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The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
'Get well soon, Jeff' - the heartfelt message from fans of ELO's Lynne
Lynne had to cancel a show at Manchester's Co-op Live on Thursday evening at short notice. In a message posted on X the band said the show had been cancelled "due to illness". Though hugely disappointed, fans of the group took to social media in the hours after today's announcement to express sympathy for Lynne. Many simply said: "Get well soon, Jeff". One fan, posting on the Jeff Lynne's ELO fan group on Facebook, said: "In honor of Jeff trying his best to put on a final show for us during his time of illness, I think we should all gather around the Hyde Park Rose Garden at 2 PM tomorrow to sing a few ELO songs. Maybe it could be something we all need right now. I'm sure Jeff would love our support too since he can't perform tomorrow". Tomorrow's Hyde Park show, which was sold out, would have been a fitting swansong for the hugely successful group. The 'Over and Out' tour saw them group play 27 dates in North America between August and October last year. The British leg was considerably smaller in scale. There were two nights in Lynne's native Birmingham last weekend, two in midweek in Manchester, one of which was cancelled, and Hyde Park tomorrow. The set-list in Birmingham and Manchester was a glorious exploration of a superb catalogue of hit songs in all their pop/classics grandeur: Evil Woman, Showdown, 10538 Overture, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Can't Get It Out of my Head, Livin' Thing, Telephone Line, All Over the World and Turn to Stone among them. People were travelling to Hyde Park from all over the world. One woman had flown from Melbourne, Australia. Others made their way from Finland and Denmark, from Argentina, the Netherlands, from France. Two next-door neighbours in a quiet street in Shieldhill, Falkirk, had, independently of each other, booked tickets. Many fans in London would have been seeing ELO for the umpteenth time; others for what would have simultaneously been the first and last time. Various ELO tribute bands, who between them do a fine job of replicating Lynne's songs, paid tribute to him before news of the dual cancellations broke. One, the ELO Experience, sent via Facebook their best wishes to Lynne 'and all of his team' for the farewell tour. The post continued: 'Have a great set of shows and to everyone attending, treasure this time, as one of, if not, the greatest song writers and performers of all time is taking his final touring bow. Thank you for everything Jeff'. Lynne caused a minor stir in Birmingham last Saturday when he took to the stage despite having a broken hand, sustained during a taxi crash in London. 'I've had a guitar in my hand all my life but not tonight', he told the audience at the Utilita Arena, insisting that 'nothing would keep me away from you'. Jeff Lynne's songwriting abilities had been evident from his earliest days as part of a Birmingham group, The Idle Race, before accepting, in 1970, Roy Wood's invitation to join him and drummer Bev Bevan in The Move, who had enjoyed chart success with I Can Hear the Grass Grow, Blackberry Way, Flowers in the Rain and Fire Brigade. 'We stayed as The Move for a couple of years while we made this album, Electric Light Orchestra, which was what we'd decided to call it when me and Roy used to hang out at clubs in Birmingham and discussed this group with strings', Lynne told a 2012 BBC documentary, Mr Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO. Music writer Mark Beaumont, in an article about ELO in a recent magazine publication, Ultimate Genre Guide: Soft Rock, describes how Wood and Lynne saw different chamber-rock possibilities in the Beatles' classic, Eleanor Rigby. Lynne, he writes, 'particularly would take the orchestral tendencies of late-60s Beatles and Beach Boys and focus them into sci-fi melodies designed to dominate all earthly radio waves.'Electric Light Orchestra would come to represent the greatest sonic excesses of the soft-rock era, but they also brilliantly realised the logical endpoint of a journey begun by 'A Day in the Life' and Brian Wilson's teenage symphonies to God. [John] Lennon himself would describe them as 'Son of Beatles'.' Beaumont notes that as The Move gradually wound down, it became something of a shell company for ELO. ELO's debut album, The Electric Light Orchestra, was released in 1971, opened with 10538 Overture and showed the full extent of Wood and Lynne's musical ambitions. Wood, however, 'frustrated that his strings were inaudible during live shows', departed in 1973 to launch his latest project, Wizzard. This left Lynne as the sole producer and songwriter. The next albums came at a steady pace, all of them bearing Lynne's distinctively melodic stamp: ELO2 and On the Third Day in 1973, Eldorado in 1974, Face the Music in 1975, A New World Record in 1976, and the ambitious double album, Out of the Blue, in 1977. Eldorado breached the Top 20 in the States. A New World Record and Out of the Blue went Top 10 in the UK. Along the way there was a constant stream of captivating, bestselling singles: Roll Over Beethoven, Showdown, Ma-Ma-Belle, Evil Woman, Strange Magic, Livin' Thing, Telephone Line. Reviewing an ELO concert in Madison Square Garden in 1977, a New York Times critic observed: 'The Electric Light Orchestra... is the most commercially successful of the classical rockers at the moment, and it's easy enough to hear why. The secret is that [it] incorporates its classical elements in as painless a manner as possible.' Read more: Comeback concert for ELO frontman Obituary: Kelly Groucutt Paying tribute to the Eagles, Taylor Swift, Radiohead - and ELO War of the Worlds Review: Spaceships shooting flames at the audience. What more could you want? Obituary: Carl Wayne In 1978, the year after the ten-million-selling Out of the Blue, Lynne was interviewed by Melody Maker. The question was put to him: ELO has always thought in grand ideas. Was he finding it hard to come up with the goods? 'Not at all', he responded. 'I'm just eternally grateful that I can go into the studios and that people say 'There's a studio. Do what you want.' I mean. I find that f – unbelievable. We've done eight albums now and I just feel completely happy about everything. 'I don't find the inspiration harder to come by. Quite the opposite. I'm getting more excited now about this new album – the one we'll do next year – than anything I've ever done. I just want to get into the studio and do it, mix it and put everything down. I just love being in a recording studio. Absolutely love it. That's my forte, recording things. It's a great and exciting thing to do'. The next album, Discovery (1979) saw the band embracing the disco sound that was then in vogue but nevertheless gave them their first UK number one album. The band's sound evolved further in the Eighties, with such albums as Time, Secret Messages and Balance of Power. Time (1981), described by at least one critic as the band's best album in years, was a concept record about time-travel, and emulated Discovery in its UK chart position. A fair-minded assessment in The Quietus online culture site in 2021, by David Bennun, described Time as 'a terrific, eccentric sci-fi electro/synth-pop album' - the headline said it was ELO's forgotten masterpiece - and wondered why Lynne had tended to overlook its songs when putting together concert set-lists. ELO broke up in 1986 and apart from a brief flourish in 2000-2001 remained dormant until reforming as Jeff Lynne's ELO in 2014. Lynne had in the meantime joined the Travelling Wilburys supergroup with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison and Roy Orbison, and also produced albums for Harrison, amongst others. Harrison's son Dhani, incidentally, was to have been one of the support acts at Hyde Park tomorrow, alongside Steve Winwood and the Doobie Brothers. Lynne was made an OBE in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to music, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2015. The band were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017. Had things worked out as planned, the final notes of the ELO classic, Mr Blue Sky, would have sent some 60,000 fans home happy at roughly 10.20pm tomorrow night. Sadly, it was not to be. "The legacy of the band and his longtime fans are foremost in Jeff's mind today – and while he is so sorry that he cannot perform, he knows that he must focus on his health and rehabilitation at this time", read the BST statement. Ticket holders will now be refunded.
Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Major concern as BST Hyde Park headliner cancels gig '15 minutes after start tim
Fans are concerned for Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne after he cancelled tonight's performance at due to 'illness' as concert-goers piled into Manchester's Co-Op Live. Taking to social media at 8.45pm this evening, the Mr Blue Sky hitmakers, led by frontman Jeff, 77, wrote: 'Unfortunately due to illness tonight's (Thursday 10th July 2025) scheduled performance of Jeff Lynne's ELO at the Co-Op Live will not be going ahead. 'Jeff is devastated he cannot perform this evening. 'More information will become available as soon as possible. For refunds please go to your point of purchase.' One fan @sleeptokem, who was in situ at the Co-Op Live Arena when the announcement was made, took to social media and said: 'THEY CANCELLED ELO TONIGHT BECAUSE JEFF IS ILL????? YOU CANT MAKE THIS UP WE'RE ALL BEING BOOTED OUT.' They added: 'I do not blame jeff for being ill or cancelling but this should have been communicated to us earlier than 8:15!! the support was supposed to be on at 8!' ELO – famed for hits including Mr Blue Sky and Evil Woman – are due to perform at major London festival BST Hyde Park on Sunday evening, billed to be their last ever UK gig. More Trending Festival organisers called the gig in July 2025 a 'final goodbye' from the band, which was founded in Birmingham in 1970 by Lynne and keyboardist Roy Wood. 'My return to touring began at Hyde Park in 2014,' Jeff said. 'It seems like the perfect place to do our final show. 'We couldn't be more excited to share this special night in London with our UK fans. As the song goes, ''we're gonna do it One More Time'.' The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, while frontman Jeff was made an OBE in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to music, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in 2015. This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates. If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. For more stories like this, check our entertainment page. Follow Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook for the latest celeb and entertainment updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Bodycam shows bloodied face of terrified PC during Manchester Airport 'assault' MORE: Second boy, 16, killed on railway line in Poynton named as Jordan Everett MORE: Body cam footage shows brothers 'throwing punches' at Manchester Airport police officers
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rob Halford Explains Why Judas Priest Are Missing Black Sabbath's Farewell Megaconcert
Judas Priest found out too late that Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath would be playing a star-studded farewell concert this summer to join in on the festivities, frontman Rob Halford recently told Metal Hammer. A talent agent in Germany recruited the band to perform at the 60th anniversary concert for another venerated metal band, the Scorpions, on July 5, and despite Sharon Osbourne offering to fly the band to and from Birmingham, England for Ozzy's final bow in time to honor their Scorpions commitment, Judas Priest declined. 'It all got announced and was a big deal — Scorpions and Priest — and suddenly I get this phone call [from Sharon Osbourne]: 'Robbie, I know you've got this gig with Scorpions, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys, he'd love to see you.'' More from Rolling Stone Ozzy Osbourne Shares Health Update Ahead of Final Concert: 'I'll Do the Best I Can' Judas Priest and Alice Cooper Plot Heavy Co-Headlining Tour Les Binks, Former Drummer for Judas Priest, Dead at 73 Halford mulled over Sharon's offer to ferry the band via private jet between the concerts, but the singer didn't want to leave anything to chance. 'Even with a private plane, there's a word called 'technical', where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems… I was absolutely gutted,' he said. He nevertheless said that he was excited for the concert, even Judas Priest would be there, since it reinforces Birmingham's status as the birthplace of heavy metal. Like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest formed in the city. (And incidentally, ex-Priest guitarist, K.K. Downing, will be performing at the event. In addition to Osbourne and Black Sabbath, the concert, dubbed Back to the Beginning, will feature sets by Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, and many others. It will take place at Birmingham's Villa Park. 'All my mates are going to be there though, great bands and artists,' Halford told Metal Hammer. 'It's a wonderful and epic moment for Sabbath and heavy metal.' Halford may be missing out on Black Sabbath's farewell, but he should take some comfort that he was actually one of the few headbangers to have been there at the actual beginning. In 2020, he told Rolling Stone what it was like to see Sabbath's early club gigs in Birmingham. 'I have vague memories of seeing them as Earth in an obscure club in Birmingham, and they were in a sort of heavy-blues, jazzy-prog mode musically,' he said. 'I can only recall the very first Sabbath songs like [Crow's] 'Evil Woman,' which was a cover. There was still some freeform noodling going on when they played live, but essentially the heaviness was dominating.' He was also present for the first time when the original Black Sabbath lineup said goodbye at the conclusion of Osbourne's No More Tours tour in 1992. At the time, Osbourne had been worried about his health and decided to take a final bow, before reversing course a couple of years later with the Retirement Sucks tour. Black Sabbath had reunited with Ronnie James Dio. When the idea of Black Sabbath opening for Osbourne's final shows came up, Dio quit, and Halford became their frontman for two shows. The rest of the band — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward — then joined Osbourne for encores later in the evening. Halford also fronted Sabbath for a short set in Camden, New Jersey, in 2004 when Osbourne fell ill.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is Ozzy Osbourne? From Black Sabbath's Prince Of Darkness to relationship with Sharon and reality TV stardom
Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne is set to take to the stage for one last performance. The 76-year-old, whose real name is John Michael Osbourne, will at Aston Villa's Villa Park for a gig that promises to be the "greatest heavy metal show ever". The all-day Back To The Beginning show will be the metal band's first performance together in 20 years, with original stars Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Terence 'Geezer' Butler and Bill Ward. The comeback marks the first major show Osbourne has done since he cancelled planned gigs in Europe and the UK back in 2023, saying at that time that he is no longer "physically capable" of performing. In 2020 the singer also revealed he has . The show, planned for 5 July, is the latest in a career that has spanned five decades and earned Osbourne the nickname The Prince Of Darkness. Who is Ozzy Osbourne? Born in Birmingham, Osbourne rose to fame as a founding member and lead singer of the band Black Sabbath. The band formed in 1968 and two years later released their self-titled debut album which included songs like The Wizard and Evil Woman. The group's follow-up album, Paranoid, included some of the band's most famous songs including War Pigs, Iron Man, Fairies Wear Boots and Paranoid. The record was a huge success, topping the charts in the UK and reaching no 12 in the US. Black Sabbath went on to become one of the most successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide over the years. The singer went on to have success as a solo artist after leaving the band. His solo debut album Blizzard Of Ozz reached the top 10 in the UK, and in 2020 he achieved his highest-ever charting album with Ordinary Man, which featured collaborations with Elton John, Slash, Post Malone and Tom Morello. Family life and reality TV Away from music, Osbourne has largely shared his personal life with the public. In 1970, he was introduced to Sharon Levy - who would later become his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne. They went on to have three children - Aimee, Kelly and Jack Osbourne. The family hit new heights of fame when they starred in the reality TV series The Osbournes, which followed the family during their daily lives. The couple's youngest children Jack and Kelly appeared on the show and went on to have successful careers on their own in the public eye. Jack has since presented numerous programmes on travel and fitness while Kelly has appeared on shows including Australia's Got Talent, Project Catwalk and The View. The Osbournes lasted from 2002 to 2005, winning an Emmy Award for outstanding reality programme.
Sky News
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Who is Ozzy Osbourne? From Black Sabbath's Prince Of Darkness to relationship with Sharon and reality TV stardom
Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne is set to take to the stage for one last performance. The 76-year-old, whose real name is John Michael Osbourne, will reunite with his Black Sabbath bandmates at Aston Villa's Villa Park for a gig that promises to be the "greatest heavy metal show ever". The all-day Back To The Beginning show will be the metal band's first performance together in 20 years, with original stars Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Terence 'Geezer' Butler and Bill Ward. The comeback marks the first major show Osbourne has done since he cancelled planned gigs in Europe and the UK back in 2023, saying at that time that he is no longer "physically capable" of performing. In 2020 the singer also revealed he has Parkinson's disease. The show, planned for 5 July, is the latest in a career that has spanned five decades and earned Osbourne the nickname The Prince Of Darkness. Who is Ozzy Osbourne? Born in Birmingham, Osbourne rose to fame as a founding member and lead singer of the band Black Sabbath. The band formed in 1968 and two years later released their self-titled debut album which included songs like The Wizard and Evil Woman. The group's follow-up album, Paranoid, included some of the band's most famous songs including War Pigs, Iron Man, Fairies Wear Boots and Paranoid. The record was a huge success, topping the charts in the UK and reaching no 12 in the US. Black Sabbath went on to become one of the most successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide over the years. The singer went on to have success as a solo artist after leaving the band. His solo debut album Blizzard Of Ozz reached the top 10 in the UK, and a decade later he achieved his highest-ever charting album with Ordinary Man, which featured collaborations with Elton John, Slash, Post Malone and Tom Morello. Family life and reality TV Away from music, Osbourne has largely shared his personal life with the public. In 1970, he was introduced to Sharon Levy - who would later become his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne. They went on to have three children - Aimee, Kelly and Jack Osbourne. The family hit new heights of fame when they starred in the reality TV series The Osbournes, which followed the family during their daily lives. The show lasted from 2002 to 2005, winning an Emmy Award.
