Joan Armatrading to premiere her debut Symphony in London

OHMYGOSSIP — Joan Armatrading has composed her first-ever classical Symphony.
The music legend – who celebrated five decades in music last year – will debut ‘Symphony No.1’ with a world premiere performance by the Chineke! Orchestra at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre on November 24.
The 72-year-old Ivor Novello-winning songwriter said of her first classical composition for an orchestra: “I have always known that I would write a classical piece at some point in my life. One day, I was in my studio and out of the blue I decided that this was the day. I started with the melodic second movement – it felt to me like writing a song. I then wrote the first movement and, finally, I wrote the other three movements in 2022. All in all, to write the complete symphony took roughly five months. It has no theme as such but aims to be uplifting.
“As usual I stayed in the way of composing that I have done when I write pop songs. I’m just myself. I didn’t write the symphony thinking I wanted it to be like anyone but Joan.”
Chineke Orchestra founder Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE commented: “The Chineke! Orchestra are thrilled to be performing the world premiere of Joan Armatrading’s first symphony at the Southbank Centre. Armatrading’s pioneering spirit and ability to break boundaries has been a source of inspiration for generations of music lovers and musicians, and it’s an honour to bring her latest composition to life on stage. This symphony is a stunning display of her creativity and skill, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience its unique blend of classical and contemporary influences.”
The ‘Drop the Pilot’ hitmaker has partnered with Boosey and Hawkes for the rights to publish ‘Symphony No.1’ and future performances from Boosey and Hawkes.
Janis Susskind OBE, Managing Director of Boosey and Hawkes, added: “What a wonderful surprise when Joan Armatrading arrived in our offices clutching a score and Midi recording of her new symphony. Having been a longstanding fan of this living legend, I was delighted to learn that Joan’s musical orbit now encompasses full symphony orchestra. We look forward to spreading the word far and wide and to many more performances following the Chineke! premiere.”
For tickets head to www.southbankcentre.co.uk.

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Texas releasing two new songs ahead of Glasto set

OHMYGOSSIP — Texas are releasing two new songs ahead of their Glastonbury set.
Sharleen Spiteri and co will rock the Pyramid Stage at the world-famous music festival in Somerset on June 23, and they have two new tunes for fans ahead of their appearance.
The two new tracks are part of the 2LP and 2CD compilation ‘The Very Best Of 1989 – 2023’, which is set for release on June 16.
The first song, ‘After All’, is out now and sees the frontwoman “unleashing her inner Dave Grohl” on the drums.
The collection also includes ‘Keep On Talking’, a “foot-shuffling cover” of the 1965 Northern Soul song.
Late acting legend Alan Rickman, hip-hop icons Wu-Tang Clan, and fellow Scot Paul Buchanan of Blue Nile fame feature across the career-spanning collection.
While reflecting on their history, Sharleen, 55, admits they feel like they have a lot more to give as they mark 34 years as a band.
Speaking of the back catalogue, the ‘Say What You Want’ hitmaker said: “No’ bad for a hairdresser fae Glasgow!
“But I gotta be honest: I still feel like I’m really close to the beginning. And the energy and the vibe between us all – as a band, I don’t think we’ve ever been happier, and I don’t think we’ve ever been tighter. And I don’t think we’ve ever been more definite about who we are.”
On recording the music video for ‘Sleep’ with comedian Peter Kay, she recalled: “We did it in the club that ‘Phoenix Nights’ [sitcom about the working men’s club of the same name in Manchester] was shot in.
“And Peter scripted, directed, starred, edited, everything – he did everything on that video on his own. He was phenomenal. A friend for life.”

‘Texas – The Very Best Of 1989 – 2023’ track-listing:
‘Say What You Want’
‘Black Eyed Boy’
‘Inner Smile’
‘Mr Haze’
‘Halo’
‘I Don’t Want A Lover’
‘Summer Son’
‘Keep On Talking’
‘The Conversation’
‘In Our Lifetime’
‘In Demand’
‘Put Your Arms Around Me’
‘Let’s Work It Out’
‘When We Are Together’
‘Hi’
‘Say What You Want (All Day Everyday)’ feat. Wu-Tang Clan
‘Tired Of Being Alone’
‘Start A Family’ feat. Alan Rickman
‘So Called Friend’
‘Everyday Now’
‘Insane’
‘After All’
‘Sleep’ feat. Paul Buchanan
‘So In Love With You’

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Blur announce Wembley warm-up shows, including hometown Colchester gig

OHMYGOSSIP — Blur are set to perform a hometown show at the Colchester Arts Centre as part of a slew of Wembley warm-up shows.
The Britpop legends will play the converted church on May 19, the hometown of frontman Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon and drummer Dave Rowntree.
From there, the ‘Song 2’ rockers will head to Eastbourne Winter Gardens on May 2, The Halls Wolverhampton on May 26, and O2 City Hall Newcastle on May 28, in preparation for their major reunion shows at London’s Wembley Stadium on July 8 and July 9.
The rock band – also including bass player Alex James – are performing together for the first time in seven years.
They will also play Beauregard Festival in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, Normandy on July 6, however, the pair of Wembley shows are their only UK dates of 2023.
Paul Weller is supporting Blur at their second Wembley Stadium show.
The Modfather, 2 tone ska revival band The Selecter and Snooker Champion/DJ Steve Davis will join the reunited legends at the London gig on July 9.
A second date was added at the 90,000-capacity venue after the first night swiftly sold out.
Lead guitarist Graham described playing Wembley for the first time as a dream come true.
He told Sky News: “Turns out it’s incredibly difficult to arrange something like this, you know, the technical resources, the staff, the places to play. All of these things are in very, very short supply.
“So it went right up to the wire, but it’s very hard to turn something like that down.
“We’re a band that’s done almost everything it’s possible to do … what an iconic place, what an iconic venue. It’s just incredibly exciting.”
He added: “It’s one of these iconic places that are secretly up on your bucket list, even though you pretend they’re not.
“I sincerely hope we are a band that can fill a stadium like that. I don’t want there to be four people and a dog.”
Blur haven’t toured together since their run in support of their comeback LP ‘The Magic Whip’ in 2015, though Damon reunited with his three bandmates at his Africa Express show in his hometown of Leytonstone in 2019.
Tickets for the warm-up shows go on general sale at 10am BST on April 28.
There will be a maximum of two tickets available per show for each customer. For more information, sign up to mailing list at www.blur.co.uk.

Blur’s UK warm-up gigs:
19 May – Colchester
21 May – Eastbourne
26 May – Wolverhampton
28 May – Newcastle

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SUGA: I want BTS to be together until we die

OHMYGOSSIP — SUGA hopes BTS will be together “until we die”.
The K-Pop boy band are currently on hiatus while they focus on solo projects and embark on military service, and the 30-year-old rapper is looking forward to the day they reunite and hopes they have a long future ahead, but even if they don’t, he wants to be around his bandmates for life.
Speaking to bandmate RM, 28, on the latest episode of his ‘Suchwita’ podcast, he said: “I dream of a future where the seven of us are together until we die. I’d like for the seven of us to be together for a long, long time.”
“I don’t know how much more time will pass, or how long we will [continue to] go forward, but even when we get old and stop [promoting as an act] I hope BTS can all be together.”
SUGA released his debut album, ‘D-Day’, and the Disney+ documentary, ‘SUGA: Road to D-Day’, last week.
And the K-Pop star is the first member of the South Korean boy band set to embark on a solo jaunt across the world.
And he recently teased that it’s “a tour beyond what everyone can imagine.”
He told NME: “This tour will show Suga and Agust D as an artist, and Min Yunki as a person.
“I’ll just put it like this, ‘SUGA, Agust D and Min Yunki’s tour that will burn it up’. I dare say it’ll be a totally different tour from previous BTS tours, and a tour beyond what everyone can imagine.”
The ‘SUGA Agust D Tour’ takes in North America, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan.
BTS – also including Jimin, V, Jungkook, J-Hope and Jin – formed in 2010.
The Grammy-nominated band’s hiatus was announced in June.

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The late Eddie Van Halen left behind a ‘ton of stuff’ that could be posthumously released

OHMYGOSSIP — Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony has revealed there is a “ton of stuff” they could release from Eddie Van Halen’s 5150 music archives.
The musician says there is a trove of tracks that the late axe-slayer – who passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer in October 2020 at the age of 65 – left behind and his son Wolfgang Van Halen and brother Alex Van Halen have the mammoth task of going through it.
As well as the ‘Right Here, Right Now’ live album from 1992, the band are also working on some re-issues from the Sammy Hagar years.
The former frontman was the singer from 1985 to 1996, before returning in 2003 until 2005.
Speaking to SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk, Anthony – who was in the group from 1974 to 2006 and replaced by Wolfgang – said: “We’re starting a bunch of the re-issue stuff with the Sammy (Hagar) years, with all his albums, and the first one that will come out will be the ‘Right Here, Right Now’ live album that we did in 1992. We’re digging back into stuff. There’s a lot more stuff at Ed’s 5150 studio; Wolfie or Alex will start going through stuff there and see what there is. There’s a ton of stuff.”
Sammy previously claimed he’s no longer on talking terms with Alex when asked about the possibility of a reunion tour or show in tribute to the rock legend.
There have been talks of varying line-ups performing in honour of Eddie, but nothing concrete as of yet.
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted had let slip that guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Alex were in talks to put on a special show.
And while Sammy would love to be a part of a tribute, he alleged he’d been ghosted by the sticksman.
Speaking on SiriusXM in November, Sammy said: “As far as I know, [there has been] nothing.
“There was that talk everybody heard about Jason [Newsted] being the bass player and Joe Satriani playing guitar and Alex [Van Halen] and all that. Then I got the call from the management, I got the call from Irving Azoff, [who] said, ‘Hey, you wanna do you and Mike [Anthony] and Al with a superstar guitar player?’”
However, he told them: “There is no Van Halen. I don’t care what anyone says.”
Sammy says Alex has a problem with him that he believes he’s gonna “take to his grave”.

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‘I feel like I’m giving birth to the most intimate thing I’ve ever created’: Kesha announces new album Gag Order

OHMYGOSSIP — Kesha has announced her fifth studio album, ‘Gag Order’.
The pop star is set to release two singles, ‘Fine Line’ and ‘Eat The Acid’, on Friday (28.04.23), and the full album will follow on May 19.
The LP’s title comes amid her long-running legal battle with her ex-producer Dr. Luke, who sued her in 2014 when she accused him of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.
The trial will start on July 19 and run until July 26, after being delayed.
Speaking to Rolling Stone about the follow-up to 2020’s ‘High Road’, she confessed: “I feel like I’m giving birth to the most intimate thing I’ve ever created.”
The ‘Woman’ singer – who bonded spiritually with the album’s producer Rick Rubin – admits it was “nerve-wracking” laying all of these “uglier emotions” bare.
She continued: “I really dug into some of my uglier emotions and sides of myself that are less fun.
“It’s scary being vulnerable. The fact that I have compiled an entire record of these emotions, of anger, of insecurity, of anxiety, of grief, of pain, of regret, all of that is so nerve-racking — but it’s also so healing.”
The 36-year-old star is thankful to the studio wizard for creating a “safe space” for her to unload her feelings.
She said: “I wrote ‘TiK ToK,’ and ‘the party don’t start ’til I walk in,’ so I almost felt like I was becoming a caricature of this toxic positivity.
“We live in a culture where I feel like we always show our best side. But Rick Rubin created the most beautiful, safe space for me to really dive into these emotions.”
The album was made after the star had a “spiritual awakening”, which she thought was a mental breakdown.
She recalled: “I had this really beautiful, scary, and intense spiritual awakening where it felt like I was talking to my highest self, or God, whatever word you want to say.
“I fully thought I was having a mental breakdown. I called my therapist and my doctor. They all were like, ‘Oh, you had a spiritual awakening. Yay! Good job.'”
And the experience with a higher power and some advice from her songwriter mom Pebe Sebert inspired her to pen ‘Eat The Acid’.
Her parent told her: “Do whatever you want in your life, but don’t eat acid, because when you eat acid, you see things that you’ll never be able to unsee.”

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Kesha insists artists ‘don’t exist to make others happy’

OHMYGOSSIP — Kesha has insisted artists don’t “exist to make others happy”.
The 36-year-old singer has announced her new album ‘Gag Order’ – her fifth record and the follow-up to 2020’s ‘High Road’ – will be released on May 19 and with singles ‘Fine Line’ and ‘Eat the Acid’ set to drop later this week.
Writing in an album manifesto for Nylon, she said: “Without the darkness there is no light. So I let my darkness have the light.
“I can’t fight the truth. Life is difficult and painful. It is for everyone.
“An artist doesn’t exist to make others happy, I believe an artist gives voice, motion, colour to the emotions we all have. The good emotions, and the unmanageably f****** miserable ones.”
The record’s title comes amid the star’s longrunning legal battle with her ex-producer Dr. Luke, who sued the singer in 2014 after she accused him of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.
The week-long trial – which has been delayed – is set to start on July 19.
The ‘Woman’ singer – who has worked with producer Rick Rubin on the new collection – has hailed the record as “the most intimate thing” she has “ever created”.
She added to Rolling Stone magazine: “I really dug into some of my uglier emotions and sides of myself that are less fun.
“It’s scary being vulnerable.
“The fact that I have compiled an entire record of these emotions, of anger, of insecurity, of anxiety, of grief, of pain, of regret, all of that is so nerve-racking — but it’s also so healing.”
Kesha also thanked Rubin for creating a “safe space” for her to unload her feelings.
She said: “I wrote ‘TiK ToK,’ and ‘the party don’t start ’til I walk in,’ so I almost felt like I was becoming a caricature of this toxic positivity.
“We live in a culture where I feel like we always show our best side. But Rick Rubin created the most beautiful, safe space for me to really dive into these emotions.”

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K-Pop girl group NewJeans to drop new album this summer

OHMYGOSSIP — NewJeans are releasing a new album this summer.
Fans of the K-Pop girl group – comprising Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein – can expect something “new and unique” from the upcoming collection, which they finished earlier this month.
Min Hee-jin, their label ADOR’s CEO, told Billboard: “It was actually yesterday that they finished recording for the new album that is scheduled to be released this summer.
“I wanted to break the stereotype that only certain styles of music would be able to succeed in the so-called mainstream industry.
“In the albums going forward, NewJeans will continue to strive to present something new and unique to exceed the expectations of their fans. NewJeans members keep growing and growing, and we can’t wait to surprise the world again.”
The album news comes after the girls teamed up with Coca-Cola on their latest single ‘Zero’.
Earlier this year, Danielle said fans will need to be “open-minded” with their new music.
She told NME: “I want our listeners to be open-minded to new music and have them listen to things that maybe they haven’t heard before.
“You can always find what you really like by trying new things and challenging yourself.”
Minji hinted that their new tunes will traverse a number of genres.
She added: “I think pulling R’n’B and hip-hop together, a little bit pop and you know, New Jersey club, mixing the genres into one song gives a more unique kind of sound.
“So to try [mix more genres] in the future, I think that would be really fun.”

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Chloe Bailey praises supportive Beyonce

OHMYGOSSIP — Chloe Bailey says Beyonce has always been supportive.
After Chloe, 24, was questioned about why her mentor Beyonce did not promote her debut solo album ‘In Pieces’, Chloe insisted the 41-year-old superstar has looked out for her in many ways.
Speaking on ‘The Breakfast Club’, she said: “I love Bey. And she’s supported my sis and I since we had our little locs on YouTube, so it’s all love over here. I love her.”
DJ Envy also brought up the subject of Chloe potentially supporting Beyonce on her ‘Renaissance’ tour.
He said: “You’re on a sold-out tour — does that mean that you’re not gonna be a special guest, or that you are gonna be a special guest, on somebody else’s tour coming up?”
And, Chloe replied: “Well, I’m definitely gonna see the show, for sure. And it’s been exciting seeing what I’ve been doing for myself. Like, I’ve never headlined a solo tour, ever. Sis and I never got to do it for ‘Ungodly Hour’ because we were in the midst of a pandemic so I didn’t really know what to expect going into it.”
Chloe previously revealed that Beyonce, who has served as a mentor to Chloe and her sister Halle, listened to her album before it was released and made notes.
She told Entertainment Tonight: ““I know she listened to the album. She gave me notes on it before I released it.”

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The Black Keys praise ‘incredible’ Noel Gallagher

OHMYGOSSIP — The Black Keys loved working with the “incredible” Noel Gallagher.
Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach have collaborated with former Oasis star Noel on their new record and revealed they are equal fans of him and his estranged brother and ex-bandmate Liam.
Carney told NME “He’s hilarious and super talented. We were referring to him as ‘The Chord Lord’ because he’s just a perfectionist with it.”
“Dan and I are big fans of him and Liam. Actually, the Liam song ‘Everything’s Electric’ is why we decided to work with Greg Kurstin [who produced the track].
“We’re working with a lot of people and the vibe of the record is fun. It’s reflective of our DJ nights in a way, it’s a big Saturday night party record. We just had people come through the studio and throw a little bit of special sauce at each song.
“There are just so many different collaborations but there’s a thread through it with Dan and I filtering everything. It just feels really f****** amazing.
“Danger Mouse showed us the trick to collaborating and that’s someone we need to work with again soon. We used to be pretty insular. We were two friends from Akron who didn’t really take part in any music scene, and we weren’t able to hang out backstage early on in our career, because we had to drive to the next show.
“Now, we’re thriving because we’re including our friends and being more inclusive. That’s what the vibe is with this record.”
Carney also revealed his and Auerbach’s friendship has deepened in recent years and they are closer than ever.
He said: “We’ve done a lot of growing up in the last 10 years. Dan and I have always been close but we’ve got a very deep friendship right now. We enjoy hanging out. Getting to go on tour with your friend, it makes the whole thing feel more exciting.”

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Hank Marvin twice forgot how to play the Shadows’ hit Atlantis mid-song

OHMYGOSSIP — Hank Marvin twice forgot how to play the Shadows’ ‘Atlantis’ while playing the classic at a gig.
The band’s guitarist, now 81, had a mind block while performing the popular 1963 instrumental, and had to re-start the track two times, however, luckily, the audience thought he was playing a prank on them.
Asked if he’s ever embarrassed himself on stage, he told Guitar World magazine: “There’ve been a few of those! One that stands out was this one time when we [the Shadows] were playing ‘Atlantis’ and I went totally blank halfway through the first verse and didn’t know what to play next! I just had no idea. It was a strange experience, as I didn’t know where to put my fingers or what the tune was. I had to stop and start again, and the same thing happened again the second time around, and by this time the audience thought it was a gag, so they were all laughing hysterically. Thankfully on the third time around, it all came back to me, and I played it without any problem.”
In 2020, Hank admitted he doesn’t believe the Shadows will ever reform.
The iconic musician – who performed as part of the instrumental rock legends alongside Bruce Welch on and off from 1958 until 2015 – suggested the band’s time has passed.
He told Uncut magazine: “It will take a miracle! When we did that last big tour with [Cliff Hall], it was such a lovely experience.
“We thought, the only time we’ll ever do this again is possibly for a big charity thing.
“But it was 10 years ago, and as you get older it gets harder to get insurance for touring.
“What none of us would want to do is get together when we’re past it. I’d rather leave it where it was.”
Meanwhile, Hank previously admitted he is always pleased to find out how the group – which was most recently completed by Brian Bennett, Mark Griffiths and Warren Bennett – has influenced other musicians.
He said: “There are so many styles, so many approaches. Did you know Neil Young was a Shadows fan? That’s intriguing.
“I’ve bumped into guys in heavy-metal bands who’ve told me I was their original guitar hero.
“I think of the guitar in terms of a voice. I was never interested in playing barrages of notes. I really just wanted to make it sing.”
And bandmate Bruce revealed his pleasant surprise at people’s fond memories of the ‘Apache’ band – who famously spent time as the backing band for Sir Cliff Richard – and music they “can’t sing along to”.
He added: “I’m amazed we lasted forever playing guitar instrumentals.
“People have nostalgic memories of music but you can’t sing along to the Shadows. It’s a unique spot, I guess.”

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Usher dreams of Super Bowl headlining show

OHMYGOSSIP — Usher wants to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
The 44-year-old singer previously made an appearance at the NFL showpiece game when he joined headliners Black Eyed Peas to sing ‘OMG’ in 2011 and he admitted he would be a “fool to say no” if the opportunity ever came around for him to take the prestigious gig.
Asked if he’d be interested in headlining the Super Bowl, he told ‘Access Hollywood’: “I’d be a fool to say no.
“If things line up the way we would all hope, one day that moment would happen. I’ve had the opportunity to graze the stage in support of ‘OMG’ and Will.i.am but that was one moment.”
The ‘Yeah!’ hitmaker admitted performing the concert has always been on his bucket list and he believes he has a back catalogue strong enough to take on the job.
He added: “I think I have a catalogue that obviously speaks for itself, so to be able to celebrate on that day, it’s obviously about football, but everybody really anticipates the performance.
“Seeing Michael Jackson perform and recently seeing Snoop [Dogg] and [Dr.] Dre … seeing so many incredible performances like Prince… it has always been kind of a bucket list.”
Rihanna headlined the NFL championship game earlier this year, while last year, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar shared bill-topping duties. In 2021, The Weeknd took on the gig, and the year before him, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez were co-headliners.
Usher recently spoke of how much seeing K-Pop group BLACKPINK has inspired his own live shows.
He told GQ magazine: “I literally went to a BLACKPINK concert in Atlanta, and I was like, man! I’m goofy! I’m looking like, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’
“They were putting on a show. Wardrobe, great sequencing, with the lighting and everything working in sync – there’s no detail spared. I loved that.”

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‘We just forget!’: Metallica never argue over who came up with what riff

OHMYGOSSIP — Metallica never argue about whose riff is whose because they “forget” who did what.
Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett has insisted there are no egos among his bandmates and they are more proud of their work as a whole than being concerned with personal contributions.
Speaking to Guitar World magazine about their latest LP ’72 Seasons’, the axe-slayer said: “We just forget! We’ll be like, ‘That’s my riff… oh wait, is that my riff or someone else’s that I’ve played so much I now think it’s mine?!’ Stuff like that is not a concern during the creative process. It’s something we work out once all the smoke clears and we’re done with them. Only then will I sit back and think, ‘Oh yeah, I made some contributions on this album, that’s nice!’ For me, it’s not the beginning and the end of my vindication in this band. It doesn’t come down to personal contribution, you know?”
Kirk admits he and frontman James Hetfield “rely on each other a lot” as the guitarists, while heaping praise on his bandmate for having a more “natural instinct” as a guitarist than he does.
He explained: “We rely on each other a lot. I lean on him to put down the most solid rhythms, and he relies on me to play all the complicated guitar parts and solos. It’s a very functional relationship in that regard. Our roles are pretty firmly defined in this band … it just works. All that aside, from a pure technique perspective, James is the most natural guitar player out there. He doesn’t even have to practice. He can just pick up a guitar and play 32-second low-E notes really fast. He’s the best at that. Then he can add a staccato rhythm so easily; he goes into these percussive modes where he treats his guitar like a drum kit. All of a sudden these riffs start flying out. It’s a real wonder to watch, and if you’re not used to seeing it, it’s a bit intimidating. Luckily I’m used to seeing it. And it can be hard to keep up with his natural instinct as a guitarist because it is so powerful.”

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Tony Christie ‘carrying on’ as normal despite dementia diagnosis

OHMYGOSSIP — Tony Christie has insisted dementia doesn’t affect his career.
The 79-year-old singer feared he’d have to stop working when he was diagnosed with the degenerative condition last year, but he’s set to record two new albums and has gigs and TV appearances planned because he is just “carrying on” and “being normal”.
He told the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: “Having dementia isn’t life-changing. I’m carrying on. I’m just being normal.
I don’t let it affect me.
“The only difference is I forget people’s names, so occasionally I have to ask my wife to help me with that. But it’s not affecting my musical side. My singing is still the same.
“I’m still working. I won’t be cancelling anything. I’ll be recording some new albums in Nashville and I’m doing two shows in Ibiza.”
Tony is pleased his diagnosis has offered comfort to other families.
He said: “I get people tapping me on the shoulder in the supermarket. It’s been staggering.
“They say things like, ‘Thank you for what you did… my wife or my husband has the same thing and now they’re not ashamed to admit it’.
“I didn’t realise how helpful I’d been. I want people to realise dementia doesn’t have to ruin your life – it is nothing to be ashamed of.”
The ‘(Is This The Way To) Amarillo’ singer still gets excited when he goes out on stage in front of a crowd.
He said: “I still love performing… it’s the only thing I’m any good at. I’ve always liked what I do.
“Thankfully my voice is as good as it ever was. It’s never changed.
“In fact, I’ve actually got a bigger range now than I had years ago.”
In July, the veteran entertainer will release ‘Thank You For Being A Friend’ to raise money for Music For Dementia.
He said: “It’s going to be fantastic – there will be some global stars on it. I think it’s going to be a worldwide hit.”

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Graham Nash: David Crosby’s death was like an earthquake

OHMYGOSSIP — Graham Nash says his late bandmate David Crosby’s death hit him “like an earthquake”.
Although he had been expecting David to pass for the past decade, due to the sheer number of health issues he battled over the years, Graham, 81, went into shock when he found out that he’d died on January 18, aged 81, following a long illness.
He told Uncut magazine: “We’ve expected David to pass away for the past 10 years.
I mean, he had so much wrong with him. Holy Toledo, he had five or six stents in his veins. Obviously, he didn’t take very good care of himself. But his death was still like an earthquake. The initial shock was just terrifying.”
Luckily, he and Neil Young, 77, had made amends with their Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young bandmate before he died.
Graham said: “Fortunately, yes. We did. We were emailing and he called me and left a voicemail about how he feels that he needs to apologise for shooting his mouth off, particularly about Neil and I. We set up an appointment to FaceTime. Unfortunately, he never called. Then, a couple of days later, he was dead.”
Graham is releasing his first solo album in seven years, ‘Now’, on May 19, his “most personal” collection of his career.
In a statement, the English-American musician said: “I believe that my new album ‘Now’ is the most personal one I have ever made.
“At this point in my life, that’s something to say.”
Graham is currently on the ‘Sixty Years of Songs and Stories’ US tour to mark the 60th anniversary of his first single with the Hollies.
The mammoth tour includes various mini residencies, including in New York and Chicago. Head to www.grahamnash.com for the full tour dates.

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Aitch skydives and raises more than £50k for Down’s Syndrome Association

OHMYGOSSIP — Aitch has raised more than £50,000 for the Down’s Syndrome Association after braving a 15,000-foot skydive.
The ‘Psycho’ rapper finally got to take to the skies for the dare-devil ride on World Down Syndrome Day, a cause close to him for the 23-year-old Mancunian, whose sister Gracie has the genetic disorder.
The music star’s dad jumped out of a plane in tandem with his son and his manager also joined them, and Gracie was there to witness it all.
Last year, Aitch donated £10,000 to the non-profit from the budget of his music video for ‘My G’ featuring Ed Sheeran, and became a DSA Ambassador.
The ‘Baby’ hitmaker released the song about his younger sibling in August 2022.
He told Capital: “The song kind of speaks for itself.
“When we got the budget, I just thought there’s no need to spend all that money and thankfully I was lucky enough to meet people from the Down’s Syndrome Association who let us use their building, so we just decided to do it like that.”
Ed featured on the touching track as the pop megastar is his sibling’s favourite artist.
Aitch previously said: “I sent it to Ed and he loved it. I met Ed after I guested on ‘Take Me Back To London’, a song he remixed. He’s my sister’s favourite and she’s not heard the song yet. It’s going to be emotional.”
‘My G’ is featured on Aitch’s debut studio album ‘Close To Home’, an emotional ode to his hometown and roots.
He told his fans on social media: “This one means a lot.
“The past four years have been crazy thank you to everyone that’s been involved I can’t appreciate you enough, whether you been here from the start or not I got nothing but love.
“A lot of different emotions went into this I can’t wait to share it with u lot! Came this far without dropping an album and that’s all because of you, thank you for being patient with me […] let’s see how far this one takes us.”
To donate head to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/aitchwdsd.

Source: IconInsider.com