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The song was a musical tour de force by the 23-year-old Motown genius, who survived a serious accident just after its release.The song was a musical tour de force by the 23-year-old Motown genius, who survived a serious accident just after its release. Stevie Wonder always did make his songwriting genius sound easy. On August 18, 1973, “Higher Ground,” from the uniformly brilliant album Innervisions, entered the Hot 100. On September 29, it topped the Billboard R&B chart and had fans and fellow artists In awe. As for Stevie himself? “I did the whole thing in three hours,” he later...

Their new US hit of August 1979 was a song that had been very good to some of the group 11 years earlier.Some songs are locked in their era, while others update themselves and reach another generation. On August 11, 1979, the Atlanta Rhythm Section were hitting the American chart with a number that had been very good to some of the group 11 years earlier, and even that was an adaptation of an instrumental original. The word for all of that is “Spooky.” The song was co-written by Mike Shapiro, who as pop-jazz alto saxophonist Mike Sharpe, recorded the...

Daryl Hall and John Oates have resolved their dispute over Oates’ plan to sell his half of their joint venture to Primary Wave Music. Court documents filed Aug. 11 reveal the legal back-and-forth between the duo has now been privately resolved, without any additional information on their deal. The pair started litigation in 2023 when Hall launched arbitration seeking to block Oates from selling his stake in Whole Oats Enterprises — this includes the band’s name and likeness rights as well as royalties — to Primary Wave. Primary Wave has become a music-catalog marketing powerhouse over the past 15 years,...

The F1 champion Niki Lauda had a horrifying accident in Germany in August 1976, 49 years ago this week. He was not expected to live, let alone race again. After defying all expectations, he told the BBC in 1977 how he willed himself to stay alive. When Formula 1 racing driver Niki Lauda spoke to the BBC in 1977, his face bore testimony to the trauma he had endured during the German Grand Prix. Trapped inside the burning wreckage of his smashed Ferrari on the Nürburgring circuit, Lauda had been badly scarred and had lost part of his ear to...

George Kooymans, a cofounding member of Golden Earring whose vocals and guitar were staples of the band's sound, has died at the age of 77. News of Kooyman's death comes courtesy of an attorney associated with the group, which called it quits in 2021 following the news of Kooyman's ALS diagnosis. "We say goodbye to a great musician and composer whose work extended beyond Golden Earring," reads the short statement released to the press via Kooyman's family. "George was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, but above all, a friend." "Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the other band...

Imagine if Billy Joel had joined Deep Purple instead of writing "Piano Man." In a sense, that's what happened when he formed his ill-fated heavy metal band Attila in 1969. He and collaborator Jon Small had already been in another band together, the Hassles. Though the Long Island group had scored a deal with United Artists Records, after two unsuccessful albums in 1967 and 1969, Small and Joel were frustrated. The pair felt that they were more serious about music than their bandmates. They decided to break away and move in a different direction. Where Did the Idea for Attila...

On July 18, 1974, the former Beatle was officially told (again) to get out of the United States.Considering the latter-day, beloved status that John Lennon enjoyed as a world citizen who promoted peace and harmony, it almost beggars belief that on July 18, 1974, the former Beatle was officially told (again) to get out of the United States. That was the day newspapers reported that Lennon had been told by the Board of Immigration Appeals that he had until September 10 to leave the country or face deportation. Not exactly the news he wanted to hear, as he set to...

Tucson icon Linda Ronstadt lost her capacity to speak and hear after a second bout of COVID earlier this year. With the help of therapy and attentive, around-the-clock care, the legendary songstress has regained her speech, she recently told a high school classmate who checked in with her ahead of their 60th reunion at Catalina High School. Though Ronstadt has regained her speech, she said her hearing loss may be permanent.

Long before "screen time" and connecting via social media, rainy Saturdays in the 1970s revolved around the thrill of Trouble's Pop-O-Matic bubble, the sound of plastic chips falling from the Connect Four grid or maybe, if you were lucky to survive, the nerve-shredding buzz from a misguided funny bone removal during Operation (there was nothing funny about it). '70s Board Games Came to Life With Sounds and Moving Parts These classic board games didn't just help you pass the time; they taught you life skills, whether you liked it or not. The Game of Life even forced you to consider...

Love Will Keep Us Together went to number one on June 21, 1975 for 4 weeks.

Carly Elisabeth Simon was born on June 25, 1943 in Manhattan, New York, and she rose to popularity during the 1970’s as a singer- songwriter, scoring several hit songs throughout that decade and the 1980’s including “Anticipation,” “You Belong To Me,” “Coming Around Again,” the No.1 “You’re So Vain” (featuring Mick Jagger) and “Nobody Does It Better” from the 1977 James Bond film, “The Spy Who Loved Me.”

“Dad was not only a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world, but also a deeply loved husband, father, uncle and brother,” Rodriguez’s daughter, Aubry, shared on social media.Johnny Rodriguez, the chart-topping Hispanic country music star and “That’s the Way Love Goes” singer, has died. He was 73. Rodriguez’s daughter, Aubry Rodriguez, announced his death on social media on Friday. “Dad was not only a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world, but also a deeply loved husband, father, uncle and brother whose warmth, humor, and compassion shaped the lives of all who knew him,”...

The Chicago-born songbird’s years of paying dues were rewarded with a hit single that traveled far and wide.The tragedy of Minnie Riperton’s death from cancer at the age of just 31 in 1979 is a story for another day. For now, we’re celebrating the pinnacle of her chart career four years earlier. After topping the Billboard Hot 100, her signature hit “Lovin’ You” came close to repeating that success in the UK. After years of paying dues, as a solo artist and with the group Rotary Connection, the Chicago-born songbird had failed to make the impression she was hoping...

The ‘heartbeat of Blondie’ and session player for the likes of Eurythmics, Bob Dylan, and Iggy Pop, died following a ‘private battle with cancer.’Clem Burke, best known as the drummer of Blondie, has died at age 70. A statement from the band said that his death follows a “private battle with cancer.” “Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie,” the band added. “His talent, energy, and passion for music were unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable. Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off...

David Johansen, best known as the lead singer of pioneering punk band New York Dolls and their last surviving original member, has died at the age of 75. A spokesperson for the singer confirmed the news in a statement. "David Johansen died at home in New York City on Friday afternoon holding hands with his wife Mara Hennessey and daughter Leah, surrounded by music, flowers and love," they said. "He was 75 years old and died of natural causes after nearly a decade of illness." News of Johansen's death broke less than three weeks after he went public with his...

You know you should develop a regular exercise routine, but you lack motivation. Promises to yourself are quickly broken, and you never establish enough of the workout habit to experience any rewards. Exercising as you age is important. It’s not only good for physical health to help prevent falls or enable you to do basic tasks — exercise is also superb for the mind. “If you want to be cognitively active, it is so important to be physically active,” explained Dr. Amy Eyler, a professor of public health at Washington University in St. Louis. “There is a such a strong...

The Juilliard-trained hitmaker was diagnosed with cancer in December, his family said.Chris Jasper — the award-winning Isley Brothers songwriter, producer and keyboardist — has died. He was 73 years old. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s family broke the news with a notice on Facebook posted Monday (Feb. 24), one day after Jasper’s death. “He will be deeply missed and his legacy will live on as an inspiration for generations,” it reads. The message also noted that Jasper had been battling cancer following a diagnosis in December. Born Dec. 30, 1951, and educated at the Juilliard School of Music,...

The 1970s were a hot era for science fiction films that took a decidedly dystopian turn… With Planet of the Apes at the close of the 60s, films like Soylent Green had infected the mass mind with the threat of the coming apocalypse, to be followed by a spate of 80s post-apocalyptic B movies and cult classics like Mad Max. One of those highly revelatory 70s films is the 1976 film adaptation of William F. Nolan’s novel, Logan’s Run, directed by Michael Anderson. As with all the dystopian films, especially 70s installments, they all seem to contain a puzzle piece...

A suspect was arrested in his nursing home last week for the unsolved murder of a 16-year-old student nearly half a century ago.Nearly five decades after her partially clothed body was discovered on the second floor of her Honolulu high school, modern DNA testing has led to an arrest that could solve the cold case murder of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara. Momohara, discovered with an orange cloth wound tightly around her neck, was found on the second floor of the English building at McKinley High School in Honolulu on March 21, 1977. She was a sophomore at the school at the...

Actress Jacqueline Bisset admits she’s “unsympathetic” toward women who came forward during the #MeToo movement and feels that women are partially to blame for any sexual harassment. “I understand as an idea, it’s important that men behave, but I do really think it’s important that women behave, too,” the international actress, 80, exclusively tells Page Six. “I think how you dress, what your subtext is very, very important. It’s very dangerous and not to be played with.” The “Day for Night” star opines that perhaps women are free of any blame if “you don’t know anything about men,” but adds...