Classic Hits

Céline Dion fans were outraged that Rolling Stone omitted the Canadian superstar from its new list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. But instead of just complaining about it on social media, some die-hard Céline-iacs have decided to take their outrage to the next level.

On Friday, a group of Montreal-based Céline fans known as The Red Heads organized a protest outside the New York City offices of Rolling Stone, and their actions were documented and shared online. Footage posted on The Red Heads’ Facebook page show the fans waving signs with messages like “The Power of Celine,” “How Can You Forget Celine?” “Celine is #1” and “We Want a Recount.” 

According to Variety, the fans, who’d driven the six hours from Montreal for the protest, chanted, “Justice for Celine” while blasting her hit “That’s the Way It Is” on a portable speaker. Another sign, referring to Celine’s hit song for the movie Titanic, read, “Rolling Stone you’ve hit an iceberg.”

Red Heads president Line Basbous, who helped organize the protest, told Variety, “The list is completely illegitimate. We wanted to support her and make sure that Rolling Stone hears the voice of the fans. The list is ridiculous.”

Rolling Stone‘s response was to cover the protest on its online front page and suggest that the entire thing “was an organized stunt.”

What’s certain is that the protesters are self-aware. On January 3, Basbous told The Journal de Quebec that she was “very amused” by the response to the list. She added, “We love it when Céline is talked about … we are very proud of the reactions, the popular uprising and the backlash.”

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As previously reported, Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson are set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy, and now they’re sharing their feelings about the honor. 

“I can hardly fathom the Lifetime Achievement Award is coming to me and my sister Ann. It’s a deep acknowledgment for the nearly 50 years of our lives we put into this music. It is more than meaningful for both of us,” Nancy shares on social media. “It speaks to the relevance of the songs themselves and what those songs continue to mean to our loyal and our new fans.”

She adds, “And I hope it speaks to the new breed of amazing women who are now emerging in the world of rock – keeping it alive and kicking. And I plan to keep on kicking too.” 

Ann also posted a reaction to the announcement, sharing, “It’s such an honor to be recognized in this way after all the years, all the miles and all the songs! Thank you!” 

Nile Rodgers, who is also set to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement honor, reacted to the news on social media, simply sharing “#nowords #purelove #gratitude.”

This year’s Lifetime Achievement honorees, who also include Nirvana, Bobby McFerrin, The Supremes, Ma Rainey and Slick Rick “The Ruler,” will be celebrated at the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony, taking place February 4 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.

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As previously reported, Ian Gillan’s wife, Bron, passed away in November at the age of 67, and now the Deep Purple rocker has shared a tribute to her on his personal website.

“My darling wife, Bron, died of heart failure on Saturday 19 November, 2022, in Exeter Hospital,” he writes. “It’s taken some weeks until I could find the words to dignify her publicly. Publicly, because our life together, (forty. wonderful, happy years), was mainly private.” 

He adds, “But, I don’t think she’d mind if I said out loud that ‘I love you my sweet B, we are forever entwined. The wrench of bereavement is softened by your continued presence. Thank you for your love and guidance. See you later.’” 

Gillan also shares that Bron was “was funny, beautiful, intelligent and strongly supportive to me and our daughter Grace, in our work,” adding, she “made a wonderful happy place for me and Grace, to come home to.”

As for the upcoming year, Gillan offers, “I’m getting my head together for the year of work ahead, for which I’m grateful (it helps) and excited. We are getting around a bit in this coming year, so I hope to see as many as possible of your smiling faces on the road, or in a bar somewhere.”

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Netflix’s latest Knives Out film, Glass Onion, is sparking some renewed interest in The Beatles classic of the same name. Billboard reports that the White Album track, which plays over the credits of the hit flick Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, has seen a streaming bump since the film debuted on the streamer December 23. 

During the week of December 23 to 29, The Beatles’ “Glass Onion” was streamed 160,000 times, up from 60,000 the previous week, an increase of 167%. 

And that’s not the only song to get some help from the movie. David Bowie’s “Star,” which plays during a Kate Hudson dance sequence, saw a 60% increase, while the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody,” which is also in the flick, saw a 37% streaming increase.

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Robert Plant admits it wasn’t easy to go on with his career after the end of Led Zeppelin, but credits his friends, including Phil Collins, with helping him move on. 

“After [Led Zeppelin drummer] John [Bonham] passed away and there was no Led Zeppelin, there had to be a way to go,” Plant shares in a new interview with Vulture. “I floundered around a lot because until I was 32, I was in some kind of wild and absurd adventure.” 

Plant says Led Zeppelin was “a lot to live up to.” As he struggled with his first solo album, 1982’s Pictures at Eleven, there were a lot of friends who gave him “support and strength,” including Collins, who appeared on five of the album’s tracks. 

“Phil Collins especially was a driving force and had positive energy with the first record,” he says. “With Phil, it wasn’t so much advice as encouragement and consideration. He was taking no prisoners. He would only allow himself a short amount of time to come to the studio in Wales and make it work. Nobody was hiding behind the performance.”

Collins actually went on tour with Plant, telling the rocker he wanted to help because of his admiration for Bonham, who was his hero. Plant notes, “That was it. He said, ‘Anything I can do to help you to get back into fighting shape again, I’m here.’”

As this was all happening, Collins was dealing with his own successful solo career, with the 1981 single “In The Air Tonight.” Plant notes, “Yet he was still mixing and working with me while kicking off a particularly impressive and successful time. He’s a great spirit, a good man.”

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The Eagles aren’t ready to stop their Hotel California tour. The band just announced six new 2023 dates for the trek, beginning March 25 in Jacksonville, Florida, and running through April 7 in Newark, New Jersey.

The Hotel California tour, which the Eagles launched in 2019, has the band playing their classic 1976 album in its entirety, backed by an orchestra and choir. In addition to the album, the band also treats fans to a set of greatest hits. 

Tickets for the new shows go on sale January 13 at 10 a.m. local time. Check out a complete list of 2023 Hotel California dates here.

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Bob Weir is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his debut solo album, Ace, with a new deluxe edition and he’s giving fans a little taste of what to expect with the release.

The Grateful Dead guitarist just released a live version of the tune “Greatest Story Ever Told,” featuring Tyler Childers, which will appear on Ace: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, dropping January 13. The live version of the track was recorded at a 2020 show with his band Wolf Bros at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, where they performed the entire album live and were joined by special guests. 

Ace: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will be released as a double CD and on streaming services. It will feature a remastered new mix of Ace, along with a full Radio City performance. A black vinyl version will also be released on February 3.

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Bono is spending a little more time in New York this spring. As previously reported, the U2 frontman recently announced a New York residency of his Stories of Surrender book tour, and now he’s added even more dates. 

Described as “an evening of words, music and some mischief,” the residency kicks off April 16 at the Beacon Theater. He initially announced eight shows, but now Bono’s added three more: May 4, 7 and 8. 

The shows have Bono recounting stories from his recently released memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, and also performing stripped down versions of U2 songs. He’ll be backed by Gemma Doherty on harp, keyboard and vocals, and Kate Ellis on cello, keyboard and vocals, with Jacknife Lee serving as musical director. 

Tickets for the new dates go on sale January 9 at 10 a.m. ET.

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Nirvana, Nile Rodgers, The Supremes and Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson are among the artists to be honored by the Recording Academy with 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards, along with Bobby McFerrin, Ma Rainey, and Slick Rick “The Ruler.”

The artists will be celebrated at the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony, taking place February 4th at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, the first time the ceremony is being held since 2020.

“The Academy is proud to celebrate this diverse slate of influential music people spanning numerous genres and crafts as our 2023 Special Merit Awards honorees,” Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, shares in a statement. “Each creator on this list has made an impact on our industry — from technical to creative achievements — representing the breadth of music’s diverse community.”

“We’re excited to celebrate this group of legends next month that continues to inspire and shape the music world,” Mason adds.

Lifetime Achievement Awards are given to artists who “have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.” Previous honorees include Ray Charles, Davide Bowie, Neil Diamond, Queen, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Diana Ross and more.

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How’s this for a lineup? A song called “Gonna Be You,” due out January 20, features the combined talents of Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, The Go-Go’s Belinda Carlisle, Blondie‘s Debbie Harry, and Dolly Parton.

The track, written by legendary songwriter Diane Warren, is from the upcoming movie 80 for Brady, based on the true story of four best friends to travel to the Super Bowl in 2017 to see then-New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady play.  And the stars of the film are just as impressive as the lineup for the song: Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and Rita Moreno.  Tom Brady himself also appears in the film, which arrives in theaters February 3.

“I wanted to write a song that celebrated these women’s deep friendship,” Diane says in a statement. “Since 80 was in the title I got a crazy idea, why not get some of the most iconic singers from the 80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?!!!!”

“Everyone I approached said yes and was just as excited as me!!” Warren adds. “I’m honored to have Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry on this song!! ‘Gonna Be You’ is that song you want to sing along to with all your good friends!!!”

The song is available for pre-order/pre-save now.

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