Allbutforgottenoldies.net Music News Digest: Week Of September 18, 2022

September 25, 2022 by Amy Gold

During the week of September 18, 2022, Elton John performed at the White House as part of "A Night When Hope and History Rhyme" funded by A&E Networks and The History Channel. After the concert, President Joe Biden, a longtime fan, surprised The Rocket Man with the National Humanities Medal for his many years of charitable work in the fight against AIDS. This event, which took place on September 23 and was streamed live on the PBS YouTube channel, will air on A&E at some later date.

Also that week, Ozzy Osbourne's "Patient Number 9" became his first-ever album to top the Billboard Top Album Sales chart. This recording also debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums, Top Current Album Sales, Tastemaker Albums, and Vinyl Albums.

The #iVoted Festival and Live Nation are teaming up to raffle off tickets to concerts by such veteran artists as Earth, Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan, Smokey Robinson, Santana, The Who, and ZZ Top to encourage voting in this year's upcoming midterm elections on November 8. Entries will be accepted between September 26 and November 7, and for more info, visit iVotedFestival.org.

Deep Purple announced its newest official member, guitarist Simon McBride. He will be stepping in for longtime guitarist Steve Morse who will be taking a hiatus from the band to tend to family matters.

"If These Walls Could Sing," a new documentary about London's Abbey Road Studios directed by Paul McCartney's daughter Mary, will soon make its TV debut on Disney+ according to abbeyroad.com, which also posted a preview clip. This film, which made its world premiere on September 3, 2022 at Colorado's Telluride Film Festival, takes a behind-the-scenes look at highlights of the famed recording studio's 91-year history.

Also that week, AXS TV announced the fall premiere of the fifth season of its popular "Top Ten Revealed." This music-themed countdown series will kick off on October 4 with "Bands On The Map" covering ten groups named after a geographical location that include such veteran acts as Boston, Chicago, and Nazareth.

Finally, Nile Rodgers of Chic celebrated his 70th birthday (September 19, 2022) by donating $1 million to his We Are Family Foundation which he founded 20 years ago. Named after the 1979 Sister Sledge smash he co-wrote with Bernard Edwards, this charitable organization promotes cultural diversity and supports those involved with programs that address basic human needs and work toward world peace.

In Memoriam:

Newly-Announced Tours & Shows:
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Newly-Announced Recordings:
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(For more information about the above news items, please see below for a list of sources with links.)