Classic Hits

The Greatest Night In Pop, a new documentary about the making of the star-studded 1985 charity single “We Are the World,” will hit Netflix on January 29. And Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the song with Michael Jackson, says witnessing the film being put together has made him cry.

“It just brings tears to my eyes because some of us are not here anymore,” Lionel told Variety. Some of those who sang on “We Are the World” have since passed away — Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers, Tina Turner and Harry Belafonte, to name a few — but for Lionel, one particular loss hurts the most.

“Michael’s not here,” Lionel said. “There should be another guy sitting here … I need him here to tell you the funny parts about it. Because in all of this, we were just two creatives having the best time of our lives, pulling from the universe.”

In addition to Lionel, the documentary features interviews with many of the other participants, including Huey Lewis, Kenny Loggins, Smokey Robinson, Bruce Springsteen and Dionne Warwick, as well as never-before-heard recordings of Lionel and Michael writing the song, which raised millions for famine relief in Africa.

“We actually were making a difference,” Lionel noted. “So to see the naive version of ourselves, when we actually had an ‘aha moment’ that we might take all this celebrity and change the world … I’m just emotional about it, because I get to watch my kid being born again.”

Asked who he’d like to put in a new version of “We Are the World” today, Lionel said it would have to be not just a singer, but a stylist — someone who you’d recognize right away. He came up with just two names: Beyoncé and Bruno Mars.

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John Densmore is the reason we don’t hear music from The Doors in commercials, and he says his decision to fight against it was inspired by an incident with the group’s late frontman, Jim Morrison. 

“It all started in 1968 when Buick offered us $75,000 — huge money at the time — to sell its new model,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer tells The Spectator, noting he, guitarist Robby Krieger and keyboardist Ray Manzarek all agreed to the deal without Morrison.  

“He came back and went nuts. Or, being Jim, what he actually said was that if they aired the ad he would smash up a Buick on live TV with a sledgehammer,” he says. “A bulb went off over my head at that moment.”

Densmore is so serious about not licensing The Doors’ music that he took his former bandmates to court over it; things got testy in court, which hurt their relationship. “Among other things, they asked me if I was a communist, and whether I supported Al-Qaeda,” he says.

Densmore wound up winning the legal battle, and says his relationship with Krieger and Manzarek did eventually improve.

While Manzarek passed away in 2013, Densmore says they “made peace right before the end, for which I’m eternally grateful.” As for his relationship with Krieger, Densmore says they’re friendly and hints at a possible project in the future.

“We might even do something together, but I can assure you it won’t be called The Doors,” he says.

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Looks like Sammy Hagar will be holding on to his 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari for a little while longer. 

Sammy was supposed to auction off the vehicle at the Barrett-Jackson 2024 Scottsdale Auction at WestWorld in Scottsdale, Arizona, which runs through January 28, but the sale has been postponed. 

USA Today reports that during a full inspection it was discovered that the car needs a new battery; a replacement can’t come in time for the planned auction. Instead the car will be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson’s auction on October 12.

“As disappointed as I am about a last-minute mechanical problem, I am so happy I didn’t sell the car to someone and have it happen to them. If you know what I mean,” Sammy wrote on Instagram. “Good news is I get to drive the car a little more between now & Oct 12 when it goes back on the block!” 

Instead of being on the auction block, the car will be on display for those attending the auction.

Hagar and Jackson are reportedly hoping the car sells for somewhere close to $5 million. It originally retailed for about $1.4 million.

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The Zombies continue to add U.S. dates to their schedule.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just added four new shows to the latest leg of their Different Game tour – March 29 in Charlottesville, Virginia, March 31 in Durham, North Carolina, April 2 in Charleston, South Carolina, and April 3 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Zombies’ North American tour is due to kick off March 26 in Annapolis, Maryland, and wrap April 12 in Clearwater, Florida. As part of the tour they will set sail on the On The Blue Cruise from April 5 to April 10, departing from Miami.

Tickets for the new shows go on sale Friday, January 26, at 12 p.m. ET. 

The Zombies previously toured the U.S. in 2023, but were forced to cut the tour short in October after founding member Rod Argent was hospitalized after suffering migraines, fatigue and exhaustion.

Following the U.S. dates, the band will launch a U.K. tour on May 21 in Poole, England. A complete list of tour dates can be found at thezombiesmusic.com.

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Forget about T-shirts: Fans can now show their love for INXS with fine jewelry.

Billboard reports the “Need You Tonight” band has teamed up with Australian jeweler Michael Hill for a limited-edition line that includes five pieces, all made with recycled silver. Among them are rings, cuffs, guitar-pick pendants and lockets. Many are inscribed with lyrics from their songs, including “Never Tear Us Apart” and “By My Side.”

In a statement to Billboard, INXS member Jon Farriss says, “INXS is synonymous with music, but also fashion …we enjoyed finding and wearing funky bohemian jewelry which had personal meaning as well as catching a twinkle of light, while adding a sprinkle of attitude.”

He adds, “We are really digging these Michael Hill designs that reflect some of the things we still wear today.”

The Michael Hill x INXS collection is available online, with more pieces expected to arrive later this year.

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Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon received 10 Oscar nominations on Tuesday, January 23, including an Original Score nod for the late Robbie Robertson, which is a bit bittersweet for the director.

In a statement, Scorsese describes the academy’s recognition of the film and his collaborators as “deeply gratifying,” noting, “It was a remarkable experience to make this picture, to work together with the Osage community to tell the story of a genuine American tragedy, hidden in the shadows of official culture for far too long.”

Regarding the Original Score nod, Scorsese adds, “I only wish that Robbie Robertson had lived to see his work recognized. … our many years of friendship and Robbie’s growing consciousness of his own Native heritage played a crucial role in my desire to get this film onscreen.” 

Robertson’s mother was Cayuga and Mohawk, and he was raised in Toronto on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. The posthumous nomination makes him the first indigenous person ever to be nominated in the Original Score category.  

Prior to Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese and Robertson worked together on 14 projects, including the Scorsese-directed concert documentary The Last Waltz, featuring Robbie’s group The Band.

Robertson passed away August 9 at the age of 80.

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Paul McCartney’s acclaimed photo exhibit is coming to New York. Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm is set to debut at the Brooklyn Museum on May 3 and will run until August 18.

Eyes of the Storm features more than 250 photographs taken by McCartney between November 1963 and February 1964, giving fans insight into his point of view as The Beatles were becoming international superstars.

The exhibit first debuted in June at London’s National Portrait Gallery and then moved to Virginia’s Chrysler Museum in December, where it is set to run until April 7.

“Since first arriving in New York in February 1964, Paul McCartney has built a strong, everlasting connection to the city,” Catherine Futter, director of Curatorial Affairs and senior curator of decorative arts at the Brooklyn Museum, shares. “His vibrant photographs from The Beatles’ first visit capture the energy of the city, the excitement of the American fans, and the frenzy of the band’s status as celebrities. Yet the images also record The Beatles’ fun and delight with each other.” 

She adds, “Through McCartney’s lens, we feel the intensity of being at the center of such extraordinary events.”

More information on the exhibit and tickets can be found at brooklynmuseum.org.

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To mark her daughter Mercy‘s 18th birthday, Madonna got 20,000 people sing to her. Of course, it helped that she was onstage at New York City’s Madison Square Garden at the time.

Mercy has been joining Madonna onstage each night during her Celebration tour to play piano as Madonna sings “Bad Girl.” On January 22, People reports that Madonna led the entire arena in singing “Happy Birthday” to Mercy and then added, “Stand up, stand up beautiful girl. Look at this queen! That’s what a beautiful queen looks like!” 

On Instagram, Madonna posted a lengthy tribute to her second oldest daughter, writing, “You were always the quiet one. The gentle one. The Shy and Stoic one. While All of my other children were clamoring for attention, you were Hiding under your hoodie — never wanting to draw attention to yourself.”

She went on to describe Mercy as “always Humble and Kind. Always the first one to say thank you. To clear the table after dinner! To Come and Hug me and say how much you appreciate something. And Always the most Responsable [sic].”

Madonna added, “Beautiful Mercy James. I am really astounded by the woman you have become. Poised and radiant. Skilled and Soulful. A True artist. … To hear you play … every night in my show with such confidence is such a thrill … nothing gives me greater pleasure than to watch you grow. You really are A wonder.”

She ended by joking, “Even though we both hate shellfish the world is your Oyster !! She is waiting for you to devour it. To eat it whole!!! To Slay it!!”

In addition to Mercy, Madonna is mother to Lourdes, Rocco, David and twins Stella and Estere.

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Bob Dylan is returning to the road this spring. The 82-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced a spring leg of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. 

The tour kicks off March 1 with a two-night stand in Ft. Lauderdale, one of five Florida cities on this leg. It also stops in Athens, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, before wrapping March 18 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, January 26. A complete list of dates can be found at bobdylan.com.

Dylan launched his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour in November 2021. The trek supports his album of the same name, which he released in June 2020.

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On This Day, January 23,1976…

David Bowie released his 10th studio album, Station to Station, which introduced a new persona, the Thin White Duke.

The follow up to 1975’s Young Americans, Station To Station, co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, saw the rocker being influenced by electronic dance music as well as a genre of German experimental rock known as krautrock.

Station to Station peaked at #3 on the Billboard album chart and at the time was Bowie’s highest-charting album in the U.S.

The lead single, “Golden Years,” spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #10. The tune would later be used for the soundtrack to the 2001 movie A Knight’s Tale.

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