Two longtime guitarists in Bob Dylan's live band have seemingly stepped away from the rock legend's ongoing "Rough and Rowdy Ways" tour. Acoustic guitarist Bob Britt was reported to have left the band after sharing a brief post social media that was later deleted. According to screenshots circulated by Dylan fans on Reddit.com, Britt posted "Sayonara Bobby" alongside an image showing a flight route from Austin, Tex., to Nashville during a day off from the tour. In a later comment, he reportedly wrote: "I quit." Britt has played with Dylan since 2019, and has been a regular presence during during his current tour. Britt's departure follows another recent change in Dylan's band, after electric guitarist Doug Lancio was recently replaced on stage by acclaimed jazz guitarist Julian Lage. Lancio, who had been part of Dylan's touring band since 2021, was absent from Dylan's June 17 show at the Santa Barbara Bowl. A reviewer for the Los Angeles Times noted that Lage had replaced Lancio onstage, although it remains unclear whether he is filling in temporarily or joining the line-up more permanently. Dylan's current US run is due to continue on June 29) at Moody Amphitheater in Austin, Tex., before wrapping in Nashville on Aug. 1. Dylan has dusted off several rarely performed live cuts lately on the tour, including "I Shall Be Released" and "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere." - New Musical Express, 6/28/26...... 
The huge personal record collection of Tom Verlaine, the late frontman of the acclaimed '70s punk band Television, has gone on sale. Verlaine passed away in Jan. 2023 at the age of 73, and now his extensive archive of 4,000 vinyl records is being made available to the public, offering fans a glimpse into the music taste of the trailblazing New York band. The collection spans jazz, avant-garde, garage rock, psychedelia and experimental, and includes Verlaine's personal copies of Television's debut single "Little Johnny Jewel" and their landmark 1977 debut album Marquee Moon, alongside records by The 13th Floor Elevators, Nico, Albert Ayler, The Sonics, Love and Slint. The first batch of records became available through Discogs.com on June 26, with further titles set to be sold in person at Academy Records' Banker Street location in Brooklyn on July 10 and 11. Any remaining records will then return to Discogs on July 31. Purchases made through Discogs will include a certificate of authenticity confirming that the record came from Verlaine's personal collection. The collection can be checked out on Discogs.com. Television were one of the defining bands of the 1970s New York punk scene, emerging from CBGB alongside the likes of Smith, Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads. Their debut album Marquee Moon is widely regarded as one of the most influential guitar records of the era. Television released just one more album during their original run, 1978's Adventure, before splitting that year. They later reformed in 1992 for a self-titled third album and continued to tour intermittently in the decades that followed. - NME, 6/28/26...... In related news, Mick Jagger has named some of his favorite Rolling Stones albums and songs in a new interview with Today as he promotes the band's upcoming album Foreign Tongues. Asked if he had a favorite Stones album, Jagger replied: "I think Sticky Fingers is really good. I think Beggars Banquet is really good. I think Hackney Diamonds is pretty good, too." When asked if he had one favorite Rolling Stones song, Jagger answered: "I mean, there's so many different styles," he said. "You're running the gamut of 'Sympathy For The Devil', you know, 'Start Me Up', 'Angie', 'Honky Tonk Women'." The Stones are now preparing to release Foreign Tongues, their 25th studio album, on July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music. The 14-track record has been produced by Andrew Watt, who also worked on Hackney Diamonds. The iconic band has recently shared tracks from the new album -- "Divine Intervention" on YouTube, and "Jealous Lover" on Amazon.com. Meanwhile, Jagger has revealed that the idea of a big-screen Rolling Stones biopic "interests" him in a new interview with GQ magazine, although he admitted it would be difficult to decide which period of the band's sprawling 64-year career to focus on. The legendary frontman was asked about the possibility of the band receiving the biopic treatment in the context of Sam Mendes' upcoming four-film Beatles project. "Yeah, it interests me," Jagger replied when asked whether a similar treatment for the Stones would appeal to him. "I don't want to impart it to you, but, I know how I see it," he continued. "There's lots of ways of doing biopics. So most of the time when you do a biopic, you do one small section of someone's life bookended by some other stuff." Jagger then pointed to the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, which starred Timothée Chalamet and focused on Dylan's early years in New York and his controversial move from folk to electric music. "Take the Bob Dylan movie," Jagger said. "You do the moment when Bob went electric. You'd have to think, what are you going to zero in on? And where's your two years of interest? I mean that Bob Dylan one was two years, [the] James Brown one that I produced was slightly more." Asked which section of the Stones' history he would choose, Jagger added: "I don't know which section, because it's a long period." - NME, 6/28/26...... 
The estate of late Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Leonard Cohen has decried the use of the singer-songwriter's classic track "Hallelujah" during Pres. Donald Trump's rally kicking off the "Great American State Fair" in Washington, D.C. on June 24 celebrating the U.S.'s 250th anniversary. During the event, Long Island opera singer Christopher Macchio joined forces with the Marine Band's Master Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear to perform the oft-covered 1984 song. Ahead of the rally, Cohen's estate posted its objection to the planned use of song, which was still used at the rally. "The Leonard Cohen Estate has learned that the song 'Hallelujah' is to be performed at a Donald Trump rally on June 24," a statement posted to Cohen's Instagram account reads. "This use is not authorized, and the Estate does not support or approve of this or any similar usage." The statement ends with a tongue-in-cheek nod to one of the president's favorite social media sign-offs, simply stating: "Thank you for your attention to this matter." According to the Recording Industry Association of America, "Hallelujah" has been performed by more than 300 singers across multiple languages and decades, including high-profile versions by Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, Pentatonix and the Shrek soundtrack. Before Cohen's 2016 death, he had reacted to the song's multitude of covers in a 2009 interview with The Guardian, saying, "I was reading a review of a movie called Watchmen that uses it, and the reviewer said, 'Can we please have a moratorium on "Hallelujah" in movies and television shows?' and I kind of feel the same way. I think it's a good song, but too many people sing it." - Billboard, 6/24/26...... Lionel Richie has postponed his next two concerts after cutting the opening night of his co-headlining tour with Earth, Wind & Fire short after suffering a dizzy spell on stage in Minnesota earlier in June. Richie, 77, told the crowd he needed to sit down while performing because he felt dizzy. He forged ahead with singing "Dancing on the Ceiling," then left the stage for an intermission. Nevertheless, Lionel took the opportunity to joke to the crowd. "When you're feeling dizzy, sit your ass down," he said. Less than an hour later, saxophone player Dino Soldo told the crowd that the show was canceled because Lionel was "not feeling well," according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. On June 25, Live Nation Chicago posted on Instagram that the former Commodores member and '80s solo superstar's back-to-back performances in Chicago on June 26 and Columbus, Oh., on June 27 had been pushed back "under advisement by doctors to rest and return to full health." "Lionel is heartbroken to postpone these two shows and cannot wait to be back performing for his fans," it reads. "We apologize for any inconvenience this causes fans who have tickets for these two shows. Rescheduled dates will be announced soon." His concert on June 30 in Pittsburgh is still expected to go on as planned. - Billboard, 6/26/26...... Billy Joel's 1974 breakthrough hit "Piano Man" has topped Billboard's Top TV Songs chart after a synch in the eighth episode of Amazon Prime Video's The Boys' fifth season which was also its series finale. In a scene that helped conclude the show's seven-year run, "Piano Man" racked up 19.1 million official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads in May 2026 en route to its No. 1 bow on the TV Songs chart, according to Luminate. Other '70s songs making the chart include Bill Withers' "Lovely Day" from Netflix's The Boroughs (No. 3), Bob Seger's "Night Moves" also from The Boroughs (No. 5), and Steely Dan's "Do It Again" from HBO's Euphoria (No. 6). - Billboard, 6/25/26...... 
As tension builds for the rumoured anxiously-awaited imminent marriage of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in early July, Stevie Nicks is said to be among the performers during the ceremony for the worldwide pop superstar and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. Swift was also recently spotted celebrating the New York Knicks' recent victory with the HAIM sisters, notably while wearing a shirt that read "Stevie Nicks," which many have taken as an Easter egg about her upcoming nuptials. Now, reports from Page Six and Rolling Stone have seen multiple sources claim that not only will Nicks be in attendance, but will be performing at the ceremony. The pair's friendship is well-documented, with Swift saying she was "very lucky to have the guidance of Nicks last year." The two also went on a celebratory night in Dublin after Swift wrapped a three-show run in the city on her "Eras Tour" trek in 2024, and, the same night that they were pictured at the Hacienda bar, Nicks was seen looking visibly emotional at Swift's concert after she performed the Midnights track "You're On Your Own, Kid." The Fleetwood Mac frontwoman previously thanked the singer-songwriter for penning the song, because it captured how she felt about losing her bandmate Christine McVie. Wedding plans have so far been shrouded in secrecy, but further details emerged this week with a New York Times report that revealed a permit had been filed with New York City to close the streets around Madison Square Garden for an event on July 3, which points further towards the city's arena as the chosen venue. The Times additionally reported that festivities will kick off on July 2 with "an intimate gathering of about 100 people followed by a larger event that will include "about 1,000 guests the next day." Before those reports appeared to confirm the date, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared to have let it slip that the ceremony would be held in the city in early July. - NME, 6/28/26...... Billy Idol and his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens were inducted into the Hollywood Rockwalk on June 23 during a ceremony at Guitar Center's flagship Hollywood location on Sunset Boulevard. The ceremony was hosted by legendary radio personality Richard Blade, and Idol and Stevens commemorated the occasion with a handprint ceremony outside the store. They joined more than 150 artists and innovators who have been honored by the Rockwalk since its founding in 1985, including the likes of Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Idol, who began his career in the late '70s as a member of Generation X, received a lifetime achievement award at the American Music Awards on May 25, where he and Stevens performed three of his biggest hits, "White Wedding," "Eyes Without a Face" and "Dancing With Myself." On Nov. 14, Idol and Stevens will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony to be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 6/24/26...... 
Daryl Hall posted a statement on Instagram on June 23 saying he's "already feeling better" after he underwent a kidney transplant. The Hall & Oates co-founder announced that he had received the kidney from a "living donor." "Hi everybody!" he began. "I thought you should know that I recently received a kidney transplant from a very kind and generous living donor. It happened a couple of weeks ago, and I'm already starting to feel better. It was, according to my doctors, a complete success!" He went on to note that he should be "back to normal" in a few months. "So get ready for more music and lots of Daryl's House shows. You all take care!" the 79-year-old added. Back in 2005, Hall was forced to postpone a string of Hall & Oates shows as he had been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Though Hall & Oates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, Hall and John Oates announced in 2023 that they would no longer perform together due to a legal battle over their publishing rights. The dispute was resolved in August 2025. Hall released his sixth solo album, D, in June 2024. Most recently, he has hosted Live from Daryl's House, an online music series in which the singer-songwriter performs with his band and various guests at his home in Millerton, N.Y. - Music-News.com, 6/24/26...... Rising Scottish singer-songwriter Callum Beattie has joined the line-up for "Bowie: Live On The Loch," the upcoming charity celebration of David Bowie's life and legacy. The event is taking place at Cameron House on the banks of Loch Lomond on Nov. 7 and 8, in aid of Save The Children, and it will mark the 10th anniversary of Bowie's death. The band that backed Bowie during his legendary Glastonbury 2000 headline set -- guitarist Earl Slick, keyboardist Mike Garson, bassist Gail Ann Dorsey, multi-instrumentalist Mark Plati and drummer Sterling Campbell -- are reuniting for a one-off live performance over the weekend. Reflecting on joining the line-up, Beattie said: "Being asked to play with this band is one of the greatest honours of my life. If it wasn't for Bowie, there's no way I'd be a singer or a songwriter." "My dad had a 'magic cupboard' that was filled with vinyl and Bowie was at the forefront of that," he added. "It's an incredible privilege to share the stage with such legends. I just hope I can do the songs justice." - NME, 6/28/26...... Actress Ann Blyth, who drew a 1946 Oscar nomination for her memorable performance as the spoiled, selfish daughter of Joan Crawford's hard-working, devoted title character in the classic film Mildred Pierce, died on June 24 at age 98. The dark beauty was also noted for her roles in prison drama Brute Force (1947), the Mario Lanza vehicle The Great Caruso (1951) and 1957's The Helen Morgan Story with Paul Newman. Ms. Blyth made her single Broadway appearance in the original production of Lillian Hellman's WWII drama "Watch on the Rhine" in 1941-42. She toured with the show in Los Angeles, where she was noticed and given a screen test at Universal. The Mount Kisco, N.Y., native and devout Catholic focused on family after her film career essentially ended in 1957 as well as musical theater, appearing in "The Sound of Music," "The King and I," "Carnival," "Bittersweet," South Pacific," "Show Boat" and "A Little Night Music." She made several appearances on the TV Western Wagon Train in the early 1960s and starred in the "Queen of the Nile" episode of The Twilight Zone in 1964. Later she appeared a couple of times on Quincy, M.E. before her final television appearance on Murder, She Wrote in 1985. - Variety.com, 6/26/26...... 
David Clayton-Thomas, the Blood, Sweat & Tears lead singer and songwriter behind such hits as "Spinning Wheel, "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and "And When I Die," died on June 24 at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. He was 84. No cause of death was provided, but the rep said the musician died peacefully and that a memorial benefit concert will soon be held in his honor supporting Peacebuilders Canada, an organization that promotes restorative justice for youth, which he championed for years up until he died. Born in Surrey, England on Sept. 13, 1941, Mr. Clayton-Thomas started out as a soloist who first earned major recognition in Canada for anti-war song "Brainwashed" in 1966. He joined Blood, Sweat & Tears a couple of years later following the departure of former bandleader Al Kooper, and the group entered a period of immense popularity. The group's first album, Child Is Father to the Man, was not a huge hit (only climbing to No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart in June 1968), but it was highly-regarded, receiving a Grammy nomination and voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. BS&T's next two albums, Blood, Sweat & Tears (1969) and Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 (1970) topped the Hot 200, with the former climbing to No. 1 for seven nonconsecutive weeks and the latter heading the charts for two weeks. The band spawned three No. 2 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with Blood, Sweat & Tears 3: "Spinning Wheel," "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and "And When I Die." It won a Grammy for album of the year in 1970. A track from the album, "Variations on a Theme by Eric Satie," won Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance, and the album was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. After helping usher several other tracks onto the top 40, including 1970's "Hi-De-Ho" and 1971's "Go Down Gamblin'," the group's popularity began to wane and Mr. Clayton-Thomas briefly left the group in 1972, the same year his self-titled solo album charted on the Billboard Hot 200. A few years later, however, he returned, remaining as a constant in Blood, Sweat & Tears' lineup until 2004, with the act billed as "Blood, Sweat & Tears Featuring David Clayton-Thomas." Mr. Clayton-Thomas would resume his solo work shortly after that, releasing album Aurora in 2005 followed by The Evergreens in 2008, Soul Ballads in 2010, A Blues for the New World in 2013, Combo in 2016, Canadiana in 2016, Mobius in 2018 and Say Somethin' in 2020. He also worked as an A&R rep for several labels, as well as a reporter for TV stations. His accolades include an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, a Juno Award and a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. He is survived by his daughters, Ashleigh Clayton-Thomas and Christine Graham. He is survived by his daughters, Ashleigh Clayton-Thomas and Christine Graham. - Billboard, 2/25/26.
In a new interview with the UK's Uncut magazine, Keith Richards has suggested that The Rolling Stones may favor residencies over traditional touring because physical demands of travel have become the biggest obstacle to the band performing live. "I don't know if tours are possible," Richards said. "It's the travelling that takes it out of you. But I do see the possibility of us doing residency somewhere. Wherever it is, London, New York, Paris, anywhere. I'll play Rome! But I don't see why they shouldn't be able to throw some shows together in a new format." Richards' comments come after Mick Jagger recently told BBC Radio 2 that he hopes to tour the Stones "as soon as possible" -- though he acknowledged it would not happen this year. The band scrapped plans for a U.K. and European stadium tour in 2026 after Richards was unable to commit to the run. The band's latest and 25th studio album, Foreign Toungues, will drop on July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music and feature guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, Steve Winwood, and the band's late drummer Charlie Watts. It includes previously released tracks "Rough and Twisted" and "In the Stars," as well as a cover of Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good." Meanwhile, on June 19 the Stones announced the launch of a Speaking in Tongues podcast featuring interviews with Jagger, Richards and guitarist Ronnie Wood. Narrated by Norah Jones, the podcast will feature behind-the-scenes insight into the making of the LP over six episodes, with the band sharing studio techniques, creative influences and their songwriting process. The first episode goes live on June 25, and its trailer can be streamed on Spotify.com. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 6/23/26...... 
During a concert in West Valley City, Utah on June 19, Rod Stewart was forced to pause after nearly fainting onstage and requiring an oxygen tank. Stewart, 81, appeared visibly unwell and was seen doubling over in discomfort before using an oxygen tank to assist with his breathing, according to TMZ.com. After struggling to finish his hit "Young Turks," Stewart appeared less mobile than usual and leaned against stage equipment before members of his team brought out an oxygen tank, as seen in video footage published by TMZ. The "Maggie May" singer later told the crowd that he had nearly fainted but insisted that the "show must go on." He then jokingly asked, "Would you mind if I sat down for this one?" before continuing the performance and finishing the show seated in a chair. TMZ noted that West Valley City sits at approximately 4,300 feet above sea level, which may have contributed to the incident. In late May, Stewart suggested that his current "One Last Time" farewell tour could mark the end of his large-scale touring career. "I've got 40-odd shows this year and that's not really a lot," Stewart said during a football chat show in the U.K. And I'm touring the U.K. next year and doing the O2 and that will probably be it, I think. I'll have to do something new... come on your show more often." He added that after his remaining dates this year and a planned U.K. run in 2027, he may step away from major touring commitments. Stewart currently has numerous U.S. dates scheduled throughout July and August as part of his "One Last Time" tour. The trek is set to conclude with a show in St. Louis on Aug. 15, then he'll head to Las Vegas for a handful of residency dates. - Billboard, 6/21/26...... Actor Paul Avery and his wife Sheila Avery died in a house fire in their Blairstown, N.J., home early on June 16. Firefighters responded to their home, approximately 80 kilometres west of Newark, and found the couple in critical condition, New Jersey State Police told the Ridgeview Echo, a local news organization founded by the late actor. Upon the troopers' arrival, the residence was fully engulfed in flames," police said in a statement Friday. "Two individuals were in the residence at the time of the fire, and both succumbed to their injuries. The fire remains under investigation, and no additional information is available." They were both treated with CPR, but died shortly after being rescued, police said. The blaze was declared under control around 1 a.m. shortly after firefighters entered the home. The cause is still under investigation. Mr. Avery, 81, began his acting career in the 1970s, playing a TV cameraman in Superman: The Movie in 1978 and Hughie the bartender on All My Children. He remained in the recurring role for a dozen years before his exit from the soap opera. He also made appearances in Tales from the Darkside, Three's Company and Soap. In addition to acting and writing, the former journalist was also a member of the United States National Guard and spent a year serving as a helicopter crew chief in the Vietnam War. - Canoe.com, 6/19/26...... 
The Jackson 5 members Marlon and Jackie Jackson announced on Instagram on June 22 they are reuniting for a string of U.K. shows later in 2026. The siblings are co-founders of the beloved Motown group -- which also starred their late brother Michael Jackson until 1984 -- and will be taking to the road in "Jackson 5 Live In Concert" for four concerts, kicking off on Nov. 6 in Manchester. Following the performance at the O2 Apollo, the pair will move on to Cardiff's Utilita Arena on Nov. 8, before heading to the Wolverhampton Civic on Nov. 11. The tour will wrap at London's Eventim Apollo on Nov. 13. Marlon and Jackie will be supported on the concerts by London disco band Heatwave, most famous for tracks such as "Boogie Nights" and "Always and Forever." "Jackson 5 Live In Concert" comes amid the huge worldwide success of biopic Michael, which documents the "Thriller" singer's life and stars his nephew Jaafar Jackson, son of J5 member Jermaine Jackson, in the lead role. Speaking recently about seeing Jaafar on the big screen as his late sibling, Marlon recently told People: "Jaafar is unbelievable. As a matter of fact, I think he's the only one that could have done this. I'm watching the movie and sometimes I'm thinking I'm watching Michael up there, and I forget 'Oh, it's Jaafar.'" - Music-News.com, 6/22/26...... It's not as good as catching Paul Simon on the singer-songwriter's "A Quiet Celebration Tour," but it's the next best thing. On June 26, fans can enjoy Simon's brand-new two-hour concert special, Paul Simon: The Quiet Celebration Concert, streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Expect deep cuts, new arrangements and timeless hits recorded live at McCaw Hall in Seattle. It's also a story of triumph -- a legendary performer learning the stage again after beginning to experience hearing loss. - AP, 6/24/26...... Actress Anne Schedeen, best known for playing ALF matriarch Kate Tanner on the 1986-1990 NBC sitcom, died on June 14. She was 77. Born in Portland, Ore., in January 1949, Sheeden first tried acting in a local theatre before she moved east to New York to kick-start her professional career in the entertainment industry. She was cast as one of Jack Tripper's (John Ritter) girlfriends in Three's Company, and also had credits in Magnum, P.I., Murder, She Wrote, and ER. In 1986, she was cast as Kate Tanner in ALF, which follows the titular alien who landed in the family's garage and moved in. Speaking of her time on the show, she recalled to People magazine: [It was] extremely slow, hot, and tedious. If you had a scene with ALF, it took centuries. A 30-minute show took 20 to 25 hours to shoot. Some of the actors in the cast had difficult personalities. The whole thing was a big, dysfunctional family." In a post on Schedeen's Facebook page, her family penned: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share Annie has passed peacefully. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of creative energy, whip-smart humour, delight in her family, adoration for little dogs, burning hatred for Trump, passion for second-hand thrifting, and love for a good story. We are bereft without her. We loved her so so much, as did all who met her." A cause of death is yet to be revealed. - NZHerald.co.nz, 6/18/26...... Director and television creator James Burrows, who helmed episodes of such beloved TV comedies as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Laverne & Shirley, The Bob Newhart Show and many other classic shows, died on 19. He was 85. "We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James 'Jimmy' Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family," his family said in a statement. "For more than five decades, [he] was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history [who] helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world," the family added. The time and place of his death were not disclosed. Mr. Burrows won 11 Emmy awards for excellence in television and helmed more than 1,000 episodes of hit programs, working as a director, producer and writer. He was among the early innovators of the multi-camera sitcom when his prolific career began in the 1970s directing episodes of Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart and Laverne & Shirley. He is first Emmy came for directing Taxi, a groundbreaking comedy starring Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman and Tony Danza, about the rough and tumble staff of a New York City taxicab company. He directed 236 episodes and also co-created Cheers with longtime collaborator James Brooks, as well as its spin-off Frasier. His other hit shows include The Big Bang Theory Mike & Molly, and 3rd Rock from the Sun. Recently, the director took a rare step in front of the camera and starred as himself in The Comeback, reuniting with Friends star Lisa Kudrow for a show that pokes fun at life behind the scenes working on a sitcom in Hollywood. - AFP, 6/20/26...... 
Clive Davis, the legendary music exec who guided the careers of such stars as Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys, died on June 22 at his home in New York from age-related illness. He was 94. Mr. Davis rose to prominence while serving as president of Columbia Records from 1967 to 1973, before founding his own label, Arista, where he signed Manilow and stars including Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith and Dionne Warwick, among many others. In 2000, he founded J Records, which was responsible for launching acts including Keys and Maroon 5 to superstardom. Known as "The Man With the Golden Ears," Mr. Davis became an industry icon for helping shape the popular sound of genres including pop, rock, R&B and hip-hop during a career that spanned more than 60 years. In the process, he signed, mentored and/or worked closely with such legendary artists as Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Alan Jackson, Luther Vandross, Kenny G, Usher, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sly and the Family Stone, Rod Stewart and Jennifer Hudson. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and received a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy in 2000. Born in Brooklyn on Apr. 4, 1932, Mr. Davis attended New York University, from which he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in political science. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1956, he began his music business career in the legal department of Columbia Records at age 28. In 1967, he rose to president of Columbia's parent company CBS Records, where he signed Janis Joplin and her band Big Brother and the Holding Company after seeing them perform at the Monterey International Pop Festival. While at CBS, Davis demonstrated a knack for signing other future stars, including Santana, Billy Joel and Aerosmith. Fired from CBS Records in 1973 after being accused of misappropriating company funds, which he denied, Mr. Davis formed his own label, Arista Records, where he worked with artists as diverse as Manilow and Patti Smith. Manilow had Arista's first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, "Mandy," in 1975. That same year, Davis plucked Patti Smith from relative obscurity to release her hugely influential and successful 1975 debut album Horses. He also helped engineer comebacks for a number of older stars whose careers had lost some of their shimmer, from Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick to Santana, whose 1999 collaborative album Supernatural went multi-platinum and scored a total of nine Grammy wins, including album of the year. Including his Grammy win for that album, Davis won four Grammys during his lifetime out of five nominations. Mr. Davis' biggest success at Artista came when he signed Whitney Houston, the younger cousin of Arista artist Dionne Warwick. On the release of her 1985 self-titled debut album, Houston shot to fame with a trio of No. 1 hits on the Hot 100, including "How Will I Know," "Saving All My Love for You" and "Greatest Love of All." Houston went on to become one of the best-selling artists of all time, notching a total of 11 No. 1 hits on the pop charts during the course of a career that was cut short with her death in 2012. In 2002, after BMG purchased a majority stake in J Records, Mr. Davis was named president and CEO of RCA Music Group. He remained in that role until 2008, when, at age 76, he was named chief creative officer at Sony BMG, and, later, chief creative officer at Sony Music Entertainment, a title he held until his death. He published an autobiography, The Soundtrack of My Life, in 2013. Outside of music, Mr. Davis became known for his humanitarian efforts, including his work battling the AIDS epidemic beginning in the mid-1980s. "To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives," said the Davis family in a statement. "He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations. Barry Manilow reflected on the pair's partnership spanning more than five decades. "My heart is heavy with the loss of my friend Clive Davis," Manilow wrote. "For fifty years we worked together, created together, argued together, and celebrated together. Yes, some would say it was business. But to Clive, it never was. It was family. And I was honored to be a part of his. Thank you Clive. I wish we could do it all again." - Billboard, 6/22/26.
Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress best known for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the hit 1970's-80's sitcom 
The lighthearted Laverne & Shirley proved to be a ratings hit and earned six Golden Globe nominations, including two for Best Comedy Series and one for Williams in the Best actress in a Comedy category. She also appeared in several standout films, most notably, George Lucas' acclaimed 1973 film 
Veteran rock journalist Gary Graff is set to release an Alice Cooper biography, 
Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson will star as the King of Pop in an upcoming biopic, Michael, the film's distributor Lionsgate announced on 
On Jan. 30 The Who announced a 2023 UK tour where they will be accompanied by an orchestra on each date. The tour is the rock legends' first tour in six years and will kick off on July 6 in Hull, after which they will play a mixture of indoor and outdoor shows across the country before wrapping in Brighton on July 23. The nine-date run of shows will see the band return to Edinburgh for the first time in over 40 years (July 7 and 8), while they will also perform in Derby, on July 14, for the first time since 1966. UB40 featuring Ali Campbell will be joining them on all shows, apart from Edinburgh and London. "Having not toured the UK for six years, it's great that at this time of our careers we have the chance to go to places that are not on the usual touring map -- Edinburgh Castle and Derby, as well as the other cities across the country that we haven't been to for decades, will make this very special for me," said Who frontman Roger Daltrey in a statement. "This opportunity will give our UK Who fans the chance to hear our current show, which, with the addition of an orchestra, takes our music to new heights." "Roger initially christened this tour with an orchestra 'Moving On!' I love it," guitarist Pete Townshend added. "It is what both of us want to do. Move on, with new music, classic Who music, all performed in new and exciting ways. Taking risks, nothing to lose. I'm really looking forward to bringing this show to the UK." The Who toured the US with an orchestra at the end of 2022. At one show in Long Island, they surprised fans by playing "Young Man's Blues," which they have only ever performed live six times in the last 40 years. - NME, 1/30/23...... Journey took a break from their running feud among band members to deliver a harmonious concert at the Choctaw Grand Theatre in Durant, Okla., on Jan. 27. Journey's two-hour show, the first of two nights, was generally harmonious and upbeat, with the sextet's three focal points -- frontman Arnel Pineda, guitarist Neil Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain -- dominating the spotlight. Pineda, who replaced long-departed frontman Steve Perry in 2008 and sounds exactly like him, was in constant motion, running, jumping, waving, pointing and leading singalongs. Schon soloed constantly, opening the first song "Only the Young" with a burst of noise on his PRS NS-15 guitar and improvising with hard rock power chords in unexpected ways at the ends of rock radio fixtures "Wheel In the Sky" and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," and Cain anchored "Feeling That Way" and "Who's Crying Now" on his red piano. "It's good to be back. All together again," Cain told the audience of about 3,000. It was a unifying sentiment after months of Journey acrimony, which saw Cain and Schon battling in court over Schon's expenditures on Journey's American Express card and Cain's participation in an event at former Pres. Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort. - Billboard, 1/28/23...... Queen's Brian May has doubled down on the reason why his famous glam-rock band "could never" play the UK's Glastonbury festival. May previously ruled out playing the festival held at Worthy Farm after clashing with Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis over the badger cull. Eavis previously called May a "danger to farming" and criticized the guitarist's opposition to the controversial cull, arguing that the process aims to fight against the impact that bovine tuberculosis can have on infected cattle. As a result, May insisted that Eavis' comments would prevent the band from playing at Glastonbury, even if it became a remote possibility. "We won't [play Glastonbury] and there are a lot of reasons for that. One of them is that Michael Eavis has frequently insulted me, and I don't particularly enjoy that. What bothers me more is that he's in favour of the badger cull, which I regard as a tragedy and an unnecessary crime against wildlife," he previously said. May has now reiterated his stance on performing at the festival, telling The Sun newspaper in a new interview: "Would I ever do it? No. As the man who runs it advocates killing badgers for no good reason and I could never level with that. Have they tried to book us? I think the feeling is mutual so I think they understand how I feel." Despite May's comments, Eavis claimed in the past that the band were "not quite our thing" and said that Queen's manager had sent him a "hand-written postcard" in an unsuccessful attempt to secure a headline slot for the band. The 2023 Glastonbury festival is due to take place on June 21-25, but so far only Elton John has been revealed as a headliner. - NME, 1/26/23...... 
On Jan. 27 veteran prog-rockers Yes sold the rights to their recorded music catalogue under Atlantic Records, which comprises their first 12 studio albums as well as various live recordings and compilation albums, to Warner Music Group (WMG). Yes's deal comprises a total of 29 albums and spans all of their studio efforts from 1969's self-titled debut through to 1987's Big Generator, as well as live albums like Yesterdays (1975) and Yesstory (1992), and a handful of compilations like Highlights: The Very Best of Yes (1993) and Yes Remixes (2003). In a statement, the band said: "The entire Yes family came together and worked enthusiastically with Warner Music Group to secure this historic deal, ensuring that these iconic recordings will continue to be curated in the optimum manner to delight their fans across more than five decades, while also finding and developing new audiences for this timeless music." WMG's acquisition of Yes' Atlantic catalogue follows similar deals with the estate of David Bowie and 300 Entertainment. The company's other recent headlines include their move to scrap unrecouped debts for heritage artists, and the historic launch of a fan-powered royalties system. Last May, longstanding Yes drummer Alan White died at the age of 72, following his battle with a "brief illness". White joined the band in 1972 and performed with them regularly until his passing. In May 2022, longstanding Yes drummer Alan White died at the age of 72, following his battle with a "brief illness." White joined Yes in 1972 and performed with them regularly until his passing. - NME, 1/28/23...... In related news, Reservoir Media has purchased the catalog of Bronx-born talent Dion Francis DiMucci, better known as Dion. The deal includes his publishing catalog and future works as well as synchronization rights to his master recordings. Best known for releasing defining, R&B-infused rock in the 1950s and '60s, Dion's catalog includes "Runaround Sue," "The Wanderer," "Ruby Baby" and "Dream Lover," which he released with his band Dion and the Belmonts. Over the course of his career, Dion has accrued 11 top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Three of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame --"I Wonder Why" (with the Belmonts), "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer." Despite his many decades of success, Dion hasn't rested on his laurels and continues to tour and release music today. In 2021, he released the album Stomping Ground featuring Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Bruce Springsteen, Mark Knopfler and more. Dion's songs have continued to permeate pop culture, particularly via their placement in films and TV shows, including Diner, Peggy Sue Got Married, The Sopranos, Behind Enemy Lines, The West Wing, The Wire and Ozark. Additionally, his life and songbook inspired the creation of "The Wanderer," a musical that had a successful pre-Broadway run at Paper Mill Playhouse in Apr. 2022. - Billboard, 1/26/23...... Elvis Presley's widow Priscilla Presley is contesting an amendment made to the will of Lisa Marie Presley, who died on Jan. 12 at the age of 54 after suffering a heart attack. Lawyers representing the 77-year-old Priscilla filed a petition at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Jan. 27, claiming that the amendment naming Lisa Marie's children Riley and Benjamin Keough as trustees of her estate featured an "invalid" signature. Priscilla also alleged that prior to 2016, she and business manager Barry Siegel were the named co-trustees of the estate and that the penmanship on the signature did not match the singer-songwriter's usual style, implying that it was forged. She also noted that the signature was not witnessed or notarized, making the amendment attached to it an "invalid modification." In addition, Priscilla alleged she should have been notified of changes to the will at the time they were signed. Lisa Marie's son Benjamin died at the age of 27 in 2020. She is survived by Riley, 33, and 14-year-old twins Harper and Finley Lockwood. - Music-News.com, 1/29/23...... The NBC television network has announced it will celebrate the upcoming 90th birthday of TV variety legend Carol Burnett with a two-hour special on Apr. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will also stream the next day on Peacock. Filmed at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, the special will feature an A-list lineup of musical performances from Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth and more. Musical tributes will pay homage to Burnett's renowned career performances on her 
Legendary Motown songwriter Barrett Strong, who more than 73 years ago declared "Money (That's What I Want)" -- for the first hit single from the Motown empire, died on Jan. 29 in Detroit of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 81. Mr. Strong's canon of enduring songs include "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" for Marvin Gaye and also Gladys Knight & the Pips, 
Guitarist Richard Lloyd, a founding member of the critically acclaimed '70s NYC band Television, has revealed he's leaving the Big Apple after residing there for 50 years and relocating to Tennessee. Speaking to The Village Voice, Lloyd said he plans to live on "a 54-acre farm that is no longer used as a farm." A nearby barn will serve as a music studio for the 64-year-old musician, who says he's "very emotional, of course, but... happy about it." "I love New York and I'm already homesick for it; it's always been so satisfying to live here," Lloyd noted. "So many of my friends who were so much a part of New York moved away, though. Now I'll be one of them," he added. Lloyd, who moved to New York's Greenwhich Village with his family in the 1950s, joined Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell to form Television in 1973. Although the band went on to great critical acclaim with its seminal 1977 album 
Famed basketball jester George "Meadowlark" Lemon, who entertained millions of fans around the world with his antics as a longtime member of the Harlem Globetrotters, passed away in his sleep on Dec. 27 in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 83. Known as the "Clown Prince of Basketball," Mr. Lemon played 24 seasons and, by his own estimate, more than 16,000 games with the Globetrotters, the touring exhibition basketball team known for its slick ball-handling, practical jokes, red-white-and-blue uniforms and endless winning streaks against overmatched opponents. He also was one of a handful of Globetrotters whose fame transcended sports, especially among children during the team's heyday in the 1960s and 1970s. Mr. Lemon was immortalized in a Harlem Globetrotters cartoon series and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, episodes of Scooby Doo, and many national TV commercials. Born in Wilmington, N.C., Mr. Lemon joined the Globetrotters in 1954 after serving two years in the Army. Over the next quarter-century, he and the team played almost everywhere, from high school gyms to Madison Square Garden to an exhibition in Moscow during the Cold War. After a salary dispute, Mr. Lemon left the Globetrotters in 1979 to form his own comedic basketball teams, which performed under the names Meadowlark Lemon's Bucketeers, the Shooting Stars, and Meadowlark Lemon's Harlem All Stars. He returned to the Harlem Globetrotters for a 50-game "comeback" tour in 1993. Mr. Lemon, who was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003, spent the last several years of his life serving as an ordained minister and motivational speaker. - CNN, 12/28/15...... Steven Wright, the frontman of the '60s Australian band The Easybeats, died of undisclosed causes in a New South Wales hospital on Dec. 26. He was 68. Wright formed The Easybeats in 1964, and the group became one of Australia's most beloved and popular acts soon after. The band's best known song, "Friday On My Mind," hit No. 1 in Australia in 1966 and also charted in other countries. It was also covered by David Bowie on his 1973 album, 
Brothers Ray and Dave Davies of the Kinks performed live together for the first time since 1996 on Dec. 18 when Ray brought Dave onstage during a gig at the Islington Assembly Hall in North London. The pair performed the Kinks classic "You Really Got Me," with Dave later tweeting that he "had a blast with Ray." The siblings had not performed together since the Kinks split acrimoniously in 1996, and while rumours about a 50th-anniversary collaborative tour were rampant in 2014, the shows never materialized. Three months ago, Dave was also quoted as saying there was an "outside shot" of a Kinks reunion, with the Kinks-based musical "Sunny Afternoon" thought to have helped to ease tensions between the feuding brothers over the past couple of years. Ray has also commented on the future of the band, citing the "war between Dave and [original Kinks drummer] Mick Avory." I don't work for the United Nations, I'm just a musician," Ray said. "I had a drink with Mick last week, and I asked, What happened to you guys?' They shared a house in the 1960s. I think some things went on there that created a rivalry." He has also said that "I like playing the hits, I just did a solo tour, but when the Kinks get back together, I need to be inspired to write new material." Ray and Dave have not confirmed whether they plan on any further collaborative appearances following the Dec. 18 performance. - New Musical Express, 12/19/15...... The owner of a Danish replica of Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion home in Memphis, Tenn., has announced he is changing the name of his property from Graceland Randers after Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. demanded a name change and 1.5 million kroner ($220,000) in compensation. Henrik Knudsen opened his Elvis museum in 2011 in Randers, Denmark, which is situated 210 kilometers (130 miles) northwest of the capital, Copenhagen. It includes Knudsen's private collection of Elvis artifacts, an American diner-style restaurant and a souvenir shop. Knudsen said on Dec. 22 that he is changing the name of his museum, which is twice the size of the original Graceland, to Memphis Museum beginning Jan. 1, so that he can "focus on our business." Knudsen said more than 130,000 Elvis fans have visited the museum since it opened. - AP, 12/22/15...... A hologram tour showcasing late R&B legend Jackie Wilson will travel the US in 2017, Hologram USA announced on Dec. 22. "Everything you expect from an exciting rock star' stage show was invented by Jackie Wilson: the leaps, spins and back-flips, not to mention his amazing four-octave range," Hologram USA CEO Alki David said in a statement. Wilson, nicknamed "Mr. Excitement," influenced a host of future stars including Michael Jackson, who dedicated his 1984 Grammy for Album of the Year to the dynamic entertainer. Between 1958 and 1970, Wilson charted 16 top 10 R&B hits and six top 10 pop hits. He topped the R&B singles chart six times, starting with 1958's "Lonely Teardrops" (No. 7 on pop). Wilson, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, slipped into a coma after collapsing onstage in 1975. He died in 1984. Hologram USA and its partner, FilmOn TV, are also creating hologram shows in association with the estates of Whitney Houston, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, Billie Holiday and Dean Martin. - Billboard, 12/22/15...... 
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has released a new video, "Hope Is Everything," to benefit his new charity Janie's Fund, which raises awareness for young female victims of neglect and abuse. Named after the Aerosmith hit "Janie's Got A Gun," which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 almost 26 years ago, Janie's Fund will use 100 hundred percent of all donations to support proven programs at Youth Villages, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing effective solutions for over 23,000 children and families each year with emotional and behavioral changes. "An entire community was built around this song's message," Tyler wrote on the 
In an interview with the US edition of Britain's The Guardian paper, Kenny Rogers revealed he is a big fan of Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump. "I really like him," Rogers said of the controversial Trump, who has riled Mexicans, Muslims, and many women with his statements. "I think his problem is that he says what everyone wants to hear, but he doesn't say it well. I love what he says, I have to admit. He can be president and not owe anybody anything; he's one of the few people has the money to do it, and has the guts to do it," Rogers said. In September, the 77-year-old "The Gambler" singer announced he would retire from live performing at the conclusion of his 2016 world tour. - Billboard, 12/22/15...... Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is featured in a new charity Christmas song titled "Christmas Way by 19 and 7" from professional footballers James Milner and Stiliyan Petrov. Milner, Petrov and Iommi all hail from Birmingham, and Petrov was forced to retire from the Aston Villa team in 2013 in order to fight leukemia. Like Petrov, Iommi has also had to tackle leukemia. The title, "Christmas Way by 19 and 7," is a reference to the two players' shirt numbers. It was officially released on Dec. 18. - New Musical Express, 12/19/15...... Drummer Jason Bonham, the son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and who sat in on drums for his dad at Led Zeppelin's one-off reunion concert in late 2007, has said in a new interview that he believes Led Zep will perform together again someday on stage. "In my heart of hearts, I do believe we will play together again," Bonham said. "It remains to be seen if it will be in public or privately, but I do think we will play again." It appears any LZ reunion won't be happening anytime soon though, as guitarist Jimmy Page has announed that he'll be heading out on a solo tour in 2016, and singer Robert Plant has scoffed at future reunion plans, saying a LZ tour would be "an absolute menagerie of vested interests and the very essence of everything that's shitty about big-time stadium rock" and that he doesn't want to be "part of a jukebox." - Billboard, 12/19/15...... The legendary New York punk club CBGB, a breeding ground for the city's '70s punk and new wave scene, will be reopening as a restaurant at a New York area airport. The venue, which originally opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal and closed on Oct. 17, 2006, with Patti Smith's band playing the venue final concert, will be rechristened the CBGB LAB (Lounge and Bar) at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport. It will be managed by chef Harold Moore and serve "American fare in a fun environment recalling the legendary music venue." In 2013, a movie tracing the history of CBGB was released, and in recent years New York has hosted a CBGB Festival, which Jane's Addiction headlined in 2014. - New Musical Express, 12/22/15...... Academy Award-winning composer Burt Bacharach has signed on to score Po, a feature film about a widowed father raising his 10-year old son with autism. Bacharach, whose daughter Nikki is afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome, says he met Po's director John Asher by chance on a flight in 2014 and agreed to let Asher use his classic, "Close to You," made famous by the Carpenters. Upon seeing the film, he agreed to compose the music. "I was so touched by the film that scoring it was a labor of love," Bacharach said in a statement. A release date for Po has yet to be announced. - Billboard, 12/18/15...... 
James Taylor says he is "gonna miss" Pres. Barack Obama when the president leaves office in Jan. 2017. "It makes a surprising amount of difference to me who the country has chosen to represent it, and in the case of Barack Obama, it just makes me feel good about being an American," Taylor recently told Billboard. "In my opinion, he is a wonderful president and a great leader. I'm gonna miss him." Taylor, who wrapped the first leg of a U.S. tour in August, was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, by Pres. Obama on Nov. 24. He will be seen performing on TV during CBS' broadcast of the Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 29, as well as PBS' In Performance at the White House on Jan. 8. Taylor, who this year scored his first No. 1 album on the Billboard Hot 200 with 
One of the more sensational rumors in rock music lore is that "Mama Cass" Elliot of The Mamas and the Papas died choking on a ham sandwich. Now a new Mama Cass biopic that aims to dispel that rumor and tell the "California Dreamin'" singer's story has cast its titular role. Baby Reindeer phenom Jessica Gunning is set to play Mama Cass in the movie which will be based on the memoir of Elliot's daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell, called My Mama, Cass. According to a press release, the biopic "is not a Mamas & the Papas biopic" and will focus on Cass, who died in her sleep in 1974 in London at the age of 32, with the cause of her death being ruled as a heart attack. According to her autopsy, the singer died in her sleep after feeling unwell the previous evening, and there were no drugs in her system. "I can't believe we're still talking about the sandwich after all these years," Elliot-Kugell told Rolling Stone. "I started running my mom's estate when I was 18. One of the first things I remember thinking is, 'We've got to stop that ham sandwich rumor thing,' because it was so painful. It wasn't enough that we had lost her, to then be [made into] a joke." In the years before, the "California Dreamin'" singer's home in Laurel Canyon, Calif., became a hub for the talented and beautiful in the prelude to the storied 1967 "Summer of Love," welcoming guests from Joni Mitchell to Eric Clapton. Cass was a founding member of the Mamas and Papas vocal group and went on to embark on a solo career after they disbanded. She released her final album, the live album Don't Call Me Mama Anymore, and died a year later. The biopic hasn't yet got a director, although the screenplay is being written by Emma Forrest and is planned to use Cass's voice in songs. Jessica Gunning, who had previously starred on the Outlaws, shot to fame for her portrayal of Martha Scott, a woman obsessed with a struggling comedian, in Baby Reindeer. She's also set to appear in the upcoming The Magic Faraway Tree movie, out on Mar. 27. - The Daily Beast, 2/13/26...... In related news, actress Bijou Phillips, the daughter of Mamas and Papas members, the late John Phillips and Michelle Phillips, is still in urgent need of a kidney, even after receiving hundreds of donor offers from fans after posting about her search online. According to sources close to Phillips, the situation is "touch and go by the minute," and the offers have been "incredible outpouring of support," but "doctors haven't found a match yet," according to TMZ.com. Bijou is seeking kidney donors with blood types B negative, B positive, O negative, or O positive. The model/actress was born with underdeveloped kidneys and had to undergo a kidney transplant nine years ago to manage the medical issue. She has since suffered from serious complications following the initial surgery in 2017, including a serious case of the BK virus. Her original organ transplant failed, leaving her in the life-threatening state she is in now. Bijou is currently hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Phillips divorced That '70s Show star Danny Masteron in 2023, after the actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for two convictions of forcible rape from two separate 2003 incidents. - The Daily Beast, 2/12/26...... 
Interviewed on the LegendsNLeaders podcast, KISS's Gene Simmons reiterated his belief that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame shouldn't induct hip-hop stars, saying the genre "doesn't speak [his] language." During the interview Simmons was explaining that he thinks critics and official musical institutions can't be trusted to determine a band or artist's relevance when he brought up the Rock Hall as an example. "The fact that, for instance, Iron Maiden is not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when they can sell out stadiums, and Grandmaster Flash is," he began. "Ice Cube and I had a back and forth -- he's a bright guy, and I respect what he's done. [But] It's not my music. I don't come from the ghetto. It doesn't speak my language. I said in print many times: Hip-hop does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, nor does opera, symphony orchestras & -- it's called the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame." Simmons continued: "But [Ice] shot back and said, 'No, it's the spirit of rock n' roll.' OK, fine & I just want to know when Led Zeppelin's gonna be in the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. Music has labels, because it describes an approach." KISS was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2014, two years after which Ice Cube earned a spot in the institution's hallowed halls as part of pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A. The latter is one of several hip-hop stars the Hall has welcomed, along with rap icons such as Jay-Z, LL Cool J and Missy Elliott. In the same interview, Simmons also compared Taylor Swift's fame to the Beatles' heyday, calling it "almost cultish." The bassist spoke about how powerful it is as a musician to see fans connect with your music in real time -- something he says is more validating of an artist's dominance than anything else. "The only analogy I can point to is the Swifties of today," he said. "Yes, the songs are cool, and [Taylor's] wonderful, we know her, but it's more than that," he continued. "It's almost a gathering of the tribes & The Beatles had that. It was called Beatlemania. It's almost cultish. You're a member of that, and there's a connection." Simmons' full LegendsNLeaders interview can be viewed on 
Officials in New York City have announced plans to co-name the Greenwich Village's West 8th Street after guitar god Jimi Hendrix as part of a national education initiative. The ceremony, set for Feb. 24, will take place at the doorstep of Electric Lady Studios, the hallowed recording facility Hendrix founded in 1970 and which remains a premier, operational hub for musical innovation today. Led by District 2 Council Member Harvey Epstein, the street naming serves as the high-profile launch for a national education partnership between Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. and Stevie Van Zandt's TeachRock. This collaboration introduces a new multimedia curriculum, "Jimi Hendrix: Rock's Trailblazing Innovator and Influential Guitarist," designed for middle and high school students. The curriculum utilizes exclusive archival footage from Hendrix's iconic 1967 Monterey Pop performance. Through a partnership with NYU's MusEdLab, students can even use interactive digital tools to experiment with the guitar effects and sonic breakthroughs that defined Hendrix's signature sound. The event brings together Van Zandt, Janie Hendrix (President/CEO of Experience Hendrix), and local educators to bridge the gap between rock history and modern classrooms. "Jimi Hendrix wasn't just a legendary musician; he was a fierce advocate for peace, racial equity, and social justice," noted Epstein. Van Zandt added, Hendrix's story reminds young people that "creativity has no limits." The two add that by connecting one of rock's most historic landmarks to a national network of schools, "Jimi Hendrix Way" ensures that the artist's journey will continue to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers. - Music-News.com, 2/12/26...... A new immersive David Bowie show, "David Bowie: You're Not Alone," is coming to London in April, showcasing some of the iconic musician's most famous performances as well as rarely seen material. The show contains a mixture of rarely seen and never-before-exhibited material selected from thousands of hours of film from the David Bowie Archive in New York, from Space Oddity to "Heroes" to Blackstar. The 360 immersive experience is produced by Lightroom, which has previously collaborated with the likes of David Hockney and Tom Hanks, and written and designed by Mark Grimmer of 59, the creative director for the V&A's "David Bowie Is" exhibition, as well as Tom Wexler. Performance footage is combined with photography, drawings, lyrics, personal notes and audio recordings, with the film structured in thematic chapters in a looping presentation. Among the footage included is a somewhat awkward transatlantic TV interview with Russell Harty in 1975 and the reconstructed set of the "Diamond Dogs" tour. As with previous Lightroom exhibitions, the footage will be projected all around the cube-shaped room, placing visitors at the centre of his live performances. As for the music, each track has been newly reconfigured to work with Lightroom's specialised spatial audio system to guide guests through Bowie's illustrious career. One of Bowie's most famous songs, "Heroes," has seen a huge streaming surge in recent weeks after being featured in the final episode of Netflix's Stranger Things. According to Luminate data, the track saw a boost of almost 500% on streaming services. - NME, 2/10/26...... 
John Fogerty is set to receive the Johnny Mercer Award, the Songwriters Hall of Fame's top honor, at the annual SHOF Induction and Awards Gala on June 11 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York. The Mercer Award is reserved for a songwriter or songwriting team who has already been inducted into the SHOF and whose body of work is of such high quality and impact that it upholds the high standards set by Johnny Mercer, the lyricist on such standards as "Moon River" and "The Days of Wine and Roses." Fogerty was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of Creedence Clearwater Revival. He's the 12th person to be inducted into the Rock Hall as a performer and also receive the Mercer Award from the SHOF. He follows Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Carole King, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Dolly Parton, Phil Collins (inducted into the Rock Hall as a member of Genesis), Elton John, Van Morrison, Lionel Richie and Neil Diamond. SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers praised Fogerty as "one of those rare talents who is unmistakably himself." "His style of composition is rock and roll mastery," Rodgers said. "It's what I've always personally believed in, something I call 'The art of complex simplicity.' He's done what I believe all great songwriters do. He makes us feel. He deserves this award as much as anyone who's ever received it, or will receive it, in the future. I send my congratulations to John Fogerty." - Billboard, 2/10/26...... Catalog company ABKCO, owner of the Rolling Stones music catalog, says its recent court victory over unlicensed music in classic rock documentaries provides key clarity on the limits of "fair use," a hot-button issue in the AI-focused copyright conversation of 2026. On Feb. 4, a New York federal judge held filmmaker Robert Carruthers and his company Coda Publishing liable for infringing 80 songs owned by ABKCO and Universal Music Group (UMG) in documentaries about the Rolling Stones, ABBA, U2, Elton John, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Carruthers had argued that the critical commentary included in the documentaries renders them fair use -- a tenet of copyright law that allows unlicensed works to repurposed for "transformative" creations. But Judge Katherine Polk Failla said simply getting a few critics to juxtapose "hot takes" next to reproduced videos does not "in any way transform the songs about which they are speaking." Fair use is a big deal in current copyright law ecause of artificial intelligence. Across dozens of lawsuits across the country, technology developers have argued that the "transformative" nature of AI makes it fair use for them to train models on existing work without paying for licenses. Now that the judge has rejected Carruthers' fair use defense and granted judgment in favor of ABKCO and UMPG further litigation will ensue to determine what kind of financial damages are owed. Judge Failla has ruled that Carruthers' infringement was willful, which could entitle the music companies to enhanced damages. - Billboard, 2/9/26...... 
In other Rolling Stones-related news, Mick Jagger's fiance Melanie Hamrick has been left "shaken" and "heartbroken" after being attacked outside a London club. The former ballerina revealed on her Instagram Stories on Feb. 10 that she was grabbed from behind outside the private members' club Annabel's in London's Mayfair district. "This is incredibly hard to share, but I was physically attacked at Annabels Mayfair tonight (sic)," Hamrick wrote in a since-deleted post. "I'm so thankful to my friends for protecting me. Two people grabbed me from behind and thank god for good people who stepped in to help me." Melanie added, "I'm shaken, sad and heartbroken that people can treat each other this way." According to The Sun, the attack was an opportunistic mugging attempt outside the upscale venue. Hamrick, 38, has been in a relationship with the Stones frontman since 2014. After two years of dating, they welcomed their first child together -- a son named Deveraux -- in 2016. The boy is Jagger's eighth child. Hamrick confirmed speculation that she and Jagger were engaged in an interview with Paris Match in Apr. 2025, revealing that she and the 82-year-old had been engaged "two or three years," but were in no rush to get married. "Maybe one day we'll marry, maybe not," she said. "We are so happy in our current life that I would be too afraid to change anything. We try to support each other, be there for each other, and make sure everyone is happy. That's all that matters to me and all I strive for." Jagger was previously married to Bianca Jagger from 1971 to 1978 and has been in long-term relationships with Marianne Faithfull, Jerry Hall and L'Wren Scott. - Music-News.com, 2/11/26...... A cassette recording of Ozzy Osbourne rehearsing in 1980 has been unearthed in an attic. Labelled "Ozzie Last Day," the cassette is an early listen at what would go on to become the heavy metal legend's first work with his solo band. The 12-minute bluesy jam session captures Ozzy alongside his beloved guitarist Randy Rhoads, as well as bassist Bob Daisley, ahead of the recording of the Blizzard of Ozz album. As reported by Sky News earlier in February, the recording was discovered in the attic of David Jolly, who befriended Ozzy after a turbulent period saw him fired by Black Sabbath and had started to put together his solo band. Daisley, now the only surviving member of that era, confirmed the authenticity of the tape to Sky News, telling them the recording took place prior to the trio aligning with drummer Lee Kerslake. "As soon as I heard it, I thought, 'Yes, that's us, that's Ozzy's voice,'" Kerslake said. "I don't know if we were auditioning a drummer and just loosening up a bit, or we're just clowning about but it wasn't a song we were working on because we had definite songs by then, we had several songs." In June 2025, it was announced that a compilation of demos that Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward recorded in 1969, back when they still went by the name Earth, was to be released under the title Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes. That release didn't wind up happening, and Ozzy's wife/manager Sharon Osbourne spoke out against the project in November, issuing a detailed social media post outlining Black Sabbath's legal position, which disputes the legal ownership of the recordings. The "Ozzie Last Day" cassette can be checked out on 
Interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning on Feb. 8, Eagles co-founder Don Henley said his Grammy-winning California rock band will disband after it completes its residency at the Sphere venue in Las Vegas at the end of February. Asked if the Eagles are finally going to quit, Henley said, "You know, I think this year will probably be it. And I've said things like that before, but I feel like we're getting toward the end... And that will be fine too." When asked if it's definitely the end for the band, which formed in 1971, he added: "I think so, yeah. And I'm OK with that." Henley went on to reveal he is hoping to spend more time with his family and tending to his garden as well as travelling when he no longer has to consider his responsibilities with the group. "I would like to spend more time with my family and I would like to spend more time growing vegetables and I'd like to... I've traveled all over the world, but I haven't seen much of it because we see the airports and the hotel room and the venue, and we don't get out much, you know," he said. "And so I'd like to go back to some of the same places I've been and see more of those places, you know, before it all disappears or it gets vaporized or whatever." The Eagles, who have been playing shows on their lengthy "The Long Goodbye" tour, recently became the first group with an album certified quadruple diamond platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for their 1976 hits collection 
Don McLean has marked his 10-year relationship with reality star Paris Dylan in an Instagram tribute of a photo of the couple together in May 2024 when they attended a state dinner at the White House. "Happy anniversary, Paris," McLean wrote in his caption. "We've been together for more than 10 years, and you are the love of my life." Dylan, who turns 32 in February, commented, "Love of my life," with a red heart emoji. The 80-year-old 
KISS has joined the elite club of a billion YouTube views with their hit "I Was Made For Lovin' You," hitting the 10-digit milestone with 
Appearing in London's High Court during his breach of privacy suit against the UK tabloid Daily Mail on Feb. 6, Elton John condemned what he called a "sickening" press intrusion into his family's private life. John, 78, described how the Daily Mail allegedly breached his family's privacy after the birth of his eldest son, Zachary, in 2010 and reported on his own health in a manner he found deeply distressing. Elton noted that 10 Daily Mail articles published between 2002 and 2015 were based on information obtained unlawfully, and said the intrusion was "truly sickening" and "outside even the most basic standards of human decency." The Rocketman added he felt "passionately" about "how wrong it is that such gross invasions could have been inflicted upon us and our family and friends without us ever knowing." During the hearing, Catrin Evans KC, representing Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers Limited, asked the singer whether he had complained at the time the articles were published, to which he responded, "I can't remember." "We did not know the extent of the seriousness of what had gone on," he continued. "When we knew the seriousness of what had gone on, we took action, because we were outraged." Elton told the court that while he accepts being in the public eye, that does not mean forfeiting his right to privacy, stating that "deeply personal things which I have a right to deal with in private are fair game." John's husband, David Furnish, testified the previous day and told the court that a 2010 article included details from their son Zachary's birth certificate before they had received it themselves. Lawyers for ANL have maintained that the article was sourced "entirely legitimately." - Music-News.com, 2/6/26...... Fred Smith, bass player for the New Wave bands Television and an original member of Blondie, died on Feb. 5 after battling an unspecified "illness long and hard these last few years," his bandmates revealed. He was 77. Smith got his start as the original bassist for Angel and the Snake, which would later become Blondie, in 1974. He left the band the following year to join Television, replacing frontman Richard Hell. He stayed with Television as a core member until their split in 1978, playing on 1977's seminal hit "Marquee Moon" from their 
LaMonte McLemore, a co-founder of the '60s/'70s Grammy-winning soul/pop group The 5th Dimension, died of natural causes on Feb. 3 at his home in Las Vegas. Mr. McLemore, who suffered a stroke several years ago, was 90. Born Sept. 17, 1935, in St. Louis, Mo., Mr. McLemore enlisted in the Navy early in life and worked as an aerial photographer. Before setting his sights on dual careers as a music artist and as a professional entertainment and sports photographer for Jet magazine and other publications, the multi-faceted Mr. McLemore sought a baseball career in the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system. An author as well, Mr. McLemore co-authored the 2014 autobiography From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension: A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music with Robert-Allan Arno. A popular crossover fixture in the late '60s and early '70s music scene, The 5th Dimension formed in Los Angeles and was originally comprised of McLemore, Billy Davis Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo and Ron Townson (who died in 2001). Known for its signature silky harmonies and sophisticated fusion of R&B, soul and pop, the group cemented its success through hits such as "Up, Up and Away," "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)," "Wedding Bell Blues," "Stoned Soul Picnic" and