performing

“Curly” Williams returned to his old high school campus last week for the first time in 76 years, but did so under his given name — the same name emblazoned on North Hollywood High’s newest attraction: the John Williams Performing Arts Center.

Williams, 94, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony last Wednesday, which commenced with the composer’s rousing “Raiders March” played by the school’s marching band and accompanied by its blue-clad cheerleaders.

“I think you played that better than we could have,” Williams said, speaking from a wheelchair under the sign of his namesake venue in front of other accomplished alumni and friends, including producer Kathleen Kennedy. “That’s a hard piece.”

The ambitious construction project, initiated in 2015 and designed by CO Architects occupies 35,000 square feet and seats 800. Michael Stebbins, project manager for the BroadStage in Santa Monica, served as project manager. The center is equipped with state-of-the-art amenities to host student performances and school assemblies, but also to train the next generation of theater technicians. Besides an enormous stage, blue velvet curtains, a mixing console and safe catwalks, the building also features new classrooms and rehearsal spaces.

Students, faculty and guests stand for the national anthem before a concert inside the new John Williams Performing Arts Center, named for one of North Hollywood High’s most famous alumni.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

A 75-foot hand-painted mural in the lobby, still in the works by artist Ian Robertson-Salt, is inspired by Williams’ formidable filmography, which serves “as a daily reminder to every student who walks these halls that greatness can begin right here,” remarked Andrés Chait, acting superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District.

Due to health complications, Williams has made few public appearances in the last two years. He last conducted a concert in February 2024 — and he has also consistently turned down requests to name buildings after him, including at his beloved Tanglewood in Massachusetts, although the Hollywood Bowl did recently name its stage for Williams. It’s a testament to his affection for his time at North Hollywood High, and his regard for the next generation of students, that he not only blessed this dedication but showed up and spoke to a gathered crowd of hundreds.

“I’m sort of silly happy to be here,” he said, calling the dedication “a singular honor in my life.”

Other showbiz alumni on hand included “Beauty and the Beast” producer Don Hahn (class of ’73), “Independence Day” writer-producer Dean Devlin (’80), and Rob Friedman (’81), CEO of Ascendant Entertainment. Partly due to its proximity to the entertainment industry, North Hollywood High has produced a host of famous artists over the decades, including the late Michael Tilson Thomas, who attended in the early 1960s.

John Williams smiles while applauding a performance by the North Hollywood High School band at the dedication ceremony of the John Williams Performing Arts Center on campus.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

“At some point you have to stop calling that a coincidence,” said Kennedy, a longtime collaborator of Williams who gave brief remarks before handing him the microphone. “Something happened here, and something can happen again.”

Williams moved to North Hollywood with his family in 1947, having grown up in Queens. He transferred to North Hollywood High as a 15-year-old sophomore, and joined the band and orchestra as a jazz-loving trombonist. His classmates included Susan Sontag (“I remember her teaching a class in civics, when the teacher would sit down and listen to her,” he told me in 2023) and many future actors, including Barbara Ruick, who played Carrie Pipperidge in “Carousel.” But his best friends were all music-inclined guys whose dads, like his, were famous musicians.

A poster board featured yearbook photos of John Williams, left, performing with the North Hollywood High School Band, class of 1950, in the lobby of the new John Williams Performing Arts Center on the North Hollywood High School campus.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Williams embraced the nickname “Curly,” given to him by a fellow student in response to his curly red hair, and quickly created his own jazz band with classmates. Ruick sang with them at school events and dances, and they became the house band at a new teens-only venue in Van Nuys called the Dri-Nite Club. Broadcast on local radio, they caught the attention of Time magazine, which ran a story on “Curly’s” band in October 1949.

A newspaper story about John Williams’ high school band from the Los Angeles Unified School District’s archives.

(Los Angeles Unified School District)

Williams has said he fondly remembers his civics and French classes at North Hollywood High, but his time and passion were almost exclusively devoted to music. He rigorously practiced the piano at home, studying with a local concert pianist and MGM arranger named Robert Van Eps; on Wednesday nights he played in jam sessions with his father (Johnny Sr., a drummer) and the Columbia Pictures orchestra. He bopped around clubs in L.A. listening to jazz greats like Oscar Peterson (whose style influenced Williams’ recent piano concerto), and started making a name of his own as a wunderkind performer and arranger.

Long before he scored “Star Wars” or “Harry Potter,” Williams did his earliest arranging and orchestrating for theater productions at North Hollywood High. The impact of his time at North Hollywood High cannot be overstated.

John Williams featured with members of the class of 1950 in the North Hollywood High School Yearbook.

(Los Angeles Unified School District)

During his remarks about the performing arts center on Wednesday, Williams said he felt particularly overwhelmed because the school was “formative in my thinking and my professional work … This is a great, magical place, North Hollywood.”

Williams eventually married Ruick, his high school sweetheart and mother of his three children. Ruick was instrumental in making many of Williams’ earliest career connections. She died from a brain aneurysm in 1974, at the age of 41, just one year before Williams’ career catapulted with “Jaws.” The couple’s youngest son, Joseph, lead singer of Toto, stood proudly behind Williams during the theater’s dedication.

The John Williams Performing Arts Center (JWPAC) is the crescendo of a $319.5 million modernization project at North Hollywood High, which also includes modern classrooms and athletic facilities. It’s a reflection of the diverse public school’s commitment to the arts; students here can play in the orchestra, marching band or modern band, and study drama or modern dance.

“As I think about what else I might say to all of you younger people, students here,” Williams said at his homecoming Wednesday, “two words about this beautiful building: simply use it. Make sure you all use the place.”

Tim Greiving is the author of “John Williams: A Composer’s Life.”

BELOVED British rock legend, Alex Ligertwood, who helped shape the sound of Santana has died aged 79.

His daughter, Merci, shared the heartbreaking news on Saturday following his death just weeks after taking the stage for the final time.

The Brogan Agency confirmed a day later that the star “passed peacefully in his sleep with his doggy Bobo by his side” at his longtime home in Santa Monica.

Tributes have already begun pouring in for the iconic frontman, whose powerhouse vocals defined an era.

Guitarist Brandon Paul, who toured alongside him in recent years as part of “Icons of Classic Rock,” led the emotional tributes – hailing him as “a world-class professional.”

He said: “His voice was a force of nature – soulful, from the heart, and legendary every single night. Beyond the music, he was an amazing human being and a dear friend.”

Brandon added: “Having a vocalist who worked with icons like Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck compliment my guitar playing is something I will carry with me forever.”

The singer worked as Santana’s lead vocalist on five separate occasions between 1979 and 1994, lending his unmistakable voice to classic albums including Marathon, Zebop!, Shango and Sacred Fire: Live in South America.

He also brought some of the band’s biggest hits roaring to life on stage, including “Winning,” “Hold On,” and “All I Ever Wanted.”

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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OLIVIA DEAN stormed the opening night of her debut arena tour – but left fans gutted by not performing No1 hit Rein Me In.

She received a hero’s welcome at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, fresh from a stellar few months which saw her scoop four Brit Awards, three Mobos and the Grammy for Best New Artist.

But she surprised the audience by deciding not to include her Sam Fender collaboration, which has so far spent eight weeks at the top of the charts, on her 23-track setlist.

So fans had a singalong to it outside the venue afterwards instead.

Rein Me In won the Brit Award for Song of the Year in February, but Olivia had plenty of other brilliant tunes to satisfy the sold-out arena.

As floor-to-ceiling white stage curtains opened to reveal the singer, she looked cool, calm and collected, despite the high expectations on her shoulders.

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She breezed out in a pink sequined dress and was greeted with echoing singalongs of utterly joyous tracks Nice To Each Other and So Easy (To Fall In Love).

She then told the crowd that her whirlwind success over the past 12 months has been a shock, even to her.

She explained: “This is crazy. Apologies if I get emotional tonight but I just can’t believe how many people are here. Today we were driving in and I drove past King Tut’s. I played there two years ago, and there was 300 people in the room.

“Now I’m here with all of you, so thank you so much for being here.

“Just enjoy yourselves. Sing, dance, cry, whatever you want. I’ll certainly be having a good time.”

And things got more emotional as she performed UFO, from her 2023 debut album Messy, which she said is about feeling “overwhelmed.”

When the audience spontaneously waved their phone torches in the air to light up the arena, she wiped away tears of joy.

One of the set’s unexpected highlights came as she sang Loud live for the first time.

And she did so in a flowing white skirt from a flower-shaped stage in the centre of the room.

Against stripped-back instrumentation, the haunting track showed her vocals at their most powerful.

Back on the main stage, disco balls descended from the ceiling for a more upbeat section which had her skipping and dancing across the stage, along with her nine-piece band.

As she wrapped up the gig, she said: “I never imagined I could have my own headline arena tour. It’s mental.

“Thank you so much for listening and just believing in me.”

And while she didn’t do Rein Me In, she finished her set with fan favourite Dive and her first No1, Man I Need.

She will be back on stage tomorrow at Manchester’s Co-op Live before six nights at London’s O2 Arena, and further shows in Dublin and across Europe.

Olivia is at the top of her game right now and if you want a warm, musical hug, this concert is it.

Duran set for summer

DURAN DURAN have dropped new single Free To Love and have signed up presenter Clara Amfo to appear in the music video.

They gave Radio 2 a first play of the track yesterday morning and it’s a banger, with Simon Le Bon and the band working on the single with Nile Rodgers – 40 years after he produced their Notorious album.

In an exclusive chat after the single dropped, John Taylor told me: “We wanted to write something uplifting for these times we find ourselves in. A feelgood piece for an imaginary dance floor.

“I always want to feel the DNA of classic disco in our music, reframed for now. Nile locks us into that timeless groove, bringing a sense of optimism. It’s a reminder that music can still bring people together.”

If you’ve not heard Free To Love yet, definitely give it a listen. It’s the perfect summer song.

Lady Gaga eyes six second Oscar

LADY GAGA is eyeing up another Best Original Song nomination at the Oscars after recording three songs for Devil Wears Prada 2.

After Gaga, released her Doechii collaboration Runway earlier this month, I told how the superstar had a surprise in store for fans and had contributed more to the film’s soundtrack.

I can reveal that as well as Runway, Gaga has recorded Shape Of A Woman which she performs during the film, plus a third song, which is called Glamerous Life.

It is a stripped-back emotional ballad – similar to her 2022 single Hold My Hand for the Top Gun: Maverick sequel.

On the new song, Gaga sings: “I might need a hero to save me from breaking. Can I be myself in a world that’s just faking it?”

In 2019 Gaga won Best Original Song at the Oscars for A Star Is Born’s Shallow and if Prada 2, which is in cinemas from May 1, takes off like I think it will, she will have another Oscar nomination under her belt.

Gaga co-wrote Shallow with Mark Ronson and performed it at the Oscars ceremony with her movie co-star Bradley Cooper.

Sofa, so good Kylie

ANYTHING Kylie Jenner touches seems to turn to gold.

So I think sofa superstore DFS should be having a serious think about signing her up, after the American reality TV star turned beauty mogul decided that she would use her cream sofa as the backdrop for a load of thirsty Instagram snaps.

Over two million of her fans have now liked the images, which Kylie captioned: “Can’t a girl have fun?”

I can think of more places to have a laugh than on my sofa wearing a bra, but each to their own.

Ant & Dec go crazy

OUR sister showbiz column Biz On Sunday told you back in February that Ant & Dec were in talks for a new ITV primetime show all about crazy golf.

And now I’m told the Geordie duo have had the series green-lit by telly chiefs, and the pair are already busy filming with a host of golf-mad hopefuls.

It is based on US show A Hole In One, where contestants battle it out on a seriously hard silly course for cash.

A source said: “Ant and Dec have been given the nod and they’re preparing to film their new ITV show later this summer.

“Rather than having the public competing like in the US version, they’ve got a load of golf fans to sign up and play.

“It’s going to be the weirdest and wackiest game of crazy golf ever, with some big personalities trying to putt a winner.

“Ant and Dec are huge golf fans so really wanted to get the concept off the ground. ITV loved it and now it’s being pitched for a primetime slot on Saturdays. It’s family-friendly and with the great personalities they’ve got on board, they think it could be a ratings winner.”

Ant and Dec will have a hell of a job fitting this new show into their schedules, with the pair due to jet off to Australia later this year for the next series of I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!

But if I was getting paid to spend some days in the sun mucking around on a crazy golf course, I’d definitely make some time in my diary.

Liam bigs up Oasis return

LIAM GALLAGHER is fuelling what we all know – Oasis will be coming back with more live shows.

And now the motormouth has sent fans in Italy into overdrive after heading to Rome.

He was mobbed outside his city-centre hotel, where one asked if he and Noel would return to the city.

Liam replied: “Without a doubt. We’re coming next year.”

I revealed the rockers are plotting more reunion dates in 2027 after taking this year to recharge.

A huge run across the UK, Europe and North America is heavily tipped as the brothers celebrate the 30th anniversary of their heyday.

For a man meant to be on holiday, Liam is putting in serious hours in the Oasis promotions department.

Tyla has A* pop lined up

TYLA has announced her second album A*Pop will drop on July 24.

The singer was in New York to dish out copies of her signed i-D Magazine cover and celebrated the release date with her fans, saying: “Initially going into this project, I was nervous – like, ‘Where do we go from here?’

“But I realised that the music really reflects where you are in life, and the way the new album sounds came on its own, it fell into place.

“There are some exciting features but those are all still under wraps for now.”

Reverand And The Makers also have exciting news for fans.

Today they have dropped new single F*ked Up with Robbie Williams.

NICK GRIMSHAW knows an act who has already been booked to headline Glastonbury 2027, after I revealed in January his close pal Harry Styles will top the bill next summer.

On his Sidetracked podcast Nick seemed to confirm my story by saying: “I know someone that’s playing. I can’t say who. So two spots to go . . . Maybe. They might be booked.”

VINYL fans with deep pockets should start saving now, as the White Label Auction is back.

The annual sale in aid of The Brit Trust begins on June 23, with hundreds of rare white label test pressings going under the hammer through Omega Auctions.

Among the hottest lots are signed releases from Sam Fender, The Cure, Roxy Music and Yungblud.

Collectors can also get their hands on gems from Gorillaz, Coldplay, Freddie Mercury, Sex Pistols and The Who.

The charity event has already raised more than £200,000.

STRICTLY fans can swap the sofa for the dance floor later this year, with the show’s pros heading to Warner Hotels for a string of star-studded breaks.

Kai Widdrington and Katya Jones will lead the glittery line-up, with guests able to watch live performances, snap photos and even learn a few moves themselves.

And it’s not just sequins on offer.

Singers Chesney Hawkes, Michael Ball, Alexandra Burke, Will Young and Russell Watson are all booked to perform at various locations across the country.

A MAJOR band from the eighties have revealed that they won’t be performing live on stage again.

It comes nearly two years after the group sparked reunion rumours when they met up together in New York after attending the Brit Awards.

Erasure were responsible for some utterly iconic tunes back in their day, many of which have stood the test of time.

But now they’ve revealed that they have already performed their final gig.

Speaking to The New Cue newsletter, Erasure’s Vince Clarke spoke about the decision to stop touring and how it wasn’t an easy choice.

Vince was asked: “What’s the bravest career decision you’ve ever made?,” in an interview with the outlet.

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To which Vince responded: “To stop touring.”

He then continued to explain the reasoning behind the decision in more depth.

Vince elaborated: “What happened was [Erasure singer] Andy Bell and myself, we did these fan shows before Christmas and they were great but…

“It’s difficult to explain… the simple answer would be is I just don’t want to be really old and going onstage!

“I just don’t want to do it anymore.”

Vince and Andy sent fans rushing to conclusions of a reunion years ago after posting a vague post online with the caption: “plotting and planning.”

The news thrilled fans on X, who immediately started speculating what they had up their sleeves. 

“Let’s GO! Gotta see Erasure again live soon, it’s been way too long!” wrote one fan. 

“So thrilled you two are still working together all these years later,” said a second.

A third noted: “New album? Would kill for a follow up to Erasure” 

Erasure released their debut album Wonderland in 1985, and in the following year they broke into the UK charts with their single, Sometimes. 

Since that time, they have released a staggering 19 albums, with their last being 2022’s Day-Glo.

They won Best British Group at the 1989 Brit Awards, with other hit tracks including A Little Respect, Always, Chains of Love and Breath of Life.

Andy went on to have a successful solo career, while Vince Clarke had previously been a founding member of two more iconic bands, Depeche Mode and Yazoo.