Oldies News

Report: Cameron Crowe developing Joni Mitchell movie

Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

We may soon see Joni Mitchell’s life on the big screen. The website Above The Line is reporting that Oscar-winning filmmaker Cameron Crowe is planning to write and direct a movie about the legendary singer, and has been working on it with Mitchell for the past two years.

The report claims the film won’t be a “traditional biopic in the conventional sense of the word,” adding that it’s not a documentary either, describing it as “akin to an autobiography.” A source says Mitchell’s story will be told in Crowe’s “singular voice,” so it will be from his point of view, as opposed to hers. 

Mitchell and Crowe have been friends for a while — he even escorted her to Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party in 2017, just two years after she suffered a brain aneurysm. He also interviewed her for the Los Angeles Times in 2021 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of her legendary album Blue.

The movie will be the first one Crowe has written and directed since 2015's Aloha, although since then he created the 2016 Showtime series Roadies and directed the 2019 David Crosby documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name.

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John Mellencamp sings “Jack & Diane” with grandkids at Los Angeles show

Jeff Hahne/Getty Images

John Mellencamp is currently on his Live and In Person tour, and folks who caught his recent show in Los Angeles were treated to quite a special moment. People reports the singer brought three of his grandkids onstage to join him.

The trio — Dove, 2, Cruz, 6, and Slate, 9 — are the children of Mellencamp’s daughter, Real Housewives star Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave. They came up to help the rocker perform his 1982 number one hit “Jack & Diane,” with Mellencamp telling the crowd, "I have a surprise, I have grandchildren who are dying to help me sing this song.”

Next up, Mellencamp’s Live and In Person tour hits the Encore Theatre at the Wynn in Las Vegas for a two-night stand March 24 and 25. A complete list of tour dates can be found at mellencamp.com.

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Jackson Browne announces summer tour

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LOVE ROCKS NYC/God's Love We Deliver

Jackson Browne is hitting the road this summer. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced a new set of tour dates, in which he promises to treat fans to “songs spanning the length of his career.”

The tour kicks off June 13 in Columbus, Ohio, with stops in Pittsburgh, Louisville, Nashville, Austin, New Orleans and more, before wrapping August 2 in Clearwater, Florida. 

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, March 24, at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of tour dates can be found at jacksonbrowne.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


The Black Crowes to perform on the CMT Music Awards with Darius Rucker

CMT

Are The Black Crowes going country? Well, not really, but they are set to perform at the upcoming CMT Music Awards. 

The “Shake Your Money Maker” rockers are set to join Darius Rucker on the broadcast to premiere their collaboration on the 1991 classic “She Talks To Angels.” Not only that, the artists and longtime friends are set to team up for an episode of CMT Crossroads, which will tape in Austin on March 31 and air sometime this summer.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards air April 2 live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

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Stevie Nicks postpones two shows due to “Covid illness within the band”

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks' solo tour is being put on pause thanks to COVID-19. The Fleetwood Mac singer announced that her shows Thursday in San Francisco and Sunday in Sacramento are being postponed “due to a Covid illness within the band.” 

“Stevie has loved being back on stage and is so sorry to disappoint the fans,” reads a post on social media, “but she and the band are taking all safety precautions and will be back soon.” 

Stevie’s next solo tour date is scheduled for March 30 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She’s also due to reunite with Billy Joel for another co-headlining show on April 8 in Arlington, Texas. A complete list of Stevie dates can be found at stevienicksofficial.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Smokey Robinson talks 'GASMS,' longevity, retirement & more

TLR Music Group/ ADA Worldwide

Smokey Robinson’s new album, GASMS, drops April 28, and while you may think the title is a bit risqué, Smokey says it doesn't necessarily mean what you think.

“All the songs on the album have a connotation to them. Most people, when you say 'gasms,' they think about orgasms,” Smokey tells Rolling Stone. “But 'gasms' is any good feeling that you get. It’s probably a controversial title, but I wanted it to be that way.”

The 83-year-old Smokey has had a long and lasting career, but he's seen a lot of the artists he started out with pass away. He believes the reason he’s still here is because he’s “blessed," sharing, “For me to be my age that I am right now, and feel like I’m 40, I can’t beat that, man."

As for the secret to his longevity, Smokey does yoga, works out regularly and eats well. But even with all that he notes, “There’s nothing you can do, man. When it’s your time, it’s your time. If there was a secret to longevity, man, you can believe somebody would’ve bottled or boxed it by now and made a fortune.” 

And Smokey still has a lot of things left to do in his career, including a biopic that he says he's “in the process of doing” right now.

And it certainly sounds like he doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon. Asked if he thinks he’ll ever retire, he says “not anymore, man,” explaining he tried to do it when he became the vice president of Motown, but he was “just miserable." He insists, “I will never try retirement again.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Rod Stewart taps Culture Club to open U.K. tour

Sam Tabone/WireImage

Rod Stewart has tapped Culture Club to open for him on his upcoming U.K. summer tour, which will have him playing some unique venues, including football stadiums, estates and castles.

“I'm absolutely thrilled to be sharing the stage with my dear old friend, Boy George & Culture Club for this run of special summer shows,” Stewart shares. “I'm excited for them to join me on what is sure to be a memorable set of concerts at a variety of special venues." He added, "We'll all be dancing under the stars.”

Stewart’s U.K. tour kicks off in Plymouth, England, and wraps July 6 in Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the only show Culture Club is not opening. He’s also scheduled to return to North America this year, with his Las Vegas residency returning to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on May 3, followed by a summer tour that kicks off July 29 in Sparks, Nevada. A complete list of tour dates can be found at rodstewart.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Chicago covers The Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour”

Rhino Entertainment Company, A Warner Music Group Company

Chicago is sharing their take on a Beatles classic. The band just released their cover of “Magical Mystery Tour,” which has been part of their 2023 touring set list. 

The idea to cover the song came from founding member Lee Loughnane after hearing the tune in a store. After laying down the tracks with engineer Tim Jessup, he sent it to the other members of the band, who added their contributions to the tune. 

Chicago is set to spend quite a bit of 2023 on the road. Their next show is scheduled for April 7 in Windsor, Ontario, and they’ll return to the States April 11 with a show in Reading, Pennsylvania. The band has also just announced a one-night-only benefit concert on April 23 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, New York, with proceeds going to Musicians on Call. A complete list of tour dates can be found at chicagotheband.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


ABBA celebrating 50th anniversary of debut album 'Ring Ring'

courtesy of UMe

It's been 50 years since ABBA released their debut album, Ring Ring, and they are ready to celebrate.  

On May 19, the Swedish group will reissue Ring Ring on two-LP vinyl, remastered at Abbey Road Studios. In addition there will be a box set of five colored 7-inch singles, with each single also available individually as a 7-inch picture disc.

The five singles are:

“He Is Your Brother” / “Santa Rosa”
“People Need Love” / “Merry-Go-Round”
“Ring Ring” (English) / “She’s My Kind of Girl”
“Ring Ring” (Swedish) / “Åh, vilka tider”
"Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" / "I Am Just A Girl"

Originally released in Sweden on March 23, 1973, the album was actually credited to Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida, as they hadn’t yet adopted the name ABBA. It wasn’t released in the U.S. until 1995.

All formats are available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Bruce Springsteen's also The Boss of Chris Martin's eating habits

ABC/Randy Holmes

Not only has Bruce Springsteen been a major influence on the music of countless artists, he's also apparently a dietary inspiration for one musician in particular.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin reveals in a recent episode of the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast that he doesn't eat dinner anymore because of a conversation he had with The Boss and his wife, E Street Band member Patti Scialfa.

During the podcast, O'Brien asked Martin what he's learned from having dinner with his musical heroes. Martin replies, "What if I don't actually have dinner anymore?"

"I stop eating at 4," Martin shares. "I learned that from having lunch with Bruce Springsteen."

Said lunch took place at the Springsteen residence after Coldplay played Philadelphia last year.

"I was on a really strict diet, anyway," Martin recalls. "I was, like, 'Bruce looks even more in shape than me!' And Patti says, 'He's only eating one meal a day.' So I was, like, 'Well, there you go. That's my next challenge."

That means Martin will already be done eating by the time Coldplay takes the stage during their ongoing world tour, which hits the U.S. in September. Unless, of course, Jamie Lee Curtis gets her way and Coldplay starts playing shows at noon.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.) 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Milwaukee Summerfest announces full lineup

courtesy of Summerfest

The full lineup for Milwaukee’s annual Summerfest has just been announced, with over 100 acts booked for the festival, now in its 55th year. This year’s fest will take place over three weekends, June 22 to 24, June 29 to July 1 and July 6 to 8, with bands playing across 12 stages.

James Taylor and Sheryl Crow are set to headline a June 24 show at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, while Elvis Costello & The ImpostersStyxCheap Trick38 SpecialNight RangerSurvivorEarth Wind & FireSmokey RobinsonWang ChungFlock of SeagullsSoul Asylum and more are confirmed for the festival stages. 

Tickets for Summerfest are on sale now. A complete lineup and concert schedule can be found at summerfest.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


On This Day March 23, 1985: Billy Joel marries supermodel Christie Brinkley

On This Day, March 23, 1985…

Rocker Billy Joel married supermodel Christie Brinkley on a yacht in New York’s Hudson River. The two stars met in 1983 in St. Barts, and Brinkley later appeared in Joel’s video for “Uptown Girl” before they eventually wed. 

They welcomed their first and only child together, Alexa Ray, that December.

It was the second marriage for both Joel and Brinkley but it didn’t last. They divorced in August 1994, and both  went on to marry two more times. 

Joel has been married to current wife Alexis Roderick since 2015 and they have two daughters together, Della Rose and Remy Anne.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


John Fogerty wouldn’t call himself a guitar “virtuoso”

Steve Jennings/Getty Images

John Fogerty is a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, with plenty of huge hits behind him, but even he questions his abilities sometimes — at least when it comes to playing guitar.

“I didn’t feel that I was a virtuoso on guitar,” Fogerty tells Guitar World of his Creedence Clearwater Revival days. “I did feel I knew how to get a sound out of my instrument, which was pretty important.” 

He adds, “I think musicians, especially guitar players, tend to be a humble bunch because it’s sort of the Wild West. There’s always some guy louder and faster and going to call you out in the street. And it’s just a matter of a flip of a coin if you get bushwhacked.” 

But even though he believes “there were a lot of people running around that were better than me,” Fogerty was OK with that: “I felt very comfortable within my own band.”

The rocker says the important thing was that he and his CCR bandmates “were good together.”

“I didn’t think any of us was, let’s say, the best in the world, or even in our own country or our own state, at what we were doing,” Fogerty says. “To me, that didn’t matter. I thought it was much more important to sound good together.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


ZZ Top’s 'Eliminator' turns 40

Warner Records

March 23 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of ZZ Top’s eighth studio album, Eliminator, which went on to be the band’s most commercially successful album, peaking at nine on the Billboard Album chart.

The album, which used more synthesizers and drum machines than previous ZZ Top records, featured four hit singles: “Legs,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharped Dressed Man” and “TV Dinners.” “Gimme All Your Lovin’” peaked at two on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, with “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man” also making the top 10. “Gimme All Your Lovin’” also landed on the Billboard Top 40 chart.

The success of the album and the songs were helped by a series of hugely popular videos for “Legs,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’” and “Sharped Dressed Man." They wound up in regular rotation on MTV, helping to attract a younger fan base.  

All three featured a trio of models, along with a red 1933 Ford coupe, like the one that appeared on the cover of the album, with the video for "Legs" marking the debut of the band’s spinning guitars, covered in white sheepskin. “Legs” went on to earn ZZ Top an MTV Video Music Award for Best Group. 

Eliminator was the first of the band’s albums to become a worldwide success and went on to sell over 11 million copies in the U.S. It has been certified Diamond by the RIAA.

And while ZZ Top lost member Dusty Hill in July 2021, they haven’t slowed down. They hit the road next month on a solo tour and will co-headline a tour this summer with Lynyrd Skynyrd, dubbed The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour. A complete list of tour dates can be found at zztop.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Bruce Springsteen launches sweepstakes to raise money for LGBTQ+ organization

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Bruce Springsteen

Nabbing tickets to see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band certainly wasn’t easy. For those who missed out, The Boss is now giving his fans a chance to win a trip to see him in his home state of New Jersey.

Springsteen has teamed up with Propeller for a new sweepstakes that helps raise money and awareness for The Ally Coalition, which works to better the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.

And the lucky winner and a guest will nab quite a grand prize: two tickets to The Boss’ April 14 show at the Prudential Center in Newark, along with airfare, hotel accommodations and ride-share credit. The winner will also take home a signed Fender American Original '50s Telecaster guitar.

The deadline to enter is Tuesday, March 28, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

The Newark show is the final night of the first leg of the Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band tour. The trek hits Buffalo, New York, on Thursday.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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