Classic Hits

Stevie Nicks was so touched by a youth choir that appeared on America’s Got Talent this week that she felt the need to let them know. The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer posted a note to the Ndlovu Youth Choir on Instagram; the group appeared on the All-Stars edition of the NBC talent show and performed the original song “We Will Rise.” 

“I just wanted to congratulate you on your brilliant and moving performance last night on America’s Got Talent,” Stevie wrote. “It made me feel like maybe – someday with your help – the whole world will rise again. You Are The World!” 

She also asked them, “Can I be in your choir?”

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Bono appears on the latest episode of the Smartless podcast with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, and dropped a little info about U2‘s rumored Las Vegas residency at the new high-tech arena MSG Sphere. 

Hayes shared that Edge told him the band was going on tour and showed him renderings of the Vegas theater, noting, “It’s going to be unbelievable.” Bono was hesitant to talk about it because it’s not official yet, but he eventually gave in … sort of.

“You are a news network now because that’s breaking news,” Bono joked, before getting serious and sharing, “We haven’t signed off on it but if we do, if we do sign off on this, I will say that if we can pull off what we’re talking about, it’s not like anything we’ve ever done before. It’s nothing like Las Vegas has ever seen before.”

He concluded, “If this happens it will be really extraordinary.”

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Elton John has made good on a promise to treat a group of students to one of his shows after they impressed him with their version of “I’m Still Standing.”

In March 2020, in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns, students from Telford Priory School in Telford, England, made a video of themselves singing and performing the track over Zoom, under the direction of their music teacher, Ben Millington. And it attracted Elton’s attention.

Elton was so impressed he sent a video to the students in which he shared that he watched the clip three times and was “completely blown away” by it, noting it cheered him up during lockdowns. He promised the students tickets to one of his shows once lockdowns were over and the tour hit England.

Millington tells the BBC that Elton reached out and told the students to “take their pick” of shows on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Many of them are now studying music at university, but they are all planning to see the show on June 10 in Birmingham. 

Millington notes, “I just knew he would come through.”

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As previously reported, Dolly Parton is making a rock album, and she’s lined up A-list artists like Paul McCartney, John Fogerty, ex-Journey frontman Steve Perry and Steven Tyler to join her. Well, now she’s revealed at least one song we can expect to hear on the album.

During an appearance on the Rachael Ray Show, Dolly shared that she has recorded a cover of The Beatles‘ “Let It Be” with McCartney for the record, which will be titled Rock Star.

“I’ve got a lot of wonderful, iconic songs that people love and wonderful, iconic singers joining me on them,” she shared. 

Dolly also revealed that she’s already recorded one of Elton John’s hits with him and finished recording a song with Stevie Nicks, noting that she is still hoping to get Cher to agree to be on the album

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Neil Young, Warren Haynes and Bob Weir are among the artists set to celebrate Willie Nelson’s birthday at a two-day celebration at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.

Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, A Star-Studded Concert Celebrating Willie’s 90th Birthday, is happening April 29 (Willie’s actual birthday) and 30. The lineup also includes Willie, along with Lyle Lovett, Tom Jones, Sheryl Crow, The Lumineers, Norah Jones, Roseanne Cash, Snoop Dogg, Chris Stapleton, Beck, Edie Brickell, Kacey Musgraves, The Chicks and Willie’s son Lukas Nelson, with additional artists to be added in the coming weeks.

“I can’t think of a better way to spend my 90th birthday than being surrounded by family, friends and of course the fans who made this all possible,” Willie shares. “It’s an honor to perform with such an incredible group of artists at such an iconic venue.” 

The show promises a unique experience each night, filled with yet-to-be-announced collaborations. 

Two-day tickets go on sale Saturday, January 28, at 10 a.m. PT, with a presale set for Wednesday, January 25, at 10 a.m. PT. More information on the show and tickets can be found at WillieNelson90.com.

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Van Morrison is giving fans another taste of his upcoming album, Moving On Skiffle. The Irish singer has just dropped the new tune “Worried Man Blues.”

The track is a cover of an old folk song, which has previously been recorded by The Carter Family, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and more.

The 23-track Moving on Skiffle is due out March 10 and will be available as a two-CD set, as a two-LP vinyl package, on cassette and via digital formats. It features a variety of covers, including Hank Williams‘ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and “Cold Cold Heart,” and traditional tunes like “Gypsy Davy” and “Green Rocky Road.”

Morrison is set to promote his new album with a series of live dates, including March 13, 14 and 15 at The Stables in Milton Keynes, England, and April 6 and 7 at Whitla Hall in Belfast, Ireland.

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David Byrne is in the running for an Oscar. The Talking Heads frontman earned a Best Original Song nomination for “This Is a Life,” the song he wrote with Mitski and Ryan Lott for Best Picture nominee Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The tune does have some stiff competition, however. Other nominees in that category include the Diane Warren-penned song “Applause,” from Tell It Like a Woman, Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand,” from Top Gun: Maverick, Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up,” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the Golden Globe winner “Naatu Naatu” from the Indian film RRR.

Byrne was previously nominated and won a Best Original Score Oscar in 1987 for his collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su on Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor.

The 95th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airs March 12 live on ABC from the the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

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The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are set to be immortalized with statues in their hometown of Dartford, in Kent, England, with Mick telling The Telegraph he is “honored and delighted with the news.”

The statues are to be created by sculptor Amy Goodman. They will be erected near the Dartford Railway Station where the two childhood friends reunited as teenagers in 1961, started talking about music and decided to form a musical partnership. 

Goodman is currently working on the statues in her studio. Once completed, they will be unveiled at One Bell Corner on Dartford High Street. 

“Many Dartfordians have gone on to change our world, but in terms of culture and music you don’t get much more influential than The Rolling Stones,” Jeremy Kite, leader of the Dartford Borough Council, tells the paper. “Their music has changed the face of popular music and these lads from Dartford are now two of the most recognizable and loved people in the world.” 

He adds, “We want to celebrate that their roots are firmly planted right here in our town and also thank them for the impression they have made on lives.”

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Billy Idol is hitting the road this spring. The rocker, who earlier this month received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just announced a new set of tour dates, kicking off March 30 in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

The tour will hit such cities as Denver, Atlanta, Orlando and Indianapolis before wrapping May 12 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He’s also set to perform at the Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California, on May 20.

Tickets go on sale Friday. A complete list of tour dates and ticket information can be found at BillyIdol.net.

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The members of Yes are the latest artists to sell their catalog. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have made a deal with Warner Music Group’s Global Catalog Division to sell the rights to their music and income streams for recordings made during their Atlantic Records era. 

The purchase encompasses 12 studio albums, including such classics as Fragile, Close to the Edge and 90125, along with live recordings and compilations. 

“The entire Yes family came together and worked enthusiastically with Warner Music Group to secure this historic deal,” the band shares in a statement, “ensuring that these iconic recordings will continue to be curated in the optimum manner to delight their fans across more than five decades, while also finding and developing new audiences for this timeless music.”

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