Simon & Garfunkel landed at number one on the Billboard 200 Album chart with Bookends.
The album spent seven weeks on top of the chart and included the number one song “Mrs. Robinson,” which was featured in the movie The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross and Anne Bancroft.
Other singles from the record included “A Hazy Shade of Winter,” which was later covered by The Bangles, “At the Zoo” and “Fakin’ It.” Also featured on the album was the future classic “America.”
The Who’s Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are the latest artists to pay tribute to Tina Turner, who passed away Wednesday at 83.
Tina appeared in the 1975 film adaptation of the band’s rock opera Tommy, and in a post on Instagram Townshend called Tina, “An astonishing performer, and astounding singer, she was also an R&B groundbreaker.”
Townshend called Tina’s music with abusive ex-husband Ike Turner “simply out of this world,” but noted, “When she was finally free of him her work ascended to new, even higher heights. It didn’t seem possible.”
Regarding her role as Acid Queen in Tommy, Townshend shares his amazement at her performance. “The song is about abuse at the hands of an evil woman,” he writes. “How she turned that song on its head! All the anger of her years as a victim exploded into fire and bluster and a magnificent and crazy cameo role that will always stay with me.”
Finally, Townshend offers, “She has been in my mind for the last ten years, I kept meaning to track her down, and see how she was. I truly thought she would live forever.”
Daltrey also added a short tribute to Turner, writing, “What a singer! What a performer! What a life! A true original artist and simply the best.”
Following their introduction of new drummer Josh Freese during a concert stream over the weekend, Foo Fighters kicked off their tour Wednesday in Gilford, New Hampshire, their first since the death of Taylor Hawkins in March 2022.
According to Setlist.fm, the concert featured renditions of several songs off the upcoming Foos album But Here We Are, including “Rescued” and “Under You,” as well as classics including “Everlong,” “My Hero,” “The Pretender” and “Best of You.”
Dave Grohl also took a moment during the show to remember his late bandmate with a performance of “Cold Day in the Sun,” which was written and sung by Hawkins. Fan-shot footage of the tribute was posted to YouTube by the channel jennifer nardi.
“This is something I never thought I had to do,” Grohl said in introducing the song. “Taylor wrote this song. We used to sing it together. So I’m gonna do it for him tonight.”
“Thank you so much for coming,” the Foos added in a post-show Facebook post. “We’ve missed you.”
Meanwhile, Foo Fighters have released another But Here We Are song called “Show Me How.” The track, which features backing vocals by Grohl’s daughter Violet Grohl, is available now via digital outlets. You can watch its accompanying visualizer streaming now on YouTube.
For a guy who’s as proud of his Scottish heritage as Rod Stewart is, it’s amazing that he hasn’t thought of this before: He’s officially launching his own brand of Scotch whisky.
Rod’s announced that “after almost two years of development and dozens of whisky tastings,” he ready to unviel what he calls his “latest venture” — Wolfie’s Whisky.
Starting June 6, fans who signed up for Rod’s mailing list will get special access to purchase the spirits 72 hours before anyone else. Wolfie’s is going on sale first in the U.K. and select European countries, and it’ll launch in the U.S. in July.
“The rest of the world…..we’re working on it!” he adds.
In other Rod news, he’s paid tribute to the late Tina Turner, with whom he performed and recorded over the years. In fact, he invited her to perform with him on Saturday NightLive in 1981, when her career was at a low point. In 1990, they had a hit with their duet “It Takes Two.”
“I’m devastated, what a women!” he wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself, Tina and his former Faces band mate, Ron Wood. “‘It takes two’ – but there was only one Tina Turner.”
Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale has certainly had an interesting life and career, but fans shouldn’t expect to read about it anytime soon. The singer recently appeared on the Paltrocast podcast, where he put an end to any thought of him telling his life story in a memoir.
Coverdale had previously suggested on Twitter that he was thinking about working on a memoir, jokingly calling it How White Was My Snake? But when asked about it, he denied it was going to happen.
“The problem is I can’t do it, because I can’t not be honest about this, that and the other, who’s the inspiration (for) this song, who was that,” he said. “It would be a spilling of the beans, which I’m not interested in hurting anybody, and particularly my family.”
He also said his wife was totally against his suggested title, noting she thought it was “too diminishing to my legacy.”
But even if there’s no book, Coverdale does have something in store that fans may love. He notes, “I’ve been working now with my head of video on another concept which I think could be significantly more interesting and not as f****** boring as a biography.”
He went on to explain that they are going to start a “QT with DC” in which he’ll answer questions from fans, although he says he won’t talk about his ex Tawny Kitaen, who he calls “an amazing memory.” “I think it’s just respectful to people I’ve worked with,” he says. “Some of the aspects were unsavory. That’s for me to know, really, and to clear it from my space.”
Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame
Tom Petty’s family is suing a Boston-area auction house that they claim is selling Petty items they believe to be stolen.
RR Auction recently announced an auction of Petty’s personal property, but the family is asking fans and collectors not to shell out any money until the legal dispute is resolved. The family believes the auction items, which include jackets, hats, vests, autographed memorabilia and other exclusive items, were taken from a secure storage archive.
“We believe RR Auction, headquartered in Boston, is offering stolen Tom Petty memorabilia with a completely false provenance inaccurate to fact and in complete denial of clear evidence they have been presented,” reads a statement from the family. “They will not disclose the cosigner who has provided these items or how they were acquired. But they are clearly stolen, there is no other word for it.”
They add, “These items have irreplaceable sentimental and educational value for the family and legacy of Tom Petty and we look forward to their safe return.”
The RR Auction site still lists several Petty items, with the sale running through June 22.
Queen of Rock & Roll Tina Turner passed away Wednesday at age 83, and upon hearing the news, artists such as Mick Jagger, Bryan Adams and more paid tribute to the singing legend.
Jagger, who infamously performed with Tina at Live Aid, shared that he was “saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend.” Tina and The Rolling Stones had a long history together, with Tina having opened for the band in the past.
“She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer,” Mick added. “She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.”
Ron Woodalso shared, “God bless you Tina, the Queen Of Rock And Soul and a dear friend to our family. Love and prayers to all of Tina’s family, friends and loved ones.”
Bryan Adams, who recorded the 1985 hit song “It’s Only Love” with Turner, also paid tribute, writing, “The world just lost one hell of a powerhouse woman. I’ll be forever grateful for the time we spent together on tour, in the studio and as friends.”
And John Fogerty, who wrote the song “Proud Mary,” which Tina turned into a hit, shared that he was, “so deeply sad to hear about Tina Turner’s passing,” writing, “I loved her version of Proud Mary! It was different and fantastic. I was also so happy because she chose my song and it was her breakthrough record.”
Among the other tributes:
Elton John: “We have lost one of the word’s most exciting and electric performers. A total legend on record and on stage. She was untouchable….The saddest news.”
Diana Ross: “Shocked. Saddened. Sending condolences to Tina Turner’s family and loved ones.”
Garbage: “My darling Tina Turner. I’ve been loving you so long. So much to thank you for. Love you eternally. Can’t believe this awful news. Can’t believe you are gone.”
Diane Warren: “A Survivor and a Bad***. Every note she sang shook the room and shook your soul. There will never be another like her. Shake the roof off of Heaven Tina Turner.”
Blondie’s Debbie Harry: “I was a benefactor of the energy, creativity and talents of Tina Turner. A woman who started in rural Nutbush, TN cotton fields and worked her way to the very top. Tina was a great inspiration to me when I was starting out and remains so to this day.”
Steve Van Zant: “RIP Tina Turner. One of our greatest RocknSoul voices, performers, and stories.”
Gloria Gaynorcalled Tina an “iconic, legend who paved the way for so many women in rock music, black and white,” adding, “She did with great dignity and success what very few would even have dared to do in her time and in that genre of music. I mourn her passing along with her innumerable fans around the country and around the world.”
Heart‘s Ann Wilson said in a statement to ABC Audio: “Miss Tina lived an amazing life, full of drama and pain and in later years anchored by Buddhism. She showed what courage was and danced through her life on those mighty legs as an inspiration to us all. Rock on Angel!!”
The music of Electric Light Orchestra is going to be the subject of a new album by ’90s rocker Julianna Hatfield.
Hatfield, best known for her 1993 hit song “My Sister,” is set to drop the all-ELO covers album, titled Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO, on November 17.
“Overall, I stuck pretty close to the originals’ structures while figuring out new ways to express or reference the unique and beloved ELO string arrangements,” Hatfield says. “An orchestra would have been difficult or impossible for me to manage to record, nor did I think there was any point in trying to copy those parts as they originally were. Why not try to reimagine them within my zone of limitations?”
The album features covers of such ELO tunes as “Strange Magic” and the just-released “Don’t Bring Me Down.”
Hatfield has previously released full covers albums of The Police and Olivia Newton-John. Her most recent original record is 2021’s Blood.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are celebrating the 35th anniversary of their sixth studio album, Up Your Alley, with a new vinyl release.
The album was initially released on vinyl for Record Store Day in April, but they’re releasing it nationwide on July 21, marking the first time it’s been widely available on vinyl since its initial 1988 release.
“We can’t thank you all enough for the continued support and love for this album,” Jett shared on Instagram,
Up Your Alley was a top 20 hit for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, peaking at 19 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. The album featured the top 10 single “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” which in 2006 was used as the theme for Sunday Night Football. Up Your Alley went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Meanwhile, fans won’t have to wait too long for new music from the band. They recently announced the new EP Mindsets will be released June 2 and dropped the first single, “If You’re Blue.” Mindsets is available for preorder now.
Legendary singer Tina Turner, known for her sultry voice and a string of Platinum hits, has died at age 83.
The news was confirmed on Turner’s official Facebook page.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” the statement said on Facebook. “With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow. Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly.”
Turner became one of her era’s most enduring female artists, with smash hits like “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” and memorable movie appearances.
Rolling Stone once named her “one of the greatest singers of all time.”
Alongside her ex-husband, Ike Turner, she released hits such as “River Deep – Mountain High” and “Proud Mary.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
