Classic Hits

Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle recently came together for a great cause. The two living legends headlined the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s annual World AIDS Day Concert, held Wednesday at the The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

At the event, which posthumously honored the late Princess Diana, a longtime humanitarian and AIDS advocate, Gladys took the stage to perform a medley of hits, including “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

Patti, who headlined the concert when it was held in LA back in 2016, also sang a medley of hits, including “Love, Need and Want You,” “On My Own” and “Lady Marmalade,” during her set.

Previous headliners include Mariah Carey, DJ Khaled and Ne-Yo, who performed in 2017; Diana Ross,Teyana Taylor and Keke Wyatt, who hit the stage in 2019; and Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera, who headlined the LA concert in 2021, produced by Debbie Allen.

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December 7 will mark what would have been the late Harry Chapin‘s 80th birthday, and that milestone is being celebrated with a worldwide screening of a star-studded documentary about the singer, songwriter and activist.

The 2020 documentary, called Harry Chapin: When In Doubt, Do Something, will be shown in movie theaters around the world on December 7 at 8 p.m. local time, with all ticket proceeds going to The Harry Chapin Foundation, Long Island Cares and WhyHunger, the nonprofit organization that Chapin co-founded.

The documentary features interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Graham Nash, Pat Benatar, Chicago‘s Robert Lamm, Sir Bob Geldof, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC and the late artists Pete Seeger, Richie Havens and Harry Belafonte. It focuses on Chapin’s impact on the world, not only through his hits like “Taxi” and “Cat’s In the Cradle,” but also through his tireless work in ending world hunger.

In addition to the documentary, the screening will include 15 minutes of never-before-seen live footage from a recent Chapin Family concert. Some of those same family members will also participate in a live chat that will take place as part of the screening.

Chapin’s son Jason helped produce the documentary and says in a statement, “My family is incredibly excited and grateful for the special event … to celebrate my father’s 80th birthday, 50th anniversary of his first hit ‘Taxi’ and his lasting legacy as a musician and humanitarian. We’re also thrilled that proceeds will benefit three charities that carry on his mission to help end hunger.”

For tickets, visit Kinema.com or ChapinEvent.com.

Chapin was killed in July 1981 in an auto accident en route to a benefit concert on Long Island, New York. He was 38.

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Former Talking Heads mastermind David Byrne has a new Christmas song out, and if you purchase it, you’ll be giving him a nice holiday gift.

Byrne is releasing the track “The Fat Man’s Comin'” exclusively through Bandcamp. The song, which is about Santa Claus, dates back to 2013, but was never released. It also comes with a video comprised of the hand-drawn storyboards Byrne created for a more elaborate video that was never produced. The song is available as a pay-what-you-can download, with a minimum contribution of one dollar.

All proceeds from the song will go to Reasons To Be Cheerful, the nonprofit online magazine founded by Byrne in 2019. The magazine focuses on positive stories detailing “proven, evidence-based responses to the world’s most pressing problems.” For example, one recent story is about a supermarket in the United Kingdom that’s offering interest-free microloans to help shoppers buy groceries.

In a statement announcing the song, Byrne says that “The Fat Man’s Comin'” dates back to when he was collaborating with rocker St. Vincent aka Annie Clarke a few years ago. “It wasn’t right for Annie and me – the story of a fat man in rather odd attire who breaks into people’s homes and leaves mysterious packages,” he notes, adding that he wanted it to sound “sort of old-school creepy.”

Byrne concludes that supporting another year of Reasons To Be Cheerful is “a good reason to resurrect this song,” adding, “Enjoy and thanks for listening/watching.”

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The first night of Barry Manilow‘s series of Christmas concerts in Las Vegas wasn’t very merry: It had to be canceled due to a health issue.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Manilow, 79, was scheduled to kick off his A Very Barry Christmas holiday production at Westgate Resort and Casino on Thursday night, but the show was scrapped because the singer was experiencing atrial fibrillation, also known as an abnormal heartbeat.

According to a statement on Manilow’s Twitter account, Manilow was “being treated and will be fine” as of Thursday. He now plans two shows on Friday to make up for the cancellation: One at 4 p.m. and one at 7 p.m.

Manilow’s Christmas shows will run through December 10. In early 2023, he’s scheduled a brief tour that kicks off January 13 in Sunrise, Florida, and wraps up January 21 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He returns to the Westgate for his regular Vegas residency February 16.

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Neil Young recently told The New Yorker that he’s glad that one of his most beloved albums — 1972’s Harvest — “was a big successful record,” but he admitted, “I have no idea really why.” Maybe you can figure out why yourself, since the 50th anniversary edition of the classic set is out now.

The Harvest box set, available on CD, digital or vinyl, includes the original album, three outtakes and an unreleased live 1971 BBC solo performance on CD, LP and DVD.

The set also features a DVD of Harvest Time, a two-hour film featuring footage of the making of the album. A hardbound book and fold-out poster rounds out the package.

The three outtakes from the original sessions are “Bad Fog of Loneliness,” “Journey Through the Past” and “Dance Dance Dance.” The live BBC performance includes live versions of “Old Man,” “Heart of Gold,” “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” and “A Man Needs a Maid,” among other songs.

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After much speculation by fans — and some pretty blatant hints — it’s now official: Elton John’s final U.K. show of his Farewell tour will take place at Great Britain’s most prestigious music festival: Glastonbury.

“We are incredibly excited to announce that the one and only @eltonjohn will headline the Pyramid Stage on Sunday night at Glastonbury 2023,” the festival announced. The show will take place June 24. Unfortunately, all the Glastonbury tickets sold out in an hour last month, though resales of returned tickets will take place next spring.

On Instagram, Elton wrote, “I couldn’t be more excited to be headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023 and celebrate the greatest festival in the world!!”

He continued, “Every week I speak to new artists on my radio show and Glastonbury is often cited as a pivotal moment in launching their careers – the festival’s genuine, enthusiastic support for the best emerging talent is something I’ve long admired. Thank you for having me…for my final UK show – it’s going to be emotional.”

Elton has never played Glastonbury before.

Fans began speculating that Elton would headline the legendary event after he said he was going to announce one more show, and they noticed a gap in his schedule from June 21 to June 24, which coincides with the dates of the festival.

Then, the BBC’s Glastonbury Twitter feed seemed to confirm the speculation when it posted a link to a webcam shot of the festival’s Pyramid Stage with a rocket — as in Rocket Man — flying above it.

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Just when you thought The Rolling Stones had received every honor they possibly could, there’s a brand new one: “The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band” has been immortalized by the U.K.’s Royal Mint.

The Mint has struck a commemorative coin celebrating the Stones’ 60th anniversary. On one side, it shows a silhouette of the band performing live, along with their name in the font they used in 1973 and “’62-’22,” indicating the year they were founded through the present. On the other side is a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.

The coin’s designer said that in creating the image, she wanted to “use iconic shapes so you could tell from the silhouettes who the band members were and an energetic crowd so you could feel the excitement of being at a gig.”

The silhouettes depict Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, late drummer Charlie Watts and bass player Bill Wyman, who left the band in 1993 and was never officially replaced.

You can order the coins in a variety of formats, including a silver-colored five-pound coin for around 18 bucks and a limited-edition one in color that costs about 29 bucks. 

The prices only go up from there, all the way to a coin that contains five ounces of gold and costs more than $15,000. There are only 50 of those available, so order now.

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Christine McVie‘s death at the age of 79 has been shocking for her Fleetwood Mac bandmates. Stevie Nicks posted a lengthy, handwritten tribute to the woman she called “my best friend in the whole world” on Wednesday. Now, former Fleetwood Mac member Lindsey Buckingham has, like Nicks, penned a handwritten tribute to the late singer, songwriter and keyboardist.

On Instagram, Buckingham, who teamed with McVie for a collaborative album and tour in 2017, wrote, “Christine McVie’s sudden passing is profoundly heartbreaking. Not only were she and I part of the magical family of Fleetwood Mac, to me Christine was a musical comrade, a friend, a soul mate, a sister.”

“For over four decades, we helped each other create a beautiful body of work and a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today,” he adds. “I feel very lucky to have known her. Though she will be deeply missed, her spirit will live on through that body of work and that legacy.”

In April of 2018, Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac and replaced by former Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and ex-Crowded House frontman Neil Finn.  That fall, the band launched its An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour without Buckingham.  The tour, which ended in November of 2019, was McVie’s final one with the band before her death.

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Personal items from the late Christine McVie will go up for auction as planned this weekend, with proceeds from the sale benefiting the Recording Academy charity MusiCares.

Following the news of McVie’s death at age 79 on Wednesday, Julien’s Auctions announced they will move forward with the auction on Saturday. “We worked with the legendary Christie McVie and her team for the past year in curating a world class auction set to take place on December 3 celebrating her amazing life and career and supporting her charity MusiCares,” they shared.

They add, “It was important to Christine that MusiCares, a charity close to her heart to help other musicians in need, would greatly benefit from her auction,” noting, “It is now our mission to make this auction a fitting tribute to the legacy of one of the greatest singers and musicians of our time.” 

The auction includes a variety of Fleetwood Mac items, but McVie-specific items include: a 1960s stage-played Hammond B-3 Organ, a stage-played Yamaha C3 Baby Grand Piano, a Rumours photo-matched album cover-worn dress and a pair of black, lace-up combat boots she wore to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2019 and throughout the 2018/2019 Fleetwood Mac Tour. 

Click here for info on the complete collection.

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Billboard is out with their annual year-end charts, and their list of the Top Rock Albums of 2022 certainly has a throwback feel.

Topping the list is Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album, Rumours, followed by Queen’s Greatest Hits at two, Elton John’s Diamonds at three and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Chronicle: The Greatest Hits at five. 

And those aren’t the only classic albums on the list: Nirvana’s Nevermind is at six, with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ Greatest Hits at eight, Guns N ‘Roses‘ Greatest Hits at nine and AC/DC’s Back in Black at 10.

The only 2022 album to make the top five is Zach Bryan’s American Heartbreak.

Several classic artists also make Billboard’s year-end list of the Top Rock Artists of 2022, including Kate Bush at five, Fleetwood Mac at seven, The Beatles at eight, Elton John at nine and Queen at 10.

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