A judge has denied Cher's bid to have a conservator placed in charge of the finances of her son, 49-year-old Elijah Blue Allman. Earlier in April, Cher submitted an application to Los Angeles Superior Court to file for conservatorship, with the case stating that Allman "has significantly deteriorated" since 2023. "The proposed conservatee is currently in custody in the State of New Hampshire in a locked psychiatric hospital in an attempt to restore him to competency to face criminal charges in two cases," the filing stated. Now, a Los Angeles County judge has denied the request on Apr. 24, saying she did not see the urgency of the claim and confirming she would reconsider the matter at a second hearing in June. "I certainly understand the concerns of Mr. Allman's friends and family regarding his behaviour," Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui said. "But those concerns do not necessarily equate to a finding that the proposed conservatee lacks capacity or that a probate conservatorship is appropriate. I am going to deny the temporary conservatorship without prejudice." Allman appeared at the hearing remotely from his New Hampshire hospital, speaking only to ask for his attorney to represent him and to thank the judge for her ruling. Allman was reportedly arrested for causing a disturbance at a private school on March 1, while two days later he was arrested again after allegedly breaking into a home in Windham, New Hampshire. Elijah Blue's father, Gregg Allman died in 2017 and Elijah reportedly receives an annual allowance of $120,000 per year from his trust. Cher has in the past claimed that the money is spent primarily on "drugs, expensive hotels and limousine transportation." Elijah Blue later filed an objection to his mother's request, stating that he was not in need of a conservatorship and claiming that Cher would be "unfit to serve." The family then reached a private settlement in 2024, having paused court proceedings to attempt to resolve the matter privately. - New Musical Express, 4/25/26...... 
An authorized Ramones exhibit will open at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas on July 4, and Rhino Records has announed a series of reissues and remastered, upscaled Ramones videos. To mark the group's 50th anniversary, the Ramones and Rhino Records are launching a year-long celebration that will include the only authorized exhibition dedicated to the seminal punk band. The show organized and curated by the Punk Foundation in collaboration with late guitarist Johnny Ramone's wife Linda Ramone and Ramones Production Inc., will feature the band's music, memorabilia, along with public and member's only performances, artist conversations, interactive experiences, artist-led tours and other events. The museum will also host a 4th of July bash featuring the Ramones tribute band Mama's Boy. In addition, between now and the end of 2026, the band and Rhino will announced a series of physical reissues and releases, as well as tribute performances and newly remastered, upscaled videos for such classics as "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Psycho Therapy," "Rock N' Roll High School," "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)," "We Want the Airwaves," "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?" and others. - Billboard, 4/24/26...... In other '70s punk news, the 2026 edition of the CBGB Festival in NYC will feature a mix of classic and contemporary punk and new wave acts, topped by former Smiths singer and solo performer Morrissey, as well as punk godmother Patti Smith, Interpol and the Sex Pistols, featuring charter members guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook, with singer Frank Carter subbing in for original vocalist Johnny Rotten/John Lydon. The event honoring the legendary punk club in New York's East Village that beginning in 1973 was the launching pad for the first wave of American punk acts such as the Ramones, Smiths, Television, Blondie and the Talking Heads, among many others, will take place on Sept. 26 at Under the K Bridge Park in Brooklyn. Also on this year's bill, classic acts Buzzcocks, Bikini Kill, Agnostic Front, Circle Jerks and Haywire, as well as contemporary acts keeping the flame alive such as Upchuck, Militarie Gun, High Vis, Bad Nerves and Panic Shack. A CBGB Festival poster can be viewed on Instagram. - Billboard, 4/22/26...... A legal battle concerning Black Sabbath's early demos has been resolved, with all four original members regaining ownership of the songs they recorded as Earth in 1969. In 2025, it was announced that a compilation of demos recorded by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward in 1969, when they still went by the name Earth, was to be released under the title Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes. The tracks were recorded in Zella Studios in Birmingham, with a new release said to be overseen by Jim Simpson, the band's manager at the time, with an initial release date of July last year. That release did not materialize, and Sharon Osbourne spoke out against the project at the time, issuing a lengthy social media post in which she outlined the Black Sabbath legal position, which disputes the legal ownership of the recordings. "We settled with Jim Simpson and the band now have their demos back," Sharon said in a new interview. "And all four of them own it, which is where it should be. All of that stuff should be theirs. So it all ended well. So, yeah, they own them." Meanwhile, rapper Yungblud celebrated Ozzy and Black Sabbath at a show in Birmingham, UK on Apr. 23. Yungblud treated the crowd in Birmingham to a particularly poignant rendition of his cover of Sabbath's "Changes." In the intro, the video screen showed some fans holding up a sign that read: "Ozzy would be proud." The audience also chanted Osbourne's name. Yungblud performed at Sabbath's final-ever show, held in Birmingham last summer, where he gifted Osbourne a custom-made gold cross. His Birmingham performance of "Changes" can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 4/25/26...... On Apr. 23 a Los Angeles judge dismissed Smokey Robinson's defamation counterclaims against former employees suing the Motown legend for sexual abuse. Judge Kevin C. Brazile ruled there isn't sufficient evidence to hold Robinson's former anonymous housekeepers and their lawyers liable for calling the singer a rapist at a press conference in 2025. However the decision is not a ruling on the veracity of the women's underlying sexual assault allegations; it's focused only on the defamation claims, which are subject to a higher pleading standard due to free speech laws. Robinson still has separate counterclaims pending against the housekeepers for allegedly deleting evidence and stealing from his family. Those claims are moving forward through discovery alongside the women's core sexual assault allegations, with a trial scheduled for 2027. A lawyer for the accusers, John Harris, said in a statement that the ruling "stands as a powerful and unequivocal victory for our clients and for survivors everywhere who refuse to be silenced." The legal battle began in May 2025, when the four unnamed women filed a $50 million lawsuit alleging the 85-year-old artist had sexually abused them between 2007 and 2024. Later on, another female housekeeper and a male car mechanic joined the lawsuit anonymously with additional assault claims. obinson vehemently denied all wrongdoing, saying the "vile, false allegations" were merely "an ugly method of trying to extract money." He countersued the accusers within weeks. The plaintiffs also filed police reports after they sued Robinson, leading the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to open a criminal investigation. No charges have been brought to date. - Billboard, 4/23/26...... Bob Dylan has added a dozen dates to his summer "Rough and Rowdy Ways" 2026 US tour in support of his 39th studio album of the same name on the meandering tour that originally kicked off in Nov. 2021. Among the new cities on the routing for this summer are stops in Cincinnati (7/10), Pittsburgh (7/12), Philadelphia (7/14), Boston (7/16), Gilford, N.H. (7/18), Bridgeport, Conn. (7/19), Queens, N.Y. (7/21) and Richmond, Va. (7/23), as well as Raleigh (7/28) and Wilmington, N.C (7/29)., Atlanta (7/31) and Nashville (8/1). The new shows announced will include opening acts Lucinda Williams and Jimmie Vaughn on most of the dates, with country singer Brittney Spencer and X singer/bassist John Doe's John Doe Folk Trio also joining on select dates. Pre-sale for the new shows is open now on ticketmaster.com/bob-dylan-tickets/. - Billboard, 4/22/26...... 
A 5-bedroom home in Benton, Ill., where a young George Harrison visited in Sept. 1963 just before he shot to worldwide fame with the Beatles, is up for sale. Harrison made his unassuming trip, when he shopped for records and bought a guitar from local shops, to visit his sister Louise Harrison Caldwell's home at 113 McCann St., about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, and the house had a date with the wrecking ball in 1995. However a group of activists including Louise, who moved away in the late 1960s, stepped in to save it. In the mid-1990s, a state agency bought the five-bedroom bungalow built in 1935 from a subsequent owner with plans to flatten it for parking. Beatles mega-fan Robert Bartel of Springfield, a Beatles author and documentarian, alerted the media and Fab Four loyalists. Local investors repurchased it from the state and opened the "Hard Day's Nite Bed and Breakfast," featuring the couch Harrison traded guitar licks on and stacks of other loaned Beatles memorabilia, including a bevy from Bartel. The bed-and-breakfast closed in 2010. Benton resident Grady Adams has since operated it as regular bed-and-bath apartments but now wants to sell, listing it for $105,000. Brian Calcaterra, Benton's director of economic development, suggested the city draft an ordinance to protect the house from demolition by a new owner, but Benton Mayor Lee Messersmith said the city council has not discussed the matter. Harrison never returned to Benton, though, dying in 2001 at 58. Caldwell was 91 when she died in 2023. Meanwhile, Harrison's ex-wife Pattie Boyd has wondered aloud who will play her in the upcoming Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes. Boyd, a model and photographer who was married to the guitarist between 1966 and 1977 before she married Eric Clapton (who wrote the song "Layla" for her), posted on X/Twitter earlier in April: "I wonder who will be cast to play me? That's assuming that I get to feature in any of the movies." Based on responses to Boyd's post, it seems as if one actor seems to be a favorite of many: White Lotus - Season 3 cast member Aimee Lee Wood. Mendes said all four Beatles biopics will be released in Apr. 2028, and that they'll be the "first binge-able theatrical experience." - Associated Press/HuffPost.com, 4/17/26...... In other Beatles-related news, Sean Ono Lennon has defended a famous photograph of his father and mother John Lennon and Yoko Ono with a maid, claiming it was not taken with ironic intent. Taking to X/Twitter on Apr. 22, Sean responded to an image of John and Yoko at one of their well-known "bed-ins," standing by a maid in the process of making their bed. The couple held this particular "bed-in" at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel in Mar. 1969 to protest the Vietnam War. In response to a tweet captioning the photo saying "the irony should not be lost," Sean replied: "There is zero irony in letting a maid do her job. Thinking otherwise is a very goofy take. They were not protesting maid service." He went on to say that "many people don't seem to know what irony is," adding: "Protesting a war while being in a honeymoon suite with maid service is not irony, it is absurdity, or comedy. To be ironic they would have to have protested the war while driving a tank. Now THAT would've been ironic. Thank you." When someone pointed out the irony of the "bed-in" itself being a "spoil of capitalism" -- ironic given John and Yoko's complaints of American capitalism pushing back against communism -- Lennon called the opinion a "boring kind of gotcha." "You could make this same kind of argument for anyone wearing jeans at a war protest. Like 'Omg isn't it ironic you used a sharpie marker to write that anti war sign?!'" he explained. - NME, 2/23/26...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr, who released his 22nd solo album Long Long Road on Apr. 24, has told New Musical Express that he puts his longevity down to simply a "love" of music, and the need to collaborate -- especially with his ongoing supergroup, the All-Starr Band. "I'm a drummer, so you need a few guys around you," Ringo said. "I'd like to go on tour with just me and the drums! [At one point] I thought, 'Now I need all these other guys', and then I thought to put this All-Starr Band together [in 1989]. I had a phone book in those days, and everyone I phoned said yes. "I realized I had to close my book or otherwise there would be 40 people on stage! We got a good band together and I was a little nervous about it as it was the first time. Beyond me and Levon [Helm of The Band] as drummers, I had Jim Keltner, my favourite drummer, up there for security. We had three drummers." After his tour behind the new LP with All-Starrs wraps, Starr says he plans on sitting down with collaborator Bruce Sugar to "write a few more songs," just ahead of an increased spotlight on the Beatles legend thanks to Universal putting together a new "best of" Ringo album, and Sam Mendes' upcoming biopics about each of the Beatles (where Ringo will be played by Saltburn star Barry Keoghan). Starr will embark on a US tour from the end of May throughout the summer, before his annual "Peace & Love" birthday event on July 7. He also features on "Home To Us," a track from Paul McCartney's new album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, due on May 29. - NME, 4/24/26...... 
The first reviews for the new Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, starring his real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, are in, and critics are apparently not thrilled with the big-screen story of the King of Pop. On Apr. 21, reviews of Michael were allowed to begin on rottentomatoes.com, and the film has a 32% critics score. A score of around 60% is generally considered to be a good rating. The UK critics in particular have not been so kind to the movie, with the BBC calling the film "a bland and barely competent daytime TV movie" and gave it one star, and The Guardian proclaiming that the "clichéd Jackson biopic is bland, bowdlerised and bad," while the Independent dubbed it a "risible biopic" that turns Jacko into "a 20th-century Jesus." But across the pond, the reception was somewhat more favorable, with The Hollywood Reporter writing: "If you're even remotely nostalgic for the time when his songs were ubiquitous on pop charts, at parties and on dance floors worldwide, the movie will be a warm rush of transporting pleasure," it gushed. Also complimentary is USA Today, sharing that, "Jaafar may share his late uncle's megawatt smile, lithe frame and Bambi eyelashes. But his liquid dance moves -- highlighted as he teaches gang members the footwork in the 'Beat It' video -- and soft-spoken cadence are studied to perfection." Meanwhile, Leaving Neverland MJ biopic director Dan Reed has criticized the new MJ biopic, claiming that the musician was "worse than Jeffrey Epstein' -- the notorious late millionaire alleged pedophile. Reed directed the HBO-produced, two-part Leaving Neverland back in 2019, which focused on interviews with Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who alleged that they were sexually abused as children by Jackson. In 2024, Reed slammed the then-upcoming biopic Michael as "startlingly disingenuous," claiming it discredits Robson and Safechuck's experiences with the singer. Now that the film has hit theaters, he's questioned why the new biopic failed to acknowledge the abuse allegations against Jackson. "It says that people don't care that he was a child molester. Literally, people just don't care," Reed said in a new interview with Hollywood Reporter. "I think a lot of people just love his music and turn a deaf ear. And short of having actual video evidence of Michael Jackson engaged in sexual intercourse with a seven-year-old child, I don't know what would be sufficient to change these people's minds. "How can you tell an authentic story about Michael Jackson without ever mentioning the fact that he was seriously accused of being a child molester?" he added. - Music-News.com/NME, 4/22/26...... Kraftwerk have lost one of the longest-running copyright cases in music history over a sample of their song "Metall Auf Metall." The dispute centres around a short excerpt of the 1977 track that was used in the 1997 song "Nur Mir" by German rapper Sabrina Setlur, produced by Moses Pelham and Martin Haas. It began as a domestic German copyright claim in the late '90s, and Kraftwerk members Ralf Hütter and the late Florian Schneider were initially successful in their case that the unlicensed use of their song constituted infringement. However, that ruling was subsequently appealed, overturned and referred on several occasions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), resulting in a three-decade long legal battle over the regulation of sampling in Europe. A 2019 ruling held that sampling a recognisable section of a recorded song can amount to copyright infringement unless the sample is changed to the point that it becomes no longer identifiable. Now, a ruling on Apr. 14 in the CJEU's court in Luxembourg has ruled that a song can qualify as a "pastiche" if it evokes an existing recording in a recognizable but transformed form, but remains "notably different" from the original and engages in "artistic or creative dialogue" with the original. This represents a defeat for Kraftwerk, as it effectively confirms that Pelham and Haas' use of the sample falls within the "pastiche" category. Kraftwerk's "Multimedia"' UK and Ireland tour is set to kick off in Dublin on May 17 and will take in a total of 17 dates, including three in London's Royal Albert Hall on June 4, 5 and 6. It wraps in Edinburgh on June 9. - NME, 4/21/26...... Ronnie Wood has announced some UK and European headline shows for his 2026 solo tour. The Rolling Stones guitarist confirmed in March that he'd be taking to the stage at the legendary Paradiso in Amsterdam on Sept. 7. He later added a second night at the venue due to demand. Now, he's shared details of two extra gigs in the UK and Germany. Wood will play at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London on Aug. 21, before heading to E-Werk in Cologne on Sept. 3. Imelda May is set to appear on stage with Wood and his band at the forthcoming concerts. "I'm looking forward to kickin' ass with my back catalogue and some new songs -- look out London!" Wood said in a statement. Wood will also support Eric Clapton at his huge show at the Sandringham Estate this summer. - NME, 4/21/26...... 
Alan Osmond, the eldest singing member of the '70s family singing group The Osmonds, died on Apr. 20 in the group's native state of Utah of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 76. The family revealed that Osmond died surrounded by his wife Suzanne and their eight sons. Osmond -- who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987 -- and his nine siblings grew up as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ogden, Ut., getting their start in music singing in their church choir. At age nine, he started a barbershop quartet with brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay Osmond in 1958, with the squeaky clean group quickly picking up gigs at Disneyland in L.A. and frequent guest spots NBC's The Andy Williams Show variety hour from 1962-1967. Alan, referred to as "No. 1" by his younger brothers, took up the mantle as the group's leader, with the family band originally forming as a way to raise money for hearing aids for their hearing impaired older brothers, Virl and Tom Osmond. In 1963, the brothers were joined by younger sibling and future break-out star Donny Osmond, then six-years-old, who made his debut on the Williams show, turning the quartet into a quintet. A few years later, their youngest brother, Jimmy Osmond, joined the band as well. The Osmonds, who were known as "one-take Osmonds" for their efficiency, precision and constant rehearsing, moved on to The Jerry Lewis Show from 1967-1969 and slowly morphed from a vocal group to a pop/rock group, signing to MGM Records and recording at the famed Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama. It was there they recorded their only No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, 1971's Jackson 5-esque bubblegum pop bop "One Bad Apple." The legendarily clean-cut, family-friendly band followed up with the more R&B-leaning, horn-spiked "Yo Yo" (1971, No. 3 on Hot 100), "Down By the Lazy River" (1972, No. 4), the lush ballad "Love Me For a Reason" (1974, No. 10) and the rocking "Crazy Horses" (1972, No. 14), which were among the 13 songs the group landed on the pop charts. Alan married Suzanne Pinegar, a BYU cheerleader, in 1974 and they had eight sons. In 1980, Alan and brother Merrill founded the Stadium of Fire in Provo, Ut., which now regularly hosts one of the biggest Fourth of July celebrations in the country. Alan, who in addition to singing and playing rhythm guitar was also a producer on the ABC variety program Donny & Marie (1976-1979) and a key songwriter and producer of the family band, retired from performing in 1987 following his MS diagnosis. The singer and his family were also key players behind the Children's Miracle Network Telethon, which raised more than $2 billion for children's hospitals in the U.S. He also helped found the One Heart Foundation, which provided support to orphans. Donny Osmond paid tribute to his brother in a loving Instagram post on Apr. 21 that featured one of the earliest black and white pictures of the pair as children. "Even back then, you can see that he had his arm around me, watching over me. That's who he was. My protector. My guide. The one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine," Donny wrote. "Alan was our leader in every sense of the word. His tireless work helped build everything we became. I will always be grateful for the sacrifices he made and the love he showed -- not just to me, but to every member of our family. I owe him more than I can ever fully express. I love you, Alan. Thank you for always being there for me. Till we meet again." - Billboard, 4/21/26...... 
Dave Mason, the veteran singer-songwriter and guitarist with Traffic and brief Fleetwood Mac member as well as a successful '70s solo artist, died on Apr. 19 at home in Gardnerville, Nev. He was 79. The news was confirmed in a statement from his publicist, who said: "On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dave Mason. On Sunday, April 19, the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame inductee, celebrated songwriter, musician, singer and author passed away peacefully at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada," the Instagram post reads. "Dave Mason lived a remarkable life devoted to the music and the people he loved," it added. From a prolific career that saw him play with an extensive range of musical legends, Mason is best remembered for his time with the British psych-rock band Traffic, writing and singing lead vocals on two of their biggest songs, "Hole In My Shoe" and "Feelin' Alright?," the latter becoming a hit for Joe Cocker. He was also behind the hit songs "Only You Know And I Know," which became associated with the band Delaney & Bonnie, and "We Just Disagree," a 1977 solo hit for Mason. During his career, Mason played alongside The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and Wings, Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac. Born on May 10, 1946 in Worcester, UK, Mason began playing guitar aged 16, influenced by Buddy Holly, and became a roadie for the Spencer Davis Group in the mid-'60s, where he met Steve Winwood. When Winwood left the band in 1967 and formed Traffic, he hired Mason on guitar and they quickly scored multiple Top Ten hits in the UK. Mason was fired from Traffic in 1968, and he became an in-demand session player, contributing 12-string guitar on Hendrix's "All Along The Watchtower" and playing the Asian instrument the shehnai on the Stones' "Street Fighting Man." He was also a part of the sessions for Harrison's All Things Must Pass, and after relocating to the US, he toured with Clapton on the Delaney & Bonnie & Friends tour in the early '70s. 
Mason also released a string of solo albums in the '70s and '80s, including Alone Together, Headkeeper, and It's Like You Never Left as well as a full-length collaboration with the Mamas & The Papas' Cass Elliot, and he also played guitar on Paul McCartney and Wings' 1975 hit "Listen To What The Man Says," and teamed up with Michael Jackson on "Save Me" in 1980. He later joined Fleetwood Mac in 1993, playing on their album Time two years later, and he would rejoin Traffic a number of times, including for their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. In late 2025, Mason announced his retirement from touring on Instagram, citing health challenges, and "closing the curtain on 60 remarkable years of rock n' roll and marking the end of a significant era in music history." "He retires from touring a happy man with a heart full of gratitude to his band members, business colleagues, and especially his legions of fans who made his life one of deep satisfaction and fulfilment," the statement read. "The immensity of his joy remains solid as he steps back from the stage." He is survived by his wife Winifed Wilson, his daughter Danielle, nephew John Leonard and niece Michelle Leonard. - NME, 4/22/26.
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Favorite Seventies Artists In The News
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Favorite Seventies Artists In The News
A Mississippi State University biology professor has concluded that, at least to ladybugs, rock and roll is indeed "noise pollution," contrary to the classic AC/DC track "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" from their 1980 album Back In Black. Biology Professor Brandon Barton told a Starkville, Miss., newspaper that he decided to test an alternative hypothesis that rock and roll is noise pollution as he was listening AC/DC's song one day. Barton and some students put ladybugs into soybeans infested with aphids, a common pest of the staple crop. The team then bathed the environment in various sounds, including Back in Black's title track, other classic rock, an outlaw country album, a folk album, city sounds and aircraft noise. "We immediately discovered that after about a day or a half day, 15 hours or so, the ones who had been exposed to the hard rock music, AC/DC, or even the city sounds, those loud kind of harsh sounds really reduced the number of aphids they consumed by a lot," Barton said. Barton says the soybeans and the aphids seemed unaffected however. "The plants didn't care and the aphids didn't care about music," he said. - AP, 7/16/18...... 
A new David Bowie documentary titled David Bowie: The First Five Years is reportedly in the works, the Bowie fansite David Bowie News reported on July 15. It will act as the prequel to David Bowie: Five Years and David Bowie: The Last Five Years, which previously aired on the BBC, and air sometime in 2019. In other Bowie-related news, The Muppets covered the late rock legend during their show at London's The O2 on July 14. The beloved troupe marked their final show at the venue with a cover of Bowie's 1972 track "Suffragette City," and also covered Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." They also gave a shout-out to England's World Cup performance. - New Musical Express, 7/15/18...... Sony/ATV Music Publishing announced on July 13 that it will become a co-producer and investor of the new Elvis Presley stage musical, "Heartbreak Hotel." The musical will be a prequel to the Tony-award winning "Million Dollar Quartet," which featured early recordings by Presley, Jerry Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash at Sam Phillips's Sun Studios in Memphis. Sony/ATV has also agreed to license to Heartbreak Hotel more than a dozen songs recorded by Presley, including his first No. 1, "Heartbreak Hotel," as well as "Jailhouse Rock," "Mystery Train," Lawdy Miss Clawdy" and "Rip It Up." The Floyd Mutrux-written and directed musical recently had a record-breaking world premiere at the Ogunquit Playhouse, and will next be presented in Chicago. - Billboard, 7/13/18...... In related news, the soundtrack of the new ABBA-based musical movie Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was released on July 14, six days before the movie hits theaters. The soundtrack features 18 ABBA songs that were produced and arranged by ABBA's Benny Andersson and performed by the film's all-star cast, which includes returning cast members Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth with Mamma Mia newcomers Cher and Andy Garcia, who team up on the track "Fernando." - Billboard, 7/13/18...... Bruce Springsteen treated fans to an unexpected encore for the first time on July 11 during the 155th performance of his Broadway show "Springsteen on Broadway." Rarely ever straying from the setlist, and never before having played past his closing song "Born To Run," the Boss treated lucky fans to an encore performance of "This Hard Land." - Billboard, 7/12/18...... Longtime pals Sir Elton John and actor Neil Patrick Harris shared a few adorable snapshots from their joint family vacation together in Saint-Tropez on Instagram on July 11. "Summer magic," Elton captioned an Instagram pic of the stars and their families enjoying their time at the French Riviera resort. Elton and his husband David Furnish were depicted with their arms wrapped around their adorable sons who smiled ear to ear, while Harris and husband David Burtka looked delighted to be joining the couple with their son and daughter, happily smiling as well. - Billboard, 7/11/18...... 
Mick Jagger, who unexpectedly released a pair of solo songs in 2017 including "England Lost" which starts with the tale of someone ostensibly going to watch England play a soccer match and finishes with some political commentary about Britain's exit from the European Union, reinforced the idea that he is something of a jinx at World Cup soccer stadiums as he was in attendance in Moscow on July 11 when England lost to Croatia in a semi-final match. Jagger arrived in Russia for the World Cup after he and his Rolling Stones bandmates completed a short European tour in Warsaw on July 8. He attended the July 10 match between France and Belgium in St. Petersburg, and then travelled to Moscow with his sons Lucas and James to see his home national team play -- and lose to -- Croatia. Jagger has also been cited as a harbinger of bad luck in soccer games featuring Brazil, Portugal and Italy. - AP, 7/11/18...... John Travolta joined the Foo Fighters onstage on July 14 for the second time this year for a cover of his Grease classic "You're The One That I Want." In April, Travolta joined the Foo Fighters to jam on the same song during a Jacksonville, Fla., concert. This time, the legendary actor showed off those classic dance moves that he (more or less) still has. - NME, 7/15/18...... The Beatles' "We Can Work It Out" was played as U.S. Pres. Donald Trump arrived in London on June 12 for a meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth II. "President Trump is in London," CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins posted on Twitter. "When he arrived at the Winfield House, the U.S. ambassador's residence, there was a song playing in the background. Which one? 'We Can Work It Out' by The Beatles." The president's trip prompted several protests in London, and there was little indication he was sincere in "working it out" with the British head of state, saying that he thought former London mayor Boris Johnson "would be a good Prime Minister" in May's presence. - Billboard, 7/12/18...... In other Beatles-related news, an excerpt from an upcoming book by author Kenneth Womack about Beatles producer George Martin reveals that George Harrison thought that "Hey Jude" was too long and wanted his lead guitar to echo Paul McCartney's lyrics in a call-and-response style, but McCartney snubbed that idea. "...I couldn't understand what he was on about by just going round and round the same thing. And of course, it does become hypnotic," George is quoted as saying. Harrison also observed that "for the last couple of albums, the freedom to be able to play as a musician was being curtailed, mainly by Paul. Paul had fixed an idea in his brain as to how to record one of his songs. He wasn't open to anybody else's suggestions." Womack's book, a sequel to his first George Martin book, is titled, Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin -- The Later Years, 1966 - 2016, will be released on Sept. 4. - New Musical Express, 7/13/18...... Influential '70s German experimental rock pioneers Faust kicked off their U.S. "Vagabondages Tour" on July 11 in Chicago, and Faust's Jean-Herve Peron say that fans are "much more enthusiastic" in the U.S. than in Europe. Peron adds that Faust's shows will still be provocative, but without some of the shock value that's been the band's stock in trade over the years. He said that it was never Faust's intention to scare people, but that "we were trying to bring out audience out of balance and hoping that in that state they would be more receptive to the music." "It was more of a psychological thing," Peron says. "But we don't do this anymore. We don't use those very direct, extremely powerful explosions, fire, things like that. We're not smashing TVs or welding on stage or things like that. We try other methods now." Faust will play 15 dates while in North America, behind their latest album, 2017's Fresh Air. - Billboard, 7/12/18...... 
Paul Simon announced on July 12 that he'll release a new album called In the Blue Light that will see him offering a fresh perspective on 10 of his favorite solo songs, including "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor" and "Ren and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War." "I hope the listener will find these new versions of old songs refreshed, like a new coat of paint on the walls of an old family home," Simon said in a statement. In the Blue Light will be Simon's 14th studio album, and is due on Sept. 7. Simon added that a wide cast of musicians will be contributing to the project. "Happily, this opportunity also gave me the gift of playing with an extraordinary group of musicians, most of whom I hadn't recorded with before," he said. The new LP will coincide with Simon's final leg of his "Homeward Bound - The Farewell Tour" in September, including four performances in the New York City area and culminating with the Final Performance on Sept. 22 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Simon recently played a farewell show in the U.K. as part of the British Summer Time Festival. - New Musical Express, 7/12/18...... Heritage Auctions announced on July 11 that it will be auctioning off 27 items personally owned by Prince in Dallas on July 21. Items include everything from a personally owned and worn blue silk suit to a Jehovah's Witness Bible, and come with a certificate of authentication. Also included in the auction are various documents, such as unused bank checks and a note to a lawyer -- with opening bid prices at $500 and $750, respectively. The Prince Estate issued a statement saying it is not associated with the auction and says it "has requested the return of any items belonging to the Estate." - Billboard, 7/11/18...... In a new interview with Sirius XM radio, the Kinks frontman Ray Davies gave an update on a potential Kinks reunion, which he first hinted at in June. "I've got all these great songs -- I think they're great -- that need to be aired," Davies told hosts Mark Goodman and Alan Light. "There's something about the chemistry of the Kinks -- if I can get them on the right day, we can produce it. It will be down to the music -- if we can make four or five tracks that we really feel are energized and in keeping with what we can do, I'll consider it." "Individually they're both up for it," Davies added, referring to his brother Dave Davies and Mick Avory. "There's a whole reservoir of songs we half-did in the '70s and '80s, so there's material there -- we wouldn't just go out and play the hits. If I can get Dave and Mick in the same room -- I've spoken with them independently and they're both on board spiritually, but whether they can handle it, I don't know," he said. The band's last album was 1994's To The Bone and the Davies brothers haven't performed together since 1996. - New Musical Express, 7/13/18...... 
Lou Reed's solo years following the initial end of his tenure in the Velvet Underground will be the subject of a new book titled My Week Beats Your Year: Encounters With Lou Reed. Edited by Pat Thomas and compiled by Michael Heath, the book will be published in August and feature over 30 archive interviews with Reed, who passed away in October 2013 at the age of 71. - NME, 7/12/18...... Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson revealed that she's bisexual during an impromptu Q&A on Instagram on July 14. "Are you bi?" asked one of Paris' 3.2 million Instagram followers when she told them they could ask her anything. Paris replied: "that's what you guys call it so i (sic) guess but who needs labels." Rumours of bisexuality first surrounded Jackson after she was spotted getting cosy with British model Cara Delevingne at a restaurant in West Hollywood in March. However, sources close to the pair told People that the girls were just having fun and have a "flirty friendship." - WENN.com, 7/15/18...... Nancy Sinatra Sr., the childhood sweetheart of Frank Sinatra who became the first of his four wives and the mother of his three children, including pop singer Nancy Sinatra, died on July 13 at the age of 101. Nancy Sr., whose maiden name was Nancy Barbato, and Frank began dating as teenagers and were married on Feb. 4, 1939, just as Frank's singing career was about to take off. During the marriage's early years, the Sinatras lived in a modest apartment in Jersey City, where their two eldest children were born. For a time she was employed as a secretary while her husband worked as a singing waiter. "My mother passed away peacefully tonight at the age of 101," Nancy Jr. posted on Twitter. "She was a blessing and the light of my life. Godspeed, Momma. Thank you for everything." - cbsnews.com, 7/14/18.
A 4-disc boxed set of unreleased Tom Petty music entitled American Treasure will be released on Sept. 28, it was announced on July 10 on the Petty Sirius XM channel. The 60-song set, compiled by Petty's wife Dana, daughter Adria, studio collaborator and Petty's Heartbreakers members Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, will include unreleased live and studio tracks and alternate versions. Before then, two new Petty releases, Live: New York 1983 with Stevie Nicks and On the Box, a collection of his TV appearances from 1977 through 1994, will hit stores in August. Meanwhile, a 1965 Gibson SG electric guitar owned by Petty that the late rocker played during his 1986 tour with Bob Dylan is being auctioned to benefit homeless and animal rescue charities. Heritage Auctions says the guitar will be auctioned on July 21, along with one of Petty's top hats. The items are owned by Norm Harris, a rare guitar shop owner who says he sold Petty the Gibson SG, then Petty traded it to him in exchange for another rare instrument. Petty died on October 2, 2017 after he accidentally overdosed on a variety of medications. - Billboard/AP, 7/10/18...... 
Elvis Costello has revealed that he is battling a "very aggressive" form of cancer and has cancelled his European tour. The 63-year-old London-born musician, whose real name is Declan Patrick MacManus, has been advised to rest by his doctor following surgery for cancer. Costello, whose pseudonym comes from a mixture of Elvis Presley and his musician father's stage name, was due to perform gigs in Manchester, Pula, Croatia, Graz and Vienna in Austria, Tysnes in Norway and Rattvik, Sweden. He had previously cancelled dates in Southend and Plymouth in June and at the time said it was due to "medical reasons." - The Daily Mail UK, 7/6/18...... Tom Osmond, the 70-year-old older brother of Donny and Marie Osmond, is reportedly on life support after undergoing quadruple bi-pass heart surgery. "He's on life support right now & fighting to hang on... We don't know what the future holds, but it's in the Lord's hands," Donny posted on Twitter on July 10. "Our entire family would appreciate your thoughts & prayers on behalf of my sweet brother." Tom, who was born with a severe hearing impairment, is the second oldest of the nine Osmond family brothers and sisters and performed occasionally with the famous family band on their 1970s and 80s TV specials." My brother Tom is a great example of our Savior's love," Marie Osmond posted on July 8. "He has a broken -- and contrite spirit!... see why he needs prayers today. I love you my sweet Brother." - Billboard, 7/10/18...... The childhood home of Bruce Springsteen at 39 Institute Street in Freehold, N.J., has been sold for $255,000 after originally being listed for $269,900 in November 2017. The Springsteens lived on the left side of the two-family home, according to the Asbury Park Press. In other Springsteen news, the Boss officially released his legendary 1978 Roxy concert through his ongoing archival live series on live.brucespringsteen.net on July 7, the day before its 40th anniversary. Clocking in at four hours, the entire set -- newly mixed and remastered -- was recorded at the West Hollywood venue and broadcast live on KMET-FM Los Angeles. Its songs have been widely circulated between fans for years, and seven performances from the show were previously released on Springsteen's Live 1975-1985 collection. - AP/Billboard, 7/9/18...... Michael Jackson has posthumously earned his 30th Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit as a featured artist on Drake's "Don't Matter to Me." The song is featured on Drake's new album Scorpion, which has debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 200 album chart. "Don't Matter to Me" becomes Jackson's 30th solo Hot 100 Top 10, making him one of just five artists to reach the milestone in the chart's 59-year history, along with Drake, Madonna, the Beatles and Rhianna. "Matter" is also Jackson's fourth posthumous Hot 100 entry, and his first Hot 100 hit (among 51 total) on which he is billed as a featured artist. - Billboard, - Billboard, 7/9/18...... Elvis Presley's Rolls Royce, the suits the Beatles wore on their first tour of America, Bruce Springsteen's sleeveless faded denim jacket and colorful headband, and Michael Jackson's famous glove are among the items of music memorabilia on display at Atlantic City's new Hard Rock casino. The Hard Rock Atlantic City opened June 28 in what used to be the Trump Taj Mahal, the casino opened in 1990 by Donald Trump. Also on display are outfits worn by such divas as Lady Gaga, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, and shoes from Elton John, Buddy Holly and Gene Simmons. An upstairs room is devoted to New Jersey artists including Springsteen, Bon Jovi and Debbie Harry of Blondie, as well as Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston and the famous Stone Pony rock club. - AP, 7/7/18...... 
Ringo Starr celebrated his 78th birthday on July 7 in Nice, France, where he and his All-Starr Band were currently on tour. Sir Ringo and his wife, Lady Barbara Starkey, joined with fans to say "Peace & Love" at noon around the world, according to his representative. Also on hand were his brother-in-law Joe Walsh and his wife Marjorie, who is Barbara's sister, plus All-Starr Band members Graham Gouldman, Colin Hay, Steve Lukather, Gregg Bissonette and Warren Ham, who performed two of the Beatles drummer's hits for him in tribute. Ringo's annual Peace & Love celebrations began in Chicago in 2008 and have since included events in New York, Hamburg, Germany, Nashville and Los Angeles. After playing two dates in Italy on July 9 and 11, Ringo and his band will travel to the US for a stateside tour beginning on Sept. 1 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Tulsa, Okla. Meanwhile, Ringo's former bandmate Paul McCartney recently confirmed in an interview that The Beatles will be doing some celebrating of their own this year with a deluxe re-release of The Beatles (The White Album) for the album's 50th anniversary. There's been no official announcement yet of when it will be released or what it will contain. - Billboard, 7/9/18...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, beginning on July 9 Beatles fans will be able to see theater screenings of the best-looking version of the 1968 animated classic Yellow Submarine they've ever seen. Triage Motion Picture Services has re-scanned the film to the 4k resolution used on the Blu-ray and DVD release in 2012, as well as the theatrical cut that has just debuted. "The restoration that I did is state-of-the-art, the best that it can be," says Triage's Paul Rutan Jr. Although most of the work was used for the release of the Blu-ray and DVD, there have been other improvements that theater viewers will notice, too. "The changes that were made were made basically was replacing scenes that had been shortened, correcting sequences that had been changed for the United States market, and also inserting the 'Hey Bulldog' sequence (which was not seen in the version of the film originally shown in the U.S.)," Rutan notes. "And Apple did a new 5.1 stereo track." "The film is as fresh, clever and exciting 50 years on as it was in 1968. It's all in the mind, you know," says Beatles historian and author Bruce Spizer. Spizer will be introducing the film at several screenings July 13 through 15 at the Prytania Theatre in New Orleans. - Billboard, 7/9/18...... In more Beatles-related news, George Harrison's first wife Pattie Boyd has been interviewed by pop queen Taylor Swift about being married to Harrison during the height of Beatlemania for a new feature in Harper's Bazarre magazine. Swift asked Boyd what living inside Beatlemania was actually like to which Boyd replied, "absolutely terrifying." "I got to see the Beatles play at a theater in London, and George told me that I should leave with my friends before the last number," she told Swift. "So before the last song, we got up from our seats and walked toward the nearest exit door, and there were these girls behind me. They followed us out, and they were kicking me and pulling my hair and pushing us all the way down this long passageway." Boyd also said she was "heartbroken" when John Lennon couldn't attend her marriage to second husband Eric Clapton, which was attended by George, his wife Olivia, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. "John couldn't go. He said later that he would have loved to come. That night there was a huge jam session, and had he been there it would have been the last time the Beatles played together. Can you imagine? I was heartbroken." - New Musical Express, 7/10/18...... 
'70s rocker Elvin Bishop will release the second LP from his current band Big Fun Trio, called Something Smells Funky 'Round Here, on July 13. Bishop says he formed BFT during 2015 with guitarist/pianist Bob Welsh and percussionist Willy Jordan. "With the trio you've got to be there all the time. There's no place to hide. You've got to be kicking something in there. It keeps you interested." Something Smells Funky 'Round Here features covers of Jackie Wilson's "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" and Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand the Rain" -- alongside six band originals. Although Bishop says he's "not really a political guy," he says the title track is "my little two cents' worth on the situation that's happening now... I think Trump's kind of a mean-spirited guy and he's making it hard for people to be decent to one another." Bishop's BFT are currently on the road and will be touring extensively in 2018 in support of the new album. - Billboard, 7/10/18...... Backed by his longtime band Utopia, Todd Rundgren appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on July 9 to perform his 1982 hit single "One World" ahead of his North American "Unpredictable Tour." The 70-year-old rock virtuoso gave a nostalgic performance of "One World" with his signature pop bounce and urgent vocals that brought to mind late rock icon Warren Zevon. Rundgren says he decided to reform Utopia after a 25-year hiatus for a summer tour dedicated to their catalog of hits, which include "Love in Action," "Set Me Free" and "Feet Don't Fail Me Now," as well as their more prog-rock leaning tunes. - Billboard, 7/10/18...... Gene Simmons of Kiss has settled a lawsuit alleging sexual battery, gender violence, battery and assault against a female radio and television broadcaster, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles County on July 2. Simmons and the plaintiff, identified as "Jane Doe," announced to Los Angeles County Supreme Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy that their case had been settled. The terms of the settlement are unclear. Simmons was originally sued in December for allegedly groping the plaintiff and making "unwanted, unwarranted sexual advances" during a Nov. 1 interview with Simmons and his Kiss bandmate Paul Stanley at their Rock & Brews restaurant at San Manuel Casino in Highland, Calif. According to the lawsuit, Simmons repeatedly grabbed the plaintiff's hand and "forcefully placed it on his knee and held it on his knee." It also alleged the rocker "forcibly flicked/struck" the plaintiff's throat, later providing an "incoherent explanation" for his behavior. The suit also said that while posing for a promotional photograph together after the interview, Simmons "reached toward Plaintiff Doe's buttocks and touched it." The parties will need to submit an official request for dismissal to end the lawsuit. - Billboard, 7/9/18...... Mick Jagger reportedly spoke out on behalf of Poland's controversial judicial system overhaul during a Rolling Stones concert in Warsaw on July 8. Jagger spoke in Polish to fans at the concert in Warsaw's National Stadium, saying: "I am too old to be a judge but not too old to sing." One of the judicial changes is setting a maximum age of 65 for judges, forcing many of them to retire. Meanwhile, the Stones and Universal Music Group announced an expanded worldwide deal on July 8. The agreement covers iconic band's recorded music and audio-visual catalogues, archives, global merchandising and brand management. UMG will continue to distribute the band's celebrated recorded music catalogue globally with future projects and reissues to be released through UMG's labels and networks around the world. - AP/Billboard, 7/9/18...... In a shocking new interview, Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray slammed recently deceased Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson as "one of the worst fathers to his children in history." "I would not shed a single tear for the passing of this cruel and evil man, Joe Jackson," said Murray, who was found guilty and jailed for his role in Michael's death in 2009. "It is said that only the good die young. I hope Joe Jackson finds redemption in Hell," added Murray. Michael's daughter Paris Jackson and other members of the Jackson clan are not taking Murray's words lightly -- they have reportedly "contacted their lawyers and are willing to do whatever they need to do in order to silence Conrad Murray," according to a source close to the family. - Canoe.com, 7/6/18...... 
Actor Tab Hunter, the 1950s Hollywood heartthrob who appeared in Damn Yankees! and also made a name for himself in the music industry, died suddenly on July 8 of a blood clot in his leg that caused cardiac arrest," his spouse Allan Glaser said. He was three days shy of his 87th birthday. Mr. Hunter made a flurry of movies in the latter half of the 1950s, aimed at capitalizing on his popularity with young girls. The films included such war dramas as 1955's Battle Cry and 1958's Lafayette Escadrille, as well as such Westerns as 1956's The Burning Hills and 1959's They Came to Cordura. From 1957 through 1959, Mr. Hunter also charted seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts, including the million-selling No. 1 US and UK hit "Young Love," and in 1960-61 he was the star of his own regular series, The Tab Hunter Show. Other notable roles include 1955's The Sea Chase (1955), Ride the Wild Surf (1964), The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), the TV-movie Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold (1978), and Grease 2 (1982). In 2015, a documentary about his life entitled Tab Hunter Confidential based on his autobiography of the same name. - FoxNews.com, 7/9/18...... Vince Martin, an influential singer-songwriter in New York's Greenwich Village and Florida's Coconut Grove folk scenes, died in a nursing home facility near his native Sheepshead Bay, N.Y., on July 7 after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and hospitalized in March. He was 81. Mr. Martin's career began when he recorded the 1956 pop song "Cindy, Oh Cindy," with the Tarriers. The song was Mr. Martin's only Top 40 hit and peaked at No. 9. Eddie Fisher covered the song and his version broke the Top 40 in the same year. "Cindy, Oh Cindy" was revived in 1962 when the Beach Boys released a standalone cover that would later appear as a bonus track on reissues of Surfin' Safari/Surfin' U.S.A. In Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, Mr. Martin formed a duo with singer-songwriter Fred Neil. When Mr. Martin moved to south Florida in the early 1970s, he became similarly influential in Miami's Coconut Grove scene of the 1960s, out of which David Crosby and Joni Mitchell emerged. His second album, Vince Martin, was released in 1973. In 2003, he released what would be his final album, Full Circle, on a small New York label. He remained active in music ever since. - 7/7/18...... Acclaimed British composer Oliver Knussen has died at age 66 following a short, undisclosed illness. The beloved English classical music figure was known for his operatic adaptations of two children's works in conjunction with author Maurice Sendak: "Where The Wild Things Are" and "Higglety Pigglety Pop!." His Third Symphony (1973-9), dedicated to American composer/pianist Michael Tilson Thomas, is regarded as a twentieth-century classic. In addition to the 1980s Sendak collaborations, Knussen left behind several ensemble works of note, including 1975's Ophelia Dances and 1979's Coursing (1979). - Billboard, 7/9/18.
Monday, January 6, 2025
Favorite Seventies Artists In The News
Posted by Administrator on January 11th, 2025
Billy Joel took to Instagram on Dec. 10 to announce a one-off summer 2025 concert with Rod Stewart at New York's Yankee Stadium on July 18. The event is part of Joel's ongoing string of stadium shows with A-list guests, which have also included Stevie Nicks and Sting, John Mayer, Jason Bonham and Trey Anastasio. On Jan. 17, the Piano Man will kick off his 2025 touring schedule with a gig at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., followed by a team-up with Sting at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 8. Sting will also join Joel in Syracuse on Apr.11, Milwaukee on Apr. 26, Charlotte on May 10 and Salt Lake City on May 23. Nicks will share the stage with him on Mar.h 29 at Ford Field in Detroit and the last scheduled date so far this year, an Aug. 8 show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Stewart will also be on hand for a gig at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on July 5 in a prelude to the Yankee Stadium gig. - Billboard, 1/10/25...... 
Ringo Starr released his new country & western-themed album, Look Up, on Jan. 10 via Lost Highway/UMG Nashville. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the set is Starr's first full-length album in six years after releasing a series of EPs. "I did love country music before I was in the band," says the former Beatles drummer, who tried to move to Texas when he was 18 because of his fondness for country and blues music. "We got plenty of it in Liverpool, because the lads who were in the merchant navy would bring not only rock and roll over, but country -- and when country bands went on tour in England, they always played Liverpool." With Ringo singing lead, the Fab Four famously remade such country hits as Buck Owens' "Act Naturally" and Carl Perkins' "Honey Don't," and in 1970, Starr's second solo LP, Beaucoups of Blues, was a country album he recorded in Nashville with noted country producer/musician Pete Drake, famous for his work with Tammy Wynette, Bob Dylan and Charlie Rich. Burnett recruited leading Americana, folk and bluegrass music artists including Alison Krauss, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Larkin Poe and Lucius to appear on Look Up, many on multiple tracks. Look Up's first single, "Time on My Hands," features classic country elements of heartbreak and lost love over an aching pedal steel, but like many Ringo songs -- and as reflected in the album's title -- it ends on a positive note. "If you listen to a lot of my songs, not only the country but the pop songs, the last verse is always an up," Starr says. "That's what I want to present -- there's a break in the clouds and the light comes through." - Billboard, 1/10/25...... Elton John's 2017 greatest hits collection Diamonds has finally hit No. 1 on the UK's Official Albums Chart in its 374th week on the tally (Jan. 10). Featuring a number of the Rocket Man's biggest hits, including "Your Song," "Tiny Dancer, "Rocket Man" and "Candle in the Wind," the compilation has surged to the top to dethrone Ed Sheeran at No. 1. When first released in 2017, Diamonds reached No. 5 and peaked at No. 2 following Elton's Glastonbury headline set in June 2023. The Official Charts Company reports that it hasn't left the top 100 since its release and has spent more weeks on the chart than any of John's other LPs. Meanwhile, Elton announced on Instagram on Jan. 7 that rising country singer Chappell Roan will perform at his annual Oscars viewing party in March. Joining Elton and his husband David Furnish as co-hosts for the event will be the likes of Jean Smart, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka to raise funds for AIDS research and to quell the negative stigma surrounding AIDS in the LGBTQ community. "David and I are thrilled to gather with friends and supporters once again, and we're honoured to welcome the bold and authentic Chappell Roan as this year's performer, whose artistry embodies the power of music to inspire change," John told Rolling Stone magazine. Other confirmed attendees at the event include Mick Jagger, Sean Penn, Sharon Stone, Megan Thee Stallion and Hozier. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 1/10/25...... 
Actor Rob Lowe has used a recent episode of his Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast to reflect on how he almost embarked upon a music career thanks to the L.A.-based hitmakers Toto. During a chat with journalist, author, and fellow podcaster Bill Simmons, the pair switched their focus to the world of '80s music and the recent Yacht Rock genre documentary Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary. Lowe responded to Simmons' praise about Toto's success at the 1983 Grammy Awards (in which they won three awards, with group leader David Paich winning two additional awards) by recalling how he once had a brush with the Los Angeles rockers. "I got one for ya," Lowe said. "There was a minute in the '80s where I was definitely doing too much Bolivian marching powder and just being a f--king lunatic," Lowe remembered. "And [it was] also coming at the time in a young actor's career where they're too old to play the roles they've been playing, but they're too young to play the roles that will last you the rest of your life, which are really the great ones. And you can kind of feel it. I love music so much, as evidenced by this talk and all of that, that I got it into my head that maybe I should think more about music and I cut a demo with Toto." Lowe did not elaborate on the track further, and it's unclear what happened to the demo that he recorded with Toto, or if it may ever see a potential release - ideally on a future sequel to the Yacht Rock documentary. Lowe's full chat with Simmons can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 1/9/25...... Appearing on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Jan. 8, Cher reflected on her partnership with her late singing partner and ex-husband Sonny Bono, shared the story behind her iconic driver's license, and revealed unexpected anecdotes from her legendary journey. "Doing the show kept us together because on the show we had so much fun," she told host Jimmy Kimmel. "We were equal. That was...I mean, I loved it. We worked so well together, and it really kept us closer longer than I really wanted." Starting with their breakthrough hit "I Got You Babe" in 1965, Sonny & Cher became one of the defining musical acts of their era. The duo's humor and chemistry later transitioned seamlessly into television, making The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour a staple of 1970s entertainment, even as their personal relationship faced challenges. in a lighter moment, Cher discussed the process of obtaining a driver's license that features only her first name. "I don't have a last name, so it just says Cher on my driver's license," she explained. "You have to prove that someone could know you, like the populace could know you by that name. It's not easy." As Cher fans eagerly anticipate the follow-up to her new memoir, Cher: The Memoir, Part One, Cher joked that she "hasn't even started" the second volume yet. At the end of the interview, Cher left the audience laughing as she told Kimmel, "You're a lot nicer and funnier than I thought you would be." - Billboard, 1/8/25...... Bob Dylan has been rolling "like a rolling stone" on the streaming charts in the wake of the new Timothée Chalamet-starring Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. During the week ending Dec. 26, one day after the release of A Complete Unknown in the US, Dylan's catalog earned 11.6 million U.S. on-demand streams, according to Luminate, leaping to 20.2 million streams the following week (ending Jan. 2), in the first full tracking week since the film's wide release. Compared to Dylan's streaming numbers from one month earlier, in which his catalog earned 8.1 million streams in the week ending Dec. 5, A Complete Unknown has helped the legend's weekly streaming numbers grow by roughly 150%. Meanwhile, some of Dylan's early classic songs (which Chalamet sings himself in the film) have gotten replayed since its release, with listeners wanting to either revisit or discover the original versions. "Like a Rolling Stone" earned 1.64 million streams in the week ending Jan. 2, a 232% increase from its streaming total five weeks ago (494,000 during the week ending Nov. 28). Meanwhile, "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin' posted streaming jumps of 215% and 174%, respectively, from their weekly totals during the last full tracking week of November. With the announcement of the Academy Awards nominations set for Jan. 17, and the Oscars ceremony scheduled for Mar. 2, these streaming numbers may stay boosted -- or keep climbing -- for a few more months. - Billboard, 1/8/25...... 
In related news, as multiple devastating wildfires continue to spread through the greater Los Angeles region, music and music-related events -- including several tied to the current film awards season in the city -- are being canceled or postponed out of both safety concerns and respect for the unfolding situation. An A Complete Unknown screening and dinner set for Jan. 9 is among the events canceled. As dangerous wildfires continue to rapidly spread across Los Angeles County, a number of famous residents are among the thousands of people whose homes were affected by the tragedy. Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren took to Instagram on Jan. 8 to reveal that her beach home was one of the properties that was burned down. "This is the last pic I took of [my late friend] Leah's rock from my beach house," Warren posted. "I've had this house for almost 30 years. It looks like it was lost in the fire last nite. There's a rainbow shining on it which I'm taking as a sign of hope for all creatures who have been affected by this tragedy. The animals and the rescue ranch are OK tho which is the most important thing. Stay safe everyone." The west-side Palisades Fire, fanned by strong winds, has caused 30,000 people to evacuate as it has burned at least 28,000 acres and claimed 16 lives as of Jan. 11. Meanwhile, a benefit concert for victims of the LA wildfires has been announced. Dubbed FireAid, the show has been described as an "evening of music and solidarity," and will take place at LA's Intuit Dome on Jan. 30. Proceeds from the concert will help to rebuild the communities lost by the wildfires that began on Jan. 7, supporting displaced families and advancing fire prevention technologies to ensure that, in the future, the city is better prepared for fire emergencies. - Billboard/NME, 1/8/25...... As former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Jan. 29 at age 100, was memorialized at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9, country stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood paid tribute to the nation's 39th commander-in-chief with a moving cover of John Lennon's 1971 homage to peace, "Imagine." Brooks played the song's iconic melody on an acoustic guitar, singing, "Imagine there's no heaven/ It's easy if you try/ No hell below us/ Above us, only sky," his voice echoing through the majestic 188-year-old Washington National Cathedral, which has hosted the funeral and memorial services for almost all of the 21 Presidents who've died since Congress approved its charter in 1893. The deliberate pace of the performance -- and the addition of a piano accompaniment -- appeared to move many of the dignitaries on hand, which included all the former living Presidents. Soon-to-be-ex-President Joe Biden bowed his head at one point as his successor, former President Donald Trump seemed to close his eyes briefly during the performance. "You may say I'm a dreamer/ But I'm not the only one," Brooks sang as wife Yearwood joined in, matching his vocals on the lines, "I hope someday you'll join us/ And the world will live as one." That final line was delivered as the couple looked into each other's eyes and held the moment for a beat, with Brooks leaning in to give Yearwood, his wife since 2006, a kiss on the cheek. In addition to the Brooks/Yearwood performance and a number of other moving tributes from Carter's family, the funeral included a eulogy by Biden, who is less than two weeks away from the end of his term, after which he will be replaced by twice-impeached former President Trump. After the funeral, Pres. Carter's body will be flown back to Georgia for a private family funeral before he is buried on the grounds of his home in Plains next to his late wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter. Footage of the "Imagine" performance has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 1/9/25...... The official trailer for the upcoming Led Zeppelin biopic, Becoming Led Zeppelin, has been shared on YouTube. The film, powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music by the seminal heavy metal band, will be screened in IMAX theaters on beginning Feb. 7. The film is told in Led Zeppelin's own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group. - Music-News.com, 1/10/25...... 
An Australian construction company has issued an apology following the demolition of a Sydney home that once housed future AC/DC members Angus Young and his brother Malcolm Young. The house, which had been located at 4 Burleigh Street in the Western Sydney suburb of Burwood, was reportedly razed in late 2024 following a sale in Feb. 2023 for AUD $5.8 million. The Young family moved to the Burleigh Street address in 1965 after time spent at other houses in the suburb, with brothers Angus and Malcolm honing their musical talents while living there. In 1973, the pair would co-found AC/DC, who have since become one of Australia's most successful rock exports of all time. The legacy and importance of the address to the Sydney community had been recognized numerous times over the years. In 2013, the house was listed on the National Trust Register of Historic Houses, and in 2024 the local Burwood Council commissioned a mural of Angus and Malcolm by artist Claire Foxton which is still visible on the side of 12 Burleigh Street. News broke of the house's demolition in late December, with outrage from both fans and the local community reaching the Burwood Council, who defended the demolition despite the presence of the address on the National Trust. In a statement from Burwood Square general manager Leon Kmita, the company has shared their regret for the demolition, claiming they were unaware of the cultural importance held by the house. "We regret that the previous long-term owner did not share this vital part of the property's background with us," Kmita said. "Learning about this connection after our plans were already underway has shocked us. We are genuinely sorry for this oversight." According to Kmita, the Burwood Square team are in the process of attempting to salvage materials so they can create a "special space" for fans of AC/DC to "gather to celebrate the band's enduring legacy." "While we cannot change the past, we are dedicated to celebrating this significant part of their story," he added. "To the global fanbase of AC/DC, please know that we hear you, appreciate your deep admiration for this legendary band, and are devoted to making this right." - Billboard, 1/7/25...... KISS principals Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have reached a settlement to end a wrongful termination lawsuit accusing them of firing their longtime hairstylist after he complained about "unsafe working conditions" amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With a jury trial set to get underway later in January, attorneys for both sides told a Los Angeles judge on Jan. 7 that they had "resolved" the case, in which David Mathews claimed that he had been abruptly terminated in 2022 after serving as the band's hairstylist for 30 years. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed in court filings and neither side immediately returned requests for comment. Mathews sued the iconic rock band in 2023, alleging he had been fired in retaliation after he repeatedly raised concerns about the band's allegedly lax approach to the pandemic. Among other allegations, he said he was forced to work in close proximity to band members like Simmons even when they were sick. "He was coughing and blowing his nose in the dressing room while still insisting that he felt fine," Mathews wrote of one encounter with Simmons. "Once again, Mr. Mathews was required to be in Mr. Simmons presence to perform his job duties." Mathews isn't the only person to sue over Kiss over the band's COVID-19 protocols. The band is also facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Francis S. Stueber, a longtime guitar tech who died in Oct. 2021 while quarantining in a hotel room. The suit claims that the band ignored their own safety rules and failed to arrange medical aid to Stueber after he fell ill. - Billboard, 1/7/25...... Rush have reflected on their 2015 farewell tour, saying that they "let our British and European fans down" by not giving them the chance to say goodbye. The Canadian band played 35 headline shows across North America almost 10 years ago, having formed over four decades prior. Drummer Neil Peart died from brain cancer in early 2020, aged 67. During a new interview with ClassicRock.com, bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson recalled how they had initially wanted to visit more countries as part of the trek -- but said Peart didn't want to head out on the road at all. "I'd pushed really hard to get more gigs so that we could do those extra shows and I was unsuccessful," Lee said of the trio's "R40 Live" tour. "I really felt like I let our British and European fans down. It felt to me incorrect that we didn't do it, but Neil [Peart] was adamant that he would only do 30 shows and that was it." He continued: "That to him was a huge compromise because he didn't want to do any shows. He didn't want to do one show. So, in his mind, he'd compromised already. He said, 'I'll do 30 gigs, don't ask me for any more'. I just kind of felt I owed an explanation to them, the audience. It's part of why I went into the detail I did about Neil's passing in the book [Lee's memoir, My Effin' Life], was to let fans in on what went down. That it wasn't a straight line." Elsewhere, Rush paid tribute to their former producer Peter Collins in summer 2024 following his death aged 73. - NME, 1/7/25...... 
Folk singer Peter Yarrow of the beloved 1960s trio Peter, Paul & Mary died on Jan. 7 at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan following a four-year battle with bladder cancer. He was 86. With his high tenor melding seamlessly with baritone Paul Stookey and contralto Mary Travers, Mr. Yarrow and this singing partners produced some of the most beloved songs of the 1960s, taking the lead on classics "Puff the Magic Dragon," "The Great Mandala" and "Day Is Done," all of which he wrote or co-wrote. Perhaps the group's most well-known track, "Puff the Magic Dragon," was penned by Mr. Yarrow based on a poem by fellow Cornell grad and author Leonard Lipton about a magical dragon name Puff and his human friend, child Jackie Paper, who take off on adventures in the magical land of Honalee. Fans of the 1963 song -- which was later turned into a beloved 1978 animated special and two follow-up sequels -- were convinced that it was larded with secret drug references, tagging it as a trojan horse ditty about smoking weed, a claim both Lipton and Mr. Yarrow repeatedly denied. The song was one of the group's most successful on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 2 on the tally in May 1963. Following Mr. Yarrow's death and Travers' passing in 2009 at age 72, Stookey, 87, is the group's last living member. "Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life. The world knows Peter Yarrow the iconic folk activist, but the human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest," daughter Bethany Yarrow said in a statement. Born in Manhattan on May 31, 1938, Mr. Yarrow began performing in New York's burgeoning Greenwich Village folk scene after graduation from Cornell University in the late 1950s. After a performance at the Newport Folk Festival, he met the event's founder and famed music manager Albert Grossman, who shared his idea for putting together a vocal group in the vein of The Weavers, a harmony quartet from the 1940s and 50s that sang traditional folk and labor songs as well as children's tunes and gospel; it originally featured beloved folk singer/songwriter Pete Seeger. It was Bob Dylan manager Grossman's idea to put Mr. Yarrow and Travers together, with the latter later suggesting the addition of Stookey, who both had performed with on the folk scene. After signing to Warner Brothers Records, they debuted in 1962 with the song "Lemon Tree," which peaked at No. 35 on the Hot 100. Quickly establishing their folk credentials, they followed up with the 1949 Seeger/Lee Hayes-penned protest anthem "If I Had a Hammer," which won them two Grammy Awards in 1962 for best folk recording and best performance by a vocal group; they were also nominated for best new artist that year. They picked up two more Grammys the next year in the same categories for their cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and a fifth one in 1969 (best recording for children) for the Peter, Paul and Mommy LP, which peaked at No. 12 on the album chart. Among their string of hits on the Billboard Hot 100 were their 1969 No. 1 cover of John Denver's "Leavin' on a Jet Plane," as well as the No. 9 charting "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and the No. 21 hit "Day Is Done." They were also well-known for their charting covers of such Dylan classics as "Blowin' in the Wind" (No. 2, 1963) and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (No. 9, 1963), scoring a total of five top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart. Two of those albums, a self-titled collection from 1962 and 1963's In the Wind, reached No. 1. In keeping with the tenor of the era, the group were also notable for their strong, progressive political stance in song ("The Cruel War," "Day Is Done") and in practice. They participated Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington in 1963, performing Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" (and "If I Had a Hammer") on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, helping to cement that song's place as a civil rights anthem. It was around that time that Mr. Yarrow was accused of taking "immoral and indecent liberties" with a 14-year old girl, Barbara Winter, after she and her older sister came to his hotel room for an autograph and he answered the door naked and forced her to perform a sex act on herself. The singer was indicted and sentenced to one to three years in prison, and ended up serving just three months. He later apologized for the incident and was granted a presidential pardon by Jimmy Carter in Jan. 1981, just before the late president's final day in office. Mr. Yarrow was also an indefatigable anti-war protester, helping to organize the anti-Vietnam National Mobilization to End the War protest in 1969 in Washington that drew nearly 500,000 fellow anti-war activists, as well as 1978's anti-nuclear benefit show Survival Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl, which featured appearances by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash and Gil Scott-Heron, among others. In 2000, he founded Operation Respect, a non-profit that aimed to tackle the mental health effects of school bullying. Following solo ventures by all three, the trio reunited several times over the ensuing years, including for a 1972 concert to support George McGovern's failed presidential campaign, his 1978 Survival Sunday anti-nukes show and a summer reunion tour that same year. By 1981 they were back together for good, performing and releasing five more albums before Travers' death. - Billboard, 1/7/25...... Grammy-nominated singer and controversial anti-gay rights activist Anita Bryant has died at age 84. The news was shared by The New York Times, which reported that Ms. Byrant died from cancer on Dec. 16 while at her home in Edmond, Oklahoma. Local newspaper, The Oklahoman, also made the announcement and shared a statement from the singer's family which read: "May Anita's memory and her faith in eternal life through Christ comfort all who embraced her." Born in Oklahoma in 1940, Ms. Bryant first began singing at age six and went on to make various television and radio appearances throughout her childhood. She was given her own show, The Anita Bryant Show, aged just 12-years-old. As a teenager, she took home the trophy at the Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant and came second runner-up in the 1959 Miss America pageant, also going on to share her debut album that same year. As she centred her efforts on her music career, she performed at both Republican and Democratic national conventions and also made her way into the US charts with songs "Till There Was You," "Paper Roses" and "In My Little Corner Of The World." Towards the end of the '60s, she became a spokesperson for Florida Citrus, although was later dropped from the role after becoming a vocal opponent of gay rights. The late '70s saw her lead an anti-LGBTQ+ raly that tried to repeal a Florida ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation. The "Save Our Children" rally was successful, although it damaged her image and led to a nationwide boycott of the juice from the state. In solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, bars also stopped serving screwdriver cocktails. Later, she would reveal in an interview that she lost roughly $500,000 in concert bookings as well as a deal to host her own television show. She also became one of the first people to be hit in the face with a pie as a form of protest in 1977. She was dropped by Florida Citrus in 1980 and her split from husband Bob Green also saw her lose support from conservatives. She later married Charles Dry, although never succeeded in reviving her career. In 2019, a biopic about her life starring Ashley Judd was reported as being in the works, and before then she was the subject for both the 2016 play Anita Bryant's Playboy Interview and the 2018 musical "The Loneliest Girl In The World." - NME, 1/10/25...... 
Legendary soul singer Sam Moore, half of the seminal duo Sam & Dave, died on Jan. 10 in Coral Gables, Fla., due to complications from surgery. He was 89. Mr. Moore, who was revered by artists including Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Garth Brooks and Jon Bon Jovi, had an instantly recognizable tenor, first heard on such call-and-response classics as Sam & Dave's 1960s hits "Hold On, I'm Coming" and the Grammy-winning "Soul Man," both of which reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, as well as "I Thank You" and "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby." The duo, who performed at Martin Luther King Jr.'s memorial concert at Madison Square Garden following his assassination in 1968, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 by Billy Joel. Mr. Moore, who grew up in Miami, began singing in church and drew the attention of another legendary Sam, Sam Cooke, who wanted Mr. Moore to replace him in his gospel group The Soul Stirrers. However, after seeing Jackie Wilson perform, Mr. Moore shifted from gospel to pop and was performing at the King O'Hearts Club when he met Dave Prater and the two formed Sam & Dave. Legendary Atlantic Records executives Ahmet Ertegun, Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler saw the pair at the King O'Hearts Club and signed them to the label in 1965. Wexler passed them to Atlantic's southern partner, Stax Records, where Isaac Hayes and David Porter took them under their wing and produced their iconic hits. Following Sam & Dave's breakup in 1970, Mr. Moore signed to Atlantic as a solo artist. He recorded a solo album produced by King Curtis featuring Donny Hathaway and Aretha Franklin. However, after Curtis was murdered in 1971, the album was shelved. He reunited with Dave for a few years, but spiraled into heroin addiction, which was chronicled in the DA Pennebaker/Chris Hegedus documentary Only the Strong Survive. Interest in the duo was greatly revived by 1980's The Blues Brothers movie, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. The pair's main theme was their boisterous version of "Soul Man." In the early '80s, Mr. Moore became sober with the help of Joyce McRae, whom he married in 1982 and who became his manager. Mr. Moore went on to perform for six U.S. presidents -- Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump -- and was a frequent performer at the Kennedy Center Honors. Springsteen invited Mr. Moore to perform on his 1992 Human Touch album, as well as Only the Strong Survive, his 2023 album of soul covers. At the time of his death, Mr. Moore was working on a gospel album with Rudy Perez. He is survived by Joyce, daughter Michelle and grandchildren Tash and Misha. - Billboard, 1/11/25...... Cult psychedelic folk musician and painter Ed Askew has died at age 84. Mr. Askew was born in Connecticut in 1940 and began his career as a painter, graduating from Yale School Of Art in 1963, before making the shift to become a musician. He released his debut album Ask The Unicorn in 1968, and went on to gradually develop a cult following in the '80s after moving to New York City and developing a unique style of acid and folk. Ask The Unicorn was later re-released by Drag City Records in 2015 as a resurgence of interest in Mr. Askew's work arose, and throughout his career the songwriter shared 11 studio albums. One of his most listened-to releases was the 2013 album For The World. Released via Tin Angel, it included musical collaborations with Sharon Van Etten, Mary Lattimore, Marc Ribot, and more. Aside from the full studio albums, Mr. Askew also self-released hundreds of songs on cassettes and later on his Bandcamp page. - NME, 1/7/25.
Appearing alongside his recent "Never Too Late" collaborator Brandi Carlile as a presenter at the 2025 Golden Globes cereminy in Los Angeles on Jan. 5, Elton John joked about his recent eyesight issues as the pair announced Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross as winners of the best original score category. "It's a very special night for me to be here because, I don't know if you know, but there's been stories going around about my regressive eyesight," John said. "I just want to reassure everybody -- it's not as bad as it seems. I'm so pleased to be here with my co-host, Rihanna," he said, pointing to Carlile. When Carlile announced that the Nine Inch Nails duo had won, John raised both fists into the air and let out a huge cheer. Elton opened up about his eyesight problems in November during a Good Morning America interview: "I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the South of France," he said. "It's been four months now since I haven't been able to see. And my left eye is not the greatest." - Billboard, 1/5/25...... 
Speaking to the UK paper The Times, Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry reflected on turning 80 later in 2025 and the "beauty of aging." "I don't walk around thinking every minute, 'Oh God, I'm going be 80' - but that's sort of how I feel," said Harry, who reaches her milestone decade on July 1. Harry continued: "My mother used to say in her head she was 25 and I'm the same. But thinking about it all the time could be your downfall. And I don't really want the same kind of life I did when I was younger. I've done that! That's the beauty of ageing -- you know what it's about. You have it in your heart and soul and your memory bank or does that sound like an excuse? Should I go out and party every night?" The "Call Me" singer also opened up about the prospect of dating in her advanced years. When asked whether she was currently in a relationship, she responded: "No! God forbid! I'm terrified. No, I'm kidding, but I don't think [being in a relationship] is possible. Do you?" Harry, who was once in a relationship with Blondie co-founder Chris Stein, explained that she wasn't "in the right position to be dating online," before being told about the celebrity dating app Raya.com. "OK, OK, I'll do it!" she replied. "And I'm going to get back in touch and let you know how it went. I'm definitely not so adventurous as I was, but I'm still curious. I like the way the world spins." Additionally, Harry revealed that she likes to flirt in the local hardware store. "Home Depot is where I do all my flirting... There are some big, strong men there." She remembered: "I found somebody there I thought was really sexy. He was working in the garden department. But he was busy. We just sort of looked at each other and did that [look]." Elsewhere in the interview, the frontwoman recalled how she was once surrounded onstage by a group of Hell's Angels. Blondie are due to release a new album later in 2025, helmed by in demand Grammy-winning producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, The War On Drugs). It'll be the follow-up to 2017's Pollinator. - New Musical Express, 1/6/25...... In a new interview with the UK publication The Guardian, John Lennon's eldest son Julian Lennon says he's "not part of The Beatles' "inner circle." With the recent resurgence of the legendary quartet's work, including Peter Jackson's Get Back (2021), David Tedeschi and Martin Scorsese's Beatles '64 (2024), and the 2024 restoration of Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1970 film, Let it Be, Julian said he's often the last to know about any activity with the Fab Four's camp. "It's news to me half the time. I'm not part of the inner circle -- I never have been," he admitted. "You have to realise that when Dad left, when I was between three and five (it was a bit of a process), it was just mum and me, and we had nothing to do with the Beatles or Dad. I visited him on the odd occasion but we were very much on the outside. I'm thankful that Sean and I get on like a house on fire -- we're best buddies and he tells me what he can, but things are pretty secret on the Beatles front." He continued: "[It's] extraordinarily strange but I'm not upset about it. I'd rather be excited and impressed by what they did and continue to do. As a fan, I'm just as curious as anybody else, although I do find myself going, 'how is it possible that there's another Beatles film?'" Julian also spoke about his photography work and his newest release, the coffee table book Life's Fragile Moments. Alongside discussions of how new music isn't on the cards just yet (a failed attempt to hit the late-night talk show circuit in 2024 left him "heartbroken"), Julian said he continues to "build up a body of work, a foundation that I can stand on, that nobody can take away from me." "And I continue to do so," he said. "It's not to show off, it's just to prove to myself that I can actually do this stuff. I'm not interested in fighting other people's opinions." Lennon recently took to social media in December to urge his followers to undergo regular doctor visits following an emergency surgery after a second skin cancer diagnosis. Just before the end of the year, on Dec. 30, Lennon updated his followers that he had received "the 'all clear'" from his doctors. - Billboard, 1/5/25...... 
A statue of legendary Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher was unveiled in Belfast city centre on Jan. 4. Gallagher, a County Donegal native, often played the Northern Ireland capital over his three-decade career and now has been immortalised with a bronze statue outside the city's Ulster Hall on Bedford Street, with a ceremony being held to mark its unveiling. "He's finally here!" announced the venue on X on Jan. 4. "Today we're celebrating the legacy of Rory Gallagher with the unveiling of a new statue of the legendary guitarist outside Ulster Hall." Members of Gallagher's family were joined by fans and local signatories for the unveiling, with the Lord Mayor of Belfast Mickey Murray commending Gallagher's authenticity and talent. The statue itself was created by Anto Brennan, Jessica Checkley and David O'Brien of Bronze Art Ireland, with the design being inspired by a photograph that first featured on the cover of a Jan. 1972 issue of Melody Maker magazine. Gallagher, who is often cited by the likes of Eric Clapton, The Edge and Brian May as one of the greatest players of all time, has sold over 30 million records worldwide. His most celebrated albums include his self-titled solo debut in 1971, Deuce later the same year and the live albums Live! In Europe (1972) and Irish Tour '74 (1974). In 2011, his "lost" live album Notes from San Francisco was released 33 years after its recording. Ulster Hall also screened a documentary film inspired by the latter album to mark the occasion. Gallagher had a number of health problems, before being admitted to hospital in London in 1995 for liver failure. After contracting a hospital superbug known as MRSA, he passed away later that year at the age of 47. - NME, 1/4/25...... After less than two weeks in release, the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown has already ranked among the top-grossing music biopics of all time. According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the film has grossed $41.7 million worldwide since its Dec. 25 release, securing a position between No. 18 Notorious (a 2009 Notorious B.I.G. biopic) and at No. 20, the 1993 Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got To Do With It. Timothée Chalamet stars in the film, which follows Dylan from Jan. 1961, when he moved from Minnesota to New York City, to July 1965, when he caused an uproar among fans by "going electric" at the Newport Folk Festival. Still riding high among the all-time top-grossing musicals are the 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody ($910.8 milloin worldwide gross), followed by Elvis (2022, $288.7 million); Straight Outta Compton (2015, $210.6 million), and Rocketman (2019, $195.3 million). - Billboard, 1/5/25...... The Temptations are commemorating 60 years in show business with a 14-day Mexican Riviera Voyage on the Discovery Princess cruise ship in Dec. 2025. Serving as host for the cruise on the Discovery Princess, which is known as "The Love Boat" and is also celebrating its 60th anniversary, will be Jill Whelan, who portrayed the character Vicki Stubing on The Love Boat television series. Whelan, and The Tempts, were on hand on Jan. 4 on board the Discovery Princess to announce the special sailing. Prior to the performance, Whelan described the upcoming voyage as a "trip down memory lane" as she recalled that the iconic R&B group appeared as themselves on an episode of The Love Boat 40 years ago. During that episode, the group premiered its No. 2 R&B hit, "Treat Her Like a Lady." Of the group's timeless legacy, she added, "The Temptations have also been responsible for spreading messages of love over 60 years. And what is better than that." The Tempts also performed their classic hit "My Girl," which was released 60 years ago. The Royal Princess will depart from the Port of Los Angeles on Dec. 6 with an itinerary including two overnight stays in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, as well as visits to Loreto, Manzanilla and Mazatlan. Additional music and other special guests plus various anniversary festivities will be announced soon. - Billboard, 1/5/25...... Carlos Santana has been forced to postpone his return to Las Vegas' House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino later in January due to a minor injury to his finger. The venue announced on its website Friday (Jan. 3) the postponement of the eight shows between Jan. 22 to Feb. 2, noting that ticket holders will receive refunds. In a statement to Variety, Michael Vrionis, president of Universal Tone Management, revealed that the guitarist suffered a fall that left him with a broken finger. "I am sorry to say that Carlos was out taking a walk at his vacation home in Kauai," he explained. "He took a hard fall, and he broke his little finger on his left hand. He had to have pins inserted in the finger. Unfortunately, he won't be able to play guitar for approximately six weeks. Doctors do say that he will recuperate fully." The statement continued: "Carlos is doing well and is anxious to be back on stage soon. He just needs to heal. Santana profoundly regrets these postponements of his upcoming performances, but accidents happen, and his health is our number one concern. He is looking forward to seeing all of his fans very soon." While the new dates are yet to be announced, Santana is set to return to the venue for nine shows starting on May 14 and wrapping up on May 25. He's also scheduled to go on a small Oneness Tour starting on Apr. 16. - Billboard, 1/3/25...... 
The latest in a seemingly endless stream of "lost" Neil Young albums, Oceanside Countryside, will be released on Feb. 14 via Reprise Records. "This analog original album was recorded in 1977 and unreleased. These songs are the original mixes done at the time of the recordings in the order I planned for the album," Young said in a statement about the latest release in his Analog Original Series (AOS). Oceanside Countryside was originally recorded from May-Dec. 1977, just before the release of his 1978 folk/country album Comes a Time, which featured such beloved songs as the title track, "Lotta Love," "Human Highway," "Field of Opportunity" and "Four Strong Winds." "I sang the vocals and played the instruments on Oceanside in Florida at Triad studios and Malibu at Indigo studio," Young aded. "I sang the vocals and recorded with my great band of friends, Ben Keith [steel guitar], Joe Osborn [bass], Karl T. Himmel [drums], and Rufus Thibodeaux [fiddle] at Crazy Mama's in Nashville on Countryside. I hope you enjoy this treasure of an Analog Original recording, recorded by Tim Mulligan, as much as I do. Listening to it now, I think I should have put it out back then." All the songs on Oceanside are performed solo by Young, with a group of friends joining him on Countryside, including Keith, Thibodeaux, Himmel and Osborne, with Tim Drummond on bass for "The Old Homestead," which also features The Band's Levon Helm on drums. Young noted that the tracklist for the upcoming album -- which was recorded on tape -- reflects how he originally planned to release the LP, which will be available in analog and on vinyl for the first time ever with the original mixes done at the time of the recording. - Billboard, 1/3/25...... In other Neil Young news, the singer has announced that he will be headlining the UK's Glastonbury Festival in June, just days after he said that he would withdraw from the festival and called it a "corporate turn-off." On Jan. 1, Young posted to his website: "The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favorite outdoor gigs," Young wrote in the brief update. "We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in. It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being. We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be. Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour." On Jan. 3, Young gave this update: "Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury festival, which I always have loved. Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing! Hope to see you there!" Glastonbury will take place at Worthy Farm, Somerset in England on June 25-29, and he will perform with his new band The Chrome Hearts. Young previously topped the bill in June 2009. - Billboard, 1/3/25...... As he spends time hanging around the set for an upcoming biopic of himself, Bruce Springsteen says so far he's very impressed with the movie's star, Jeremy Allen White. White, best known for playing perpetually harried chef Carmy Berzatto on the streaming TV series The Bear, has been filming the movie, titled Deliver Me From Nowhere, that will tell the story behind the making of the Boss' stark 1982 album Nebraska. In a recent chat with SiriusXM E Street Radio's Jim Rotolo, Springsteen, 75, talked about whether it's been strange to be on set as he watches Allen portray a thirtysomething version of him. "A little bit at first, but you get over that pretty quick and Jeremy is such a terrific actor that you just fall right into it," Springsteen said. "He's got an interpretation of me that I think the fans will deeply recognize and he's just done a great job, so I've had a lot of fun. I've had a lot of fun being on the set when I can get there." Springsteen continued: " [White] sings very well. You know, and Jeremy Strong [as Springsteen's longtime manager Jon Landau] and Odessa Young [as then-girlfriend Faye], you know, it's a tremendous cast of people. They cast the film beautifully, so it's very exciting." Directed and written by Scott Cooper and adapted from Warren Zanes' book of the same name, the movie has gotten full support from Springsteen. In the same interview with Rotolo, Springsteen also confirmed a late 2024 press release teasing that this year will bring a new collection that will "look back at Springsteen's storied recording career, featuring never-before-heard material." The full interview can be heard on YouTube. - Billboard, 1/3/25...... 
Billy Joel teamed up with drummer Jason Bonham for a rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" during a New Year's Eve concert at Long Island's UBS Arena on Dec. 31. Joel's end-of-year spectacular was a special for numerous reasons: not only was the night preceded by Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening as the opener, but the lengthy set saw the veteran musician roll out plenty of fan favorites for the night, along with a few rarer tracks from his extensive back catalog. While the seldom-heard 1982's "A Room of Our Own" from The Nylon Curtain LP got a look-in, rarer still was a performance of 1974's "Souvenir," from his album Streetlife Serenade, which received only its 13th showing from across the past 40 years. However, one of the most notable songs from the evening was one that wasn't Joel's own. Just over a third of the way through the set, Joel switched his focus to welcome Bonham and his band to the stage for a rendition of 1969's "Whole Lotta Love." "We're going to bring a guest onstage and do this next song," Joel said to the crowd. "We have fun playing this, especially with this guy. Please welcome Jason Bonham. You all know this song. It's not a piano song." With Bonham performing drums on the song his father helped make famous more than five decades ago, Joel's longtime guitarist and vocalist Mike DelGuidice sang lead on the track, relegating Joel to the background somewhat. The show also featured renditions of The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up," and Derek and the Dominos' "Layla," which was used to fill time ahead of the midnight countdown. The concert also wrapped up a big year for Joel, who not only concluded his record-breaking 10-year Madison Square Garden residency (earning $266.7 million from 1.9 million ticket sales to 104 shows), but also released "Turn the Lights Back On" -- his first new lyrical single in nearly 20 years. - Billboard, 1/1/25...... John Sykes, the chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has said the institution will not be renamed, despite pressure from some artists. In recent years, there has been discussion whether the Hall should still use the "Rock and Roll" moniker after inducting a number of artists from outside traditional rock music, including Eminem, A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige, Dolly Parton and Missy Elliott, however Sykes recently told Vulture magazine that he has no plans to change the name, stating that instead he will "communicate that rock and roll is open to all." "I think it's because some people don't understand the meaning of rock and roll," Sykes explained. "If you go back to the original sound in the '50s, it was everything. As Missy Elliott calls it, it was a gumbo. It just became known as rock and roll. So when I hear people say, 'You should just change it to the Music Hall of Fame,' rock and roll has pretty much covered all of that territory. Rather than throwing the name out, it's doing a better job of communicating to people where rock and roll came from and what it's truly about. Once they hear it that way, they understand." Sykes went on to explain what he believes are the true criteria that should qualify artists for the Hall. "It's music that has spirit to it, like a youth spirit," he said. "I think rock 'n' roll should have a very, very broad sense. I think there's room for a lot of different genres." - NME, 1/2/25...... Former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee says he's "lucky to be alive" following a sepsis diagnosis over the holiday period. Posting on Facebook on Dec. 2, the Swedish percussionist shared news of his health scare, explaining that he had been hospitalized following a blood infection he described as "very serious." "I was admitted for three weeks but now I am home fighting this bastard bacteria," he shared. "Thankfully, I have received fantastic care at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, my hometown. So thanks a million to all the Doctors and Nurses that have been giving me the most excellent care. After several operations, I am now back home and the numbers are all going in the right direction. Still lots of recovery and rehab in front of me," he added. In a strange coincidence, Dee's brush with death occurred almost nine years to the day since his Motörhead bandmate Lemmy Kilmister passed away, on Dec. 28, 2015. Notably, his health scare also took place mere weeks after he took to social media to refute premature reports of his death. - Billboard, 1/2/25...... Two Maine businessmen have purchased radio station WKIT-FM from best-selling horror author and Maine resident Stephen King after he announced that the station and two others he owns would go silent after New Year's Eve. The buyers are the Maine-based duo Greg Hawes and Jeff Solari, who formed Rock Lobster Radio Group to run the station. "WKIT is the most legendary station in the region. It has tremendous history. We couldn't let it die," they said in a statement. King is a lifelong rocker and performed with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band that featured literary icons performing for charity. He announced late last year that at age 77 he thought it was time to say goodbye to the radio stations. "I'm sorry as hell to be closing down WKIT and its sister stations," King posted earlier this month on social media. "I held off the suits for as long as I could." Since getting into the terrestrial radio business in 1983, King has written over 50 novels, including well-known works such as It, Misery, The Dark Tower series, Pet Sematary, Under the Dome, Skeleton Crew, The Green Mile and 11/22/63, among many others. - AP/Billboard, 1/1/25...... 
Wayne Osmond, the second-oldest of the legendary teen idol group The Osmond Brothers (later simply The Osmonds), died on Jan. 1 after suffering a "massive stroke," according to his brother Merrill Osmond. He was 73. The singer and guitarist's family confirmed the news of his death in a statement to Salt Lake City news station, KSL TV. "Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children," the statement reads. "His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world. He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly." Following the news of his death, a number of Wayne's family members took to social media to honor him, including Donny Osmond who posted on X: "Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me. He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone. I'm sure I speak on behalf of every one of us siblings when I state that we were fortunate to have Wayne as a brother." Wayne, one of nine Osmond siblings, started a barbershop quartet in 1958 alongside his brothers Merrill, Alan and Jay Osmond. After getting discovered from a Disneyland performance, the boys were cast over a seven-year period on NBC's The Andy Williams Show beginning in 1962. When brothers Donny and Jimmy Osmond joined the group, they became known as The Osmonds and were the standout teen idols throughout the 1970s. The Osmonds had four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart -- "One Bad Apple" (No. 1 in 1971), "Yo Yo" (No. 3 in 1971), "Down by the Lazy River" (No. 4 in 1972) and "Love Me For a Reason" (No. 10 in 1974). Alan and Merrill Osmond co-wrote "Down by the Lazy River," making it the group's biggest self-penned hit. The group's top-charting album on the Billboard Hot 200 LP chart was Phase-III, which reached No. 10 in 1972. The Osmond family was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. Wayne is survived by his wife Kathlyn Louise White and their five children. - Billboard, 1/2/25.