Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on February 10th, 2017

Officials in San Francisco have denied a permit for a 50th anniversary "Summer of Love" concert that was to be held on June 4 in Golden Gate Park's Polo Field and headlined by surviving members of such legendary bands as Jefferson Airplane, Santana and Big Brother and the Holding Company. The "city by the bay" was at the center of the '60s counterculture movement, and the concert was expected to draw tens of thousands of people, but city officials have informed event promoter Boots Hughston that his request for a permit was being denied. In a sharply worded, 3-page letter, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department said that Hughston had made "numerous misrepresentations of material fact" that left them with deep concerns about safety and security measures for the concert. Hughston denied making any misrepresentations and called the letter a "character assassination," saying he has a flawless record as a concert promoter and had organized events at Golden Gate Park and elsewhere since the 1970s without any problems. Hughston said he plans to file an appeal against the permit denial and added he still hopes the event can take place. - AP, 2/9/17....................... Black Sabbath played their last ever show in their hometown of Birmingham, UK on Feb. 4 at Birmingham's NEC Arena. The heavy metal legends, who wrapped up their 81-date The End tour, played a 15-song set including "War Pigs," "Iron Man," "Children of the Grave," and bowed out with an encore of 1970's "Paranoid." Founding members Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler all participated in the The End tour, and in November 2016 Osbourne told Classic Rock magazine that he has no plans to retire from either recording or performing live. "It's not me that wants to retire, it's Black Sabbath," Osbourne said. "I'll be continuing my own musical thing. My wife is good at telling me partial information, but I know I'm not hanging my boots up for a while." On Feb. 6, Tony Iommi told Planet Rock that he would also quit touring, but he was "sure" Black Sabbath would continue as a band, and that he was open to releasing more music with Black Sabbath, although the band hasn't discussed it yet. - New Musical Express, 2/5/17...... In other Heavy Metal news, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young pranked his friends Guns N' Roses on Feb. 8 by dressing up as a member of airport security staff and ordering a search after Guns N' Roses touched down in Sydney ahead of five councerts in Australia. "Told we had to stay on plane last night in Sydney; 'airport security' wanted to do a check. We waited. It was Angus Young is an orange vest!," Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan tweeted. The bands have grown close over the past year as Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose has been filling in for AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson, who was forced to step down after being warned by doctors he could lose his hearing. Earlier in February, Johnson thanked a group of Swedish AC/DC fans for hosting an event raising funds for organisations searching for a cure for Alzheimer dementia, which has afflicted founding AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young. "I know Malcolm would be so proud of you," Johnson posted on the event's blog on Feb. 7. "I am and I want to thank you for doing this. We've tried to tell people about this awful disease, tried to get a cure for it. You guys are helping and I'm so proud of you." - NME, 2/7/17...... The estate of late rock icon Prince has granted Universal Music Group exclusive licensing rights to much of Prince's catalog of released and unreleased works. Under the deal, the estate is licensing the 25 albums Prince released under the NPG Records label between 1979 and 1995, plus UMG can now work with the estate on the artist's vault of career-spanning unreleased works. The agreement means UMG is now the home for much of Prince's recorded music, plus publishing rights and merchandising. - Billboard, 2/9/17...... Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson has accused one of her nephews, Trent Lamar Jackson, of being an "abusive con man" who has been attempting to take control of her finances for years. The Jackson matriarch has obtained a restraining order against Trent Lamar Jackson, after accusing him of taking cash from her accounts, and a Los Angeles judge has ordered the man to stay away from his aunt and return all his house keys. Trent Lamar Jackson reportedly disappeared from the Jackson compound shortly before sheriff's deputies and her lawyer arrived to force him off her property, and Katherine says she now fears for her safety if he returns. Katherine Jackson is currently in London visiting her newest grandson, Eissa, who was born to her daughter Janet Jackson in January. - WENN.com, 2/9/17...... Cher launched a residency at the Park Theater at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Feb. 8 after an illness forced her off the road for nearly three years. Cher's "Classic Cher" show featured the diva's hit singles, glamorous Bob Mackie-designed outfits, and her legendary sense of humor, as she joked about her breasts, her age, and her love of Dr. Pepper. The 90-minute show plays a series of dates at Park Theater in February and May, as well as at The Theater at MGM National Harbor outside Washington, D.C. in March, August and September. - Billboard, 2/9/17...... Interviewed by a Detroit TV station on Feb. 8, Aretha Franklin revealed that she plans on retiring at the end of 2017 after releasing a new album in September. "I must tell you, I am retiring this year," said Franklin. "I feel very, very enriched and satisfied with respect to where my career came from and where it is now. I'll be pretty much satisfied, but I'm not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldn't be good either," she added. Franklin, 74, added however that she will remain open to "some select things, many one a month, for six months out of the year." Franklin's new LP will be an ode to her hometown of Detroit, composed of original works and recorded in the Motor City, and feature songs produced by Stevie Wonder. - Billboard, 2/9/17...... Speaking of Stevie Wonder, the legendary Motown singer has joked to TMZ.com that he will "reveal the truth" about his sight later this year, and claims that he has "flown planes." Wonder was recently stopped by TMZ and asked whether he would ever star in a reality TV show. His response was that it would be "too invasive." The artist went on to claim that he has flown planes twice before and actually landed one. When the TMZ reporter then joked that Wonder might one day come out and say he can actually see, he said (most likely in jest): "This year, I will reveal the truth." - New Musical Express, 2/7/17...... Blondie announced on Feb. 8 that it will kick off a 22-city North American tour on July 5 at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga, Calif. Blondie's "Rage and Rapture Tour" will come on the heels of the band's new album, Pollinator, which hits stores on May 8. The tour will run through an Aug. 12 date at Southside Ballroom in Dallas, Tex., and the opener will be Garbage. - Billboard, 2/8/17...... Willie Nelson announced on Feb. 8 he was postponing two more concerts -- one in Arizona and one in New Mexico -- due to illness. According to his website, concerts at Desert Diamond Casino in Sahuarita, Ariz., on Feb. 10 and the Route 66 Casino in Albequerque on Feb. 11 will be rescheduled. Two days earlier, the 83-year-old Nelson postponed three concerts in California and one in Tucson, Arizona. In late January, he canceled two of his five shows in Las Vegas due to a cold. On Jan. 31, Nelson was seen at an event in Las Vegas to promote his new line of specialty cannabis and played three shows at the Venetian on Feb. 1, 3 and 4. Nelson is due to release his latest album, God's Problem Child, on Apr. 28. - Billboard, 2/8/17...... Bob Dylan has added three warm-up shows at intimate venues to his upcoming UK arena tour, which is set to kick off on May 3 at Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena. Dylan will play a trio of shows at the London Palladium on Apr. 28, 29 and 30 ahead of the main jaunt. The tour will also see the rock icon visiting Bournemouth (5/4), Nottingham (5/5), Glasgow (5/7), Liverpool (5/8), London (5/9) and Dublin (5/11). - NME, 2/8/17...... Elton John, Quincy Jones, George Clinton and Sean Lennon will be among the artist-curators of a new vinyl record subscription service called Experience Vinyl. For under $30 a month, subscribers to the new service will receive one of the artist's favorite albums (not their own album) along with personalized commentary, the artist's top ten albums list, access to the Experience Vinyl store and various rewards. A portion of the sales wil go to the artist's charity of choice. The service's first curator, Elton John, has directed a portion of his sales be donated to The Elton John AIDS Foundation. Co-founder Brad Hammonds called Experience Vinyl "a different kind of subscription service and a dream for any vinyl lover... Who better to send you great music each month than artists themselves?" - Billboard, 2/8/17...... In related news, David Bowie's No Plan EP is set to be released on vinyl later in 2017. No Plan is the latest posthumous release from Bowie, who died in Jan. 2016, and features three songs from his Lazarus musical, as well as "Lazarus" from his final album Blackstar. The EP was released digitally on Jan. 8 -- Bowie's birthday -- and features recordings from Bowie's final ever recording sessions. CD versions of No Plan will drop on Feb. 24, before the vinyl edition is released on Apr. 21. A special edition vinyl, which is a dye-cut version that comes with an accompanying lightograph, will follow a month later on May 26. - NME, 2/6/17...... Steven Van Zandt, the longtime guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, has been named the speaker for this year's graduation ceremony at Rutgers University. Van Zandt, who also appeared in an acting role in HBO's The Sopranos, will also receive an honorary doctor of fine arts at the May 14 ceremony in Newark. Van Zandt was born in Massachusetts but moved to New Jersey when he was seven. The musician was chosen after a selection process involving students, faculty and staff, and he follows in the footsteps of former US Pres. Barack Obama, who delivered the keynote address in 2016. - AP, 2/8/17...... As the 1992 film Wayne's World was screened in US cinemas on Feb. 8 to mark the Mike Myers and Dana Carvey comedy's 25th anniversary, Alice Cooper has reflected on the movie's "we're not worthy" scene which featured him. The scene sees Wayne and Garth meeting Cooper backstage, and when the Coop asks the pair to "hang out," they bow to their knees and say: "We're not worthy, we're not worthy, we're scum." "I think we did it in two takes," Cooper reflected. "They [Myers and Carvey] were doing everything they could to get me to break up. But they didn't realise my iron will, so I went right through that dialogue and I think I surprised them." Cooper also revealed that some fans still re-enact the scene during chance run-ins. "Airports is when everybody does, 'We're not worthy!' I always try to let them think it's the first time anybody's ever done that. And they're so clever," he said. - Billboard, 2/8/17...... The creators of the classic rock "mockumentary" This Is Spinal Tap have reunited to file a $400 million lawsuit against Vivendi SA for "engaging in anti-competitive and unfair business practices, as well as fraudulent accounting" in its management of movie, which has been voted the funniest comedy film of all time. Co-creators Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and director Rob Reiner have formally joined fellow co-creator Harry Shearer in the lawsuit, which was originally filed by Shearer in October 2016. The co-creators are claiming they have been denied "their rightful stake in the production's profits." Commenting on the lawsuit, Guest said: "The deliberate obfuscation by Vivendi and its subsidiaries is an outrage. It is vital that such behavior is challenged in the strongest way possible." Shearer said of his co-creators' decision to join: "Their participation will help demonstrate the opaque and misleading conduct at the heart of this case. We're even louder now." - NME, 2/8/17...... Elton John paid tribute to his late friend George Michael during an interview on the UK radio show Beats 1 on Feb. 6. "George was one of Britain's most brilliant songwriters" and "the kindest, most generous man," Elton said, adding he'll miss Michael's "humanity most of all." Michael died at his England home at age 53 on Christmas Day. - AP, 2/7/17...... Former The Police frontman Sting was named one of the 2017 Polar Music Prize winners on Feb. 2 by Alfons Karabuda, chairman of the Prize committee. Sting and saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter will accept their Polar Music prizes from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a gala ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall on June 15. The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig "Stikkan" Anderson, the manager and music publisher of ABBA. A well-known lyricist, he also was the co-writer on many of their early hits. The prize was first presented in 1992. Previous winners of the Polar Music Prize include Elton John, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith. - Billboard, 2/7/17...... Music author and journalist Ritchie York, who penned books on such rock stars as Led Zeppelin, Van Morrison, and most recently John Lennon and Yoko Ono, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in his native Australia on Feb. 6. He was 73. Yorke, who was the senior music writer for Brisbane's Sunday Mail for 20 years until 2007, and also earlier served as Billboard's Canadian editor for a decade in the 1970s. His books include Led Zeppelin: The Definitive Biography, The Music: The Van Morrison Biography and The History of Rock 'n' Roll. - Billboard, 2/7/17...... "Professor" Irwin Corey, the wild-haired comedian and actor known for his improvisational riffs and nonsensical style who billed himself as "The World's Foremost Authority," died on Feb. 6 at his home in Manhattan. He was 102. Mr. Corey's dizzying mix of mock-intellectual circumlocutions, earnest political tirades and slapstick one-liners made him the king of comedic confusion and earned him the nickname "professor." "Did you hear about the guy who went to the druggist and wanted to get some cyanide?" one of his jokes went. "The guy takes a picture of his wife out of his wallet, and the druggist says, 'I'm sorry, I didn't know you had a prescription!'" Mr. Corey became a staple on television talk shows and in comedy clubs in the 1960s and 1970s, and his film career included working with Jackie Gleason and Woody Allen. He often wore sneakers, a skinny black tie, black tails and his hair was disheveled. It was never clear exactly what he was an authority on. Often he would begin his act with long-winded gobbledygook filled with sentences that followed their own logic before pausing and then saying, "What was the question again?" Mr. Corey's son, Richard, alled his father "original and one-of-a-kind, iconic." - AP, 2/7/17.

Bob Dylan announced on Jan. 31 that he'll be releasing a 3-disc studio album, Triplicate, on Mar. 31 that will feature 30 "brand-new recordings of classic American tunes." All three discs of Triplicate will be individually titled ('Til The Sun Goes Down, Devil Dolls and Comin' Home Late), and each album will include a thematically arranged 10-song sequence. Triplicate will be the artist's 38th album release, and the first ever triple-length set of his career. Produced by Jack Frost, Triplicate will feature such pop standards as "As Time Goes By," "Once Upon a Time," "The Best Is Yet to Come," "Stardust" and "Stormy Weather." - Billboard, 1/31/17...... Two classic rock legends, Steve Miller and Peter Frampton, have announced a coheadlining 30-city summer tour of North America that will get underway in Holmdel, N.J., on June 15 and wrap on Aug. 13 in Murphys, Calif. Major cities along the way include Toronto (6/20), Philadelphia (6/27), Salt Lake City (8/2), Las Vegas (8/8) and Los Angeles (8/11). Steve Miller expounded on his long history with Peter Frampton in a Jan. 31 statement: "Peter and I first met at Olympic studios in London in the late sixties when we were both just starting our recording career. He was a wonderful guitarist and songwriter then and he is even more so today. Over the years, we've played together in venues from theaters to football stadiums and everything in between.... I'm looking forward to a summer of great music, exceptional performances and fun. Peter is remarkable musician." - Billboard, 1/31/17...... High profile movie producer Michael De Luca (Captain Phillips, Moneyball, The Social Network) is working on a new, currently-untitled movie about the relationship between John Lennon and Yoko Ono, as well as their antiwar efforts. "The story will focus on ripe and relevant themes of love, courage and activism in the U.S. -- with the intention of inspiring today's youth to stand up for and have a clear vision for the world they want," De Luca said in a statement on Feb. 1. "I am also honored and privileged to be working with Yoko Ono, [writer] Anthony McCarten and [Immersive Pictures chief] Josh Bratman to tell the story of two amazing global icons." McCarten is the author behind The Theory of Everything and an upcoming Winston Churchill biopic starring Gary Oldman. During their 11-year marriage, John and Yoko collaborated on multiple creative projects, including what would become Lennon's final solo effort, 1980's Double Fantasy. In 2016, Yoko Ono reissued three of her albums from the 1970s, the start of a full reissue campaign of her music. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/2/17...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney has unveiled a rare demo on the web featuring Elvis Costello called "Twenty Fine Fingers" as part of his ongoing Archive Collection. "Twenty Fine Fingers" is the first of nine demo tracks from the sessions for Macca's 1989 solo album, Flowers In the Dirt, that are set to be released in 2017. McCartney and Costello collaborated on four of Flowers In the Dirt's 12 tracks, with Costello credited as a featured artist on the song "You Want Her Too." While "Twenty Fine Fingers" has already featured on McCartney bootlegs since Flowers In the Dirt was released (incorrectly titled as "Twenty-Five Fingers"), this is the first time that the demo has been officially released by its creator. A deluxe reissue of Flowers In the Dirt is set to drop on Mar. 24, which will contain eight other McCartney/Costello demos in addition to "Twenty Fine Fingers." A super deluxe version will contain a bonus DVD, 64-page photo book, and many other extras. - New Musical Express, 2/1/17...... In a post on his official website on Feb. 1, David Cassidy said he's planning to retire by the end of 2017 after playing a Las Vegas show on Feb. 17 and his final West Coast concerts on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19. Cassidy, 66, said that "traveling and my arthritis" have made performing around the country difficult in recent years. "This is not a complete 'Good bye' but I'm planning on working much less," the one-time The Partridge Family teen heartthrob said. A spokeswoman for Cassidy says he will perform some East Coast dates in March as well. - AP, 2/1/17...... As he continues his tour Down Under with the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen isn't letting up at all on US Pres. Donald Trump. During his show in Melbourne on Feb. 2 at AMMI Park, The Boss played a cover of The Orions' 1962 No. 4 pop single "Don't Hang Up" to mock an allegedly disastrous phone call between Pres. Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The unlikely cover of the doo-wop song, which features the lyrics "Don't hang up (no no)... Don't hang up like you always do/ I know you think our love is true/ I'll explain the facts to you, don't hang up," came after the Australian media spent the day obsessing over what has been described as a tense conversation between Trump and Turnbull on Jan. 29 when the two men reportedly clashed over the American president's controversial immigration policy. Meanwhile, on Feb. 2 E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt tweeted "Australia is, was, and always will be one of the USA's best friends and closest allies. Apologies for today's temporary embarrassment." The tweet came after Springsteen spoke out against Trump's immigration policy at a concert in Adelaide on Jan. 30. - Billboard, 2/2/17...... Organizers of 2017 Tribeca Film Festival announced on Feb. 2 that a new documentary about music mogul Clive Davis, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, will open the event this April. Based on Davis' bestselling 2013 autobiography, The Soundtrack of Our Lives explores Davis' life and historic career in the music industry, from his humble Brooklyn beginnings and brief stint as a lawyer to his development of major record labels (Columbia, Arista, J). Some of the top acts who Davis helmed during his career, including Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson and Earth, Wind & Fire, will perform after the doc's world premiere at New York's Radio City Music Hall on Apr. 19. The 16th Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, runs Apr. 19-30. - Billboard, 2/2/17...... Premium cable network Showtime has announced a new documentary about the Beach Boys' 1966 classic LP Pet Sounds will air on their network later this year. The Beach Boys: Making Pet Sounds will premiere on Showtime in April and feature interviews with BB principal Brian Wilson as well as members Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks. The documentary will also feature footage from the band's 1960s studio sessions as well as outtakes from recordings. Released in May 1966, the hugely influential Pet Sounds is considered one of pop music's greatest masterpieces. Meanwhile, Brian Wilson has announced a 50th anniversary Pet Sounds tour of the UK that will include the Kendal Calling and Camp Bestival festivals, as well as London's Eventim Apollo on Aug. 1 and Sheffield City Hall on Aug. 2. "I'm really happy to be able to come back to the UK and perform Pet Sounds yet again for all our fans," Wilson said in a statement. "The response from everyone has been amazing and that's why we decided to come back and play Pet Sounds for one last time." - New Musical Express, 2/4/17...... Blondie released the first single, called "Fun," from their upcoming studio album, Pollinator, on Jan. 31. Blondie's core trio of vocalist Debbie Harry, guitarist Chris Stein and drummer Clem Burke are joined by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio on "Fun," which features the uplifting chorus "You're my fun when I'm down/ You pick me up again, you pick me up again/ You're my fun too, much fun/ I get the feeling that you're changing my mind." Pollinator also features contributions from Joan Jett, Laurie Anderson, Johnny Marr and Nick Valensi of the Strokes, and was the final album recorded at the legendary New York studio The Magic Shop. The studio was the site of sessions for David Bowie's final album, Blackstar, and has since closed due to rising rent costs. Pollinator, the follow-up to Blondie's 2014 album Ghosts of Download, is due on May 5. - Billboard, 2/1/17...... Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Feb. 1, actor Keanu Reeves recalled the time Alice Cooper once babysat for him. "I grew up in Toronto and I lived on this street called Hazelton and there was a recording studio (near) there called Nimbus 9 and my mother was in costume design, she was in rock 'n' roll, in the business, and they had friends and she had friends, and so Alice Cooper -- I'm told -- babysat me. I don't know how that could possibly happen, but it did... Supposedly." Reeves will appear in the upcoming film John Wick: Chapter 2, as well as an upcoming new Bill & Ted project. - WENN.com, 2/2/17...... In a new interview with People magazine, the late Mary Tyler Moore's husband Dr. S. Robert Levine opened up about how her death has left him devasted. "I can't believe she is gone," he said. "Mary was my life, my light, my love. The emptiness I feel without her with me is without bottom." Revealing how she had remained fiercely independent even as her health failed after a long-term battle with diabetes and heart and kidney troubles. "She was a force of nature who fiercely defended her autonomy even as her health was failing," he said. "Mary was fearless, determined, and wilful. If she felt strongly about something, or that there was truth to be told, she would do it, no matter the consequences." Dr. Levine added that "My sadness is only tempered by the remarkable outpouring of good wishes, tributes, and personal 'Mary stories' told, with heart, by those touched by her grace." The death certificate for Mary Tyler Moore, who passed on Jan. 25, noted she died of "cardiopulmonary arrest, with aspiration pneumonia, hypoxia, and diabetes mellitus also listed as contributing factors." - WENN.com, 2/1/17...... John Wetton, a prog rock legend who was the ex-bassist for King Crimson and frontman for the '80s group Asia, died on Jan. 31 after losing his battle with colon cancer. He was 67. Born on July 12, 1949, in Derby, England, Wetton sang and played with the likes of Family, Mogul Thrash, Uriah Heep, Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash and King Crimson, before he formed the prog supergroup UK in the 1970s, and later the acclaimed and successful Asia with Geoff Downes, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer. Wetton also enjoyed a successful solo career, and played with the likes of Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, David Cross, Ayreon and District 97. Wetton joined King Crimson two years after the departure of Greg Lake who, also sadly, died last month. "With the passing of my good friend and musical collaborator, John Wetton, the world loses yet another musical giant," Carl Palmer posted on Facebook. "John was a gentle person who created some of the most lasting melodies and lyrics in modern popular music. As a musician, he was both brave and innovative, with a voice that took the music of ASIA to the top of the charts around the world," he added. Wetton is survived by his wife Lisa, son Dylan, brother Robert and mother Peggy. - NME, 1/31/17.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on October 17th, 2026

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on Oct. 15, Billy Joel revealed he's "not allowed to drive" after stepping away from the stage in 2025 and is preparing to auction off his beloved collection of over 70 vintage motorcycles. Announcing he was canceling his previously scheduled 2025-2026 tour at the time, Joel said that the brain disorder he'd been experiencing had "been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance" and that he was undergoing physical therapy under his doctor's instructions. In his Hollywood Reporter interview, Joel said, "I have to take a series of tests before I know," adding, "I can't drive right now. I'm not allowed to drive." He said a neurologist informed him that "every time you do a show, it's like you're getting a concussion." Billy continued: "I'm into my 70s now, and I realized I can't ride as much as I used to. I don't want to die like a bug on a windshield. So I thought I'd put a lot of them on auction." He said his brain disorder makes riding a bit "iffy," and he realized "it's time for me to turn it over to somebody else." In September, The Piano Man said that he didn't want people worrying about his health. "I know people are worried about me because they read that I have a brain disorder, which sounds a lot worse than it actually is," he said on SiriusXM when taking calls from fans. "I'm okay. My balance isn't that good. Lost a little bit of my hearing, but that may have to do with my age, too, and the rock and roll life and the loud volume probably didn't help. But I'm fine. I want people to not have to worry about me. I'm okay." Joel has been collecting and restoring vintage bikes for decades, and for 15 years, he ran 20th Century Cycles on Long Island, a shop for storing and servicing his bikes that doubled as a free museum to showcase his collection before shuttering the business in 2025. The auction of his personal motorcycle collection is scheduled for Nov. 20 and 21. - Rolling Stone, 10/15/26...... More than six decades after becoming a permanent resident of the U.S., Canadian-born Joni Mitchell has officially become a United States citizen. The legendary singer/songwriter shared the news via an Instagram post on Oct. 13, posting a photo of herself smiling while holding a miniature American flag. She also uploaded a video showing her being applauded as she stepped forward during her citizenship ceremony. "A journey that began 62 years ago," she captioned the post, and did not provide further details about her decision to pursue American citizenship. Born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, in 1943, Mitchell first moved to the U.S. in the mid-1960s, settling in Los Angeles and becoming a defining figure in the Laurel Canyon music scene alongside fellow singer/songwriters and musicians such as members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Over the decades, Mitchell built a catalog that would influence generations of artists, earning her a place among the most celebrated and recognized songwriters in popular music. Her relationship with the U.S., however, has not always been straightforward. During a 2024 performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Mitchell made her political feelings known with a blunt expletive directed at then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. She followed it with a lament about her inability to vote as a Canadian citizen, jokingly referring to herself as "one of those lousy immigrants." Mitchell, who celebrates her 83rd birthday on Nov. 7, leaves an extraordinary legacy behind her and has spent decades influencing American music. - Billboard, 10/13/26...... Roger Waters has called Metallica frontman James Hetfield a "complete prick" who has "an IQ of about three" after Hetfield made comments during a Metallica show at the Las Vegas Sphere on Oct. 10 criticizing other artists with "bullshit agendas" about the world's issues. "Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit, OK," he shared. "No bullshit. We're here to forget about all the outside shit, OK? Metallica's agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!" Although Hetfield didn't mention any names, some fans have speculated that it could be a nod to rapper Macklemore, who was dropped as a support act for Ed Sheeran's "Loop" tour after making a speech calling for a "free Palestine," or possibly other younger artists including Hayley Williams, who criticized ICE during her recent concerts, or even Tom Morello who recently enlisted Jack Black, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen and more for his politically-charged "Power To The People" festival. Now, former Pink Floyd star Waters has shared his thoughts on the comments made by Hetfield, calling him a "prick." "Can we stop talking about this prick?" he said when making a guest appearance on Katie Halper's podcast. "I'm so bored with him. He's just showing that he's a complete prick. He's got an IQ of about three, and why we're talking about him, I honestly don't know, because he's a nobody." Waters continued: "He may have a few hundred million dollars or whatever, but he's a prick, and he's no musician. I heard them playing acoustic instruments, and they couldn't. It was appalling." Metallica have been largely apolitical over the years, and back in 2017 Hetfield said that he wanted to keep his thoughts about Donald Trump to himself, arguing that politics "separates" people. Footage of Hetfield's swipe at other artists has been shared on X, and Waters' comments can be viewed on Instagram. - New Musical Express, 10/16/26...... The early '80s English rock supergroup Asia is returning with its first studio album in 12 years, Indigo. Asia's history is almost too perfectly engineered to be true: four musicians drawn from major prog-rock acts of the 1970s -- John Wetton of King Crimson, Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Steve Howe of Yes and Geoff Downes of the Buggles -- came together in 1982 to form a supergroup that quickly became something much bigger, with their self-titled debut reportedly selling as many as 80,000 copies a day. Then came changes. Wetton gave way to John Payne on lead vocals as the 1980s became the 1990s, and Asia continued producing chorus-driven, highly melodic rock. In 2006, the original four reunited for three albums and tours before members once again began peeling away. Wetton died in 2017, following the release of Asia's 2014 studio album, Gravitas. Downes now leads a new lineup of Asia with vocalist Harry Whitley on Indigo, and the collection balances radio-ready rock with ambitious progressive explorations while honoring the band's legacy and his songwriting partnership with Wetton. There are the radio-friendly songs of their 1982 debut similar to "Heat of the Moment" and "Only Time Will Tell," but also longer, more experimental pieces that allow the musicians to stretch. Indigo doesn't erase or replace either chapter of the band's history. Instead, it shows how Asia can sound when its history is allowed to evolve. Indigo arrives on Nov. 6, and he official video for the album's first single, "Arcadia," can be streamed on YouTube. - Canoe.com, 10/15/26...... Neil Young is raving about the new controversial Tom Cruise film Digger, calling it "the best film I have ever seen." Co-written and directed by Oscar-winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant) and follows oil tycoon Digger Rockwell (Cruise) as he tries to save the lives of thousands from an environmental disaster that he's behind. The satirical black comedy also features plenty of genre-twists which divided critics, who largely panned the film. While the movie has struggled at the box office -- only taking in $20 million against a production budget of $160 million and is on track to become one of the biggest flops in Hollywood history -- several artists have praised the film. Actress Anne Hathaway called it "smart, trippy, aggressive, funny and ambitious" in a glowing review on her Letterboxd account, and Neil Young has shared a lengthy blog post where he calls Digger the "best movie I've ever seen." "None of the reviews I have read describe this film adequately, in my opinion. They seem to miss the overall effect and most of them are negative," he wrote. "This film lives in a world of art. It is its own best review. Don't read any other reviews and forget this one before you see Digger." He went on to say that it would be "misleading" to view Digger as your typical Tom Cruise blockbuster. "I do not view this film as a commercial venture. Rather it is an artful film of our times. The things that are said in Digger are a direct reflection of today's political and social world. The film is so full of artful expression and radical change ups, that it may be too much to take in for those expecting a commercial film like we are used to today." He described Digger as a "must see for those frustrated by the lack of genuine engagement present in much, if not all, of today's offerings," and encouraged fans to see it with "an open mind." "Stick with it when you are sure it is no good. Stay. Don't be confused by its approach. This is the greatest film -- work of art I have seen, and that's just my opinion," he continued. "You must stay open and see it. Forget everything I said." The Digger official trailer can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 10/16/26...... Former Black Sabbath and Deep Purple singer/bassist Glenn Hughes has told fans that he is on the mend after undergoing another major heart procedure. In an Instagram post on Oct. 16, Hughes said he is "Now Home after an 8 day stay, and a 10 hour open heart surgery operation, called aortic valve replacement, exactly the same procedure I had done in 2013, at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, Westwood, LA." Hughes, 75, praised his doctor, the head of cardiothoracic surgery at UCLA, and the staff and assured fans, "Each day as I move forward, I am getting my energy back. There is only love in my life. There are no mistakes." In August, Hughes announced that he was retiring from touring effective immediately, calling off a planned six-week tour due to health issues and giving up on life on the road after half a century on doctor's advice that he needed heart surgery. "This past year, I've had some health issues. The results from numerous MRIs, CT scans, and an echocardiogram have alerted my medical team, that I need another open-heart surgery," he wrote at the time. "I really have no option and no choice as health is my number one priority. Grateful to have been chosen with a life full with the gift of music Thank you for walking beside me." Beginning his career as the singer of the British funk-rock band Trapeze in the early 1970s, Hughes got the chance of a lifetime when he was tapped to replace Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover in 1973, where he sang alongside lead singer David Coverdale on three albums. After Deep Purple's original breakup, Hughes struck out on his own, releasing his 1977 solo debut, Play Me Out, the first of more than a dozen solo LPs he's released. He played with a number of bands throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, including stepping in to sing lead vocals on the 1986 Black Sabbath album Seventh Star. In his new post, Hughes kept a chin-up attitude about his health, writing, "Everything is in its right place. Never believe that there is something wrong in your life. You are where you're supposed to be. Going through those experiences that are necessary for you right now. When you become angry at yourself, because you don't like the experiences that you are going through, you are hindering your growth. Rather be grateful, & thankful, for every experience that you're going through." - Billboard, 10/16/26...... The deluxe reissue of The Beatles' 1965 LP Rubber Soul has risen to the top of Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, also claiming first place on the publication's Top Album Sales and Vinyl Albums charts. In the week ending Oct. 8, Rubber Soul earned 58,000 equivalent album units in the United States, up 1,626% from the previous period's 4,000, according to Luminate. Of its 58,000-unit sum, 50,000 copies are via album sales, which allows the set to reenter the all-genre Top Album Sales chart at No. 1, the band's eighth leader since the chart launched in 1991. It also tops Vinyl Albums with 24,000 copies being sold via the vinyl configuration, the English quartet's seventh top spot on the 15-year-old chart. Rubber Soul becomes The Beatles' seventh No. 1 on Top Rock Albums, which began in 2006. It first reigned in 2007 with Love (the companion album to its Cirque du Soleil show) and had most recently reigned via a similar reissue of Revolver in 2022. Reissues of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2017 and Abbey Road in 2019 have also topped the chart in previous years; for the reissues, all versions of the album are combined for tracking and charting purposes. Rubber Soul was reissued in a variety of configurations, including a four-CD, five-LP reissue includes original and new mixes of the album as well as demos and alternate session takes. It also contains a home demo of the previously unheard song "Little Girl" that was written and recorded by John Lennon. Meanwhile, Paul McCartney has claimed he can remember details of his birth. Appearing on Amy Poehler's podcast Good Hang on Oct. 13, Paul explained that he believes can actually remember being born. These things, you don't know if you've made it up. But I have this feeling that I kind of remember being born," he began. "I was born in a place in Liverpool called Walton Hospital, which was a real old Victorian thing; I think it had been something else before a hospital." Sir Paul went on to list some details of the hospital, however he emphasized that he is unsure whether the memories are real or if he had dreamed them up later. "So, I kind of remember white tiles, very sort of hygienic white tiles and chrome instruments and a clanging, because I was a forceps birth. They had to pull me out," the 84-year-old continued, adding: "I don't know if it's true." Also on the podcast, Macca cleared up an annoying "tall tale" that he says filmmakers keep getting wrong about The Beatles. When Poehler asked who was the tallest Beatle, McCartney said a bit defensively, "We were all the same height," holding up a finger in emphasis. "You really were," Poehler said with a sly smile as she willfully opened the Pandora's box. "You know I've got a thing about that, do you?" McCartney shot back as Poehler feigned ignorance and let out a laugh. After Poehler said "You really were," McCartney said: "Oh my God. Well, we were all the same height and Ringo [Starr] was a bit smaller." Elsewhere, the animal rights group PETA has sent an official letter to the UK's Omega Auctions asking for 43 Elswick Street, the Liverpool house where McCartney first learned to play the guitar, to be donated to the charitable organization. With the property set to go under the hammer, PETA aims to transform the historic home into a dedicated museum celebrating the music legend's lifelong advocacy for animals and the planet. In the letter, PETA highlights how McCartney has spent decades using his global music platform, voice, and influence to encourage environmental stewardship and kindness toward animals. As a committed vegetarian, McCartney once famously declared, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian." Alongside his daughters Mary and Stella McCartney, he has carried forward the legacy of his late wife, Linda McCartney, through impactful global initiatives such as Meat Free Monday, inspiring millions worldwide to leave animals off their plates. Finally on the Fab Four front, Sean Ono Lennon has clarified fan speculation about how his deceased dad John Lennon divided inheritance between him and his half brother Julian Lennon. Replying to a post on X on Oct. 11 in which someone presumed, "One guy inherited most of the estate, the other largely cut out and forced to engaged in decades-long litigation in pursuit of a comparatively small share of it. Unbearably painful and enraging for the one, surely pretty darn awkward for the other. That they remain friends (and largely always were) is testimony to the redemptive power of being a chill dude with broad implications for the wider world." The comment was tied to a post from Sean a day earlier of the Lennon brothers enjoying a nice day out in nature to celebrate his 51st birthday and, according to Sean, the commenter got it all wrong. "Julian and I inherited the same amount from our dad," he wrote. "Our trusts were equal. Although his was slightly more, but negligibly so." Sean is the adult son of John and wife Yoko Ono and Julian, 63, is Lennon's eldest, from his six-year marriage to his first wife, Cynthia Lennon. The two appear to have developed a close relationship and often share pictures together on their socials, including posing together at the 2021 Los Angeles premiere of Peter Jackson's Beatles miniseries Get Back. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 10/15/26...... On Oct. 15 Blondie announced their first new album in nine years, High Noon, will be released on Feb. 26 via BMG Music. According to a release, the 13-track set mixes their "classic punk/new wave energy with dance music and Latin rhythms" on songs that feature contributions from former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, and Beirut's Zach Condon, among others. It is also the last recording co-founders singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein made with late drummer and fellow co-founder Clem Burke before his death in 2025. "This album is classic Blondie -- an amalgamation of all our different influences and eras into something new," said Harry in the statement. "This music feels grounded in the present, shaped by who we are and how we're living now." High Noon will be the New Wave icons' first LP of new material since 2017's Pollinator, and like that album, High Noon was produced by John Congleton, and the group said that following Burke's death at 70 from cancer in Apr. 2025 the record took on added meaning. "It's been a long, strange ride, and somehow here we are with another Blondie album," said Stein of the latest from the band formed in New York in 1974, which now stands as one of the last remaining groups still making new music from an era that spawned the likes of Talking Heads, The Ramones, Television and Patti Smith. "I'm not sure what the f--- I'm supposed to say at this point, except that we're incredibly grateful for all your support over the years." The new album's first single, the Johnny Marr-penned "Spectral Eyes," can be previewed on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 10/15/26...... The Rolling Stones have announced a release date for a deluxe edition of their 25th album Foreign Tongues, just five months after its July release. The update, dubbed Foreign Tongues, Loose Lips, is due out on Nov. 27 from Capitol Records and it will feature five new songs from the sessions for the LP that has already spawned the singles "Rough and Twisted," "In the Stars," "Jealous Lover" and "Mr. Charm." It will feature the previously issued iTunes bonus track "Bad Luck Hideaway," a duet between singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards that was recently made available across other digital platforms as the B-side the latest streaming single "Mr. Charm." Also included will be "Who You Callin' Crazy," featuring British jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine, which was released digitally on Oct. 16. The other songs include "Where There's a Will," "Human Tide," and "She Still Comes Around," none of which have been previously available. All five extra songs will be available in a standalone vinyl edition, as well as in a deluxe 2CD edition and across all digital formats. The vinyl edition -- which will come on heavyweight red vinyl -- will feature all five Loose Lips songs on LP, alongside the original Foreign Tongues album. - Billboard, 10/14/26...... Al Jardine says that despite years of animosity and legal battles between himself and fellow founding The Beach Boys member Mike Love, he still feels for his former longtime bandmate after seeing footage of the 85-year-old Love struggling during a recent performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. "It's shocking and I was really depressed," Jardine told Rolling Stone about his concern for Love performing with the surf pop legends at a time when the last remaining original member of the group is struggling with his health. "I had to really shake myself out of it just to get onstage. Just the optics of it were just awful and I'm speechless," Jardine, 84 said of the feelings he had watching Love remain seated during the band's show and sing the occasional background as the bandleader told the audience that he's been "going through some health issues for quite a while." That same night Jardine, the only other surviving member of the BB, was playing his own show with fellow former BB band members Bruce Johnston and David Marks at the Cerritos Center for the Performing arts in Cerritos, Calif. His gig also featured appearances from Carnie Wilson (late BB founder Brian Wilson's daughter and member of the 1990s group Wilson Phillips), Marilyn Wilson (Brian Wilson's first wife), as well as Jan and Dean's Dean Torrence. Asked if he thinks Love's band are going to play more shows, Jardine said: "That's just not right, that I can see. Obviously, he's a total pro. He wants to be onstage, but he just doesn't know how not to do it. He doesn't know what else to do, so I think he's trapped." Love has sued ardine several times over his use of the Beach Boys name, including in 2003 for touring under the names "Beach Boys Family & Friends," claiming that the gigs represented unfair competition with the Love-led Beach Boys. The Beach Boys have a handful of upcoming dates on their schedule, including a Nov. 11 performance at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park in Orlando, Fla., and a Nov. 13 show at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristol, Va., as well as a May 8, 2027 booking at River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta, Canada. - Billboard, 10/14/26...... Led Zeppelin has finally allowed "Stairway to Heaven" to be used on screen in the trailer for the upcoming movie Narnia: The Magician's Nephew because of their love for C.S. Lewis. The pioneering heavy metal band have never let the original recording of their iconic 1971 track be licensed for use in a film or TV series before, but filmmaker Greta Gerwig says she was able to convince them for her latest offering. Speaking during a Q+A with former late night TV host Stephen Colbert, she said: "They had not let it be used in anything. I was so moved that they allowed me to use the song." Gerwig said she spoke to Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, who wrote the song, and got them to personally sign off on using the song in marketing for Narnia. "I showed them and I talked to them, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. They did it because they saw the heart of the story in the film and they, too, love C.S. Lewis, and they have a reverence for his work. The whole thing was very fortuitous. I'm so happy that it got to be this song," she sad. Gerwig added she was determined to use "Stairway" in her film's first trailer as a way of introducing her adaptation. "It's an epic song. It's an amazing song. It's a narrative. It's about a spiritual journey. It's about the true path of enlightenment and spirituality, and then this path of false idols and the wrong roads you can go down. And I was like, 'This is exactly the story of this movie.'," she noted. Led Zeppelin have rejected several approaches to use "Stairway" on screen in the past. In 1992's Wayne's World, the titular character did play the opening notes in the guitar store, but the band forced them to remove the snippet from broadcast, video and foreign releases. The band also rejected a proposal by director Cameron Crowe for the song to be used in his 2000 film Almost Famous. Starring Daniel Craig and Cary Mulligan, Narnia: The Magician's Nephew will open in theaters on Feb. 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on Apr. 2. The full official trailer can be viewed on YouTube. - Music-News.com, 10/16/26...... Michael Jackson's legendary 1993 Super Bowl halftime performance is getting a documentary titled Spectacle: Michael Jackson at the Superbowl. Directed by Bao Nguyen, whose previous credits include Netflix's The Greatest Night in Pop, the feature-length documentary will explore the behind-the-scenes journey that brought Jackson's halftime show to life. The film will also include never-before-seen footage of the pop superstar and his team, giving fans a new perspective on a performance that helped reshape one of television's biggest annual events. A newly released teaser, available on YouTube, shows a glimpse of the spectacle, with footage of Jackson commanding the stage at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., in his signature military-inspired outfit as thousands of fans fill the venue, chanting his name. The clip also previews the documentary's title before revealing its February premiere on Hulu and ESPN. Jackson's appearance at Super Bowl XXVII on Jan. 31, 1993, marked a turning point for the halftime show. Instead of a typical intermission between the game's two halves, the performance was an event of its own. It helped establish the halftime stage as a destination for some of the biggest names in music. Elsewhere, MJ has surged to the front of the pack in the race for the UK's Official biggest album of 2026 as the third quarter comes to a close. Following the release of the cinematic biopic Michael in April, public interest in the King of Pop's legendary musical catalogue has reached a massive fever pitch. His 2005 compilation release, The Essential Michael Jackson, has now amassed over 508,000 UK chart units this year alone. That impressive tally sees the late icon overtake Olivia Dean's acclaimed record The Art of Loving at No. 2, as well as Harry Styles' Kiss All The Time. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 10/13/26...... For the 36th time, Sammy Hagar has celebrated his birthday with a star-studded bash at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Hagar celebrated turning 79 on Oct. 13 over three nights -- Oct. 9, 11 and 13 -- with guest-filled rock n' roll festivities, and says he already has his eye on turning 80 with a different kind of party next year. "My dream would be to play somewhere where I can accommodate every ticket request, and everybody who never got to be at the Bash could come to this final bash," Hagar told Billboard. Hagar says that this year he received 100,000 requests for about 1,600 tickets over the three nights, a number that continues to grow every year. "I would love to be able to say to everyone, 'Guess what? You're all gonna be able to get a show.' If I have to play four or five nights somewhere, maybe I play a big stadium, maybe we block off the whole town of Cabo and do it for free. I don't know what we're gonna do yet, but I do know for my 80th birthday, that would be the dream." For this year's bash, Hagar assembled a house band reuniting him with members of his Waboritas -- guitarist Vic Johnson and bassist Mona Gnader -- joined by drummer Kenny Aronoff from Chickenfoot and Hagar's recent Van Halen-oriented Best of All Worlds band, and guitarist Stevie Salas. Hagar says he plans on focusing on his "Red Rocker" years in 2026, which, he adds, will include the entire debut album from Montrose from 1973. "The musicians wanted to do that stuff," Hagar explains. "I'm really looking forward to doing the full Montrose record. That's gonna be pushing my ass, lemme tell ya. I was 24 years old!" - Billboard, 10/13/26...... Sir Cliff Richard celebrated his 86th birthday on Oct. 14 alongside his devoted fans at a special afternoon tea event held at London's Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane. Hosted by UK radio legend Ken Bruce, the gathering marked the upcoming release of his 48th studio album, Only Number Ones, with the music icon exclusively sharing a selection of new tracks with those in attendance. Fans who secured entry by pre-ordering the album were treated to photos with the "Devil Woman" singer and enjoyed a classic afternoon tea featuring sandwiches, scones, and bespoke desserts. During the event, Sir Cliff was presented with a birthday cake to celebrate his milestone year. Guests also heard an exclusive preview of "My Sweet Lord" and his brand-new version of "Oh, Pretty Woman" --a track originally taken to No. 1 in the UK by Roy Orbison 62 years ago, which Sir Cliff officially released on his birthday. "I am so thrilled to have been able to celebrate my 86th birthday with my fans," said Sir Cliff. "They have always been very special to me and are the reason why I continue to make music and tour. They helped me all of these years to get to number one, and it is great that I am now able to give back with my own versions of number one tracks that I personally love." Arriving on Nov. 27 in the UK and Dec. 4 in the US via major streaming platforms and retailers, Only Number Ones sees Sir Cliff put his signature touch on iconic chart-toppers spanning eight decades. The record features covers of tracks originally made famous by The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, The Monkees, Elvis Presley and Harry Styles, alongside a fresh 2026 rendition of "White Christmas." - Music-News.com, 10/15/26.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on February 23rd, 2025

Smokey Robinson has responded to a rumor about a '70s song he wrote which is speculated to be about an alleged affair with his fellow Motown legend Diana Ross, saying he "could not possibly have experienced everything" he has written music about. Robinson, 84, spoke to The Times about his music, the soul genre, and hanging out with the likes of The Beatles and Marvin Gaye. He was also asked about his 1975 track "The Agony and The Ecstacy" (available on YouTube) and whether it was about the affair he was having with Ross at the time. "As a songwriter, I could not possibly have experienced everything I've written about, and that song seemed like a good idea because so many people were in that situation," he said. "I've known Diana Ross since she was eight years old, man! She's precious to me. She's my longest living friend. Oh yeah, she's my babe." Smokey had been married to Claudette Robinson for more than a decade when he had the alleged affair with Ross. Robinson is scheduled to play his first UK show in over 15 years this summer in East Sussex. He will play a headline set at the "Love Supreme Jazz Festival" in Glynde Place in the South Downs, which will run from July 4 to 6. - NME, 2/17/25...... He isn't quite "slip-slidin' away" yet -- on Feb. 18 Paul Simon announced an ambitious 2025 North American tour on Twitter/X, some seven years after he retired from playing live. The 55-show, 19-city "A Quiet Celebration" trek will kick off in New Orleans' Saenger Theater on Apr. 4, hitting most major American cities and Vancouver, B.C. Runs of five shows in New York's Beacon Theater (6/16,18, 20, 21, 23) and Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall (7/9, 11, 12, 14, 16) are included in the run, which finally wraps in Seattle's Benaroya Hall on Aug. 3. The legendary 83-year-old singer-songwriter played what at the time was described as his final ever concert in Sept. 2018 in Queens, New York's Flushing Meadows Corona Park. "I've often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I'd consider bringing my performing career to a natural end," he said at the time. "Now I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating and something of a relief." In 2024, Simon opened up about being diagnosed with hearing loss while recording his 2023 album Seven Psalms, describing the process as "incredibly frustrating." A year earlier he had told The Times that he lost "most of the hearing in my left ear," saying the process happened "quite suddenly." "Nobody has an explanation for it," he explained, "so everything became more difficult." However, Simon went on to tell The Guardian in Nov. 2024 that he was "optimistic" about returning to perform live, saying he was "hoping to eventually be able to do a full-length concert." On Feb. 16, Simon made a surprise return to live performing when he was joined by rising singer Sabrina Carpenter for a duet of the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Homeward Bound" on the 50th-anniversary episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live. Introducing the performance, Simon told the audience: "I sang this song with George Harrison on Saturday Night Live in 1976," to which Carpenter responded: "I was not born then. And neither were my parents." Their duet can be streamed on YouTube. NBC has said the 3 1/2 hour extravaganza was watched by nearly 15 million people, the network's most-watched prime-time entertainment telecast in five years. It will be available to stream on Peacock. - NME, 2/18/25...... Speaking of the SNL special, Paul McCartney closed out the event with a stirring performance of The Beatles' Abbey Road medley, "Golden Slumbers"/ "Carry That Weight"/ "The End." Sir Paul, who was a musical guest on the show in 1980, 1993, 2010 and 2012 and made cameos in 2006, 2013 and 2015, also previously appeared on SNL's 40th anniversary special. His performance with members of his touring band -- guitarist Rusty Anderson, bassist/guitarist Brian Ray, keyboardist Paul "Wix" Wickens and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. -- can be viewed on YouTube. In 1993, McCartney appeared in a skit with the late SNL cast member Chris Farley in which a starstruck Farley asked the Beatle legend "In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.' Is that true?," before being overjoyed when the artist said he thinks it is. Now some fans are speculating Macca's latest SNL performance was a nod to Farley. The skit can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 2/17/25...... In other Beatles-related news, details of the forthcoming John Lennon documentary Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade have been revealed. The film follows the legend as he evolves beyond The Beatles, creating revolutionary music and standing at the forefront of anti-war protests that would make him one of the most influential pop culture icons of all time. Musicians, journalists, and close friends of the man himself set the record straight on the truth behind many famous Lennon moments, brought to life by rare archive footage, including never-before-seen interviews. For the first time ever, the full story of how John and Yoko Ono met is revealed and the curtain is lifted on the 1981 comeback tour that, sadly, never came to be. Speaking on the upcoming release director Alan G. Parker said: "I am so excited to share Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade with UK audiences. I've made a number of films, but this is the first one that feels personal. I never met John Lennon, but through his music he became the older brother that this bullied kid needed." Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade opens in UK cinemas on May 2, with an exclusive Director's Cut available on the Icon Film Channel on the same day. Special Q&A events about the documentary are to be announced soon. - Music-News.com, 2/20/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr has told Britain's Mojo magazine that he loves living in Los Angeles, where he has lived on and off since 1973. "When I first came to America and we landed in New York, I wanted to live in New York," said Starr, who was born and raised in Liverpool. "And then we want on tours around and we came to Los Angeles, I'd think, 'Uh ... maybe Los Angeles. No New York! Maybe Los Angeles. L ... A!' I just loved the atmosphere. I loved the light. I loved the heat." Despite this, Ringo says he's never been tempted to surf in the Pacific Ocean. "It took me seven years to go to the ocean. A limo took me down the Pacific Coast Highway. I got out the car, walked across the beach, put my feet in the water, turned around, walked back to the car and went for lunch." - Music-News.com, 2/17/25...... In what is likely a major disappointment to many fans, Ozzy Osbourne has said he won't play a full Black Sabbath set at the band's upcoming farwell show on July 5 in Birmingham, UK. Osbourne made the announcement on his Ozzy Speaks program on SiriusXM channel Ozzy's Boneyard, where he provided an update as to his plans for the recently-announced "Back to the Beginning" concert with the "ultimate" Sabbath lineup of Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. "I'm not planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath but I am doing little bits and pieces with them," the "War Pigs" singer explained. "I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable." Osbourne hasn't performed a full set since Dec. 31, 2018 on the final date of his "No More Tours" tour. Just two months later, the heavy metal pioneer was diagnosed with Parkinson's, and any plans for further large-scale performances have been affected by numerous cancellations and health issues. "I am trying to get back on my feet," Osbourne added. "When you get up in the morning, you just jump out of bed. I have to balance myself, but I'm not dead. I'm still actively doing things." Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Guns N' Roses, Tool and Jason Mamoa have been added to the lineup of the final Black Sabbath concert. Aquaman actor Momoa will host the event, while Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello will serve as musical director. Other previously announced acts include Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Rival Sons, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, songwriter-producer Andrew Watt, and bassist Dave Ellefson. Osbourne and Billy Morrison have shared their new single, "Gods Of Rock N Roll," on YouTube. The track is a reworking of the Morrison song "Gods," which appeared on his 2015 album God Shaped Hole. The track saw Ozzy co-write and sing on the original, and now it has been reimagined with a 61-piece orchestra featuring new guitar aspects from Steve Stevens. - Billboard, 2/16/25...... Matt Sorum, a former drummer with Guns N' Roses, says Steven Tyler will never return to touring just weeks after the Aerosmith frontman made a return to the stage as part of his sixth annual "Jam for Janie" Grammy Awards viewing party. With Sorum serving as Musical Director, the event was only the second time that Tyler had performed live since a 2023 vocal injury which halted Aerosmith's touring schedule, and the first time since the band announced their formal retirement in August of 2024. During Jam for Janie, Tyler sung covers of songs by Extreme and Led Zeppelin, and four Aerosmith staples. However, despite the positive response from fans, Sorum told Joe Rock of Long Island radio station WBAB that the strain of global touring would prevent Tyler from performing on a large scale once again. "Some fans were a little bit, like, 'Well, he can sing.' Well, let me just explain what's happening with Steven Tyler, 'cause he's a really good friend," Sorum explained. "He went out and sang. And it was a really big moment for him because he hurt himself bad. Now, is he gonna tour again? No, he's not. Because, and I explained this to people, Steven cannot put himself under the rigors of doing a full worldwide tour because there's a lot of pressure." Sorum went on to explain that Tyler "is 77 years old and a perfectionist... And if he doesn't sing correctly, it bothers him." On Sept. 9, 2023, Tyler fractured his larynx, necessitating the postponement of shows on Aerosmith's Peace Out tour. Ultimately, these shows were canceled entirely when the band announced their retirement from touring in Aug. 2024. In January, Aerosmith's Joe Hamilton said that "if [Aerosmith does] anything in the future, it would come from him." - Billboard, 2/18/25...... Queen guitarist Brian May. Created with significant design input from May, only 100 of the Brian May SJ-200 12-String models will be available worldwide in a limited run via Gibson.com, the Gibson Garage Nashville and London, and authorized Gibson dealers. In a press release, May said he "had the idea for the guitar when I needed a 12-String on tour, and the one I was accustomed to wasn't performing right on stage." "The guys at Gibson very kindly said, 'We'll make you something special that you can use on the tours.' One of the things I asked for was for the octaves to be placed around the other way from where it is normally done, because I like to pick upwards and hear the top notes when I'm playing," he added. Referring to his other career as an astronomer, he said: "Gibson was able to put the universe on it in a figurative way and the planet Mercury is here, and that is a little nod to a friend of mine that is always with me." An episode of the Gibson TV podcast with May introducing the instrument has been shared on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 2/19/25...... The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown has topped the $100 million threshold in worldwide box-office grosses, according to boxofficemojo.com. The film, which has grossed $104 million as of Feb. 18, now ranks No. 8 on Billboard's list of music biopics with the highest worldwide grosses -- between the 2004 Ray Charles biopic Ray at No. 7 ($124 million) and the 2019 French singer Piaf biopic La Vie En Rose at No. 9 ($87.5 million). Released in December, A Complete Unknown received eight Oscar nominations on Jan. 23, and made Oscar history as the first music biopic to receive three acting nods -- for Timothée Chalamet as Dylan, Edward Norton as Pete Seeger and Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez. The runaway all-time highest grossing biopic continues to be the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), with a worldwide gross of $910.8 million. - Billboard, 2/16/25...... In other rock biopic news, Jimmy Page has thanked fans for their "humbling and inspiring" reaction to the new IMAX documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin. Page took to Instagram on Feb. 17 to send his personal thanks for the film's enthusiastic reception. "In light of your incredible responses and the demand for the Becoming Led Zeppelin film from those of you that have either viewed it at the IMAX or during its general cinema release, I must say that feedback from fans is just humbling and inspiring," he wrote. Currently in UK cinemas, Becoming Led Zeppelin is the first authorized account of the band's history ever to come to the big screen, and has been in production since first being announced back in 2019. Since hitting IMAX screens on Feb. 5 and receiving a general cinema release two days later, Zeppelin fans have been flocking to see the film, which features new interviews with Page, frontman Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980. - NME, 2/17/25...... A unique version of the classic Procol Harum single "A Whiter Shade of Pale" featuring late singer Gary Brooker is among the songs on the new charity album Think Loud 4 Parkinson's. The LP was put together by esteemed manager Ian Grant -- who helped steer the careers of the likes of Big Country, The Cult, The Stranglers, Elizabeth McGovern and many more -- and music producer Paul Mitchell, along with two others, in response to Grant's own experience living with Parkinson's disease for the last nine years. For the special version of "A Whiter Shade of Pale," Mitchell took the performance of the song from the "Remembering Gary Brooker" memorial concert that took place at G Live in Guilford, England, on Dec. 4, 2023. That performance features a 15-year old live vocal recording of Brooker -- who passed away from cancer in Feb. 2022, at the age of 76 -- matched to Procol Harum's live rendition of the track in tribute to the singer at that gig. Speaking at the launch of the album at the offices of Cure Parkinson's in London, Mitchell said: "Gary's widow Frankie Brooker very kindly allowed us to take some tracks from that concert. "The 'Whiter Shade of Paler' version on this -- and this is how valuable this album is going to be -- is super rare. The music is the band playing live in December 2023, but the vocal is Gary Brooker's vocal from Boston in 2010 and it's all synchronised together. It is an absolute one-off." All profits from the LP go to Cure Parkinson's to help the charity fund their vital research into the neurodegenerative disease. It additionally features an array of covers and rare tracks from such other music legends as Leo Sayer, Queen drummer Roger Taylor and former Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley. - Music-News.com, 2/16/25...... Rick Buckler, a longtime rocker best known as the drummer for legendary UK band The Jam, has died. He was 69 years old. News of his death was announced on X via a heartfelt message from his bandmate Paul Weller. "I'm shocked and saddened by Rick's passing.... We went far beyond our dreams and what we made stands the test of time & Rick was a good guy and a great drummer whose innovative drum patterns helped shape our songs. I'm glad we had the chance to work together as much as we did. My thoughts are with [Rick's wife Lesley] and his family at this very difficult time." The Jam was formed in 1972 in Woking, Surrey. Buckler was in the original lineup as drummer, and the group released their debut single "In the City" in 1977, and released their debut album of the same name that same year. The band made waves via their political statements, rising up against police brutality, the British government and beyond. Overall, the group released six albums, their final project being 1982's The Gift, which peaked at No. 82 on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart. After a world tour in support of the album, the group disbanded due to a decision from Weller. After his time in The Jam, Buckler formed Time UK with Jimmy Edwards and Ray Simone, and later formed a new The Jam tribute band called The Gift. - Billboard, 2/18/25...... Scottish drummer Jamie Muir, a former drummer of the British prog rock group King Crimson, died of as yet undisclosed causes on Feb. 17. He was 82. News of his passing was confirmed by his friend and bandmate Bill Bruford, who wrote on Facebook: "Jamie Muir died today, 17.02.2025, in Cornwall, UK, with his brother George by his side." Mr. Muir was best known for his stint with the legendary King Crimson from 1972 to 1973, playing most prominently on their fifth studio album Larks' Tongues In Aspic, released in 1973. Born in Edinburgh in 1942 and educated at the Edinburgh College Of Art, he moved to London in the 1960s as a passionate jazz trombonist, before switching to percussion. In London, he was involved in several free improvisational groups, including The Music Improvisation Company, and played with respected figures such as Derek Bailey and Evan Parker. King Crimson leader Robert Fripp invited him to join the band via a phone call in the summer of 1972, alongside a new incarnation of the band that included Yes drummer Bruford, bassist John Wetton and violinist David Cross. After just a year, and just days after the release of Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Muir abruptly left King Crimson and moved to a monastery in southern Scotland to pursue life as a Buddhist monk. He did return to music in 1980, appearing on albums by Bailey and Parker, as well as the soundtrack of the 1983 British independent film Ghost Dance. In 1990, he withdrew from the music industry once again, opting to devote his time to painting. Mr. Muir's passing comes just months after King Crimson songwriter and lyricist Peter Sinfield died, aged 80, on Nov. 14. Robert Fripp paid tribute to Mr. Muir on Instagram, writing: "Jamie Muir was a major, and continuing, influence on my thinking, not only musical. A wonderful and mysterious person. Of the five members of KC 1972, Jamie had the greatest authority, experience and presence. Fly well, Master Muir." - NME, 2/18/25.

Willie Nelson's 13th annual Luck Reunion concert has been set for March 13 at his ranch in Spicewood, Tex. Nelson's Willie Nelson & Family will top the bill, but the 2025 will also feature the likes of Charley Crockett, Steve Earle, Taj Mahal, Willie's sons Micah and Lucas Nelson, and "more than one surprise guests." The concert will also feature a tribute to Willie's late close friend and Country Music Hall of Famer Kris Kristofferson. Ticket information is available at www.luckpresents.com. - Billboard, 2/14/25...... The lineup for the 2025 Love Rocks Benefit concert, set for the legendary Beacon Theatre in NYC on Mar. 6, will feature sets from Cher, Peter Frampton, Michael McDonald, Alicia Keys, Beck, Kate Hudson, Mavis Staples, Phish's Trey Anastasio and many more. The ninth annual benefit supports God's Love We Deliver -- an organization that cooks and delivers medically tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves. God's Love We Deliver was founded in 1985 as a response to the AIDS pandemic and now serves people living with more than 200 different diagnoses. The organization has served more than 40 million meals to date, with this year marking the group's 40th anniversary. Past performers at God's Love shows have included Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Jon Bon Jovi, Dave Grohl, Dave Matthews and The Black Crowes. - Billboard, 2/12/25...... A rep for Don Felder says the former Eagles guitarist is "feeling much better" after a medical emergency during a Rock Legends Cruise performance on Feb. 13. In a video shared by an attendee and posted on the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com, Felder is seen introducing the Eagles classic, "Tequila Sunrise," sharing the inspiration behind the song before he began strumming his guitar to perform it. He then appears to look to crew members on the side stage and lose balance, before a member of his team and his bandmates helped escort him offstage. The crowd cheered in support for the musician before the video ends. Posting on Instagram, his rep said medical personnel determined that Felder "was deemed to be suffering from dehydration... He was given fluids, and is feeling much better." The statement continued that the remainder of Felder's cruise performances will be rescheduled to "ensure he has ample time to rehydrate and recover fully," before concluding, "Thank you for your understanding and remember -- drink your water!" Felder, 77, performed with the Eagles from 1974 to 2001, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 1998. After his departure from the group, he filed two lawsuits alleging wrongful termination, breach of implied-in-fact contract and breach of fiduciary duty, though the case was settled in 2007. Felder published the book, Heaven and Hell: My Life in The Eagles, in 2007. - Billboard, 2/14/25...... In other Eagles-related news, a rare book dealer filed a lawsuit against band co-founder Don Henley, their manager Irving Azoff, and their attorneys in New York state court on Feb. 6. Henley and his co-defendants are being sued by Glenn Horowitz, one of the men who was criminally charged for allegedly attempting to sell handwritten lyrics connected to the Eagles' 1976 album Hotel California, claiming they and their attorneys engaged in a "malicious prosecution" that harmed his reputation and caused him financial losses and emotional distress. Horowitz claims the parties falsely alleged that he and his two co-defendants in the criminal case "knew or had reason to believe" that the lyric sheets "had been unlawfully obtained" and nonetheless attempted to profit off of them via an online auction. However, Horowitz claims the men and their attorneys knew all along that the notes had been acquired through legal means in the first place. Horowitz, a rare book dealer, and his co-defendants -- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia auctioneer Edward Kosinski -- were criminally charged in 2022 over an alleged conspiracy to resell the lyrics that had been handwritten by Henley while working on the band's iconic Hotel California. At the time, prosecutors had accused the three men of hiding the fact that the documents had been stolen from Henley's home by Ed Sanders, a journalist hired by Henley and Azoff to write a never-published book on the Eagles in the late 1970s. But in a stunning turnaround in March 2024, Manhattan prosecutors dropped the case after Henley produced new evidence previously withheld under attorney-client privilege that cast doubt on his and Azoff's allegations. The judge in the case subsequently dismissed the charges and chastised Henley, Azoff and their attorneys for "obfuscat[ing] and hid[ing] information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen." Horowitz and his wife are asking for damages amounting to more than 10 million dollars over being "deprived of their liberty, suffering humiliation, defamation, diminished reputation and loss of business and/or wages." Henley and Azoff's attorney, Dan Petrocelli, said the Horowitzes' suit "highlights the dark underbelly of the memorabilia business that exploited the brazen, unauthorized taking and selling of Mr. Henley's handwritten lyrics... The only malicious prosecution involved here is the filing of this case by Mr. Horowitz." - Billboard, 2/10/25...... English Heritage, the charity responsible for the National Heritage Collection of England, announced on X/Twitter that late T. Rex legend Marc Bolan will be among several Londoners who will be honoured with a new London blue plaque in 2025 for their significant impact on the city's cultural landscape. Bolan, the charismatic frontman of glam-rock band T. Rex, was known for his flamboyant style and shape-shifting music and will be honoured with a plaque at one of his former addresses in West London. Others to be honoured with a blue plaque include actress Audrey Hepburn, poet Una Marson, ballerina Alicia Markova, novelist Barbara Pym and artist Graham Sutherland. In 2024, English Heritage paid tribute to George Harrison by unveiling a blue plaque at Harrison's childhood home in Liverpool. - New Musical Express, 2/13/25...... Performing a surprise concert at New York's iconic Bowery Ballroom on Feb. 11, Paul McCartney relived his Beatlemania days with several of the band's classic tracks and paid tribute to late bandmate John Lennon. McCartney, 82, announced the impromptu gig earlier in the day and, unsurprisingly, it swiftly sold out, with 575 lucky fans treated to a once-in-a-lifetime show. Sir Paul, backed by guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist and bassist Brian Ray, keyboardist Paul "Wix" Wickens and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. -- kicked off proceedings in style performing the 1964 Beatles hit "A Hard Day's Night," then dusted off his '70s band Wings' 1975 track "Letting Go," which he hadn't performed live in 11 years. 1966's Revolver track "Got to Get You Into My Life" followed, and other rarities included Wings' "Let Me Roll With It" -- which was last featured in his set at the iTunes Festival in 2007 -- alongside a jam of "Foxy Lady" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Elsewhere, Macca gave a stirring stripped-back acoustic performance of the tear-jerking Beatles tune "Blackbird." McCartney was amused to reminisce about the Beatlemania days when he heard a "Beatles scream" and demanded more shrieking from the "girls." "OK, let's get it out of the way. Girls, give me a Beatles scream," he quipped. Paul also paid tribute to Lennon when performing The Beatles' "final song," 2023's "Now And Then," which Lennon had penned in the 1970s and was finished with the help of AI. He said: "Let's hear it for John." After performing a three-song encore of "Golden Slumbers," "Carry The Weight" and "The End" from Abbey Road, the legend declared: "This has been a blast -- we've loo-ved it." McCartney was in the Big Apple to help NBC's Saturday Night Live celebrate its 50th anniversary on Feb. 16. The venerable comedy show announced on X/Twitter on Feb. 14 that musical performances by McCartney, Paul Simon, Cher, Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne and other famous acts will be combined with a three-hour primetime special which will feature various live sketches which will see both past and present SNL cast members, special guests, and retrospectives celebrating the show's 50th anniversary. The special will air 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and simulcast on Peacock. - Music-News.com/Billboard/NME, 2/14/25...... Appearing on TMZ's new 2 Angry Men podcast on Feb. 12, Village People frontman Victor Willis told hosts Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos that the group's 1978 classic "Y.M.C.A." has an intentional dual meaning. "That was something that I credited myself on is writing my songs with what is called a double entendre," Willis said. "I would write a song to where you can take it any kind of way you wanted it. If you're straight, you can take the lyrics for somebody straight or if you were gay, you could take it for somebody gay." Willis then insisted that "there's like 10% of the gay community that have been coming to my shows and have been there over the past 10 years," although Levin and Geragos insisted that the number would be higher. Willis recently sent a cease and desist letter to Jim Jeffries after the comedian's claims about the song being a "gay anthem." "[Jeffries] went over the line when he got into saying it had to do with men having sex in the bathroom," Willis said. "There is nothing in my lyrics that says anything about that. We approached him and he apologized and said he was going to rephrase what it was he said and say it differently, because the way he said it as worded was defamatory," he added. - Billboard, 2/13/25...... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame revealed its nominees for the Class of 2025 on Feb. 12, with Mariah Carey, Oasis, Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and The White Stripes making the cut. Eight of those 14 acts -- Bad Company, the Black Crowes, Checker, Cocker, Idol, Maná, Outkast and Phish -- are first-time nominees, while the other six have been in RRHOF consideration in years past. Those names will now be narrowed down by an international panel of more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry players, with a fan-voted element factored in. That group's selected nominees will be revealed in late April, as well as whether they'll be entering in the Musical Influence or Musical Excellence categories, and who the year's Ahmet Ertegun award recipient will be. An induction ceremony in Los Angeles will follow in the fall. Industry insiders predict Oasis, The White Stripes, Outkast, Phish, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper and Joe Cocker, in that order, have the best odds of being inducted, while an informal Billboard fan poll showed support for Phish, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper, Bad Company, Billy Idol, Soundgarden and Chubby Checker. Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers says that "[Our] fans and friends have been lobbying for this nomination persistently for years and they never gave up, so big thanks to them. According to them, Bad Company fits all of the criteria and then some to be inducted." Drummer Simon Kirke, however, is more inclined to also note that it's about time. "I think it's been a long time coming. It has rankled me a bit," Kirke says. "We've been around a long time and we've influenced a lot of bands, and I think it's a place that we deserve. I'm just pleased that we're at least on the ballot. I'm happy and I'm honored, and fingers crossed that we make it." Formed during 1973 in London, Bad Company brought together Rodgers and Kirke from Free, guitarist Mick Ralphs from Mott the Hoople and bassist Boz Burrell, fresh out of King Crimson. The group was managed by the legendary Peter Grant and signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song label. Its self-titled 1974 debut hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200, going five-times platinum and launching enduring rock radio hits such as "Can't Get Enough" (No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Movin' On" (No. 19) and the song "Bad Company." Four of the band's other 11 studio albums went platinum or better, as did the 1985 compilation 10 From 6. All told Bad Company sold more than 40 million records worldwide, with a cadre of other top 40 Hot 100 hits such as "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Young Blood," "Shooting Star" and "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy." The original Bad Company foursome came to a stop in 1982, and Bad Company last toured during 2019. Kirke confirms that "I think it's safe to say (the band's) playing days are pretty much over." He and Rodgers are still active, however. Though Rodgers is also battling health issues -- he's suffered several strokes since 2016 and 2019 -- he released the solo album Midnight Rose during 2023 and is continuing to write new material. Kirke, meanwhile, has written a stage musical about addiction that's currently being shopped and is planning to record his fourth solo album during the spring. - Billboard, 2/12/25...... On Feb. 12 The Jacksons shared details of three UK shows this summer. Comprised of founding members Jackie Jackson and Marlon Jackson, brothers of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, the band are set to break out hits from their lengthy discography as they headline GuilFest at Stoke Park in Guilford, Surrey on July 5. From there, they'll take to the stage at the Heritage Live Shows at the Englefield House in Berkshire on July 19. For their set at GuilFest, the band -- formerly known as The Jackson 5 -- will join Razorlight at the top of the bill. They also join other previously announced acts on the 2025 line-up, including KT Tunstall, Soul II Soul, The Amy Winehouse Band, Sleeper, Elvanna, Stereo MCs and Dub Pistols. At the Heritage Live gig, they will appear alongside Sister Sledge, Boney M and Maizie Williams. For the Essex show, Sister Sledge will also be performing, as will Miss Disco. The news of their UK shows arrives months following the death of founding member Tito Jackson, who passed away on Sept. 15 at age 70 after he suffered a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma. At the time, the group's manager said The Jacksons were "far advanced" in the process of recording and releasing their first album since 1989's 2300 Jackson Street. - NME, 2/12/25...... Though not known as a country artist, Sammy Hagar will be among the eclectic lineup of headliners at this year's Stagecoach Country Music Festival, set for the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on April 25-27. Hagar will perform on the final night of the festival on the event's Palomino Stage, with other notable performers during the three days including Lana Del Rey, Nelly, Tracy Lawrence, Goo Goo Dolls, Tommy James & the Shondells and Crystal Gayle. - Billboard, 2/11/25...... Patti Smith has announced she'll be hitting the road in the U.K. and U.S. this fall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her iconic debut album, Horses. The singer will be joined by longtime side men guitarist Lenny Kaye and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, who both played on the seminal 1975 LP that is considered a punk classic and is often cited by R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe as the album that made him want to make music, and has been enshrined in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry as a historically significant work. Her Patti Smith Group will kick off the 20-date jaunt on Oct. 6 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The outing is then booked to hit Madrid, London, Burssels, Oslo and Paris before moving over to the U.S. for theater gigs in Seattle, Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. before winding down on Nov. 29 at the Met in Philadelphia. "Please join us to help celebrate the final ride of our irreverent thoroughbred," read a statement announcing the run that will mark the first time in 20 years that Smith, 78, has performed the whole album. In 2005, she celebrated its 30th anniversary at that year's Meltdown Festival in London, which she curated. Before she hits the road, Smith will be feted at a March 26 all-star concert at New York's Carnegie Hall, "People Have the Power: Celebrating the Music of Patti Smith," which will feature appearances by Stipe and members of Sonic Youth and the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. In January, Smith assured fans that she was okay after collapsing on stage in So Paulo, Brazil on Jan. 29. The health scare came a month after Smith was ordered by a doctor to rest following a brief stay in an Italian hospital to deal with what was described as a sudden, unnamed illness, resulting in the cancellation of a pair of European shows. - Billboard, 2/11/25...... Van Morrison has added two Scotland shows to his forthcoming 2025 UK tour. In addition to the initially confirmed four gigs in Nottingham (3/18), Birmingham (3/19), Oxford (3/23, 24) and Stroud (3/24), Morrison has scheduled a pair of headline concerts in Scotland at the end of the trek. He'll take to the stage at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall on Mar. 30, before heading to Edinburgh for a performance at Usher Hall the following night. Morrison had previously announced two homecoming shows at Whitla Hall in Belfast on February 21 and 22, as well as European headline gigs in Antwerp, Brussels and The Hague. - NME, 2/11/25...... The legacy of legendary folk singer Joan Baez was celebrated on Feb. 8 with a star-studded Sweet Relief Musicians Fund benefit show at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. Performers included Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Morello, Joe Henry, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal and Baez herself. There were also appearances by Jackson Browne and the Glide Ensemble. Actress Monica Barbaro, who recently received an Oscar nomination for playing Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, was in attendance, as were Linda Ronstadt and local counterculture icon Wavy Gravy. Eric Steinberg, executive director at Sweet Relief Musicians Fund said, "We're thrilled to celebrate 30 years of Sweet Relief while honoring the great Joan Baez and her amazing career. Joan has supported our charity for many years, and it was a privilege to honor her alongside so many incredible artists." Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides services and financial assistance for career musicians and music industry professionals. Grants are earmarked for medical and vital living expenses, including insurance premiums, prescriptions, medical treatment and operative procedures, housing costs, food costs, utilities, and other basic necessities. The event raised more than $600,000, and 100% of all donations will go to Sweet Relief for California fire relief for distribution to victims. - Billboard, 2/10/25...... 10cc's Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley celebrated the 50th anniversary of their 1975 hit "I'm Not In Love" on Vernon Kay's BBC Radio 2 program Piano Room on the morning of Feb. 14. Accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra at the BBC Maida Vale studios, Gouldman and Godley performed their seminal hit "I'm Not In Love" plus their new single -- "I Don't Wanna Get To Heaven," and a cover of The Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream." When Kay asked about "I'm Not In Love" going through different iterations, Godley said: "There were two versions, the first recording of it was dreadful. It sucked. So we put it to one side. We knew it was a good song and then we came back to it when we were deeper into the album and discovered this new way of approaching it and suddenly it came to life." A full 10cc reunion seems unlikely however, as Godley said "no" when asked if there was a chance the band would be getting back on stage together. - Music-News.com, 2/14/25...... On Feb. 12, Nordoff and Robbins, the UK's largest music therapy charity that uses music to transform lives, announced the first wave of winners for the 2025 O2 Silver Clef Awards. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour will be the 2025 recipient of the coveted O2 Silver Clef Award, which celebrates outstanding contributions to music. "It's such an honour to receive the O2 Silver Clef Award," Gilmour said in a statement. "Music speaks its own language and it's inspiring to see Nordoff and Robbins using it to make a real difference to people's lives. What they do reminds us of music's ability to reach across boundaries and bring people together." Gilmour and other 2025 winners, including Rick Astley and Soul II Soul, will be celebrated at an exclusive awards evening hosted by broadcaster Edith Bowman on July 2 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London. Previous winners of the prestigious O2 Silver Clef Award include David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Ed Sheeran, The Rolling Stones, Kylie Minogue and many more. First held in 1976, the O2 Silver Clef Awards is Nordoff and Robbins' largest annual fundraising event, raising over 13.5 million for the charity across its 49-year history. - Music-News.com, 2/12/25...... Ozzy Osbourne's new single "Gods of Rock N Roll" has already appeared on the charts days before its official release date of Feb. 14. It comes as the song as a new version of the Billy Morrison song "God," which appeared on his 2015 album God Shaped Hole The track saw Osbourne co-write and sing on the original, and now it has been reimagined as an orchestral edition featuring new guitar contributions from Steve Stevens. The reason that it has found its way onto the charts already comes as Morrison gave the new version of the track its premiere while on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard channel last month. Since then, it has been picked up by other radio stations and has made its way to the Number 26 spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. "Gods Of Rock N Roll (Orchestral)" is set to feature on the upcoming deluxe edition of Morrison's 2024 album The Morrison Project, which will arrive digitally on Feb. 21. - NME, 2/11/25...... Sir Tom Jones and Sugababes have been unveiled as headliners for the UK's 2025 Camp Bestival. The "She's A Lady" hitmaker and the "Freak Like Me" group will top the bill at the family festival at Lulworth Cove in Dorset, which takes place between July 31 and Aug. 3. They join previously confirmed headliners Basement Jaxx. Other acts on the stacked bill include Lightning Seeds, The Zutons and drum and bass legend Goldie, who will perform with a full band. - Music-News.com, 2/12/25...... The Stylistics have shared their first new song in more than 16 years, "Yes, I Will," featuring country star Shania Twain. The '70s soul legends -- who are behind the hits "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "I'm Stone in Love with You," "Break Up to Make Up" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" -- have joined forces with the "You're Still the One" hitmaker on the lead single from their star-studded album Falling In Love With My Girl, their first in almost 20 years. Twain says she came up with the song and just so happened to be with musicians Steve Luthaker, Ray Parker Jr and Nathan East at the time, who contributed to the finished tune, but she says it wasn't until The Stylistics added their vocals that it "really came together." "I'm not known for making Soul records but Soul has always been a big influence for me musically," Twain says. "I'm so in awe of The Stylistics for their natural talent and effortless delivery. I can listen to their voices endlessly. I had this idea for the song Yes, I Will it all came together quite quickly for me lyrically and melodically, it was just a natural flow." The 21-track collection by the iconic group -- comprised of Airrion Love, Herb Murrell and Jason Sharp -- also features the likes of Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, KISS' Gene Simmons, and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. Falling In Love With My Girl -- the group's follow-up to 2008's That Same Way -- drops on Feb. 21. - Music-News.com, 2/13/25....... In a new interview with People, Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley set the record straight on the end of her relationship with the King of Rock & Roll. Priscilla, 79, was married to Elvis from 1967 until 1973 and birthed his only child -- the late Lisa Marie Presley, who died in 2023 aged 54. Director Sofia Coppola released her film, titled Priscilla, in 2023 and it chronicled the romance between the star and the late music legend -- who died in 1977 aged 42. While the film was based on Priscilla's 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me, Presley says the film failed to depict the end of the relationship accurately. "The only thing was the ending. I wasn't really happy about the ending. It didn't end that way, and we ended -- Elvis and I ended very lovingly," she told People. Presley made her comments to the magazine during a panel event at MegaCon Orlando -- where she went on to explain she remained close to Elvis after their divorce. She divulged, "We kept our relationship. We did. He would drop by my home unannounced, and I was going with someone by the way, and he would come unannounced. Thank God it was two o'clock in the morning, and I knew who it was, so I quickly tried to get to the door before he rang the doorbell, and of course he came in, we went in the kitchen, we talked for a couple of hours." - Music-News.com, 2/12/25.