MUSIC NEWS • September 27, 2026

August 2026 Music Legends: Dolly Parton, Frank Beard and the Month in Review

August 2026 Music Legends: Dolly Parton, Frank Beard and the Month in Review
OLDIES RADYO · MUSIC NEWSTHE MONTH IN MUSIC

AUGUST2026

Music News

Stage returns, new records and the stories that defined the month. The Oldies Radyo monthly music report.

1–31 August 2026 · OLDIES RADYO

FAREWELLS

DOLLY PARTON archive photograph
2014 · Kris Harris King · CC BY-SA 3.0
Archive photo · Not taken at the August 2026 event. Displayed without cropping.
AUGUST 25 · FAREWELL

DOLLY PARTON

The country star died at 80. “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You” are only part of a legacy that reached listeners across generations.

Read in English →
FRANK BEARD archive photograph
2015 · Ralph Arvesen · CC BY 2.0
Archive photo · Not taken at the August 2026 event. Displayed without cropping.
AUGUST · FAREWELL

FRANK BEARD

ZZ Top’s drummer for more than half a century died at 77. His steady, unmistakable beat drove songs from “La Grange” to “Legs.”

Original report (TR) →
RITCHIE BLACKMORE archive photograph
1970 · W.W.Thaler · CC BY-SA 3.0
Archive photo · Not taken at the August 2026 event. Displayed without cropping.
AUGUST 12 · LIVE

RITCHIE BLACKMORE

He rejoined Deep Purple onstage for “Smoke on the Water.” No permanent reunion was announced after the one-off appearance.

Original report (TR) →
SHERYL CROW archive photograph
2019 · Zach Catanzareti · CC BY 2.0
Archive photo · Not taken at the August 2026 event. Displayed without cropping.
AUGUST · NEW ALBUM

SHERYL CROW

Crow announced the seven-track Pick You Up. The album was scheduled for October 9, with “Freedom Bus” among the first songs shared.

Original report (TR) →
Rod Stewart — illustration by Pascal Kirchmair
2014 illustration · Pascal Kirchmair · CC BY-SA 3.0
Illustration/caricature, not a photograph. It does not depict the August 2026 event.
AUGUST · HEALTH

ROD STEWART

He postponed some concerts after a heart procedure and a period of rest recommended by doctors. Our August report records the dates as announced then.

Original report (TR) →
NEIL YOUNG archive photograph
2016 · Tore Sætre · CC BY-SA 4.0
Archive photo · Not taken at the August 2026 event. Displayed without cropping.
AUGUST · NEW MUSIC

NEIL YOUNG

Young announced Second Song with The Chrome Hearts. Heart and Elvis Costello also had new release news in the first part of August.

Original report (TR) →
PAUL McCARTNEY archive photograph
2018 · Raph_PH · CC BY 2.0
Archive photo · Not taken at the August 2026 event. Displayed without cropping.
AUGUST 1 · AWARDS

PAUL McCARTNEY

He received his first Mercury Prize nomination, another milestone in a recording career that has continued well beyond The Beatles.

Original report (TR) →
AUGUST 3 · RETURN

NEW RADICALS

The band remembered for “You Get What You Give” returned with a new original recording after 28 years.

Original report (TR) →
Journey

Announced the final US leg of the Final Frontier tour.

Jethro Tull

Announced a November 14 concert in Istanbul.

Madonna & Kylie Minogue

Their “Love Sensation” attracted attention on the UK chart.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Week ended with the traditional Graceland vigil.

Whitney Houston

A catalogue release and Barbie project celebrated her legacy.

Glenn Hughes

Said he would stop live performance after medical advice.

From Oldies Radyo: August was more than a glance backwards. These songs live on in new collaborations, new recordings and concert halls still filled by their listeners.

Sources and photo credits

These are summaries of announcements made in August 2026. Health and touring plans may have changed since. See the full News archive for updates. News archive.

Associated Press: Dolly Parton · Associated Press: Frank Beard · Oldies Radyo: August 1–10.

Every image is credited and linked to its license. The archive photographs and the separately identified Rod Stewart illustration do not depict the August 2026 events.