll leave you alone. Everything's good. I'm making you money, by the way, Al. I'm out there selling Van Halen records and keeping the name alive, keeping the music alive." Hagar recently released a new single, "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight," which has been shared on YouTube and includes a guitar lick he says Eddie showed him in a dream. - NME, 5/5/25...... The 2025 Met Gala dinner inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 5 was headlined by Stevie Wonder and Usher. Making his Met Gala debut with his family, Wonder was joined by a nine-person band and opened his headlining set with a capella intro of "Sir Duke," before entertaining the guests with a string of hits like "Black Man," "Higher Ground" and "Isn't She Lovely." A singalong erupted in the room as Wonder sang his early hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" followed by "I Wish" and "Superstition." He concluded the set by bringing Usher, who opened the show, back out for a duet of his song "Another Star." During his time on the red carpet, the 74-year-old spoke to Vogue about the importance of Black fashion being celebrated by the Costume Institute's new exhibition "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style." "It is a wonderful thing that it's being celebrated tonight. I appreciate that," he said. "But the reality is, I believe that God has celebrated what we have done since the beginning of time... since we were created we've created style, whether be it music, whether be it dance, whether be it, the most important thing, love." - Music-News.com, 5/6/25...... 
Neil Young's new song "Let's Roll Again," released on May 2, calls out Elon Musk and "fascist" Tesla owners amid lyrics imploring the major auto manufacturers to build clean-energy vehicles that "won't kill our kids." Singing a melody that evokes Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," Young quips, "If yer a fascist, then get a Tesla/ If it's electric, it doesn't matter." The release of "Let's Roll Again" comes six days after Young first premiered the track during his performance at the "Autism Speaks Light Up The Blues 7" concert in Los Angeles. It will appear on Young's upcoming album, Talkin' to Trees, which he announced May 2 would be arriving June 13. Also featuring January single "Big Change," the LP marks Young's first with new band the Chrome Hearts. Young and his band are currently gearing up to kick off their first world tour on June 18 in Sweden, after which they'll perform a string of shows across Europe through the first week of July. In August, they'll kick off North American leg on Aug. 8 in Charlotte, N.C. Musk is famously the CEO of Tesla, which makes battery-powered cars. In addition to owning X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX, he's also the polarizing right-hand man of Pres. Donald Trump, with Musk heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) created in January. "Let's Roll Again" has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/2/25...... The new Bruce Springsteen documentary Bruce Springsteen: Backstage and Backstreets was nominated for an Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Coverage Emmy on May 1. Springsteen has been nominated for three Primetime Emmys, but has yet to win. He was nominated for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (HBO, 2001), Outstanding Special Class - Short-Form Live Action Entertainment Program for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Super Bowl Halftime Show (NBC, 2009) and Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) for Springsteen on Broadway (Netflix, 2019). The 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards will be presented live at the Palladium Times Square in New York City on June 25 (News ceremony) and June 26 (Documentary ceremony), and will be streamed live on The Emmys website and via The Emmys apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV and Roku. Meanwhile, the New Jersey rocker continues to review his upcoming expansive box set Tracks II: The Lost Albums by sharing another track, "Faithless," on Spotify.com on May 1. Described as "the title track from a long-lost soundtrack to a movie that was never made," the Boss takes us once again down to the river, where love is found. "Well, I work by the rocks of the river/ Faithless, faithless, faithless/ Then I met you," Springsteen sings in a hushed voice over gentle, high desert-style acoustic guitar backing. "I walked 'neath the eaves of the garden/ Faithless, faithless, faithless/ Then I saw you," he adds with a chorus of female voices echoing his own. In a press release announcing the song, it is called a "meditation on purpose, belief and acceptance" that was originally intended to accompany a "spiritual Western" film that never got made. Springsteen recorded much of the Faithless album between the end of the Nov. 2005 Devils & Dust tour and the Apr. 2006 release of the We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions album. "Faithless" joins the other two pre-release songs previewing the Tracks II collection, the beat-heavy "Blind Spot" from the 10-track "Streets of Philadelphia" Sessions and the turbulent, "Rain in the River." The 83-track collection will "fill in rich chapters of Springsteen's expansive career timeline -- while offering invaluable insight into his life and work as an artist," according to the initial release announcing the set, which noted that some of the albums got to the mixing stage before being shelved. - Billboard, 5/1/25...... 
In a new interview with the British tabloid Metro, Gloria Gaynor said the "biggest misconception" about her is that she is a feminist. Gaynor, whose chart-topping 1979 smash "I Will Survive" is widely regarded as one of the most iconic feminist anthems of all time, said that she does not identify as a feminist when asked what people often get wrong about her. "The biggest misconception about me? It may be dangerous to say this, but that I'm a feminist," she said. Noting that she grew up with five brothers, Gaynor added, "I love men who know who they are and are strong enough to take their place, but also strong enough to recognize a woman's strengths and allow her to exercise those strengths and realize that we are to be partners and not opponents." The disco legend's comments have already sparked pushback online, with many people pointing out that, despite her implication, loving men and feminism are not mutually exclusive. By definition, feminism is the "belief in and advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests," according to Merriam-Webster. "So Gloria Gaynor doesn't know what feminist is... got it," one person wrote on X. "So Gloria Gaynor isn't a feminist because she loves men?" wrote another user. "Feminism isn't anti-man, it's just pro-human rights. But sure, let's ignore that. i love men and I'm still a feminist." The two-time Grammy winner's new interview comes a few weeks after she announced that her new EP, Happy Tears, will arrive June 6. The first taste of the five-track project came in February, when Gaynor dropped single "Fida Known," which she told Metro is her favorite song of the bunch. - Billboard, 5/5/25...... Virgin records/airline CEO Richard Branson has recalled the time he once saved the life of Keith Richards when a man showed up brandishing gun to kill him. Branson, well known for being a close friend with countless A-List stars including the founding Rolling Stones guitarist, recalled the incident on Virgin Radio UK on May 1, saying, "I went to the front door. There was this huge guy there and he had a gun. He went, 'I've come to kill Keith Richards, he's in your house with my wife.'" While the command sounded preposterous, it appeared the angry man was correct -- as the 74-year-old Branson went on with his tale. "As I was talking to him, I saw a naked Keith Richards and a naked wife running behind him across the lawn," he recalled. "I said, 'Put the gun down and you can search the house'. He searched the house, he apologized, he left. About an hour later, a naked Keith Richards came back without the wife." Richards, now 81, has been in a relationship with model Patti Hansen since 1979 and they have been husband and wife since 1983. The couple share two children together, and Richards has three other children from a past relationship with late model Anita Pallenberg. - Music-News.com, 5/3/25...... 
The Beach Boys legend Mike Love took to Instagram on Apr. 28 to publicly mourn the loss of his brother, Stan Love, a onetime NBA player who spent two years with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1970s and is the father of current NBA All-Star Kevin Love. Kevin announced his father's death at age 76 on social media on Apr. 27, with no cause of death revealed. "So many of you have shared your condolences about the loss of my brother. I guess I am still in shock; although he'd battled significant health issues for so long, I never thought I'd lose him. I really thought we would be here together; reality is not what I thought or hoped for," Mike Love, 84, wrote in his post. "My big younger brother, you called me the superstar, but to me you are the superstar!! You always had my back!," Love continued. "I am blessed to be your brother. I will cherish our lives spent together, whether spoofing on each other or reliving memories. I know you're on the big court now, pounding down 3's; don't foul out, bro. Give Mom & Dad a hug from me. Until we meet again, I love you, Brother, for eternity," he added. Among those giving Mike's post a heart was Full House star John Stamos, who has performed frequently with the Beach Boys over the years. - Parade, 4/29/25...... Joe Louis Walker, an electric blues musician who worked with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt and Mark Knopfler, passed away in late April following a cardiac-related illness. He was 75. Walker's extensive career, which spanned over six decades, saw the singer and guitarist open for such fellow blues icons as Muddy Waters and Thelonious Monk. In the blues scene and beyond, he was considered a "musician's musician" by peers, with Franklin dubbing him "The Bluesman." Born and raised in San Francisco, Walker took to playing the guitar as a child and went on to become a Bay Area regular as he gigged throughout the boom of the late '60s psychedelic rock and blues movement, finding friends in Jimi Hendrix and Mike Bloomfield -- who later became his roommate. After a stint spent in jail, Walker was working odd-jobs by the mid '70s, but started playing with gospel outfit the Spiritual Corinthians. His joining them was followed by a performance at the 1985 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which became the catalyst for his return to blues. In 2016, he was nominated for his first and only Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album with 2015 release Everybody Wants a Piece, and, earlier in 2025, revisited his 1986 debut album, Cold Is The Night. Honors earned throughout his career include an induction into the Blues Hall of Fame, being named a USA Fellow by United States Artists, and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. - NME, 5/3/25.
On Apr. 30 Paul McCartney revealed the cover for his new book about his '70s band Wings, Wings: The Story Of A Band On The Run. Set to arrive on Nov. 4, the book is compiled from over 42 hours of brand-new interviews, as well as historical interviews and newly discovered, previously unheard interviews from McCartney's personal archive. Also included are around 150 photos -- many previously unseen -- capturing the band throughout the years, along with memorabilia, including some of Sir Paul's diary page entries from the time and handwritten lyrics. The cover photo, taken by Linda McCartney, shows Wings members Paul, Linda, Denny Laine, Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell together while on tour in Spain in 1972. According to a press release, the book will recall some of the band's most memorable moments in Scotland, New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Nashville, Lagos, Japan, the Virgin Islands, Morocco, Montserrat and more, and is set against the backdrop of political and social timelines of the '70s. McCartney also shared a new excerpt he wrote of the book's foreword: "Suddenly Wings has found its moment. We have a generational shift at work, and it's like being transported back on a magic carpet. Working on the book has awakened so many beautiful memories of our times back then." News of the new book first arrived in February, when it was confirmed that Macca would be sharing an oral history of his first post-Beatles band Wings. In early April, it was confirmed that an exhibition of 36 rare photographs taken by Paul in the early '60s would be opening in Los Angeles. - New Musical Express, 4/30/25...... 
Speaking of Paul McCartney, the former Beatle will be among several famous collaborators on a new duets album by Barbra Streisand, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two. The diva announced her latest studio album on Apr. 30, a new project featuring a cross-genre, cross-generational list of duet partners including McCartney, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Sting; Irish rocker Hozier; Icelandic jazz singer-songwriter Laufey; English crooner Sam Smith; country hitmaker Tim McGraw and British soul singer Seal. The first taste of the album, a Streisand duet with Hozier of Roberta Flack's No. 1 1972 smash "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," has been shared on Spotify.com. "I've always loved singing duets with gifted artists," Streisand said in a statement. "They inspire me in unique and different ways... and make our time in the studio a joy." The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two is due on June 27 via Columbia Records. It follows Babs' 2023 anecdote-rich memoir, My Name Is Barbra, about her 60-plus years of blazing trails in music, film, Broadway, activism and beyond. The singer's previous two albums, Partners and Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, both reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and received Grammy nods for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. - Billboard 4/30/25...... Appearing on comedian Bill Maher's podcast Club Random with Bill Maher, actor Terrence Howard revealed that the biggest career mistake he ever made was turning down the chance to play Smokey Robinson after the Motown legend asked the actor to portray him in a movie. Howard said he turned down the role because he was already "in conversation" with director/producer Lee Daniels about playing another Motown legend, Marvin Gaye, in a separate project. Howard went on to say that he turned down the role of Gaye because he was uncomfortable with how the singer's sexuality would be explored. "I was over at Quincy Jones' house and I'm asking Quincy, 'I'm hearing rumours that Marvin was gay' and I'm like, 'Was he gay?,' and Quincy's like, 'Yes,'" Howard recalled. On the prospect of exploring Gaye's sexuality, he added: "They would've wanted to do that, and I wouldn't have been able to do that." When asked by Maher if he couldn't kiss a man on screen, Howard replied: "No. Because I don't fake it," before adding: "That would f--- me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off. I can't play that character 100 per cent. I can't surrender myself to a place that I don't understand." Gaye did not publicly explicitly state his sexuality but was married twice in his life, to Anna Gordy and Janis Hunter. But Jones once alleged in an interview with Vulture, that the late singer had an intimate relationship with late actor Marlon Brando, although it has never been confirmed. "Brando used to go cha-cha dancing with us. He could dance his ass off. He was the most charming motherf---er you ever me," said at the time. "He'd f---- anything. Anything! He'd f--- a mailbox. James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye He did not give a f---!" Howard's full interview with Maher can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 4/29/25...... 
The inductees of the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were announced by Ryan Seacrest on ABC's American Idol on Apr. 27, with '70s stars Joe Cocker and Bad Company among the seven acts inducted into the performer category. Cocker and Bad Company were first-time nominees, as well as inductee Outkast. Inductees Cyndi Lauper and The White Stripes, had each been nominated once before, and inductee Soundgarden had been nominated twice before. Inductee Chubby Checker, whose "The Twist" was a global smash in 1960, had to wait even longer for induction than Cher, who was finally inducted last year, 59 years after Sonny & Cher's breakthrough smash "I Got You Babe." There are six other inductees this year in other categories. Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon are set to receive the musical influence award; Philly Soul producer Thom Bell, English studio pianist/organist Nicky Hopkins and studio bass guitarist Carole Kaye (who was part of the fabled Wrecking Crew of top L.A. studio musicians) will receive the musical excellence award; and producer and label executive Lenny Waronker will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Sadly, several of these people didn't live to see their inductions. Hopkins died in 1994 at age 50; Zevon in 2003 at 56; Chris Cornell of Soundgarden in 2017 at 52; and Bell in 2022 at 79. The other seven nominees in the performer category who were denied admission to the Rock Hall this year include Oasis, Mariah Carey, Joy Division/New Order, The Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Man and Phish. Joe Cocker's widow Pam Cocker said she was "really surprised" her late husband was inducted into the Rock Hall. "I voted every day and watched his standing on the fan vote. 'Long overdue' -- those were my daughter's first words when we heard the news." Pam added that while her husband "wasn't obsessed with the fact he wasn't in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he did want it. But he didn't prioritize it. He was always surprised at what other people were not in it more than himself." All of the Cockers, including Joe's surviving older brother Vic Cocker, are planning to attend the induction ceremony in November and are anticipating, in Pam's words, "a brilliant evening." Bad Company's Paul Rodgers told Billboard that "I know that our fans, friends and some media have wanted this for a long time, so they will be pleased at last. I am looking forward to seeing some old friends, reconnecting with (fellow inductee) Chubby Checker -- maybe do the twist?" Both Rodgers and Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke say they'll attend and perform at the RRHOF induction gala on Nov. 8 ceremony in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be live on Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. The 2025 ceremony, held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live, will once again stream live on Disney+, with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day. - Billboard, 4/28/25...... 
Neil Diamond will be honored with the Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award by the Children's Diabetes Foundation at the 39th Annual Carousel Ball on Oct. 11. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Denver, near the home of CDF's primary operations and its clinic and research facility, the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. Diamond, 84, is just the third recipient of the award, following Sidney Poitier (2016) and Diane Warren (2024). Proceeds from The Carousel Ball benefit CDF and focus on patient support, awareness and diabetes research. The Carousel Balls, founded in 1978, collectively have raised more than $117 million. Diamond has served on CDF's advisory board and has attended the organization's fundraisers for many years, including performing in Denver in 2001, as well as at The Carousel of Hope Ball in Beverly Hills in 2012, where he memorably sang an impromptu duet of "Sweet Caroline" with George Clooney. "It's been my absolute joy to have supported the Children's Diabetes Foundation for so many wonderful years," Diamond said in a statement. "Barbara Davis and her organization have done an immense amount of good helping kids, adults and their families facing a difficult diagnosis." With a career spanning nealy 60 years, Diamond is a 2011 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and his achievements also include a Grammy, a Golden Globe Award, an American Music Award, an ASCAP Film and Television Award and a Billboard Icon Award. - Billboard, 4/29/25......Bruce Springsteen played alongside a litany of fellow music legends on Apr. 26 at an American Music Honors show at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ. An intimate audience of just 700 got to witness the Boss jam alongside John Fogerty, Smokey Robinson, Jackson Browne, Tom Morello, Darlene Love and Nora Guthrie in the concert organized by The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center. Fogerty, Robinson and Morello were receiving the American Music Honors at the event, as well as Emmylou Harris and Joe Ely. Springsteen himself delivered speeches for Fogerty and Ely. Springsteen and Fogerty went on to jam on the Creedence Clearwater Revival classics "Bad Moon Rising," "Proud Mary" and "Fortunate Son." Springsteen and Motown legend Robinson then played "Going To A Go-Go" together, before the Boss joined Browne for "Take It Easy" and Morello for "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." The night drew to a close with all the artists in attendance joining together on stage for a version of Woody Guthrie's classic "This Land Is Your Land," the first time Springsteen has played the once-regular part of his setlist since 2013. - Billboard, 4/27/25...... Former Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmates Neil Young and Stephen Stills reunited on Apr. 26 for the Light Up The Blues 7 Concert charity show at L.A.'s Greek Theatre. Stills came out at the end of Young's set with his new band The Chrome Hearts for collaborations on 1978's "Human Highway" and Young's regular set closer "Rockin' In The Free World," with footage of the latter available for viewing on YouTube. Later in the night, Young returned the favour during Stills' set, joining in on a version of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," the classic 1966 single on which they both originally played. It was a night in which political commentary dominated Young's set, with new song "Let's Roll Again" (which he has shared on YouTube) including the lyrics: "Come on America / Let's cover our back / Protect our children / If you're a fascist / Then get a Tesla / If it's electric, it doesn't matter." Other politically motivated tracks in Young's setlist included deep cuts "Ordinary People" and "Big Box," while "Rockin' In The Free World" included Young and Stills leading the crowd in a chant of "take America back." Other artists on the Light Up The Blues bill included Billy Idol, Cat Power, Nathaniel Rateliff, Rufus Wainwright and Linda Perry. - NME, 4/27/25...... 
An iconic photograph of David Bowie is set to feature on a limited-edition Bang & Olufsen speaker series. The high-end Danish audio tech company has announced an exclusive run of 30 Beosound A9 speakers that will include a canvas cover adorned with a rare Bowie image captured by the acclaimed British rock photographer Denis O'Regan. The item is priced at £3,995 and each speaker will come with a signed and numbered 12" x 8" print of the image, a printed box sleeve and a certificate of authenticity. The speakers are on sale now and can be found on the West-Contemporary-Editions website. O'Regan has spent decades capturing the biggest names in music and has been the official tour photographer for artists including The Rolling Stones, Queen and Pink Floyd. He also had a longstanding relationship with Bowie and was also one of the official photographers for Live Aid in 1985. He accompanied Bowie on multiple tours and produced the box set Ricochet: David Bowie 1983, which documented the extensive touring that followed the release of 1983's Let's Dance album. "Throughout my career I've been privileged to hear fans and collectors describe one of my images as their 'favourite picture of Bowie'," O'Regan said about the new release. "This favourite of mine is the image I've selected as my chosen moment for the B&O A9 speaker cover." - NME 4/26/25.
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.
The Who have apparently parted ways with their current touring drummer, Zak Starkey, after nearly three decades, following the band's recent run of London shows. A spokesman for the legendary English group said: "The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future." Tensions reportedly came to a head in mid-March when Daltrey complained onstage about Starkey's performance during The Who's Teenage Cancer Trust charity gigs. A report of the first performance suggested that Daltrey stopped several songs mid-performance, citing difficulty hearing the band over the drums. It also said that Daltrey paused their final song, "The Song Is Over," and told the audience: "To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can't. All I've got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can't sing to that. I'm sorry guys." On Apr. 13, Starkey, the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, posted an all-caps message to his Instagram pate that "Toger Daktrey [sic]... [was] unhappy with Zak the drummer's performance at the Albert Hall a few weeks ago is bringing formal charges of overplaying and is literally going to Zak the drummer." Starkey joined the band during their 1996 "Quadrophenia" world tour. He was introduced to drumming by The Who's original drummer, Keith Moon, a close family friend of the Starrs', who gave him a drum kit for his eighth birthday. He went on to play major shows with the group, including the 2010 Super Bowl and the 2012 London Olympics. Zak Starkey has also played with the likes of Oasis, Johnny Marr, Paul Weller and Graham Coxon. He currently performs in the recently-formed supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos, also featuring former members of the Happy Mondays, Black Grape, Oasis and Ride. - Billboard, 4/16/25...... Canadian-born music legend Neil Young is wading into his native country's upcoming federal election, throwing his support behind Liberal Leader Mark Carney. In a message posted to his Neil Young Archives, Young, who resides in the United States, said he wanted to tell the newly-minted prime minister, "How much I appreciate and support what you are trying to do for our great country, Canada." Watching U.S. Pres. Donald Trump's continuing rhetoric about wanting Canada to become part of the U.S. has apparently left Young worried about the future of his home country. "Canada is facing threats to its very existence, incredibly from people we thought were our friends," he wrote. "They want our resources, they want our land, they want our fisheries, they want our water, they want our Arctic, maybe they want our souls. I know the U.S. president could use a soul." Young added that it will take "more than bravado to fight this kind of threat," saying that the country's next leader will have to have "brains, deep economic knowledge of how the world works (and) strong, intelligent strategies." "Mr. Carney, I believe you are the person to do it," he wrote. "I believe you are the person our country needs to lead us through this crazy situation and bring us out the other side as a stronger, smarter, more resilient Canada, our core values of caring and fairness and generosity intact, along with our souls." Young's support for Carney comes after the Liberals tapped comedian Mike Myers -- who also doesn't live in Canada -- for a series of political ads last month. The spot, which generated over 13.5 million views on X, ends with Myers asking Carney a question that's been on the minds of a lot of Canadians lately: "Let me ask you, Mr. Prime Minister, will there always be a Canada?" "There will always be a Canada," Carney says confidently. - Canoe.com, 4/16/25...... In other Neil Young news, the rocker, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers shared the stage at U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy rally at Los Angeles' Grand Park. The event, which centered on anti-corporate messaging and grassroots political reform, also featured solo sets from all three artists. Young, who closed out the rally, began his brief performance with "Rainbow of Colors," a song from his 2019 album Colorado, before launching into "Rockin' in the Free World." Midway through the song, Baez and Rogers walked onstage to join him, taking turns on vocals and leading chants of "Power to the people" and "Take America back" between verses. Young, a longtime supporter of progressive causes, first released "Rockin' in the Free World" in 1989 on his album Freedom, and has performed it across decades of political moments. In 2020, the rocker filed a copyright infringement lawsuit over Donald Trump's unauthorized use of "Rockin' in the Free World" at campaign events. Fan-shot footage of the rally performances has been shared on 
Barry Manilow has announced he will take a break from his ongoing Las Vegas residency for a series of 16 North American arena dates in what is being called his "final North American concert tour" over the coming months. Dubbed "The Last Concerts," Manilow's upcoming run of arena shows will launch on May 23 in Pittsburgh, also hitting such markets as Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit and Cleveland through June 5. After a brief return to his ongoing Vegas residency, he'll play cities inlcuding Spokane, Seattle, Portland and Oakland, Cal., before wrapping in Sacramento on July 19. Those dates will again be followed by a return to Las Vegas, and a handful of holiday shows in December. "I couldn't be more thrilled to visit these great cities of which I have so many fond memories," Manilow said in a statement. "Each one is special to my touring history." News of the "Copacabana" singer's upcoming North American dates comes just a few months after he announced a lifetime residency at his longtime home, the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Manilow launched his "The Hits Come Home" residency at the Westgate Hotel in 2021, playing his first residency at the hotel (when it was known as the Las Vegas Hilton) from Feb. 2005 to Dec. 2009. He followed with his "Manilow Paris Las Vegas" at the Paris Hotel & Casino at Las Vegas from Mar. 2010 to Dec. 2012. His current run of residency dates see him booked until Dec. 13, though he will perform five shows for "Manilow's A Gift of Love VII" concerts at Palm Desert's McCallum Theatre only days later. - Billboard, 4/15/25...... Elton John and Brandi Carlile's first collaborative album, 
AC/DC kicked off their first North American tour in nine years with a 21-song set at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Apr. 10. The show featured five songs from the band's 1980 classic Back in Black, and they opened the show with the Highway to Hell cut "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)." Songs like "Riff Raff" and "Let There Be Rock" were performed with extended guitar solos courtesy of Angus Young, while "T.N.T" and "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)" rounded up the show as encore picks. The 13 dates under the 'PWR UP' tour will see Aussie headbangers cross the continent over a six-week period, and will conclude in Cleveland's Huntington Bank Field on May 28. This tour also marks the band's first run of shows with their new line-up, comprising singer Brian Johnson, guitarists Angus and Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug, and new bassist Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction, Alanis Morissette). After their North American trek, the rock veterans will hit the road for 12 dates across 10 European countries this summer kicking off in Prague on June 26. It'll run through to Aug.21 in Edinburgh, which will mark their first show in Scotland in a decade. The "Power Up"' tour takes its name from AC/DC's 2020 album of the same name, their 17th studio record. - NME, 4/11/25...... Pink Floyd has shared a 
On Apr. 14 Stevie Nicks announced on 
Wink Martindale, a rock 'n' roll disc jockey and good friend of Elvis Presley who gained fame as the host of such TV game shows as Tic-Tac-Dough, Gambit and High Rollers, died on Apr. 15 in Rancho Mirage, Cal., according to his publicist. He was 91. The friendly Martindale, who had a 74-year career, was known for his resonant voice, vivid sport coats and, especially, his curious first name. "When I was a kid in Jackson, Tennessee, one of my playmates, Jimmy McCord, couldn't say 'Winston,' which is my given name. He had a speech impediment, and it came out sounding like 'Winky,'" Mr. Martindale explained to ABC News in 2014. "So Winston turned into Winky, and then I got into the business and Wink it was! It served me well." Mr. Martindale recorded for Dot Records -- Pat Boone was another artist on that label -- and his "Deck of Cards," a narrative release from 1959, sold more than 1 million copies. He also sang "All Love Broke Loose" during the 1958 film Let's Rock. His second wife, Sandy, whom he married in 1975, dated Presley on and off until shortly before the singer wed Priscilla Wagner in 1967, and she appeared as a dancer in Viva Las Vegas (1964) and other Elvis movies. "Elvis is responsible for me marrying Wink," she said in a 2015 interview. "When [Mr. Martindale] said he was from Tennessee, I said, 'He must be a nice guy,' because I loved the state, I loved all the guys, I loved everything in the state of Tennessee because Elvis was such a wonderful part of my life." Winston Conrad Martindale was born on Dec. 4, 1933, in Jackson. His former Sunday school teacher managed WPLI, a 250-watt radio station, and gave him his first job in radio at $25 a week in 1951. He was 17 and a senior in high school. A few years later, he made the big move to WHBQ in Memphis, about 90 miles away from home, where he hosted a radio show in the morning and a popular kids TV show, Wink Martindale of Mars Patrol, in the afternoon. "All of a sudden I became a radio personality that everyone knew and respected to a television 'star,' and the kids loved me!" he said in a 2010 interview. Mr. Martindale happened to be back at WHBQ on one evening in July 1954 when he helped arrange to get Presley to the station for his first-ever radio interview, shortly after the debut of his song "That's All Right." Mr. Martindale hosted the American Bandstand-like show Top Ten Dance Party in Memphis -- Elvis was a big get for him on that show -- then asked for and was granted a transfer to Los Angeles' KHJ (radio and television) in 1959. He hosted another local Dance Party program, this one from Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica, and later had a 12-year run as the midday personality on the Gene Autry-owned station KMPC beginning in 1971. Mr. Martindale said he became interested in hosting a TV game show in 1965 when he learned that Password's Allen Ludden would "go in two days a week and tape five shows one day and five shows the next and the other five days play golf. I went to my agent and said, 'How about sending me on a game-show hosting interview?'" He eventually landed at NBC's What's That Song? (billed as Win Martindale) and worked for a year on that, the first of the 20 game shows that he hosted (only Bill Cullen did more). He was on Tic-Tac-Dough for a decade, did two shows for producer Chuck Barris (How's Your Mother-in-Law? and Dream Girl of '67) and produced game shows as well. Mr. Martindale co-hosted and helped produce a cerebral palsy telethon in his hometown for more than a decade and published an autobiography, Winking at Life, in 2000. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame six years later and on Oct. 13, 2007, he was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. In addition to his wife, survivors include his daughters, Lisa, Lyn and Laura; his sister, Geraldine; and his "honorary son," Eric. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/15/25.
Rod Stewart has shared details of a new best-of album which will drop just before his milestone performance the UK's Glastonbury festival this summer. Dubbed Ultimate Hits, the forthcoming LP comes as part of his 80th birthday celebrations and is set for release on June 27 via Warner. It's being touted as the first-ever solo-career-spanning hits collection from the legendary songwriter, and will include his signature breakthrough songs "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Maggie May," and move through to follow-up hits like "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," "Hot Legs" and "Baby Jane." Various versions include 
The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) has released a statement saying Russia's just announced ban on its services will "undoubtedly endanger lives." In a statement released Apr. 3, the prosecutor general's office of the Russian federation banned both the British and U.S-registered foundations of the EJAF from offering its services in Russia, designating the non-profit as an "undesirable organization" -- a classification that would allow the state to prosecute and potentially jail individuals affiliated with the charity if they continue working in Russia. EJAF responded with a statement saying it is "devastated to learn of its new label under Russian law." "This decision by the Russian Federation will undoubtedly endanger lives and disrupt critical HIV prevention efforts for ordinary Russian citizens," the statement reads. "At a time when we have the tools and knowledge to defeat HIV, it is heartbreaking to be unable to support them." The organization pointed out that, according to the Russian governments own reporting, over 1.2 million Russians were living with HIV in 2024, and nearly half a million of those people had not received medical treatment. "Despite this setback, we will continue our work across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the Foundation is the largest philanthropic HIV/AIDS funder," the organization said. Russia's move comes as a double whammy to the EJAF -- in February, the administration of Pres. Donald Trump announced it was eliminating more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID's) foreign aid contracts, which the EJAF said "could have devastating effects on the HIV response." - Billboard, 4/10/25...... In other Elton John news, the Rocket Man and his current collaborator Brandi Carlile have dropped a raw, emotional making-of short for their first joint album together, 
Pete Best, the original drummer for The Beatles, has announced his retirement. The 83-year-old Best announced his retirement on X, with his brother Roag Best confirming that the drummer will no longer be performing as part of the eponymous Pete Best Band going forward. "Well what an absolutely wonderful ride we've had. However, everything comes to pass," Roag noted. "My brother Pete Best has announced today he is retiring from personal appearances and performing with the group. His daughter has informed me its due to personal circumstances." Pete himself acknowledged his retirement, reposting the original announcement and adding, "I had a blast. Thank you." Best's association with The Beatles began in the late 50s when The Quarrymen -- which was comprised of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ken Brown -- approached his mother Mona to perform at her Liverpool venue, the Casbah Coffee Club. The Quarrymen evolved into The Beatles in 1960, and following brief stints with Tommy Moore and Norman Chapman, the group recruited Best as their drummer ahead of launching a residency in Hamburg, Germany in August of that year. After two years with The Beatles, Best was ousted by manager Brian Epstein in favor of Ringo Starr. Various stories have circulated as to the reason for Best's dismissal, though his alleged lack of ability, his chemistry within the band, and his purported attractiveness have since been raised as possible explanations behind his firing. Following his time with the band, Best performed with other bands including Lee Curtis and the All-Stars and The Pete Best Combo, which notably attempted to capitalize on Best's prior work by releasing an album coyly titled Best of the Beatles. Best later enjoyed a successful career in civil service, raised a family, qualified for early retirement, and made millions from the Beatles' Anthology One album, which featured 12 tracks on which he drummed. The Pete Best Band is currently scheduled to perform at the Liverpool Beatles Museum on Aug. 23, though it's currently unknown if Best's retirement from the band will impact the planned appearance. More info can be found at liverpoolbeatlesmuseum.com. - Billboard, 4/7/25...... In other Beatles-related news, John Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird has said that an actor from Liverpool should play him in the forthcoming Beatles biopics, directed by Sam Mendes. Speaking to The Telegraph, Baird weighed in on her late brother's casting, in which it was recently announced that London-born actor Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) will play Lennon. "Yes, of course" she replied when asked if it should be a Scouser (a person from Liverpool) playing him. "No one else can get that Liverpool intonation. Nobody," she said. On the subject of being consulted about the movie, Baird replied: "[Mendes is] never going to ask me! I'm the last person he would want to talk to because then he can't make it up." Later in the interview, she described John Lennon as: "a brilliant older brother, very bossy -- a family trait." She does, however, regret his fame, given it led to his murder at the hands of fanatic Mark David Chapman in 1980. "To be John's sister is a privilege that I couldn't begin to describe to you. But given the choice I wish he'd never seen a guitar." When asked why, she replied: "Well, then he might have been an art teacher and he'd still be here." All four films -- one dedicated to each Beatle -- will premiere in Apr. 2028, in what Mendes describes as the first "bingeable moment in cinema." - NME, 4/7/25...... Patti Smith has announced she'll release a new memoir, 
Paul Simon kicked off his 2025 North American tour in New Orleans on Apr. 4, following a return from retirement and struggles with his hearing. The opening night of his "A Quiet Celebration" tour also came as a huge milestone, as it was his first headline performance in two years, following rumours that he may never play live again due to severe hearing loss. Taking to the stage at the Saenger Performing Arts Theater, the 83-year-old kicked off the set with a handful of songs from his most recent studio album, Seven Psalms and was joined by his wife Edie Brickell for renditions of "Wait" and "The Sacred Harp." As the set developed, Simon moved into some of his most popular tracks including "Homeward Bound," "Slip Slidin' Away" and "Graceland," before wrapping up the 19-song setlist with performances of two huge Simon & Garfunkel songs: "The Boxer" and "The Sound Of Silence." Simon worked alongside the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to help overcome the obstacles around playing live. This included repositioning the monitors on stage and opting for smaller venues with better acoustics -- allowing him to hear himself better during the performances. Other stops on the tour include Austin, Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, Dallas, Boston, Chicago and more throughout the summer, including five shows at the Disney Hall in Los Angeles and five shows at New York's Beacon Theatre. Footage from the NO show can be viewed on 
Clem Burke, the founding drummer of Blondie, died on Apr. 6 following a battle with cancer. He was 70. The group announced Burke's passing the following day on