Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on November 2nd, 2020

Sean Connery, the Scottish-born actor who rocketed to fame as James Bond and became one of the franchise's most popular and enduring international stars, died in his sleep while in the Bahamas on Oct. 31. He was 90 years old. Born of Irish ancestry in the slums of Edinburgh on Aug. 25, 1930, Thomas Sean Connery was robbed of an education by poverty, and and by his teens he'd left school and was working as an unskilled laborer. At 17, he was drafted into the Royal Navy, but he was discharged three years later due to a serious case of ulcers. He returned to Edinburgh and worked a variety of jobs, including as a lifeguard. He took up bodybuilding and placed third in the 1950 Mr. Universe competition. After moving to London, Mr. Connery learned of an opening in the chorus of "South Pacific." He took a crash dancing and singing course and, surprisingly, landed the role, in which he stayed for 18 months. He was "hooked," he said, but spent several years paying his dues in small repertory companies in and around London before anyone else became hooked on him .In his early career, his physique was his main asset as he modeled and picked up acting jobs where he could. In 1956, he landed the role of a battered prizefighter in the BBC production of Requiem for a Heavyweight. Mr. Connery was a bodybuilder, model, and milkman before he found fame as an actor, making his movie debut in 1954's Lilacs in the Spring. He went on to appear in a series of British TV roles and films until his big break in the Disney musical Darby O' Gill & the Little People in 1959. Good notices brought him to the attention of the entertainment community, and his first film was No Road Back, a B crime movie in 1956. He seemed doomed to play the hunk to ageing leading ladies, as he did opposite Lana Turner in Another Time, Another Place, or roles that stressed his looks such as Tarzan's Great Adventure in 1959. In 1962, Mr. Connery made his debut in the first Bond film, Dr. No. His stature grew with the ever more popular Bond sequels From Russia With Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball, which arrived over the next four years. Bond gave Mr. Connery a license to earn; he was paid only $30,000 for Dr. No but $400,000 for Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie and was soon getting $750,000 a film. His initial efforts to break out of the Bond mold, however, proved fruitless. Films like A Fine Madness, Shalako and The Molly Maguires were well-intentioned attempts that did nothing to shake Mr. Connery as Bond from the public consciousness. After 1967's You Only Live Twice, he left the Bond franchise, but he was coaxed back for 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. He looked old for the role, and the series seemed tired, so with that, he left Bond behind -- though money would tempt him back once last time in 1983 for Never Say Never Again. He took a major misstep with sci-fi film Zardoz, and his career seemed to be foundering, but he bounced back in 1974 with a supporting role in Murder on the Orient Express and the following year with The Wind and the Lion and The Man Who Would Be King, two bold adventures featuring a mature, salt-and-pepper-bearded Mr. Connery. In 1987, his turn as a tough Irish cop in Depression-era Chicago in Brian De Palma's The Untouchables brought him a Best Supporting actor Oscar. Pairing Mr. Connery and Harrison Ford as father and son in the third Indiana Jones film was an inspired move, and the film grossed almost half a billion dollars worldwide. Meanwhile, The Hunt for Red October, in which Mr. Connery played a defecting Soviet sub captain, was also a major hit in 1990. By the 1990s, he was so popular that his uncredited cameo as King Richard in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves became one of the film's highlights. An audience favorite for more than 40 years and one of the screen's most reliable and distinctive leading men, Mr. Connery was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 and was recently voted the best James Bond actor in an August 2020 Radio Times poll in the U.K. More than 14,000 voted and Connery claimed 56% of the vote. Global tributes poured in for Mr. Connery following news of his death, including current 007 Daniel Craig, who posted: "Sir Sean Connery will be remembered as Bond and so much more. He defined an era and a style. The wit and charm he portrayed on screen could be measured in mega watts; he helped create the modern blockbuster. He will continue to influence actors and film-makers alike for years to come. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Wherever he is, I hope there is a golf course." Mr. Connery, who was married to actress Diane Cilento from 1962-73, is survived by his second wife, painter Micheline Roquebrune, whom he married in 1975; his son by Cilento, actor Jason Connery; and a grandson from Jason's marriage to actress Mia Sara. - Variety.com, 10/31/20.

The Addams Family of rock music goes ghostbusting in the new two-hour Travel Channel documentary The Osbournes: Night of Terror, which sends Jack and Kelly Osbourne off to explore paranormal activity at an allegedly haunted spot in Los Angeles while parents Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne monitor the investigation remotely. "None of us realized how insane and freaky this was going to be," says Jack, who has had the most experience working with the weird as cohost of Portals to Hell, "but [everyone] certainly held their own." Night of Terror premieres on the Travel Channel on Oct. 30 at 9:00 p.m. EDT, 8:00 Central. - TV Guide, 10/26/20...... In related news, Alice Cooper announced his new Halloween-themed party game called "HorrorBox" on YouTube on Oct. 27. HorrorBox sees players mix and match question and answer cards, scoring points for funny combinations. The base game comes with 420 cards but several expansion packs have already been released, including a "Slasher Pack," "Monsters Pack," "Aliens Pack" and "R-Rated Pack." "Minions, you know me. I've never played games with you, until now. This is a horror-themed card game with questions, answers and dares," Alice said in the launch video, while a press release warns that "player discretion is advised" and "all wimps easily scared, beware." - New Musical Express, 10/28/20...... Eddie Van Halen's hometown of Pasadena, Calif., has announced plans to memorialize the late guitar legend, but the City Council hasn't yet decided what form the tribute would take. On Oct. 26, the council directed officials to come up with ideas and report back on how to best remember Van Halen, who died of cancer Oct. 6 at age 65. According to a local paper, one idea could be renaming a street or alley near one of Van Halen's 1970s rehearsal spaces, while building a statue, installing a plaque or rechristening a city building also could be considered. Meanwhile, a memorial has grown outside Eddie and brother Alex Van Halen's boyhood home northeast of Los Angeles, where some fans are lobbying to make the house designated as a historic landmark. The Van Halen family moved to Pasadena after emigrating to the U.S. from the Netherlands in 1962. Eddie and Alex formed Van Halen about a decade later with singer David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony, who all grew up in the Pasadena area. - AP,...... In other Van Halen-related news, Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen is pushing back on rumours that he's replacing his father as the guitarist in a new incarnation of Van Halen, calling the speculation "a shitty lie." Wolfgang took to social media on Oct. 26 to refute claims being made in a Wolfgang Van Halen Fan Page on Facebook, which were shared to Twitter by user @MetalSludge. The Facebook post claimed that "there is a good strong possibility" that Wolfgang would be swapping his current role as Van Halen's bassist for his late father's position of lead guitarist, with "Van Hagar" era vocalist Sammy Hagar handling vocals and former VH bassist Michael Anthony handling duties on bass. Drummer Alex Van Halen would continue his position as drummer in the imagined lineup. The post claimed that the information came from "the VH camp", with Eddie Van Halen allegedly telling "his son and his brother, I give you my blessing." But Wolfgang says the rumour just isn't true. "This is just a shitty lie attempting to capitalize on these awful times," he tweeted in response to @MetalSludge sharing the post. "Please stop with this. Anyone peddling this shit is not only hurting the fans, but hurting me and my family." - NME, 10/26/20...... In related news, KISS bassist Gene Simmons said that he was "scared to death" one time after getting a lift with Eddie after a Metallica gig in Long Beach in the 1980s. Talking with Dennis Miller on his Options podcast, Simmons said Eddie offered him a ride in his Jeep... "this old jalopy thing with no doors" as seen in the M*A*S*H TV series. "And Edward's smoking away like a chimney and driving what I thought was a hundred miles an hour up the 405 [freeway]," Simmons recalled. "And I'm holding on for dear life and trying to pretend that I'm a guy without fear and all that. [I was] scared to death. And I said, 'Eddie, Eddie, slow down.' And a cigarette was hanging out of his mouth, and he said, 'Why?' I didn't quite know what to answer," he added. Meanwhile, Ozzy Osbourne revealed on his Sirius XM radio show Ozzy's Boneyard that Eddie once asked him to join Van Halen. Although Osbourne didn't specify an exact year when Eddie extended the invite, he did say it was "way after Sammy [Hagar]" was in the line-up. The guitarist left the band in 1996. Ozzy added that he thought Eddie might have been "a bit drunk" when he made the phone call. "We've all done one of them calls at four o'clock in the morning... I've got a great idea!," he said. - NME, 10/26/20...... On Oct. 23, Elton John unveiled a new Barbie doll modelled on the rock superstar. Part of a collaboration with Mattel, the doll, costing $50 (£38), will be available in Walmart in the US, and can be ordered through the Walmart website. Speaking to Rolling Stone about the new doll, John said: "Barbie is an icon in her own right, so having her pay tribute to my work and personal style is a real honour. I hope that she inspires fans everywhere to fearlessly pursue their own dreams and limitless potential." - NME, 10/23/20...... On Oct. 20 Jimmy Page released his new book The Anthology, which documents hundreds of items from the Led Zeppelin guitarist's personal collection of instruments, outfits and memorabilia from throughout his career. In a trailer for The Anthology, which has been posted on YouTube, the musician explains: "The reason for doing this book and behind the detail of everything is just basically because I did have the material to be able to do it, I actually had the idea to be able to do it and that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to make the book really fascinating so people could just really get right into what is being shown. With the guitars, I really wanted to get close up and personal with them, with the angles that were taken." In The Anthology, Page guides the reader through hundreds of rare items, many of which are previously unseen, and others of mythic status, such as his Gibson double-neck guitar, dragon-emblazoned suit, white embroidered poppy suit, and the outfit worn in the concert film The Song Remains The Same. The Anthology also features hand-written diaries, rare vinyl pressings, previously unpublished photographs and more. - NME, 10/23/20...... In an interview on CBS Sunday Morning on Oct. 25, Stevie Nicks said she couldn't be happier about the newfound popularity of Fleetwood Mac's 1977 classic "Dreams" after the song was featured in a viral TikTok video. "This TikTok thing has kind of blown my mind," Nicks said. "I'm happy about it because it seems to have made so many people happy." "Dreams" has surged thanks to the viral TikTok video featuring the track, in which Idaho native Nathan Apodaca rides his longboard while drinking a large bottle of Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry juice. Nicks and Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood has since created their own tributes to Apodaca's viral hit. Nicks is currently promoting her new song "Show Them the Way," a call for action ahead of the November presidential election. The track features Dave Grohl on drums and Dave Stewart on guitar. Nicks said she's also excited about her new concert film, 24 Karat Gold, which recently hit select theaters, drive-ins and exhibition spaces. The film features a set of fan favorites from Nicks' solo career and as a member of Fleetwood Mac. "It's as close to a really big rock 'n' roll concert in a big venue as you're gonna get," she said. The companion album of the concert will arrive Oct. 30. Her full CBS Sunday Morning can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 10/25/20...... Alternative rock musicians Trent Reznor and Billy Corgan are among those who will mark what would have been David Bowie's 74th birthday on Jan. 8 with a special tribute livestream. "A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day!" has been organized by long-time Bowie pianist Mike Garson, and is set to see Bowie's collaborators from across his career cover and interpret his songs. Garson said of the event: "What we're planning is an amazing show with the most talented musicians from every period of David's career, as well as phenomenal artists from many different genres. Also set to star in the livestream are Bowie's producer Tony Visconti and his final touring band, along with such stars as Gary Oldman, Macy Gray and Perry Farrell. - NME, 10/27/20...... AC/DC have shared the official video for "Shot in the Dark," the first single from their new album Power Up, on YouTube. The clip features the band performing live and was shot by longtime AC/DC video director David Mallet. Describing "Shot In The Dark," AC/DC guitarist Angus Young said: "It's a strong single from a powerful rock album. You'll be able to hear it and know straight away that it's AC/DC. That's what we've always strived for." Power Up will drop on Nov. 13. It sees frontman Brian Johnson returning to the group after Axl Rose's stint as singer, with drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams also returning to the fold. Williams has warned fans he won't be with the band for long, because he isn't healthy enough for a gruelling world tour. "For my health (I'll do a few shows)," Williams recently said on the band's "Let Their Be Talk" podcast. "I definitely have some physical issues... it's tough. I'm very grateful for everything. It's been fantastic. But I just don't wanna do that (tour) anymore." Williams said he'll only be around for a few gigs after recording the new album with his bandmates. He recently revealed that a bout with vertigo contributed to his decision to leave the band in 2016. - NME/WENN/Canoe.com, 10/26/20...... A recently reunited Genesis have begun rehearsals in London for their massive 2021 UK reunion tour. Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks will head out on "The Last Domino? Tour" in April 2021, with dates having been pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. The trio, playing together for the first time since 2017, are set to be joined on the tour by Collins' son Nic Collins on drums, and guitarist/bassist Daryl Stuermer. Genesis recently announced the 19-date UK tour will kick off on Apr. 1 in Glasgow and wrap over three nights at London's O2 arena on Apr. 27, 29 and 30. Meanwhile, Phil Collins has issued a second cease and desist letter to Pres. Donald Trump's re-election campaign over the use of his hit "In the Air Tonight" at Trump rallies. Trump's campaign apparently ignored a previous legal letter over the use of the song, and again blasted the 1981 hit over the speakers at a gathering in Des Moines, Iowa on Oct. 14. At the time, Collins' representatives noted that Trump's aides had already been warned against violating the musician's copyright, and now his lawyers at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP are demanding an assurance it won't happen again, because Collins, 69, says he doesn't support Trump at all. Collins' lawyers state in the letter than their client takes particular offense that the song "was apparently intended as a satirical reference to COVID-19." "That reference was made at a time when Iowa was suffering from an acceleration of COVID-19 infection. Mr. Collins does not condone the apparent trivialization of COVID-19," the missive states. In other Phil Collins news, the singer may have to wait up to three years to have his ex-wife Orianne Cevey evicted from his mansion because of a backlog of trials due to COVID-19. Collins recently sought an injunction to have Cevey and her husband kicked out of his palatial waterfront home in Miami Beach, Fla., but suffered a major setback when Cevey made a counterclaim for $20 million. A county judge decided the explosive case should be heard in circuit court because of the huge sums at stake. It puts Collins' filling at the back of a long line of pending cases with court closures and pandemic restrictions expected to delay trials by a year or longer. Collins -- worth an estimated $300 million -- will now have to choose between paying his ex-wife off for the second time or facing off in court. - NME/WENN/DailyMail.co.uk, 10/27/20...... Music publishers Primary Wave announced on Oct. 23 that they've struck a 10-year strategic partnership with The Four Seasons. The marketing and administration deal is with the band's lead singer Frankie Valli and keyboardist Bob Gaudio, the two surviving members of the band's founding four; which also included bassist Nick Massi, who died of cancer in 2000, and guitarist Tommy DeVito, who died in Sept. 2020 from the coronavirus. Under the agreement, Primary Wave will work Valli and Gaudio to market the band's name and likeness, manage all daily digital marketing activities and administer their iconic catalog, which includes hits like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "December 1963 (O What A Night)", "Workin' My Way Back To You" and "Can't Take Me Eyes Off Of You," the oft-covered track that made Valli a solo superstar. The deal also gives Primary Wave an option to acquire a partnership interest in the band's works. The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and their story is chronicled in Tony-winning Broadway musical favorite "Jersey Boys," which opened in 2005 and was later made into a feature film. - Billboard, 10/23/20...... Speaking to the UK paper The Guardian, Joni Mitchell says she's "still struggling to walk" following her 2015 brain aneurysm in a rare new interview. "I haven't been writing recently. I haven't been playing my guitar or the piano or anything," said Mitchell. Instead, she's "just concentrating on getting my health back... You know what? I came back from polio, so here I am again, and struggling back." Mitchell was hospitalised in Los Angeles in March 2015, after being found unconscious at her home. Later that year she was said to be "making good progress." Mitchell also described to the paper that the five years since her aneurysm as "inching my way along," adding: "I'm showing slow improvement but moving forward." "Once again I couldn't walk. I had to learn how again. I couldn't talk," she added. "Polio didn't grab me like that, but the aneurysm took away a lot more, really. Took away my speech and my ability to walk. And, you know, I got my speech back quickly, but the walking I'm still struggling with. But I mean, I'm a fighter. I've got Irish blood! So you know, I knew, 'Here I go again, another battle.'" Mitchell is set to release a new archival album, Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963 -- 1967), on Oct. 30. - NME, 10/27/20...... In an interview on the UK talk show Good Morning Britain, Queen guitarist Brian May said he feels "grateful to be alive" after a number of health issues including a heart attack and exploding stomach. "I had a wonderful, wonderful surgeon, and I'm so grateful to be alive. I had three stents in me, which are working just fine, and I feel good," May said. In May 2020, Brian revealed that he had been "very near death" when he was hospitalised after doctors discovered that three arteries in his heart "were congested and in danger of blocking the supply of blood" to his heart. In September, he also revealed that the drugs he was on to aid his recovery had caused "a stomach explosion that nearly killed me." Calling the stomach explosion "shocking," he added: "That was the point where I nearly lost my life, not the heart attack, strangely enough. You have to be so careful with the medication that they give you, because it's great for the stents, it's great for the heart, but it's not very good for the rest of your body and you can really go down. It's a tightrope." In other Queen-related news, the art-rockers' classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been voted "the best song of all time" in a poll completed by 2,000 Brits to mark the launch of the new Sony Walkman player. The 1975 hit was named as the nation's favourite song by 43%, followed closely behind in second place by Queen's 1978 hit "Don't Stop Me Now" (37%). Behind those two songs were the Beatles' "Hey Jude" (31%), John Lennon's "Imagine" (30%), Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" (28%), and Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" (27%). - NME/Music-News.com, 10/28/20...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards hit out at the use of synths in rock music, calling them "cheap and corny." "There's great musicians and some great singers and stuff. Unfortunately, to me, in music, it's been synthesised to death. Once you start synthesising things, you're not getting the real thing," said Richards, who complained that "there is no new rock 'n' roll. It's pointless." He added: "I don't want to go into a long discourse on what's wrong with synthesisers and music these days, except to say they're cheap and corny." Keith also backed the recent Black Lives Matter protests and said "it's about bloody time" and that "black music is the reason I'm here." The Stones are now believed to be back in the studio recording their next album. - NME, 10/28/20...... Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry is labelling Van Morrison "insane" for his stance on the COVID-19 crisis. While Harry says she thinks Morrison, who has recently slammed safety measures designed to stop the spread of the virus at concerts and other venues, is a "creative genius," but also noted he is "completely mad." "I mean, he has a history of very strange behaviour so it doesn't really surprise me. And after all, everyone's entitled to their own opinion," Harry recently told New Musical Express. "As far as conspiracy goes... huh! If this is a conspiracy, then the biggest f---ing genius in the world has created it! I mean, that is insane. Totally insane!," Harry exclaimed. She then went on to attack Pres. Donald Trump, insisting: "When it comes to our president, white supremacists respect him not necessarily for himself but because he's achieved the presidency. There's a lot of kudos that hangs on the word 'president'... A lot of people fall for him, but this is not a good guy." - Music-News.com, 10/25/20...... Paul McCartney recently told the BBC that his new album McCartney III is "just me having fun during lockdown." The rock icon explained that most of the LP is "new stuff" that he worked on during lockdown, but some of the tracks had been set aside because they "just didn't cut it" in their original form. "I thought 'OK, wait a minute, what about that one?'," he pondered. "So I'd get it out and think, 'Ugh, oh dear.' And you'd try to figure out what was wrong with it, or why you didn't like it," he went on. Sir Paul said his creative process sometimes involved rebuilding a track entirely. "In some cases the vocal or the words just didn't cut it, so you'd strip it all down and go 'OK, let's just make it completely different'," he recalled. McCartney III, slated for release on Dec. 11, comes 50 years after the debut of his self-titled first solo venture, and 40 years after the follow-up. Meanwhile, Macca says that director Peter Jackson's upcoming Beatles documentary Get Back is an authentic portrait of the band's final years together. "I love it," he said of the new film from the Lord of the Rings director which captures the making of the band's final album, 1970's Let It Be. Get Back is set to challenge the popular narrative that the group constantly clashed during their later years. "Even though we had arguments, like any family -- we loved each other, you know, and it shows in the film," McCartney said. "It's a very warm feeling, And it's amazing just being backstage with these people, making this music that turned out to be good." - Music-News.com/NME, 10/27/20...... '70s musicians Diana Ross, Gloria Gaynor and Lionel Richie will be among the headliners for the 2021 UK Lytham Festival, which will take place at Lytham Green on the Lancashire Coast from June 30 - July 4, 2021. The five-day event, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2019, was cancelled in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic. Tickets are on sale now and day tickets will go on sale on Oct. 30. - NME, 10/26/20...... Olivia Newton-John recently told the UK paper The Guardian that she sees cancer as a "gift" rather than a disease she has to fight. Newton-John, 72, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and has twice received the news the disease has metastasised to other organs in her body, most recently in 2017. However, the Grease star, who has used plant-based remedies including medicinal cannabis alongside traditional treatments like surgery, chemo, and radiotherapy, to keep her cancer at bay, views her illness as an experience that his improved her as a person. "I don't know what I would be without it now. I see it as my life's journey. It gave me purpose and intention and taught me a lot about compassion. It has been a gift. I don't wish it on anyone else. But for me, it's been important in my life," she explained. The "Physical" singer also says she resists talking about fighting her cancer, as she's averse to combative metaphors. "I don't think of myself as sick with cancer. I choose not to see it as a fight either because I don't like war. I don't like fighting wherever it is -- whether it's outside or an actual war inside my body," she elaborated. Olivia added she doesn't want to know if doctors believe the cancer is terminal: "I don't believe them anyway. I mean, no one can tell you that." - Music-News.com, 10/27/20...... In a new interview with the Irish Times, Don McLean branded his ex-wife of 30 years Patrisha McLean "the worst person I ever know" despite pleading guilty to domestic violence against his spouse. The 75-year-old "American Pie" singer, who is now based in Palm Desert, Calif., said it took him four years to get over his relationship with Patrisha, who he was married to for 29 years and shares two children with. McLean that the love letters she sent every month for 30 years "immediately turned to salt" when their relationship crumbled, following the accusations of domestic violence made against him. Having divorced in 2016, McLean said he hasn't met anyone who compares to Patrisha, and added: "I can truly say that my ex-wife is the worst person I ever knew." He added it's only now that their 2016 split is sinking in, despite the fact he moved on with Playboy model Paris Dylan, 25, months after his divorce finalized. Since the breakdown of their marriage, Patrisha has spoken about her relationship with Don in a travelling exhibit called "Finding Our Voices," and has established a domestic violence non-profit organization of the same name. She filed for divorce two months after Don was arrested for domestic violence on the grounds of "adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, and irreconcilable differences." She filed for a protection order after her husband's arrest, but withdrew the request only days later. In a statement supporting her request for the restraining order, she alleged that her husband had "terrorized" her "for four hours" on the night before he was arrested. His relationship with Paris Dylan quickly flourished when she was hired to manage his social media accounts in 2016. He revealed that he doesn't read any media coverage about him regardless if it's good or bad, describing it as "all a bunch of bull---." McLean said he plans to auction most of his possessions before he dies -- including song lyrics, weapons and guitars -- because he doesn't want to leave them for someone else to "figure out what to do" with them. McLean is set to mark the anniversary of his hit song with new documentary The Day the Music Died, and a Broadway show has also been planned for 2022, alongside a children's book. He describes "American Pie" as "a fusion of folk, rock 'n' roll and old-fashioned popular music," and refuses to elaborate on the mysteries of the 1972 song. "I've never said that to anybody in 50 years," he said. - DailyMail.co.uk, 10/27/20...... Lawyers representing both parties in Rod Stewart's 2019 New Year's Eve assault case have told the court that the case is unlikely to go to trial. The incident took place at the on New Year's Eve in Dec. 2019, with Stewart charged with simple battery after allegedly punching security guard Jesse Dixon in the chest. Stewart's son Sean faces the same charge for his involvement in the confrontation at the Breaker's Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla. Both have pleaded not guilty. Dixon brought a civil suit against them in January, however a pre-trial hearing has only just taken place via Zoom, having been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Neither Stewart or his son were present. Stewart's lawyer Guy Fronstin, who is representing both defendants, told Judge August Bonavita at the hearing that he has been in touch with prosecutors and the case is likely to be resolved before it reaches the trial stage. "We have been in communication with the state. We are asking for one more rollover for pre-trial," he said. "All indications are this is going to resolve without a trial but there's still some work to be done on it." A second pre-trial hearing is now scheduled for Dec. 4. - NME, 10/23/20...... Country singer/songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, best known for penning the 1971 hit "Mr. Bojangles" for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 78. Growing up and beginning his music career in New York in the 1960s, Walker moved to Austin, Tex. the following decade and is considered to be a pivotal figure in the development of the now-world-famous music scene in the city. In addition to The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, his 1968 composition "Mr. Bojangles" has been covered by some of the biggest artists on earth, including Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond, Nina Simone, King Curtis, Sammy Davis Jr. and more. Walker was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017 and released his final album, About Time, the following year. A host of musicians have taken to social media to pay tribute to Walker following news of his death including Jason Isbell, who wrote: "One day I'd like to be an old man who dances onstage like John Prine and Jerry Jeff Walker." Prine, another country legend, died in April from coronavirus complications. American showrunner Brian Koppelman added: "I know that 90% of the people reading this never heard of Guy Clark or Jerry Jeff Walker. Go listen to JJW's version of LA Freeway to get why they matter so much to the other 10%. Then dive deep into their cataloged. Rip JJW." Walker is survived by his wife Susan Streit and their two children. - NME, 10/24/20.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on June 8th, 2014

The newly released Led Zeppelin reissue series, which hit stores on June 3, is poised to re-enter the Billboard Hot 200 album chart when the latest one is announced on June 11. 1968's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II and 1970's Led Zeppelin III could each sell around 25,000 in the week ending June 8 according to industry forecasters, and should re-enter the chart within the Top 15, with a chance at hitting the Top 10. If the three LPs hit the Top 15 concurrently, they'll be the first act to do so since Whitney Houston scored four shortly after her death in March 2012. In the UK, the reissues are on course to make the Top 10 on the isles' Official Album Chart. Led Zeppelin debuted at No. 1 there, while II and III bowed at No. 7 and No. 6, respectively. Meanwhile in other Led Zep news, Robert Plant has responded to Jimmy Page's comments that he was "fed up" with the singer holding back a LZ reunion, telling reporters at a press conference he thought the guitarist needed to "have a good rest." "I think he needs to go to sleep and have a good rest, and think again. We have a great history together and like all brothers, we have these moments where we don't speak on the same page but that's life," Plant told The National. In an interview with The New York Times, Page accused Plant of "playing games" with potential LZ reunions. "I'm fed up with it, to be honest with you. I don't sing, so I can't do much about it. It just looks so unlikely, doesn't it?," said Page, who has been in favor of a reunion tour. Plant is currently on tour with his band The Inspirational Space Shifters recently announced that he's just finished recording his first solo LP since 2010's Band of Joy. - Billboard/New Musical Express/Rolling Stone, 6/6/14.

Kiss is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its eponymous debut album with a new retrospective called Kiss 40. The 40-track collection debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart for the week ending June 1, selling 7,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Kiss 40 is the 35th charted album for the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honorees on the Billboard chart, marking the third-highest total among American bands, trailing only the Grateful Dead with 60 and the Beach Boys with 48. Kiss 40 includes one track from each of the act's "major album" releases, in addition to live cuts and one previously unreleased demo recording. Of Kiss' 34 previously charted albums, all but four are represented on Kiss 40, and with good reason: the four absent titles are all hits compilations or box sets. Exactly forty years ago, Kiss was in the middle of its maiden chart run with its self-titled debut album, which was released to retail on Feb. 18, 1974. Kiss's 2014 North American tour with Def Leppard begins June 23 in West Valley City, Utah, and wraps Aug. 31 in Houston. In other Kiss-related news, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has signed on to co-produce a new series for the Lifetime cable channel titled Ugly Models. The show is about a U.K. modeling agency that works with "character models with unique and unusual looks," as it makes its way into the U.S. market. The show will document how the business adapts to a different market. Simmons is also partnering with his bandmate Paul Stanley for a new AMC reality series about the arena football team they own, the L.A. Kiss. The show, which is titled 4th and Loud and is set to premiere in the summer, will focus on the players, coaches and, of course, its rock-star owners, as well as Kiss manager Doc McGhee. - Billboard/Rolling Stone, 6/6/14.

The U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine is heading to America for its annual Classic Rock Awards for the first time ever this fall when it will hold the event at the Avalon nightclub in Hollywood on Nov. 4. The gala will include the annual Classic Rock Living Legend Award -- previously won by Jimmy Page, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Rush, Iggy Pop, Jeff Beck and Lemmy Kilmister -- along with a selection of other categories, many of them determined by a public vote. The characteristically star-studded show will also include live performances, celebrity presenters and, for attendees, VIP amenities. "We thought this was the 10th anniversary we should take this thing to the second home of rock 'n' roll," Classic Rock editor Sian Llewellyn told Billboard magazine. "We want to take this globally now, and the Americans love rock as much if not moreseo than the Brits." The Classic Rock Awards have been held at venues in London, including the famed Roundhouse. For the past two years the show has been televised via Britain's Sky Arts. A broadcast deal for this year's ceremony is currently being negotiated. Meanwhile in other award show news, Kris Kristofferson stunned the PEN Awards on June 2 in Boston when he gave an impromptu performance of "Me and Bobby McGee." The country outlaw legend and fellow singer/songwriter Randy Newman were honored at PEN's Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Awards by such artists as Elvis Costello, Roseanne Cash and Lyle Lovett. - Billboard/Rolling Stone, 6/6/14.

Ringo Starr says he's "probably two-thirds through" completing the follow-up to his last album Ringo 2012, and hopes to release it in February 2015. "Usually I make the record in January, February, March and mix it in April," Ringo recently told Billboard. "But because of all that Beatles stuff I sort of got behind because of the rehearsals and the fun and the joy. I was in L.A. until the first of April and I was trying to finish the record and just said, 'Ah, I've got too much to do.'" Starr says he has plans to work on it during July and August, when he's back in L.A. after the first leg of his latest All-Starr Band tour, which kicked off June 6 in Rama, Ont., and wraps on July 19 at L.A.'s Greek Theatre. Ringo has been working on the new set with Toto guitarist and current All-Starr Band member Steve Lukather, along with Peter Frampton, Richard Marx, Dave Stewart, Glen Ballard and Nashville songwriter Gary Nicholson. "It's all my pals, really. We just get together," Starr notes, adding that the results are "sounding incredible." It's a mixed bag, as my records always ware. We have the reggae track and we have the rock track and that's how it is. It's pop, rock, reggae." Starr is also taking the production reins on his own this time after working with Bruce Sugar on Ringo 2012 and 2010's Y Not. 2014 also marks the 25th anniversary of the first All-Starr Band tour, though Starr says he's not surprised the concept has had staying power. "I think it's a great show to come and see," he says. "I always say it's like a jukebox, y'know? Every song's a hit. I put it together, and it's gone on." In other Fab Four news, a collection of John Lennon doodles, poems and short stories from two humorous books Lennon produced in the 1960s fetched huge prices at a Sotheby auction on June 4. A nine-page manuscript parody of Sherlock Holmes titled "The Singularge Experience of Miss Anne Duffield," was the top lot in the sale, bringing $209,000 although it had been estimated to sell for only $50,000 to $70,000. The material was created for the two critically acclaimed books of short stories and poems Lennon published during the height of Beatlemania, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works, published in 1964 and 1965, respectively. A cartoon of a boy with six birds that appeared in A Spaniard in the Works sold for $27,500 in the auction. The drawing was used 30 years later as the cover for the Beatles' single "Free as a Bird." The cartoon had a pre-sale estimate of $12,000 to $15,000. - Billboard/AP, 6/5/14.

The Eagles' Don Henley has made a fresh attack on Frank Ocean for alleged "song theft" regarding the Odd Future member's 2011 track "American Wedding," which saw him singing new lyrics over "Hotel California." Two years after the Eagles threatened to sue Ocean, Henley has accused Ocean of being "arrogant" over the matter in a new interview with the Sydney, Australia Daily Telegraph. "Mr. Ocean doesn't seem to understand US copyright law," Henley told the paper. "Anyone who knows anything should know you cannot take a master track of a recording and write another song over the top of it. You just can't do that. You can call it a tribute or whatever you want to call it, but it's against the law. That's a problem with some of the younger generation, they don't understand the concept of intellectual property and copyright," he added. In the future, Henley suggests younger artists be more like Michael Buble, who did a "totally legal cover" of the Eagles' "Heartache Tonight" in 2009. "You can record anyone's song you like -- it's called [buying] a compulsory licence," he said. "You don't just go and do it." Ocean previously insisted that he was "paying homage" to Henley on his track "American Wedding" and didn't deserve to be sued. Writing online he said: "Ain't this guy rich as f---? Why sue the new guy? I didn't make a dime off that song. I released it for free. If anything I'm paying homage," he posted. - Billboard, 6/4/14.

'70s pop star Gary Glitter was charged -- again -- with eight counts of sexual offenses involving teenage girls by English authorities on June 6. The charges relate to two women who were aged between 12 and 14 at the time of the alleged offenses between 1977 and 1980. The former pop star -- whose real name is Paul Gadd -- is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 19. Glitter, 70, was arrested in October 2012 -- the first in a series of arrests under the "Operation Yewtree" national investigation that was launched in the wake of a child abuse scandal surrounding late BBC entertainer Jimmy Savile. The Crown Prosecution Service said no further action would be taken over five allegations made by two other people. Glitter is best known -- musically, at least -- for his "Rock And Roll (Part 2)," long popular at sporting events for its catchy, easily scannable "chorus" that consists of yelling "Hey!." For years, numerous other sports teams have used the song as part of their celebration. - AP, 6/5/14.

Steel guitar great Weldon Myrick, a legendary instrumentalist who played on records by such iconic singers as Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, passed away on June 2 following a stroke. He was 76. Myrick's work was a vital part of classic country hits such as Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles," George Strait's "Lets Fall To Pieces Together," and Alan Jackson's "Chattahoochee," as well as most of Connie Smith's 1960s RCA Victor releases. The Texas-born Myrick took up steel guitar at an early age and moved to Nashville in 1963. He started working with Grand Ole Opry star Bill Anderson, who helped secure a recording contract for Connie Smith with RCA. Smith recorded the No. 1 country hit "Once a Day," the first of many of her hits that Myrick's steel work graced. In related news, Bernard "Doc" Neeson, the frontman of hitmaking Australian rock group The Angels (also known as Angel City and The Angels from Angel City), died on June 4 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 67. At its peak, the Angels was the quintessential Aussie pub-rock band; a group blessed with an arsenal of explosive songs and -- with Neeson at the mic -- one of the most charismatic singers in the rock business. - Billboard, 6/6/14.

The Allman Brothers Band has announced it will return to New York's Beacon Theater for six shows in October, and those shows could be their final concerts, at least in the current incarnation. Oct. 21, 22, 24 and 25 will be make up dates from this year's "March Madness" run that were postponed by Gregg Allman's bout of pneumonia. Two more concerts have been added for Oct. 27 and 28. "That's the way for this incarnation of the band to go out, one final, short Beacon run," ABB guitarist Derek Trucks recently told Billboard. "I think that's appropriate for this version of the group. I think we've done most of our best work there (at the Beacon)," he added. Trucks and fellow guitarist Warren Haynes announced earlier in 2014 they would be leaving the group after a 14-year tenure, making this the longest-running lineup in the Allmans' 45-year history. Before the Beacon run, the band has summer concert shows set for the Mountain Jam Festival in Hunter Mountain, N.Y., on June 8; the Peach Fest in Scranton, Penn., on Aug. 14-17; and the Lockn' Music Fest in Arrinton, Va., on Sept. 7. In other ABB news, Gregg Allman is now also being sued by a hairstylist on the troubled Midnight Rider biopic film who claims to have suffered a fractured arm and post-traumatic stress as a result of the freight train accident that threatens to derail the entire production. Joyce Gilliard has filed the lawsuit in Savannah against the producers of Midnight Rider, director Randall Miller, and Allman, just shortly after the family of camera assistant Sarah Jones filed a wrongful death suit against the production after a train struck Jones on Feb. 20 in Wayne County, Ga. while she prepared for a camera shot. Six other people were hurt in the incident, including Gilliard. "The pressure from the train was so strong it pulled me off what I was holding onto and it snapped my arm. I immediately grabbed my arm and wrapped it up with a piece of the prop, which was a sheet," Gilliard said in May in a conference call, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Gregg Allman has asked for production on the movie to be shut down. - Billboard/Rolling Stone, 6/2/14.

Seminal prog-rockers King Crimson have announced they will reunite for three New York CIty shows in September, at the Best Buy Theatre on Sept. 18, 19 and 20. The new lineup features original Crimson mastermind Robert Fripp reuniting with bassist Tony Levin and drummer-percussionist veterans Pat Mastelotto and Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree). The trio will be joined by eclectic drummer Bill Rieflin (R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails), guitarist-vocalist Jakko Jakszyk and woodwind legend Mel Collins. The latter two musicians collaborated with Fripp on the 2011 LPA Scarcity of Miracles, and Collins played on numerous early Crimson albums (including 1974's iconic Red). Fripp says the he and the other musicians plan o rehearse in England before shifting to the U.S. in August or September 2014. "There is a plan to include the UK in the tour dates," he said, "but it depends on a number of circumstances. Right now the primary geographical focus is the United States." The new King Crimson dates come as somewhat of a surprise given that Fripp more or less announced his retirement in a 2012 profile with The Financial Times, saying, "My life as a professional musician is a joyless exercise in futility." - Rolling Stone, 6/2/14.

Producers of a planned 51-city "Jesus Christ Superstar" arena tour that was scheduled to start at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena on June 9 abruptly announced on May 30 that the tour has been cancelled due to low ticket sales. The star-studded "Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Spectacular Tour" was to have included in its cast Brandon Boyd of Incubus, John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) of the Sex Pistols, JC Chasez of 'N Sync, and Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child. The trek was to be presented by JCS co-writer Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group and event producer S2BN Entertainment, which is run by veteran Rolling Stones promoter Michael Cohl. Although a notice on the tour's official website stated no explanation, Cohl told Rolling Stone magazine that "In the end it just did not make business sense to continue, and we didnt want the cast to endure playing to disappointing audiences." Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera has seen numerous stage productions since its debut in 1970. In 1971, the show's concept album topped the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. - Billboard, 5/30/14.

The latest trailer for Universal's upcoming James Brown biopic has arrived online. The clip begins with the following voiceover from star Chadwick Boseman: "Want to get to know me? I'll tell you. Dad in the army. Mama left. No one else helped me." Brown's concise bio is accompanied by images of his childhood, including him banging on pots and pans, his time in prison and him performing onstage. The trailer features other glimpses of Brown's success, including him visiting the White House and sporting a fur coat while standing in front of a private plane. The "Godfather of Soul" also meets manager Ben Bart (Dan Aykroyd), who's shown saying Brown, "blew the roof off of that place," and he also meets the mother who abandoned him, played by Viola Davis. The clip ends with Brown and Aykroyd watching a man try to dance the mashed potato while a confused-looking Brown says, "What the hell are you doing? That ain't nobody's mashed potato." The film, directed by The Help director Tate Taylor, hits theaters August 1. Meanwhile in other Soul news, Aretha Franklin, former president George H.W. Bush, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg were honored with honorary degrees from Harvard University during 2014 commencement ceremonies on May 29. The 72-year-old Franklin, who received an honorary doctor of the arts, accompanied herself on piano to perform the national anthem. - Billboard/AP, 5/29/14.

Singer/songwriter/actor Kris Kristofferson will play Pres. Andrew Jackson in an 8-hour miniseries called Rising to be broadcast on the A+E network. Rising, which will premiere in 2015, will detail the Texas Revolution against Mexico and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers, the oldest law enforcement group in North America. "For me, Kris was an obvious choice," said poducer and co-writer Leslie Grief of ThinkFactory Media. "There aren't too many actors that are able to embody this character and the stature, strength and liberty to play the part." Kristofferson won a Golden Globe for his role in 1976's A Star Is Born opposite Barbra Streisand. His credits other include the Blade trilogy, Billy the Kid, Fast Food Nation and Dolphin Tale, among others. Also included in the cast of Rising will be Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. - The Hollywood Repoerter, 5/30/14.

Bruce Springsteen joined the Rolling Stones onstage during a May 29 concert in Lisbon, Portugal for a rendition of "Tumbling Dice." The two legendary acts previously performed the song together in Springsteen's home ground of New Jersey in 2012 during another Rolling Stones gig, the band's 50th anniversary celebration in Newark. Even when Springsteen isn't joining Jagger for live collaboration, his E Street Band gigs occasionally feature some Stones covers: "The Last Time," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" have popped up in Springsteen's setlists, and during a 1984/85 tour, the E Street Band covered "Street Fighting Man" on a nightly basis. The Stones tour will now visit a host of European cities, including a headline set at Roskilde Festival in Denmark on July 3. The band resumed their world tour on May 26 at Oslo's Telenor Arena, after suspending some dates in March in Australia and New Zealand following the death of Mick Jagger's girlfriend L'Wren Scott, who committed suicide in her apartment in New York. - Rolling Stone, 5/30/14.

Beloved American actress Ann B. Davis, best known as housekeeper Alice Nelson on the iconic '70s series The Brady Bunch, passed away on June 1 at University Hospital in San Antonio, Tex., after suffering a fall in her nearby home. She was 88. Born Ann Bradford Davis in 1926, in Schenectady, N.Y., and raised in Erie, Penn., Ms. Davis said she took to using her middle initial because "just plain Ann Davis goes by pretty fast." She began her entertainment career at age 6 when she and her twin sister, Harriet, earned $2 with their puppet show. She attended the University of Michigan where she first majored in premed and graduated in 1948 with a degree in theater. She joined a repertory theater in Erie, Penn., and got her big break while doing a cabaret act in Los Angeles, singing and telling jokes. Ms. Davis became a regular as a razor-tongued secretary on The Bob Cummings Show (also known as Love That Bob) in Jan. 1955, which brought her supporting actress Emmy Awards in 1958 and 1959. After that series ended in 1959, she appeared in such movies as A Man Called Peter, Lover Come Back and All Hands on Deck, playing summer stock during layoffs and touring with the USO to entertain U.S. troops in Korea and elsewhere. In 1965-66 she played a gym teacher at an exclusive girls' school in The John Forsythe Show, before her best known role in The Brady Bunch came along in 1969. "I did a couple of pilots that didn't sell, a few movies and one year of nightclub work, which I hated. Then I did the pilot of The Brady Bunch and never had to do another nightclub," she told the AP in a 1993 interview. Ms. Davis' face occupied the center square during the show's opening credits. Her love interest was Sam the Butcher, played by Allan Melvin. In her blue and white maid's uniform, Ms. Davis' character, Alice Nelson, was constantly cleaning up messes large and small, and she was a mainstay of stability for the family in the 1969-1974 sitcom. Ms. Davis became a born again Christian in 1993. "It happens to Episcopalians. Sometimes it doesn't hit you till you're 47 years old," she once said. She took a long sabbatical from the theater, largely limiting her performances to Brady Bunch specials and TV commercials, and returned to the theater in 1993, joining the touring cast of "Crazy for You," a musical featuring the songs of George and Ira Gershwin. Ms. Davis never married, saying she never found a man who was more interesting than her career. "By the time I started to get interested (in finding someone), all the good ones were taken," she told the Chicago Sun-Times. Bill Frey, a retired Episcopal bishop and a longtime friend of Ms. Davis, said she suffered a fall on May 31 at her San Antonio home. Frey said Davis had lived with him and his wife, Barbara, since 1976. Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch, said in a statement that Ms. Davis "made me a better person... How blessed I am to have had her in my life. She will be forever missed." "I'm shocked and saddened! I've lost a wonderful friend and colleague," Brady Bunch matriarch Florence Henderson said in a statement, and Eve Plumb, who played Jan Brady on the series, called Ms. Davis "an amazing lady." "She was great to work with, and I have wonderful memories of our scenes together on The Brady Bunch," Plumb said in a statement. "She was kind and generous to all of us on set." - AP, 6/2/14.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on November 17th, 2022

Elton John will end his U.S. dates on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour with a trio of concerts at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium in November, including the final show on Nov. 20 which is being livestreamed by Disney+ and including special guests Dua Lipa, Brandi Carlile and his "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" duet partner Kiki Dee. John's husband and business partner David Furnish tells Billboard that L.A. "has always had that professional resonance" and that's why the Rocket Man chose Dodger Stadium as the last U.S. tour stop, 47 years after Elton was the first solo artist to play the ballpark. "You know, we have a home here. Our sons were born next-door [to The Webster] at Cedars-Sinai; they're coming in next week to come and see the shows. We have our annual Oscar party here; we've raised $95 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation with that event for over 25 years. And so LA is a very, very special place for us." Before the Nov. 20 concert officially begins, a "Countdown to Elton Live" event will take place on the Disney+ livestream, featuring some of Elton's most famous friends from around the globe, along with interviews with John and Furnish. After the concert, an hour-long iHeartRadio special, "Elton John's Thank you to America: The Final Song," will broadcast nationwide on Nov. 21 at 1:00 a.m. EST. It'll look back on legendary moments from Elton's career and include a live simulcast of his final song and closing remarks from the Dodger Stadium show. A new trailer for the farewell concert has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 11/16/22...... Avowed Donald Trump foe Bette Midler had no shortage of words as the 45th president announced his third bid for the U.S. presidency in 7 years on Nov. 15. Watching the one-term president give his speech at Mar-A-Lago, Midler didn't exactly mince words while live-tweeting her thoughts, starting with, "Ugh. Piggy is speaking." "He's giving the same speech he gave in 2016. After a two year pandemic, and a million American lives lost, the rest of us have moved on. He is ossified. May he rot," the Hocus Pocus 2 star continued, adding minutes later, "Excuse me. I'm going to be sick." After Trump finished his hour-long announcement, Midler gave her assessment of the remarks, writing, "He just handed us two more years of his #delusions and #drivel. #unbearable." She also poked fun at the twice-impeached president's new campaign slogan "Make America Glorious and Great Again," tweeting, "IT'S OFFICIAL! The new name for its campaign is #MAGAGA! Congratulations to whoever got there first, let's take it all the way!! #MAGAGA." Midler's Trump tweetstorm can be followed on her Twitter stream. - Billboard, 11/16/22...... In related news, the estate of Isaac Hayes is threatening legal action against Trump for using the Hayes-composed song "Hold On, I'm Coming," which was made famous by R&B duo Sam & Dave, during his Nov. 15 campaign launch. The Hayes estate tweeted tweeted that it was exploring its legal options to stop the former reality star from using one of Hayes' compositions at his campaign events. "Once again, the estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve the use of Hold On I'm Coming' by Sam and Dave by Donald Trump at his 2024 Presidential announcement tonight," read the tweet from the reps for the singer/composer who died in 2008 at age 65. "We are exploring multiple legal options to stop this unauthorized use," it warned. Hayes co-wrote the 1966 hit and in a subsequent tweet the estate added, "Stopping a politician from using your music is not always an easy task, but we are dedicated to making sure that Donald Trump does not continue to use 'Hold on I'm Coming' by written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter in further rallies and public appearances." The former president, who is already facing a slew of criminal and civil investigations and lawsuits, repeatedly fell afoul of number of musical acts during his first presidential run in 2015-2016, as well as during his term as president and his 2020 campaign when he played their music at his rallies. Artists ranging from Adele to Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, R.E.M., Aerosmith, Panic! at the Disco, Guns N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Village People and the estates of Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty and Prince have vociferously objected to Trump playing their music at his rallies. - Billboard, 11/16/22...... An official trailer for the upcoming Neil Young documentary Harvest Time has been shared on YouTube. Announced earlier in November, Neil Young: Harvest Time features never-before-seen footage that was filmed in northern California, London and Nashville and documents the writing and recording of the folk-rock icon's classic 1972 album Harvest. Harvest Time celebrates the LP's 50th anniversary in 2022, and will be screened in cinemas on Dec. 1 and be preceded by a personal introduction from Young about the film and album. A press release on the film states that "Performance and rehearsal content is intertwined into creative storytelling, and includes most of the tracks from 'Harvest', including 'Heart of Gold', 'A Man Needs A Maid', 'Alabama' and 'Old Man'." "This is a big album for me," Young notes in the statement. "50 years ago, I was 24, maybe 23, and this album made a big difference in my life. I played with some great friends and it's really cool that this album has lasted so long. I had a great time and now, when I listen to it, I think I was really just lucky to be there." - NME, 11/12/22...... As his well received latest studio album Patient Number 9 was recently nominated for three Grammy awards, Ozzy Osbourne says he's "honestly overwhelmed." Released on Sept. 9, the LP has received Grammy nods for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for the Patient Number 9 title track (feat. Jeff Beck) as well as Best Metal Performance ("Degradation Rules") and Best Rock Album. It marks the most nominations the former Black Sabbath frontman has ever received for a single studio record. He has won three Grammys to date, and had eight nominations in total prior to the announcement. Osbourne, who has experienced several bouts with health emergencies over recent years, adds that "making this record was a great way to me to get back to work as I continued to heal. It's pretty great to be acknowledged at this point in my career." Patient Number 9 debuted at No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts including Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums, and at No. 3 on Billboard's venerable Hot 200 album chart, eventually making its way to the top spot. Globally, the album charted in the Top 10 in several countries including Canada, the UK, Australia, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. - New Musical Express, 11/17/22...... As the mega-selling soundtrack of the iconic disco-themed movie Saturday Night Fever celebrates its 45th anniversary on Nov. 15, former RSO Records president Bill Oakes remembers the first time he heard Bee Gees' demos for the songs that would end up on the label's blockbuster 1977 album. He and Robert Stigwood, the Bee Gees manager and founder of RSO, were visiting brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb at the Château d'Hrouville recording studio in northern France as the trio were mixing a live album. Stigwood requested that the Bee Gees come up with some new songs for a disco movie he was producing, starring an emerging actor named John Travolta. Following the meeting, Oakes went to Paris; a short period of time later, he received a cassette from Bee Gees' personal manager Dick Ashby. "I put it on in my hotel room," Oakes recalls. "It was one after the other -- No. 1 records. Even in their demo form, it was quite obviously a staggering success. It started with 'More Than a Woman,' 'Night Fever,' 'If I Can't Have You,' 'Stayin' Alive' and 'How Deep Is Your Love.' I said to Robert, 'We've got the score. We've got it.'" Those new songs that the Bee Gees came up with in short order catapulted both the movie and the soundtrack to massive commercial success, transformed the Gibb brothers into superstars and further popularized disco. Released 45 years ago on Nov. 15, 1977, the double album of disco standards is one of the best-selling soundtracks ever; in the last five years, the soundtrack's songs have racked up 1.9 billion on-demand U.S. streams, per Luminate. "As the years go on, it makes me more proud in a way," says Oakes, who is credited with "album supervision and compilation" in the Fever liner notes. "Anything that stands the test of time must be, by its very essence, worth it. Other things I've done have disappeared and you don't usually get satisfaction, 40 years later, out of what you did back then. But [the Fever soundtrack] does hold up." - Billboard, 11/14/22...... Bruce Springsteen is helping to promote his new album of R&B/Soul covers Only the Strong Survive with appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon during the third week of November. On Nov. 15, the New Jersey rocker performed the album track "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)," and stuck around for a chat with host Jimmy Fallon on whether he'll make an appearance on Taylor Swift's upcoming Eras Tour, misheard lyrics in "Thunder Road" and more. The following night, he performed "Turn Back the Hands of Time," originally recorded in 1970 by Tyrone Davis, and co-written by Jack Daniels and Bonnie Thompson. Only the Strong Survive is a collection of 15 soul covers, including songs made famous by Jerry Butler, Dobie Gray, The Commodores, Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Four Tops, The Walker Brothers and others. "I had so much fun recording this music," he previously explained. "I fell back in love with all these great songs and great writers and great singers. All of them still underrated in my opinion. And through the project I rediscovered the power of my own voice." As for jamming with pop princess Swift on her upcoming tour, the Boss said: "Well I will be...Because my daughter is gonna make sure I will be at the Taylor Swift show," Springsteen gamely replied with a laugh. "So I know that," he continued. "And she's welcome on E Street any time." His full interview can be seen on YouTube. - Billboard, 11/16/22...... In a new interview with London's Sunday Times, Rod Stewart revealed that he recently turned down over $1 million dollars to perform in Qatar. Sir Rod claimed that he was offered over $1 million for the potential gig, but turned it down over concerns about the criminalization of homosexuality in the country. "I was actually offered a lot of money, over $1 million, to play there 15 months ago," Stewart recounted. "I turned it down. It's not right to go. The Iranians should be out too for supplying arms. Tell you what, supporters have got to watch out, haven't they?" Controversy has surrounded the 2022 World Cup being held in Qatar, with Robbie Williams and BTS singer Jung Kook coming under fire for agreeing to perform in the Middle Eastern country. Dua Lipa recently spoke out to deny she is performing at the World Cup opening ceremony, which is being held on Nov. 20. - Music-News.com, 11/15/22...... The first trailer for Paul McCartney's daughter Mary McCartney's upcoming Abbey Road Studios documentary If These Walls Could Sing has been shared on YouTube. The film is packed with fond remembrances from rock all-stars, including her dad, Sir Paul McCartney, as his former bandmate, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Noel Gallagher, Nile Rodgers and Star Wars creator George Lucas, among others. In the preview, Mary McCartney says Abbey Road has been part of her life "for as long as I can remember," as attested to by snaps of a baby Mary -- now 53 -- laying on the studio floor on a blanket. There is also, of course, ample footage of Sir Paul attesting to the special alchemy of those rooms in St. John's Wood, including him popping up to play a beloved piano just over his shoulder as Mary ticks off the many genres of music that have been laid down in those four walls, from classical to pop, Afrobeat, blues and more. The Disney+ doc will drop on Dec. 16, in time to commemorate the studio's 90th anniversary. - Billboard, 11/15/22...... BMG has acquired the song catalog of the beloved, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson for an undisclosed amount, the company announced on Nov. 14. The deal includes Nilsson's publishing catalog and writer revenue streams of songs including "One," "Coconut," "Jump Into the Fire," "Gotta Get Up" and "Me and My Arrow" as well as songs co-written with John Lennon ("Mucho Mungo/Mt. Elga" and "Old Dirt Road"), Danny Kortchmar ("(Thursday) Here's Why I Did Not Go to Work Today" and "Moonshine Bandit"), Dr. John ("Daylight Has Caught Me") and Ringo Starr ("How Long Can Disco On"). The deal additionally includes artist revenue streams of Nilsson's recordings, also including hits he didn't write like "Everybody's Talkin'" and his No. 1 smash, "Without You." Over his career, Nilsson released 18 studio albums, including his 1966 debut Spotlight on Nilsson, Harry, Nilsson Sings Newman, Nilsson Schilsson, A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, the Lennon-produced Pussy Cats, Knnillssonn and Flash Harry. The list also includes soundtracks for Skidoo, Son of Dracula and Popeye, as well as the posthumous album Losst and Found. As part of the acquisition, BMG will collaborate with Nilsson's family to explore opportunities around his other creative assets. These include Nilsson's story for The Point! -- the 1971 ABC TV special for which he also wrote the soundtrack -- as well as his name, image and likeness, including for film, TV, stage and books. Nilsson died of a heart attack in 1994 at age 52 while recording the latter album, which was finished and released 25 years later in 2019. - Billboard, 11/14/22...... A rep for Roberta Flack revealed on Nov. 14 that the Grammy-winning songstress has ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and can no longer sing. Due to her diagnosis, it is now "impossible to sing and not easy to speak" for the star, per a press release, "but it will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon." Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, impacts the muscles that control eating, walking, speaking and more. Approximately 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The announcement comes just days before the release of the Flack documentary Roberta, which will premiere at DOC NYC film festival on Nov. 17. The film explores the complexity of Flack's lyrical and thematic choices as well as the classical and soul influences that helped her develop her musical style and subsequently inspired many others. Flack is known for hits like "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face," the latter of which was famously used in Clint Eastwood's 1971 film, Play Misty for Me. The song also won the Record of the Year Grammy in 1973. 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Flack's landmark fourth album, Killing Me Softly, and to celebrate, Rhino Records will unveil a commemorative reissue of the record. - Billboard, 11/14/22...... Arlo Guthrie has come out of retirement for a four-date "What's Left of Me" tour in 2023, which he says will help facilitate his recovery from a 2019 stroke. "There's nothing like playing before a live audience," says the prolific songwriter, activist and storyteller who suffered a series of strokes in 2019 and decided to retire in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered the live music industry. Now, after three years resting at his home in Berkshire County, Mass. with wife Marti Ladd, the couple decided that "I could recuperate better in front of a live audience, rather than just sit at home, and both agreed I should get back out there as part of my rehabilitation." Guthrie will embark on a four-city storytelling theater tour titled "Arlo Guthrie -- What's Left Of Me -- A Conversation With Bob Santelli," featuring the executive director of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. The first show in the series will take place at Boston's Schubert Theater on Apr. 1, followed by The Egg in Albany, NY on Apr. 21; The Pollock Theater at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. on Apr. 28; and The Spruce Peak PAC in Stowe, Vermont on May 27. Arlo's father Woody Guthrie is one of the most significant and recognized American folk artists of the last century and Arlo has received multiple awards and accolades for his work in folk music, which he insists is more of a musical movement than a genre. "That to me is what folk music is," he continues. "It's how you learn music. It's not the sound of it. It's not the look of it. You don't need a fancy hat for it. You don't need lights or amplification. You don't need anything besides experience and the will to learn how to play." Tickets are available www.gut3.me. - Billboard, 11/14/22...... Music publishing and talent management company Primary Wave and the estate of James Brown have been hit with a massive lawsuit over their $90 million catalog sale of songs by Brown in 2021. David Pullman's Pullman Group, the creator of "Bowie Bonds" (a novel financial vehicle that offered investors the right to collect future royalties in return for a lump payment to an artist) claims it struck a deal with Brown way back in 1999 that guaranteed the company the right to broker any such deal in the future. Announced in December, the sale saw Primary Wave scoop up a portion of Brown's publishing rights, master royalty income and name/likeness rights from the singer's estate -- adding the "Soul Brother No. 1" to the likes of Whitney Houston and Prince in the company's growing catalog. Pullman Group is seeking more than $11 million in damages from the Brown estate, and a whopping $125 million from Primary Wave. The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 15 in Manhattan federal court. - Billboard, 11/16/22...... Foreigner has announced it will kick off a farewell tour in 2023. Forty-five years after it "felt like the first time" for the veteran hard rock band, Foreigner will launch its "Historic Farewell Tour on July 6 in Alpharetta, Ga., with 32 U.S dates running through Sept. 3 in Holmdel, N.J., with Loverboy as openers. More legs, both domestic and overseas, are on tap through the end of 2024. Foreigner was formed during 1976 by British guitarist Mick Jones, and Jones says the band is "completely revitalized band with a whole new energy that has won the hearts of our fans all over the world, and I want to go out while the band is still at the top of its game." "I had the idea that was to become Foreigner back in 1974, and I was 30 years old at the time. By the end of our farewell tour, over 50 years will have passed, and that's a long time to be on the road," adds the 77-year-old guitarist. "We're at an era in life where a lot of bands from the '70s are right on the ragged edge of still being able to do shows," says Jones. "I see other musicians sometimes that I go, 'Wow, that was disappointing,' and I don't want to be someone that other people say that about. I want to do this band the way it's supposed to be, and when it's not like that I don't want to be doing it." Since its formation, Foreigner has released nine studio albums -- five of them multi-platinum, plus the 1982 hits set Records -- and sold more than 50 million records worldwide. It's also notched nine top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including rock radio staples such as "Feels Like the First Time," "Hot Blooded," "Double Vision," "Urgent" and the chart-topping power ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is." More than two dozen members have been part of the roster over the years, and members of the first two lineups made a series of guest appearances with the current lineup during 2017 and 2018. Jones, the last original member still active with Foreigner, has become something of a special guest at the band's concerts, not attending every show due to health reasons and playing during the latter portion of the set. "Mick does all the shows he can do with us as his health allows, and we're cognizant of that," says current Foreigner frontman Kelly Hansen. "I can't say that doesn't have an effect" on the farewell tour decision, "but that's also a reality of life and time, so you take what you're given and you make your decisions based on that." Foreigner has a number of concerts scheduled in November 2022 and also in the spring, prior to the farewell tour launch -- including March and April residencies at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Hansen adds that while Foreigner is calling a halt to touring it may not go away entirely. "I'm sure there might be the odd or occasional things we do," the frontman says. "You can never say never about things. But for me this (tour) is it. It's not like one of these, like we've seen, ploys to get people out to shows." 32 dates have been announced for the first leg of the tour, which wraps on Sept. 3 in Holmdel, N.J. - Billboard, 11/14/22...... Dolly Parton has received $100 million from Amazon executive chairman Jeff Bezos' Courage & Civility philanthropic award for her philanthropic work. The award recognizes "leaders who aim high, find solutions and who always do it with civility," comments journalist and Bezos' partner Lauren Sanchez. Each awardee is expected to direct the sum to "the charities that they see fit," adds Sanchez during a presentation, posted to social channels on Nov. 13. Parton, notes Bezos, "embodies these ideas so thoroughly. She gives with her heart, what she's done for kids, and literacy and so many other things, is just incredible." She will "put this $100 million award to great use helping so many people," he continues. Parton was typically modest of her fine work. "When people are in a position to help, you should help. And I know that I've always said, I try to put my money where my heart is," she said as she took the podium to receive the award in front of music industry luminaries, including Clive Davis. "I will do my best to do good things with this money." - Billboard, 11/14/22...... Joni Mitchell has announced plans to release her comeback Newport Folk Festival performance as a live album. Earlier this summer, Mitchell performed a surprise set at the legendary music festival -- which she last appeared at in 1969 -- delivering a 13-song "Joni Mam" set that featured Brandi Carlile on the tracks "Carey," "A Case Of You" and "Big Yellow Taxi." In a new rare interview with Elton John on his Rocket Hour radio show for Apple Music, Mitchell revealed that plans are in place to release the performance as an album. John said: "I've seen you through music, and of course your incredible rehabilitation, but music has helped you so much and it's beautiful to watch you evolve. And people out there, you haven't heard things from the Newport Folk Festival yet, but I think there's going to be an album coming out of that one?" Mitchell then replied: "Yeah, we're trying to put that out." Going on to reveal that she "didn't have any" rehearsals ahead of the performance, Mitchell then spoke about standing up to play the guitar during the performance. "Yeah, that I had to figure out what I did," she said. "And I couldn't sing the key, I've become an alto, I'm not a soprano anymore, so I couldn't sing the song. And I thought people might feel lighted that if I just played the guitar part but I like the guitar part to that song. So anyway, it was very well received, much to my delight." In 2023, Mitchell is set to continue her return to the stage, playing her first headline show in 23 years according to Carlile. - NME, 11/12/22...... Sting has announced a string of new UK dates as part of his "My Songs 2023" world tour. The former Police star will play Bedford Park in Bedfordshire, East England, on June 24, before heading up north to Scarborough to rock the Open Air Theatre on June 25. He's then due to play Lytham Festival in Lancashire on June 30. The following month, he play Cardiff (7/2) and Halifax (7/4). Tickets go on sale on Nov. 18. - Music-News.com, 11/15/22...... Innovative guitarist Keith Levene, co-founder of The Clash and Public Image, Ltd, died on Nov. 12 after a battle with liver cancer. He was 65. Levene's death was announced through social media by former PIL bandmates Martin Atkins and Jah Wobble. "A sad time to learn of the passing of guitar giant Keith Levene," Atkins wrote on Twitter. "We had our ups and downs that had mellowed over time. My respect for his unique talent never will. RIP KEITH LEVENE," Wobble said. Levene, who was born in London in 1957 and as a teenager was a roadie for Yes, was a co-founder of the Clash but left the band before their first album was even released. He teamed up with guitarist Mick Jones in the mid-1970s to form an early version of the Clash. Along with the band's manager Bernard Rhodes, Levene convinced Joe Strummer to join the group. Levene departed before the act started recording, but co-wrote the song "What's My Name," which appears on the Clash's 1977 debut album. After leaving the Clash, Levene briefly formed the band Flowers of Romance with Sid Vicious, who later left to join the Sex Pistols. When the Sex Pistols disbanded in 1978, Levene and singer John Lydon joined forces with bass player John Wardle (aka Jah Wobble) and drummer Jim Walker to form Public Image Ltd. Levene contributed to Public Image Ltd's earliest albums -- First Issue (1978), Metal Box (1979) and Flowers of Romance (1981) -- and left the group in the mid-1983. Later in his career, Levene worked on a handful of solo projects, including 1989's Violent Opposition, featuring members of Red Hot Chili Peppers. - Billboard, 11/12/22...... Joe Tarsia, founder of Sigma Sound Studios and chief engineer for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records, died on Nov. 1 in Lancaster, Penn. The cause of death of the 88-year-old, known as the architect of the "Sound of Philadelphia," was not disclosed. In collaboration with songwriter/producers Gamble, Huff, and Thom Bell, Tarsia played an instrumental role in crafting PIR's distinctive brand of sophisticated soul, dubbed the Sound of Philadelphia. He left his imprint on a host of classic hits such as Jerry Butler's "Only the Strong Survive," The O'Jays' "Love Train" and "Back Stabbers," Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me by Now," Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones" and The Spinners' "I'll Be Around." Tarsia also amassed credits on recordings by Teddy Pendergrass, the Stylistics, Patti LaBelle, the Delfonics and Lou Rawls. Beyond the stable of PIR acts, Sigma Sound in Philadelphia also attracted the likes of Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and The Jacksons. Tarsia also operated a Sigma Sound branch in New York from 1977-1988, booking sessions for Madonna, Whitney Houston and Elton John, among others. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sigma Sound's founding in 2018, Tarsia told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "If I made a contribution, it was that Philadelphia had a unique sound. I was able to attract the best technicians, the best engineers. And the history speaks for itself. Sigma -- not me -- has 200 gold and platinum records... There was the Motown sound. The Memphis sound. The Muscle Shoals sound. And there was the Sigma sound." - Billboard, 11/12/22.

Peter Gabriel has announced his first UK and European tour in nearly a decade will get underway in Krakow, Poland on May 18. The former Genesis frontman will also visit Verona, Milan, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Amsterdam and other cities throughout that month and into June. Gabriel will then touch down in his native UK where he'll take to the stage at Birmingham's Utilita Arena (6/17), The O2 in London (6/19), the OVO Hydro in Glasgow (6/22), the AO Arena in Manchester (6/23) and the 3Arena in Dublin (6/25). Announcing the tour on Twitter, Gabriel said: "It's been a while and I am now surrounded by a whole lot of new songs and am excited to be taking them out on the road for a spin. Look forward to seeing you out there." Per a press release, the "i/o Tour" -- which shares its name with Gabriel's yet-to-be-announced 10th album -- is due to include "hits, fan favorites" and some "unexpected" airings. Gabriel will appear alongside regular bandmates Tony Levin, David Rhodes and Manu Katch. - NME, 11/8/22...... Between 1957 and 1959, a young Hibbing, Minn. boy named Bob Zimmerman wrote a deeply personal collection of love letters to a high school sweetheart in which he envisioned changing his name and selling a million records. Now those 42 letters totaling 150 pages by the future Bob Dylan to his girlfriend Barbara Ann Hewitt are being auctioned by Boston's RR Auction house through Nov. 17. The missives, never before made public, shed a shed light on a period in the folk-rock icon's life for which not much firsthand information is known. "This archive is one of the most culturally important of the 20th century we have ever offered," said RR Auction Executive Vice President Bobby Livingston, who is also a big Dylan fan. The collection, including a lavish Valentine's Day card, is a "first-person account of Dylan's formative years," he said. Hewitt's daughter found the letters after her mother died in 2020. They, along with the original envelopes addressed in Dylan's handwriting, are being offered as a single lot with a starting bid of $250,000. In one letter, he asks Hewitt for feedback about changing his name ("Little Willie" and "Elston" are mentioned in the letters), and writes about selling a million records (he's actually sold about 125 million) and appearing on American Bandstand in front of throngs of screaming girls. Alas, like most teenage romances, it came to an end. In one of the last letters, the future Nobel laureate asks Hewitt to return the photographs he sent her. But it seems likely Dylan did not forget her. Hewitt's daughter told RR Auction that Dylan called her mother sometime in the late 1960s after he'd hit the big time and asked her to come to California. She turned him down. Hewitt was a redhead, and Livingston speculates that Dylan's references to redheaded or auburn-haired women in some songs were inspired by Hewitt, including "Tangled Up in Blue" where in one line he wonders "if her hair was still red." Hewitt moved on, apparently. She married another Hibbing man, but divorced in the late 1970s after seven years and never remarried, her daughter told the auction house. - AP, 11/20/22...... Bruce Springsteen released his 21st studio album Only the Strong Survive on Nov. 5. Springsteen says the new album of classic soul/R&B covers is the first concept album he's done since 2006's Pete Seeger tribute, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. The 73-year-old New Jersey rocker adds he paid particular attention to the vocals, and his team "mastered and sonically modernized some of the most beautiful songs in the American pop song book. "I had so much fun recording this music," he says. "I fell back in love with all these great songs and great writers and great singers. All of them still underrated in my opinion. And through the project I rediscovered the power of my own voice." The 15-track album features songs made famous by the likes of Jerry Butler, Dobie Gray, The Commodores, Jimmy Ruffin, Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Four Tops, The Walker Brothers and more. The follow-up to 2019's Western Stars and 2020's Letter to You -- both of which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart -- Only The Strong Survive can be streamed on Spotify.com. Fans can also see live performances of several songs on the new album when The Boss appears on NBC's The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon on Nov. 14, 15 and 16, in addition to the special Thanksgiving episode on Nov. 24. Springsteen and his E Street Band have previously announced they will kick of an international arena/stadium tour in Feb. 2023, with dates across North America, the U.K. and Europe stretching deep into summer. Meanwhile, on Nov. 7 Springsteen delivered his annual performance of songs and one-liners at the 2022 Stand Up For Heroes benefit gig. "I've been here for 16 years," Springsteen told the crowd. He has played every event since the event's inception in 2007, bar 2017 when the date clashed with his Broadway run. "It's always an honor to be here with our men and women in uniform who have given us so much. Thank you, thank you," he added. Running since 2007, Stand Up For Heroes is an annual gig that benefits the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which supports charities and runs programs benefitting US veterans. Fan-shot footage of Springsteen performing "See You In My Dreams" at the show has been shared on Twitter. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 11/11/22...... Paul McCartney announced on Nov. 10 he will release The 73 Singles, a career-spanning box set that will feature 80 singles personally chosen by the singer from throughout his solo career, on Dec. 2. With a total of 163 tracks totaling more than 10 hours of music, the set -- which will also be released digitally -- is limited to 3,000 copies and will feature such beloved singles as "My Love," "Live and Let Die," "Band on the Run," "Silly Love Songs," "Coming Up," "Ebony and Ivory," "Say Say Say" and "No More Lonely Lights," among many others, and come in a wooden art crate. "I hope the songs in this box set bring back fun memories for you too. They do for me, and there will be more to come," Sir Paul said in a statement announcing the set. The box spans the time from 1971's "Another Day" to a 73 version of McCartney's 2022 Record Store Day song of the year, "Women and Wives" from 2020's McCartney III. The collection brings together 65 singles with their original B-sides -- using restored artwork from 11 different countries -- in addition to 15 singles never before released on 73 -- collected from previously released 123 , picture discs, CD singles and promos, digital downloads, music videos and two previously unheard demos and a previously unheard 73 single edit. In addition to the singles, the wooden box will also include a 148-page book with a personal foreword by McCartney, an essay from Rolling Stone music writer Rob Sheffield and chart information, liner notes and single artwork. Each box will also include a randomly selected, exclusive test pressing of one of the singles. Macca celebrated the announcement by sharing a rare 1971 mono recording from the set of "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey [Mono]" and "Too Many People [Mono]" on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 11/10/22...... In other Beatles-related news, the reissue of the band's 1966 Revolver LP has soared to No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts following its Oct. 28 release. The set re-enters at No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Catalog Albums (all dated Nov. 12) - its first week at No. 1 on all three lists. Revolver also re-enters Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums and Tastemaker Albums at No. 2. For Revolver's Super Deluxe Edition reissue, the album was reintroduced and remixed in a variety of expanded formats and editions, including many with previously unreleased tracks. The range included a standard digital album priced at $9.99 in the iTunes Store up through a boxed set boasting four vinyl LPs and two seven-inch singles that sold for $200 or more, depending on the retailer. Of Revolver's 46,000 in album sales for the week, physical sales comprise 42,000 (18,000 on vinyl and 24,000 on CD) and digital album download sales comprise 4,000. The rerelease of Revolver is part of the ongoing series of expanded reissues of select studio albums by the Beatles. It follows reissues of Let It Be in 2021 (first released in 1970), Abbey Road in 2019 (first released in 1969), The Beatles in 2018 (often referred to as the White Album, first released in 1968) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2017 (first released in 1967). - Billboard, 11/9/22...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, comments made by John Lennon's assassin Mark David Chapman's latest parole hearing were released on Nov. 7 under a freedom of information request and reported by the Associated Press. Chapman told the parole board his decision to shoot and kill the legendary songwriter was "my big answer to everything... I wasn't going to be a nobody, anymore." He added: "I am not going to blame anything else or anybody else for bringing me there. I knew what I was doing, and I knew it was evil, I knew it was wrong, but I wanted the fame so much that I was willing to give everything and take a human life." Chapman, who was denied parole in August for the 12th time, is serving a 20-years-to-life sentence at Green Haven Correctional Facility, north of New York City, according to state corrections records published online. He is expected to appear before the parole board again in Feb. 2024. - Billboard/AP, 11/8/22...... Elton John is wrapping up the North American leg of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour with concerts at Chase Field in Phoenix on the second weekend of November, before wrapping up with a three-night stand at L.A.'s Dodger's Stadium beginning Nov. 17. The Rocketman launched a final round of North American concerts in July and has played over 250 shows on the farewell tour. The jaunt has become the third biggest tour in history grossing a reported $661 million. "Thank you for sharing this journey with me, I cherish these memories we're making together," Elton said in tour announcement video. "It's been nothing short of incredible and I look forward to seeing you soon, one last time on my Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour." The tour will then head overseas to Australia and New Zealand in January, followed by dates in the U.K., including London's O2 Arena, and other parts of Europe. - Billboard, 11/20/22...... The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has dropped a trailer for its upcoming class of 2022 induction ceremony special, which will begin streaming Nov. 19 on HBO Max and premiere on premium cable channel HBO the same day. In the nearly two-minute clip which can be viewed on YouTube, snippets from the latest induction ceremony earlier in November flash across the screen. Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon are all seen accepting their prestigious honor, along with introductions from star-studded attendees. Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis also joined the Rock Hall with the "award for musical excellence." - Billboard, 11/10/22...... Jimi, a new Jimi Hendrix book celebrating what would have been the late guitar god's 80th birthday on Nov. 27, hit stores on Nov. 8. Jimi was authored by Hendrix's stepsister Janie Hendrix and John McDermott of Experience Hendrix L.L.C., and is described as a visual ode to "the greatest guitar player in rock n' roll history." The 320-page book features rare and never-before-published photographs of Hendrix, personal memorabilia, lyrics, and more. Quotes from Paul McCartney, Ron Wood, Jeff Beck, Lenny Kravitz, Drake, Dave Grohl and others who have spoken about Hendrix's lasting musical impact are included in the book, which is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Target, Chronicle Books, and other major booksellers. In addition to the release of Jimi, Hendrix's estate has announced a live album, The Jimi Hendrix Experience Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969, out Nov. 18 and an all-star tribute concert scheduled for December. "The Jimi Hendrix 80th Birthday Celebration," will be held at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin, Tex. on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 8:00 p.m. - Billboard, 11/8/22...... The Who's Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have announced they'll perform an acoustic set at a charity Christmas carol service in London in December. The event will benefit Nordoff Robbins, with proceeds used to help the organization's music therapists who support those in need through music therapy. The service will take place at St Luke's Church in Chelsea at 7:00 pm on Dec. 13 and will feature more celebrity appearances, which will be announced soon. "Christmas is a magical time and we're so pleased to be sharing some of our favourite songs and festive music at this year's Nordoff Robbins Carol Service," Pete Townshend said in a press release. "Nordoff Robbins really can help people to break through barriers with music, so even the most physically or mentally isolated can connect with others and realise their true potential. We know from our lifelong experience making music that where words fail, music speaks -- and that's why Nordoff Robbins' work is so important to us." Roger Daltrey added: "What Nordoff Robbins does with music makes such a positive change to people's lives -- which is why we're supporting them at this very special Christmas service. Music is our shared language and is incredibly powerful, and music therapy can reconnect people who may otherwise feel isolated or disconnected from the world -- whether a young person with autism, a person living with dementia or somebody rebuilding their lives after an accident." - NME, 11/9/22...... ZZ Top bassist Elwood Francis performed with a ridiculous looking 17-string bass on Nov. 5 as the 'lil ole band from Texas played a concert in Huntsville, Ala. on Nov. 5. Francis' behemoth bass is likely custom-made, although it is marked Fender on the headstock. Francis was formerly a stage tech for the band, before joining them last year following the death of ZZ Top bassist, Dusty Hill. "I was doing night internet searching [and] turned up a picture of this crazy 17-string bass," Francis said in an interview on Nov. 10. "I sent a picture to [ZZ Top guitarist-vocalist] Billy [Gibbons] and we laughed about it and made some jokes about actually trying to use it." He added, "A few weeks later, after I had forgotten about it, Billy shows up with [the 17-string bass]." The bassist went on to describe performing with the bass as "one of those 'hold my beer' moments." ZZ Top has continued to perform since Hill's passing in 2021. They released a live album titled Raw in July, which was supported by a North American tour from May through August, and a new Sam Dunn-directed concert film sees the band's original lineup -- which included Gibbons, Hill and drummer Frank Beard -- performing an intimate career-spanning set at the historic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Tex. The trio also played several dates of Willie Nelson's touring Outlaw Music Festival earlier in 2022. - NME, 11/11/22...... Eagles member Joe Walsh has announced a VetsAid 2022 concert for Nov. 13 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Oh. Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl is billed as a special guest on the lineup, which also includes Nine Inch Nails, the Black Keys and the Breeders, with comedian/actor Drew Carey hosting. Although Walsh says Grohl told him "I don't know (what I'm gonna do), but I'm coming," Walsh says Grohl "can do anything he wants." "He's gonna play a couple James Gang songs. I'm sure he'll play 'Rocky Mountain Way' with me, probably help sing it." Grohl performed Walsh's early band The James Gang's "Funk #49" with a new incarnation of the band at both of the tribute concerts in memory of late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Walsh -- whose father was a military flight instructor who died while on active duty in Okinawa, Japan, when Walsh was just 20 months old -- founded VetsAid in 2017 to raise funds and awareness for the needs of veterans and their families, distributing funds to grassroots organizations in the communities where the concerts are held and beyond. VetsAid, in partnership with the Combined Arms Institute, has so far distributed more than $2 million in grants from the benefits and other fundraising efforts. For those unable to attend the show, VetsAid will be livestreamed via veeps.com, with tickets on sale via vetsaid.veeps.com. Net proceeds will go to the charity, while Fandiem and Bandsintown are also participating in helping to raise additional money. This year's grant recipients include Paralyzed Veterans of America -- Buckeye Chapter, Hire Heroes USA, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, the Resurrecting Lives Foundation, Back the Heroes Rumble and more. Updates and other information can be found at vetsaid.org. - Billboard, 11/8/22...... After announcing his intention to relocate his family back to his native UK in early September, Ozzy Osbourne says he's having second thoughts about leaving the US. The metal icon had seemed poised to bounce back to his native England after it was announced that the BBC had green-lit a revival of the beloved Osbournes series starring the First Family of Metal, and after he said he was "fed up" with America because of the relentless string of mass shootings in the U.S. "Everything's f----ing ridiculous there. I'm fed up with people getting killed every day. God knows how many people have been shot in school shootings," Osbourne said in a an interview with The Observer. But in a new cover story for Consequence of Sound, Ozzy said after decades of living in Los Angeles he's on the fence about making the move permanent. "I'm getting a bit of flak from people," Ozzy said about the reaction to news of the planned pack-up that will set the stage for the BBC reality series Home to Roost. "To be honest with you, if I had my way, I'd stay in America. I'm American now. To be honest with you, I don't want to go back [to England]. F--k that." According to the BBC, producers expect to film 10 30-minute episodes for BBC One and iPlayer of Home to Roost, which will find the clan -- Ozzy and wife Sharon Osbourne, son Jack and daughter Kelly Osbourne -- living their new life at their 350-acre Welders House estate in Buckinghamshire. Producers promised to chronicle everything from Sharon's recent 70th birthday party to daughter Kelly's soon-to-be-born baby, Ozzy's upcoming tour to the big move itself. Osbourne also told the publication that he wants an "unknown" actor to play him in the forthcoming biopic about he and his wife Sharon's life. The Osbournes confirmed that the film was in the works in 2020, with an official announcement following in Oct. 2021. It'll focus on Ozzy and Sharon's whirlwind relationship between 1979 and 1996. "I don't want to have anyone like Johnny Depp act as me. I rather have someone who is relatively unknown," Ozzy said. - Billboard, 11/7/22...... Iggy Pop announced details of his new album Every Loser on Nov. 10. Iggy previewed the new record in October with a raw, energetic first single called "Frenzy." "Frenzy" features an all-star band including producer Andrew Watt, Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, and is the opening track from the 11-song album. Every Loser will land on Jan. 6 via Atlantic and Gold Tooth Records, the label of Watt. Pop has shared "Frenzy" on YouTube. He is also set to release a 10th anniversary edition of his 2012 album Aprés as part of Record Store Day's Black Friday on Nov. 25. - NME, 11/10/22...... Lionel Richie has been tapped as the Icon Award honoree at the 2022 American Music Awards. Richie, who hosted the show in both 1984 and 1985, at the peak of his career, will take the stage to look back on his most iconic songs and AMA achievements over the years. He will become the only artist to be featured on the AMAs stage in every decade since the show's inception in 1974. The Icon Award honors an artist "whose body of work has marked a global influence over the music industry." Rihanna was the first recipient of the award in 2013. Hosted by Wayne Brady, the 2022 American Music Awards will air live from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Nov. 20, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. The show will stream the next day on Hulu. In 2016, Richie was named MusiCares' Person of the Year and was the recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame's top award, the Johnny Mercer Prize. In 2017, Richie received the Kennedy Center Honors and in 2022, was awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier in November. - Billboard, 11/7/22...... In the weekend before the 2022 US midterm elections on Nov. 8 which saw Democrats perform much better than the pundits and pollsters predicted, Cher used her her social media reach to encourage her four million Twitter followers to vote in the election. In a pair of Twitter videos for NY Gov. Kathy Hochul and Nev. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, the pop icon focused in on supporting the two female candidates. "New Yorkers, it's election season. Right now you have a Trump supporter trying to oust your Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul," she said in one. "This man, (Hochul opponent) Lee Zeldin, has riled up the MAGA base to support him and the polls show it could be a close race. New York, I love you with all my heart," Cher continued. "I have spent half of my life there and I would hate to see a guy who wants to ban abortion, frack the state and have 'Don't Say Gay' policies in schools become the governor of your great state." In the second video about Sen. Cortez Masto, the pop diva reminded Nevada voters that "In this election, what happens in Vegas won't stay in Vegas," as the results from the swing state will inevitably affect the balance of the Senate, and thereby the entire country. Both of Cher's posts directed followers to iwillvote.com, a website with state-by-state voting resources put together by the Democratic National Committee. Meanwhile, Cher has broken her silence on rumors that she is dating music producer Alexander Edwards. The "Believe" singer sparked speculation that she was dating the Def Jam record label executive when they were photographed leaving a club while holding hands earlier in November. Cher confirmed the romance on Nov. 5 by posting a photo of Alexander on Twitter with a red heart emoji. When a user asked whether the photo was of her "new man," Cher responded simply with a loved-up emoji, and when another fan wrote that Alexander "better be treating you like the queen you are", Cher replied, "LIKE A (crown emoji)." As other users criticized the couple for their 40-year age gap (Cher is 76 years old and Alexander is 36), Cher tweeted on Nov. 6: "I'm Not Defending us. Haters are Gonna Hate... Doesn't Matter That & Not Bothering Anyone (sic)." She also slammed a user questioning Alexander's "motives and intentions", writing, "Haven't You Got Anything Else 2 Do!? Let Me Explain...I DONT GIVE A (FLYING) FK WHAT ANYONE THINKS (sic)." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 11/7/22...... Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook has shot down any hopes that the irreverent '70s punk band could reunite, saying "there's absolutely no chance of that happening." "I wouldn't want to do it anyway, especially after the Pistol court case last year, which was a shitshow," Cook told New Musical Express. "Being in the High Court was the last place I wanted to be, with guys in wigs grilling you. It was a horrible experience." Cook continued: "I would have preferred to have worked it out down the pub with a couple of pints. I think we're too old to be singing 'Anarchy In The UK' at our age anyway. It wouldn't feel right!" Cook and the Pistols' guitarist, Steve Jones, took the band's frontman, John Lydon, to court last year after he refused to license the group's music for use in Danny Boyle's biopic series Pistol. Cook and Jones won the lawsuit, which is said to have left Lydon in "financial ruin." - NME, 11/11/22...... Guitarist Garry Roberts, a founding member of the Irish band Boomtown Rats, died on the morning of Nov. 9. He was 72. In a statement posted on Facebook, the band called Roberts an "old friend and great guitarist and said: "It is with a very heavy heart that the members of Boomtown Rats announce the death this morning of Garry Roberts. On a clear spring evening in 1975, in a pub in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Garry became THE founding member of what turned out to be a great rock 'n' roll band, driven largely by that sound of his. A storm of massive considered noise that punched out from his overtaxed amplifiers and which animated not just the rest of the group but audiences he played to around the world." The band hailed Roberts as the member who "summed up the sense of who The Rats are." The remaining members -- which includes frontman Bob Geldof, bassist Pete Briquette and drummer Simon Crowe -- have all extended their "deepest sympathy to his family and friends." The group -- whose hits include "Rat Trap," "I Don't Like Mondays" and "Banana Republic" -- also confessed to feeling "strangely adrift without him." Their statement explained: "For fans he was The Legend -- and he was. For us he was Gazzer, the guy who summed up the sense of who The Rats are. We have known Garry since we were children and so we feel strangely adrift without him tonight. Safe travels Gaz. Thanks for everything mate. (sic)" - Bang Showbiz, 11/9/22...... Gallagher, the long-haired, watermelon-smashing comedian who left a trail of laughter and anger over a decades-long career, died on Nov. 11 at his home in Palm Springs, Calif., after a brief illness. He was 76. Gallagher had numerous heart attacks over the years, including one right before a scheduled show in Texas in 2012. With a beret on his head and a few simple props, from a can of oil to a bull whip, the man born Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr. built a nationwide following in the 1970s and '80s, appearing on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show and starring in numerous Showtime specials. His act included observational humour ("What about Easter? Whose idea was it to give eggs to an animal that hops"), political commentary ("They don't call a tax a tax. They call it a revenue enhancer"), invented sports (synchronized Ping-Pong) and his trademark Sledge-O-Matic destruction. Sledgehammer in hand, he would then apply his full muscle to apples, grapes, lettuce and other produce, most famously the inevitable watermelon, with audience members in front showered in food bits. Gallagher was a Fort Bragg, N.C., native who started out in 1960 as road manager for the comedian/musician Jim Stafford and soon began performing himself, honing his act at the Comedy Store and other comedy clubs. In 2003, he was among more than 100 candidates running in the recall election for California governor, won by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Over the past decade, he appeared in a Geico commercial and in the movie The Book Of Daniel. - AP, 11/11/22...... Dan McCafferty, original lead singer for Scottish hard rockers Nazareth, has died at age 76. The vocalist's passing was announced by co-founding bassist/backing vocalist Pete Agnew, who revealed in an Instagram post that McCafferty died. A cause of death has yet to be announced. "This is the saddest announcement I ever had to make," Agnew wrote. "Maryann and the family have lost a wonderful loving husband and father, I have lost my best friend and the world has lost one of the greatest singers who ever lived. Too upset to say anything more at this time." McCafferty, born on Oct. 14, 1946 in Dunfermline, Scotland was a co-founder of Nazareth, which was formed in 1968 with Agnew, guitarist Manny Charlton and drummer Darrell Sweet. The band released their self-titled debut in 1971, which was followed by 1972's Exercises and 1973's Razamanaz. But it wasn't until their sixth album, 1975's Hair of the Dog, that the group broke out beyond their European success, thanks to their rocked-up cover of The Everly Brothers' 1960 hit "Love Hurts." The showcase for McCafferty's muscular vocals rose to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Hair of the Dog also marked the band's highest charting album on the Billboard Hot 200 album charts, where it rose to No. 17 in Mar. 1976, according to data provided by Luminate. McCafferty fronted the band until his retirement from touring in 2013 due to unspecified health issues and appeared on 23 studio albums through 2014's Rock 'n' Roll Telephone, after which he was replaced by Linton Osborne in 2014, who in turn was replaced by current singer Carl Sentance. McCafferty also released a pair of solo albums during his time with the group, a self-titled 1975 collection and 1987's Into the Ring, as well as his final solo effort, 2019's Last Testament. - Billboard, 11/9/22...... Leslie Phillips, the Carry On and Harry Potter actor famed or his catchphrases "Ding Dong" and "I Say" in the films, died on Nov. 7 after a long illness. He was 98. Mr. Phillips featured in more than 200 films, TV and radio series over his decades-long career, and the accomplished Shakespearean actor had often joked his saucy Carry On catchphrases would follow him to the grave, with one of them probably inscribed on his headstone. He was honored by Queen Elizabeth II with an OBE in 1998 and made a CBE for services to showbusiness 10 years later. He was also a World War II veteran who served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Durham Light Infantry, but was declared unfit for service just before D-Day with an illness that caused partial paralysis. His death leaves Jim Dale, 86, the last surviving regular from the Carry On films. Mr. Phillips recently attracted a new generation of fans as the voice of The Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter films. His wife, Zara, 63, said: "I've lost a wonderful husband and the public has lost a truly great showman. He was quite simply a national treasure. People loved him. He was mobbed everywhere he went." - Bang Showbiz, 11/8/22.