Classic Hits

The late Otis Redding was born 80 years ago today. The soul legend was just 26-years-old when he was killed in a plane crash on December 10, 1967.

Born in Dawson, Georgia, and raised in Macon, Redding sang gospel at an early age and was inspired by his love of Sam Cooke and Little Richard to become a soul singer.

Redding was signed to Stax Records in 1962. His first single for the famed Memphis, Tennessee, label was the original song “This Heart of Mine” that reached #20 on Billboard‘s R&B singles chart.

Over the next couple of years, Otis scored a series of big R&B hits.

Redding’s first hits on the Billboard Hot 100 came in 1965 with the ballad “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and the soul rave-up “Respect,” which peaked at #21 and #35, respectively. The latter tune later became Aretha Franklin‘s signature song after she covered it in 1967.

Otis continued to enjoy crossover success in 1966 and ’67 with hits that included “Try a Little Tenderness.”

Also in 1967, two duets that Redding recorded with Carla Thomas, “Tramp” and “Knock on Wood,” reached the Hot 100’s top 30.

Otis’ dynamic performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop festival would bring him more acclaim and attention.

On December 7, 1967, three days before his death, Redding finished recording “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay,” a song he’d co-written with his guitarist and frequent collaborator, Steve Cropper.

In March ’68, “The Dock of the Bay” became the first posthumous song to hit #1 on the Hot 100.

Redding was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

As previously reported, “Otis Redding Day” will be proclaimed in Georgia today in honor of Redding’s milestone birthday.

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Fifty years ago today, on September 9, 1971, the late John Lennon released his classic second solo album, Imagine, which featured his enduring peace anthem of the same name.

Imagine was Lennon’s first solo effort to top the Billboard 200 chart, and it’s gone on to sell more than 2 million copies in the U.S.

Imagine‘s centerpiece, of course, was the title track, which was the only single released from the album. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Imagine” includes lyrics urging people to envision a peaceful world without possessions, without countries that separate us and without religion. Before his death in 1980, Lennon credited his wife, Yoko Ono, with much of song’s lyrical ideas and content.

Other memorable songs featured on the album include “Jealous Guy,” “Gimme Some Truth,” “How Do You Sleep?” and “Oh Yoko!” Lennon wrote “How Do You Sleep?” as a vitriolic response to Paul McCartney‘s then-recent musical and media digs at John and Yoko.

Among the well-known musicians who contributed to Imagine were George Harrison; lauded session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins; bassist Klaus Voormann; drummers Alan White, Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon; and Badfinger members Tom Evans and Joey Molland. Lennon and Ono co-produced the record with Phil Spector.

Of course, hundreds of artists have recorded and performed “Imagine” over the years. Just a few examples: The song was performed as part of the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and at the opening ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, and this year’s 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Visit JohnLennon.com to find out about the various events planned to commemorate the anniversary.

Meanwhile, in the lead-up to the milestone anniversary, a few famous artists discussed their admiration for Imagine and its title track:

John Fogerty: “[Lennon] stated a philosophy in ‘Imagine’ that’s one of those wonderful times where…it’s a really great song, but it’s also got a really great message, you know…The concept of having no borders and everybody is one and that there are many dreamers. And just a completely compelling melody…Yeah, that was a wonderful record, certainly.”

Heart‘s Ann Wilson: “‘Imagine’ [turned] out to be one of the most beloved standards of our culture…I mean, it’s just been done and redone and believed in. What an amazing mantra. And actually, it turns out that…those were Yoko’s words…I think that song probably was the real fruit of [John and Yoko’s] union, creatively.”

Heart’s Nancy Wilson: “The Imagine album was so intimate, more intimate than any Beatles album…would have been able to be, ’cause you would have had a George song, and maybe Ringo song, and Paul and John trading and…doing their Paul and John thing together. But, I think John…was going through a catharsis, like as a human, having been let out of the Beatle pen…and being able to do his own thing with the new love of his life.”

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Pop-country great B.J. Thomas sadly passed away in May at age 78 after a battle with lung cancer. Now some of the “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” singer’s belongings are available via an online memorabilia sale overseen by his estate.

The items currently available for purchase include Rolex watches, guitars, apparel, signed baseballs, gold- and platinum-record awards, personal letters, firearms and various other collectibles. You can check out all of the items at Rockology-Estates.com.

Among the collectibles with the highest price tags are a Rolex watch, and a baseball signed by Babe Ruth, both priced at $10,900, a Gretsch guitar selling for $4,995, and a tour-used Ovation guitar with $4,975 asking price.

“The hardest thing for me was losing the love of my life, B.J., my honeyman,” says Thomas’ widow, Gloria. “Now, working with a team of people, we are placing items of B.J.’s in museums and are working to keep his legacy and memory alive. Doing this sale will also allow many of his loyal fans the chance to have a piece of history and memorabilia that normally wouldn’t be available to them.”

More of Thomas’ memorabilia will be made available in the coming weeks.

Thomas scored a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969 with “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” which was penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The tune, which appeared in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

B.J. also topped the Hot 100 in 1975 with “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” and scored a #5 hit in 1968 with “Hooked on a Feeling.”

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A brief video clip from what appears to be an ad for UberEats starring Elton John and popular singer/rapper Lil Nas X — which apparently is going to arrive in full tomorrow — has been posted on Elton’s Twitter account.

In the clip, Elton is sitting behind a white piano, while dressed in a pink cowboy outfit similar to something Lil Nas X would’ve worn in 2019 when he was promoting his record-setting number-one hit “Old Town Road.”

Then Lil Nas X walks into the frame wearing one of Elton’s most over-the-top outfits: He’s dressed head to toe in multicolored feathers, with sparkly silver sunglasses and a mirrored leather headpiece. Elton famously wore that outfit while appearing on The Muppet Show in 1978.

As the clip proceeds, Elton looks up from the piano, sees Lil Nas X and says, “B**** stole my look!” Nas starts laughing, and says, “That wasn’t it!,” meaning that Elton delivered the wrong line. But as both he, Elton and the crew off camera crack up, Nas adds, “You know what? Let’s keep it!”

Elton and Lil Nas X have teamed up on a song called “One of Me” that will appear on both Nas’ debut album, Montero, due out September 17, and Elton’s forthcoming collaborative album The Lockdown Sessions, which will be released on October 22.

Now this will surprise you 👀🚀 @lilnasx

More to come tomorrow @ubereats #ad pic.twitter.com/MJ2oL87UK3

— Elton John (@eltonofficial) September 8, 2021

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Elton John has just scored his second #1 hit of 2021 on the U.K.’s biggest chart countdown show, and he couldn’t be happier.

Elton’s collaboration with U.K. pop star Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart,” topped The Official Big Top 40 countdown radio show, which measures downloads, streaming and radio airplay, and is most similar to America’s Billboard Hot 100.

Reflecting on his achievement, 74-year-old Elton told the show, “Well, at my age, having one number-one song in the singles chart is an incredible surprise and for me, an achievement. So, two is ridiculous. I mean, this is a dream come true.”

Earlier this year, Elton’s collaboration with British act Years & Years on a cover of the Pet Shop Boys‘ “It’s a Sin” topped the same chart.

“‘Cold Heart,” created by Australian dance duo PNAU, is a mashup of three Elton songs: “Sacrifice,” “Rocket Man” and “Where’s the Shoorah?” On Instagram, Elton wrote, “Thank you for streaming and listening to ‘Cold Heart.’ Even after all this time making music and putting it out there, a number 1 still means so much and I couldn’t be prouder of the song, Dua and PNAU for what we’ve produced.”

Elton also teased, “Big things coming and I’m so excited to share them all with you.”

 

 

 

 

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Sammy Hagar has announced plans to relocate his annual birthday bash — traditionally held at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico — to two sites in Southern California.

The Red Rocker’s 2021 birthday celebration will kick off with the inaugural Afterburner Music Festival, taking place October 1-2 at Huntington Beach, California. Sammy and his current band, The Circle, will headline the festival’s first day, while the second day will include performances by Sam Hunt, X Ambassadors and Cassadee Pope. Tickets for the fest are on sale now.

Hagar and The Circle will then head to the Catalina Casino on Catalina Island for the 2021 Birthday Bash, scheduled for October 7, 8 and 9.

The October 7 show is a VIP event that will feature an acoustic performance, and Sammy and the band also will share stories and take questions from the audience. Attendees also will receive special merch, memorabilia and more.

A limited number of VIP tickets for the October 7 event and three-day passes are on sale now, as are single-day tickets for the October 8 and 9 events. Fans attending the Catalina Island shows will be required to show proof that they’re fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

During the pandemic last year, Hagar was unable to hold his birthday bash at his Cabo Wabo Cantina. Instead, Sammy and The Circle played a socially distanced concert on October 8 on Catalina Island. About his decision to hold this year’s bash on Catalina, Sammy explains, “I fell in love with the island and when we toured the…iconic Catalina Casino with its massive circular ballroom that opens on three sides to the bluest water I’ve seen in California, I got chills and knew we’d be back.”

Hagar’s actual birthday is October 13. He’ll be 74.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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This Thursday, September 9, would’ve been late soul legend Otis Redding‘s 80th birthday, and to commemorate the milestone, his home state of Georgia will declare that day to be “Otis Redding Day.”

The official proclamation will be announced during an event Thursday at The Otis Redding Museum in Macon, Georgia. The museum also will unveil a new collection of Redding memorabilia that day that will celebrate the singer’s life, legacy and his influence on the world. The display will feature handwritten notes, rare photos and more. More information about the exhibit can be found at OtisReddingFoundation.org.

Meanwhile, coinciding with Redding’s 80th birthday on Thursday, new immersive Dolby Atmos mixes of seven of Otis’ popular recordings — “These Arms of Mine,” “Pain in My Heart,” “Love Man,” “That’s How Strong My Love Is,” “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” and the classic holiday covers “Merry Christmas Baby” and “White Christmas” — will be available on high-res streaming platforms.

Also on Thursday, DJ D-Nice will host a Redding birthday celebration as part of one of his Club Quarantine virtual parties on Instagram, starting at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, for his support of Redding’s legacy, D-Nice will receive the Award of RESPECT from The Otis Redding Foundation, a charitable organization that was established in 2007 by Otis’ widow, Zelma.

In other news, a series of special remixes of classic Redding songs created by various artists will be released this fall. The first of the series, which will arrive this Thursday, will be a remix of Otis’ classic 1967 duet with Carla Thomas, “Tramp,” by Australian electronic duo Korky Buchek.

Redding died in a December 10, 1967, plane crash, just three days after he finished recording his enduring soul ballad “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.” He was 26.

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After postponing a series of U.S. concerts because founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons both tested positive for COVID-19, KISS has confirmed that it will relaunch its End of the World farewell tour with a show this Thursday, September 9, in Irvine, California.

According to a statement from the band, doctors advised that the trek was safe to resume after Stanley and Simmons quarantined for 10 days.

Meanwhile, five of the postponed shows have been rescheduled for late October at the tail end of the 2021 U.S. leg of the outing.

An August 29 concert in Atlanta has been moved to October 10; an August 26 show in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, now will take place on October 13; a September 1 performance in Clarkston, Michigan, has been moved to October 15; a September 4 gig in Tinley Park, Illinois, has been rescheduled for October 16; and a September 2 concert in Dayton, Ohio, has been rescheduled for October 17.

Two other concerts delayed because the KISS members’ COVID diagnoses, originally scheduled for August 28 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and September 5 in Milwaukee, will be made up sometime in 2022, as will an August 22 concert in Hartford, Connecticut — a date that was postponed because of the effects of Hurricane Henri.

Tickets that were purchased for the postponed concerts will be honored for the rescheduled dates. Additional details will be emailed to ticketholders.

Visit KISSOnline.com to check out the band’s full schedule.

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Pop star Selena Gomez isn’t the only chart-topping musician in the new Hulu series Only Murders in the Building: Sting also has a role.  In fact, the former Police frontman rock legend is starting to look like the prime suspect in the murder that the characters played by Selena and her co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short are investigating. But despite the fact that they’re both musicians, Selena said talking shop with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was the last thing on her mind while filming the show.

“Oh, gosh, no, no, no!” Selena tells ABC Audio when asked if she and Sting discussed collaborating. “But I will say this: [There] was a very cool moment.”

As Selena recalls, “There was a piano on set and I was just playing piano and all of a sudden I hear Sting playing exactly what I’m playing, on the guitar! And I’m like, ‘O.K., this is a surreal moment I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.’ ‘Cause…like, I don’t bother [other stars] with anything; I just wanted them to have a great experience.”

More about Sting and his motivations will be revealed in the fourth episode of the show, which arrives today on Hulu. It’s called “The Sting,” and in it, we’ll find out that there’s a definite connection between the rocker and the victim, Tim Kono, played by Julian Cihi.

Like Selena, Sting has had an acting career running parallel to his music career for years. But according to Entertainment Weekly, the reason Sting is in Only Murders is because he’s been friends with Steve Martin and the show’s casting director, Bernard Telsey, for a long time.

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Last Thursday, ABBA thrilled fans by announcing plans to release their first new album in 40 years, Voyage, while debuting two tracks from the forthcoming record: “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down.”

Now comes word that the songs are both on pace to debut in the top 10 of the next U.K. Official Singles Chart. As of Saturday, “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down” sat at #6 and #7, respectively, on the Official Chart: First Look list.

If the songs hold their positions, they will become the Swedish pop legends’ first top-10 hits in the U.K. since “One of Us” in December 1981.

Both tracks are available now on vinyl, CD and digital formats. As of Saturday, “Don’t Shut Me Down” was the most downloaded song in the U.K. during the past week.

OfficialCharts.com also reports that more than 80,000 copies of the Voyage album, which is due out November 5, have been pre-ordered already, breaking a record for the most pre-orders ever for an album on ABBA’s longtime label, Universal Music UK.

As previously reported, Voyage was created in tandem with a concert experience that will see digital avatars of ABBA’s members — Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus — performing virtually with a live 10-piece band, in a purpose-built, 3,000-person capacity arena in London. The Voyage shows premiere May 27, 2022, and tickets for the concerts went on sale to the general public today. Visit ABBAVoyage.com for more details.

ABBA’s last studio album, The Visitors, was released in November 1981.

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