It’s never too early or too late to introduce your family to the spotlight. That seems to be Rod Stewart‘s motto anyway.
A few weeks after he brought his 94-year-old sister Mary onstage for one of his shows in Scotland, People reports that during his concert in Spain on Saturday, July 22, Rod brought out his baby grandsons Louie and Otis. The boys, who were born three days apart in May, came onstage with their moms: Rod’s daughter Ruby Stewart and Nicole Artukovich, fiancée of Rod’s son Liam Stewart.
Ruby is Rod’s daughter with Kelly Emberg, who was his partner from 1983 to 1990. Liam is Rod’s son from his marriage to Rachel Hunter, which lasted from 1990 to 2006.
People reports that Ruby later posted a photo on her Instagram Story of Otis wearing noise-canceling headphones, with his hand over his face. “Grandads production was a little too bright and loud for my liking,” she captioned the photo.
On his own Instagram Story on July 23, Rod posted an adorable photo of himself holding Louie and Otis on his lap, one in each arm. The soccer-loving singer captioned the pic, “Louie on the right wing — Otis on the left wing —Grandad down the middle.”
The latest edition ofClassic Rock magazine celebrates the 50th anniversary of AC/DC, with members of Def Leppard, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick and more sharing stories of the band and their favorite albums. One of those sharing is KISS’ Paul Stanley, who reveals why 1980’s Back in Black is his favorite AC/DC record.
“When Brian Johnson joined AC/DC, I was curious – like everyone was – about how that would impact the band and the chemistry they had with Bon Scott,” Stanley says about the band’s first album following Scott’s February 1980 death. “But what they created with Back In Black was just monumental.”
He adds, “They were building on what they’d done before, moving forward. That kind of bare-bones grit they had in the early days was replaced with this driving sonic overload. But it was so brilliant. I thought what was gained overrode what was lost.”
Stanley says he knew AC/DC were “the real deal” after the first time he saw them perform at the Whisky A Go Go in the seventies. He notes, “They were so gritty, and the adrenaline level was just crazy. The amount of energy that Angus [Young]was expending on stage was mind boggling.”
Tom Jones is not happy that his classic song “Delilah” is no longer being played at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
The stadium had removed the song from halftime playlists in 2015 because of its controversial lyrics about the murder of a women by her jealous partner, and in February, also banned choirs from performing the tune there.
The BBC reports that Jones addressed the banning during his recent concert Cardiff Castle, urging fans to continue singing it regardless of any bans.
“You can’t stop us singing ‘Delilah.’ Can you imagine… Who was the man who didn’t want us to sing ‘Delilah’?,” he told the crowd. “He stopped the choir from singing but he didn’t stop the crowd from singing it. And we will keep singing it too.”
At the time of the banning, the Welsh Rugby Union released a statement saying it “condemns domestic violence of any kind,” adding of the song, “we are respectfully aware that it is problematic and upsetting to some supporters because of its subject matter.”
Jones previously commented on the controversy surrounding the tune, arguing people were taking it too literally and that it didn’t make light of violence against women.
Cher is ready to launch her next venture, and it sure sounds like a sweet one. The singer revealed on social media that she’s getting into the ice cream business with her very own gelato.
She shared the news alongside a video of an orange and pink “Cherlato” truck with images of Cher eating ice cream on it.
“Yep, This Is Real…I’m Launching My Gelato Line. Watch Out LA!!” she wrote, adding, “All Started 5 Years Ago And Now It’s Finally HAPPENING.”
The official Instagram account for Cherlato reveals a bit of the story behind the sweet treat, which is being curated by Cher but created by Giapo ice cream.
“A few years ago, Cher met Giapo and together, the pair brainstormed, taste-tested, experimented and eventually conceived Cherlato – the boldest and coldest gelato creations LA has ever had,” reads a post on the account. “If you like gelato, you’re gonna love Cherlato.”
Fans seem to be all for Cher’s gelato line, with some offering names for flavors. Inspired by her many hits, suggestions include Ginseng, Tramps, and Thieves; If I Could Turn Back Lime and Dark Chocolate Lady.
Another offered a very Cher tagline, commenting, “Do You Believe In Ice Cream After Lunch.”
R.E.M. has put together a best-of playlist to celebrate the renewed interest in their music thanks to the recently premiered second season of The Bear.
The playlist, which was made exclusively for NME, consists of 40 songs, with each member — frontman Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry — hand-picking their 10 favorite songs from their entire discography.
Stipe leads off the playlist with his picks and is followed by Buck, Mills and Berry.
The Bear season 2, which dropped in June, prominently features the R.E.M. song “Strange Currencies” on its soundtrack. Since its premiere, R.E.M. has shared a new video for a remixed version of the track.
The Bear is streaming now on Hulu, which is partnered with Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
Billy Idol is set to release an expanded version of his 1982 self-titled debut album on Friday, July 28, and to celebrate, he’s taking part in a very special Twitch livestream.
The event, which will also include his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens, takes place Wednesday, July 26, at 6 p.m. ET in Los Angeles and will feature a special acoustic performance as well as a Q&A, where Idol is expected to discuss the album’s history.
Fans will be able to tune into the livestream via 3point5, Universal Music Group’s Twitch channel.
Billy Idol (Expanded Edition) will feature a previously unreleased 12-minute Clubland Extended Remix of his classic tune “White Wedding.” In addition, the two-CD set will feature a separate album with a previously unreleased concert, recorded August 12, 1982, at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California. It features performances of such tracks as “Hot in the City,” “Mony Mony,” “White Wedding” and more.
In other Idol news, the rocker recently confirmed that Billy Idol: State Line, a film of his April Hoover Dam concert, will be released in theaters this fall. The concert features “two unique sets” of Idol hits and appearances from several special guests, including The Dead Weather’s Alison Mosshart,Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and NoDoubt’s Tony Kanal.
Next up, Idol is set to kick off a North American tour on August 27 in Vancouver, Canada. A complete list of tour dates can be found at billyidol.net.
The all-star movie musical Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, inspired by The Beatles’ classic album, opened in theaters to mostly negative reviews from critics.
The movie featured music from The Beatles album, and a cast of music superstars including Peter Frampton, The Bee Gees, Aerosmith, Earth, Wind & Fire, Alice Cooper and more, although no Beatles actually appeared on the film.
Despite the bad reviews, the movie was a minor success financially, grossing over $20 million, with a budget of just $13 mil. Regardless, it is still remembered as a huge flop.
Loverboy is currently the special guest on Foreigner’s Farewell Tour, and frontman Mike Reno feels like the pairing just makes sense.
“I know their big song is ‘Jukebox Hero,’ but they really are jukebox heroes. And luckily enough, we’ve had a fair share of success with our songs, too,” Reno tells ABC Audio. “We’ve sold a lot of albums and we’ve had a lot of hits, and we play our hits and then they play their hits. Really, it’s like a hit fest and the crowds just go crazy.”
And Reno is more than just a tour mate — he’s a fan, as well: “What a fabulous band they are and all those songs. I mean, I grew up to all that stuff.”
Reno is feeling particularly proud about his band these days, revealing they’ve been getting “great compliments” from people who’ve seen the show. “That’s a nice feeling, cause I really try. I try very hard at the concerts. I put a lot of effort in it,” he shares. “It’s nice that it’s appreciated.”
But compliments aren’t the only recognition the band is getting these days. In fact, Loverboy been chosen as an honoree on Canada’s Walk of Fame. And while Reno is thrilled to be recognized, he’s really just happy to still get to play for people after all these years.
He shares, “After 43 years, we’re all still together, we’re doing it, you know, we’re working all the time. It’s quite an achievement just doing that.”
Foreigner’s Farewell Tour, with special guest Loverboy, hits Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on Monday, July 24. A complete list of dates can be found at foreigneronline.com and loverboyband.com.
Christopher Nolan‘s much-anticipated new movie, Oppenheimer, arrives in theaters Friday, July 21. But it turns out Nolan may have never had the idea to make a movie about “the father of the atomic bomb” if it hadn’t been for Sting.
As EW reports, Nolan first became aware of J. Robert Oppenheimer when he was a kid in the ’80s and heard Sting’s song “Russians,” an anti-nuclear war track from Sting’s 1985 debut solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles.
As Nolan tells EW, “That Sting song … refers to Oppenheimer’s ‘deadly toys.'”
Specifically, the song’s lyrics go, “How can I save my little boy/from Oppenheimer’s deadly toy?”
“I was growing up in the U.K. at a time when people were very concerned about nuclear armaments,” Nolan continues. “When I was 12 or 13, myself and my friends were absolutely convinced that we were going to experience a nuclear war at some point in our lives. Oppenheimer stuck with me as a figure and I learned more about him over the years.”
When Nolan learned later in his life that the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project couldn’t rule out the possibility that detonating an atomic bomb would cause a chain reaction that would destroy the planet, he knew he had to make a film that included that dramatic decision.
“I’m just very interested in taking the audience into that room, and being there, and kind of living in that moment,” Nolan says. “What would that have been like to push that button, knowing there was any possibility of that?”
Tributes to legendary crooner Tony Bennett flooded social media following the news that he passed away Friday, July 21, at age 96.
A post on the singer’s official social media accounts revealed that music was part of Bennett’s life even at the end. “Tony left us today but he was still singing the other day at his piano and his last song was, ‘Because of You,’ his first #1 hit,” the post read. “Tony, because of you we have your songs in our heart forever.”
As for the tributes, Billy Joel, who duetted with Bennett on “New York State Of Mind” at Joel’s Last Play At Shea concerts in 2008, and appeared on Bennett’s collaborative albums Playin’ with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues and Duets: An American Classic, honored the singer on his website. He called Bennett “one of the most important interpreters of American popular song during the mid to late 20th century.”
“He was a joy to work with. His energy and enthusiasm for the material he was performing was infectious,” he continued. “He was also one of the nicest human beings I’ve ever known.”
Former President Barack Obamaalso paid tribute to Bennett, calling him “an iconic songwriter and entertainer who charmed generations of fans.” He added, “He was also a good man—Michelle and I will always be honored that he performed at my inauguration.”
And former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clintonalso praised Bennett, sharing that they “loved and admired” him. They said they “marveled at the breadth of his talent and depth of his commitment to creating a better world.”
Elton Johnalso shared his condolences, writing, “So sad to hear of Tony’s passing. Without doubt the classiest singer, man, and performer you will ever see. He’s irreplaceable. I loved and adored him.”
Among the other tributes:
The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richardsshared a photo of him and Tony from 2015, writing, “May you Rest in Peace, Tony Bennett!”
David Lettermanshared a clip of Bennett performing on his late night talk show, writing, “The great Tony Bennett sings ‘Everybody Has The Blues.’ RIP, Tony.”
Mariah Carey: “Rest in Peace Tony Bennett. It was such an honor to work with one of the world’s most beloved, respected and legendary singers of the past century. We will miss you.”
Steven Van Zandt: “RIP Tony Bennett. The best of the best. The last of the legends. A man whose heart was as big as his voice. The world’s foremost practitioner of the ‘Art Of Excellence.’ Deepest love and condolences to my friend Danny and the family.”
Ozzy Osbourne: “Very sad to hear about Tony Bennett’s passing. Rest in Peace.”
Harry Connick, Jr.: “rest in peace, tony… you changed the world with your voice… thank you for always being so kind to me… i love you and i’ll miss you very much…@itstonybennett.”
Michael Bublé: “Tony Bennett is one of the greatest vocalists, storytellers and interpreters of all time. To say he was an important part of who I became is an understatement. … it was the honor of a lifetime to learn from him. Having my hero take me under his wing was one of the greatest moments of my life and my career.”
Nile Rodgers: “My most heartfelt condolences go out to Tony Bennett’s family and friends. They’re also my emotional family and friends.”
Carole King: “RIP Tony Bennett. Such a big loss. Deepest sympathy to his family and the world.”
KISS‘ Gene Simmons: “Today we lost an icon of icons. Kind, considerate and as Sinatra was quoted as saying, the best singer of them all. Rest In Peace, Tony Bennett.”
KISS‘ Paul Stanley: “RIP Tony Bennett. His gift for melody and his depth of grasping a lyric was without compare. To the end the master.”
Richie Sambora: “We’ve just lost one of the greats of all time.. Tony Bennett.. I’m profoundly sad. God bless you brother and thank you.. for all you have shown us and bestowed upon us.”
Flea: “i love the immortal Tony Bennett, what a dude, what a class act, what a singer. so grateful to have shared a stage with him. a beautiful human being.”
