Archive May 10, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: A music producer who worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Johnny Mathis and Billy Ray Cyrus, has claimed Billy Joel has an ‘adamant’ opinion on his next move

Billy Joel has had a prestigious career spanning over five decades, and one man who previously worked with him has claimed to know his next move.

While the Piano Man singer, 75, continues to tour and showcase his iconic tunes, pal and fellow musician Fred Mollin isn’t so sure he’ll be releasing any new tunes. Billy last released a new song, titled Turn the Lights Back On, on February 1, 2024. The track was his first new single since Christmas in Fallujah in 2007.

But Fred, who co-produced Just Across the River with fellow Long Islander Billy, is convinced that will be his last.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Fred adamantly said: “He does not want to make another record.” He then added: “If he did, I might get the call, but he’s adamant he’ll never make another record.

“He doesn’t write songs anymore. He writes musical pieces, he doesn’t write songs anymore.”

He also explained how their bond began with their South Shore of Long Island connection. “He’s a hometown hero to me and I’ve always loved his music,” Fred said. “I was absolutely his biggest fan when his first albums came out and years later I was doing a duets album for Jimmy Webb.

“I decided to do a duet of Wichita Lineman. I remember Jimmy saying it was Billy’s favourite song and I said we’d have to do it with him and he said ‘I’m there’. We got along famously,” Fred added.

Fred was speaking ahead of the release of his new book titled Unplugged in which he opens up on his career spanning over five decades. His biggest hit comes in the form of his co-production of Dan Hill’s Sometimes When We Touch, and as well as working with Billy, Fred has worked alongside other huge stars such as Johnny Mathis, Kris Kristofferson and Billy Ray Cyrus.

The Grammy nominated star has also been a part of the music set up for huge television and movie productions, including the Friday 13th series and Beverly Hills 90210.

However, it was him time working with Disney on their popular Disney Lullaby albums that he is especially proud of. “I love doing music for children,” he gushed.

“It makes me happy, and I know it does some good. We had an idea to use Disney songs and other songs and make instrumental versions to put the baby to bed.

“I have to tell you, it is probably one of the most successful records I’ve ever done. It’s been out since 1999 and it’s gone gold. It’s also heading towards platinum and the streaming numbers are off the charts.

He has since done another six similar albums and he added: “You know, it really has become this beautiful gift that I’ve been able to give. On some levels, I feel it’s a beautiful gift to put a child to sleep and to calm down a child. I’m so proud of all of it. I really think it does good.”

Fred added: “The one thing I have to tell you is that me daughter is 38 and she has two kids of her own and she puts them to sleep with my lullaby albums, which I think is delightful.

“However, her lullaby music when she was five or four, because her bedroom was directly above my basement studio when I was doing Friday 13th part seven, part eight. You name it, I was doing all these horror music that she heard as lullabies. She never had a problem with it I guess.

“When I did the first lullaby album she must have been about 15 and she listened to it and just said ‘good timing, dad.”

Nicola Peltz’s reported feud with David and Victoria Beckham has reached a new level as friends of both parties spoke out about their fractured family relationship

Nicola Peltz has been described as “obsessive” for wearing Victoria’s blue and white Dolce & Gabbana biker jacket last year. It follows the explosion of Victoria and David’s reported feud with their daughter-in-law, whose friends accused the famous couple of “emotional abuse and toxic behaviour” last night.

Earlier this month, reports of a rift between Brooklyn Beckham and the rest of his family were further fuelled when the 26-year-old failed to show up with Nicola to his dad’s 50th birthday bash in Notting Hill, despite being in London at the time. A source close to Brooklyn and Nicola later claimed that Victoria and David “refused” to see the couple privately ahead of the birthday do, even though they had “travelled all the way to London specifically to try to repair the relationship”.

But after a friend of Nicola’s alleged that the American heiress had helped Brooklyn “see the emotional abuse and toxic behaviour within his family”, a source close to the Beckham has hit back. They said that the claims were a “deeply unpleasant attack” that is “ludicrous and patently untrue”. A second source also accused Nicola of using the Beckham name when it suited her.

“How the Beckhams have been cast as unsupporting is ridiculous when they have been regularly posting about her endeavours to their millions of followers,” they said, referring to Nicola’s film career.

“But what makes the current situation even more galling is how Nicola appears to relish the association with the family name when it suits her.”

The source referred to Nicola wearing the same blue and white Dolce & Gabbana biker jacket last February that Victoria had famously worn to watch Manchester United in 2001. While outlets at the time had reported that Nicola had been “granted access to her mother-in-law’s personal archive of noughties fashion”, friends of the Beckhams have said that this was not the case.

“If not obsessive, it was definitely the most bizarre behaviour especially given relations weren’t the greatest anyway in the wake of the wedding,” one friend alleged.

Meanwhile, friends of Nicola claimed that the jacket was bought for her by her mum in September 2023, “not knowing Victoria had worn it”. They added: “Nicola however did recognize the jacket and thought it was sweet to wear something her mother in law had worn. Nicola has only ever attempted to be close to the Beckhams as she’s close with her own family.”

James Martin has been open about his weight loss journey, which saw him drop from 17 stone to 14 stone. The chef has shared the unusual sandwich he loves to eat for lunch

TV chef James Martin has shared his penchant for a “controversial” but “off the charts” lunch that he’s adored since childhood, despite recently shedding an impressive 3st.

The culinary maestro, known for his appearances on Ready, Steady Cook, slimmed down from 17 stone to 14 stone after taking part in Strictly Come Dancing nearly two decades ago. He says the transformation also meant he found it easier getting into his beloved sports cars.

James has been quite candid about his dietary overhaul, which involved cutting back on sugary sodas and incorporating more fish. However, he admits there’s one particular lunchtime treat he can’t resist.

During a chat on the Good Food podcast with Samuel Goldsmith last year, James divulged his recipe for this unique sandwich, a throwback to his younger days. He acknowledges it might not win any healthy eating awards, but insists it’s a must-try, reports Devon Live.

James detailed the creation process: “People are going to freak out about this but you have to try it. You need white sliced bread, not fancy ciabatta or sourdough, your cheapest white sliced bread, the thin one, then you butter it, but you butter it in chunks, so you slice the butter and that sits on it.

“Here’s the controversial bit. You take a banana, put it in a bowl, mush it up, spread that on it. Take a Cadbury’s Flake, sprinkle that on it.

“A few plain crisps, put the bread on it, press it down, wrap it in clingfilm, leave it in a rucksack for about a day, somewhere warm, and then eat it. Off the charts.

“Heston Blumenthal will have a dish, I swear to God. That used to be my go-to sandwich as a kid. It’s weird but it’s ace.”

James shared that he used to relish the sandwich as a youngster. He would often forget to eat his lunch, instead finding the sandwich in his backpack the next day and devouring it.

On the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast, James expressed surprise at his survival given his unusual diet. He remarked: “Looking at this diet, it’s a wonder I’m still alive really.”

James has previously disclosed that he managed to shed weight without resorting to the gym. Instead, he claims to walk extensively every day.

In an interview with Best magazine, he revealed: “I have a gym upstairs, but I haven’t used it though. I do about 20 to 30,000 steps a day walking my dogs.”

The NHS advocates for a brisk 10 to 15 minute walk each day as part of an adult’s recommended 150 minutes of exercise. It highlights walking as a “sometimes overlooked” form of exercise that can boost stamina, burn calories, and promote heart health.

Chatting with Mark, James confessed his love for racing cars, but admitted he had difficulty getting out of them before shedding weight. He stated: “It comes down to the fact that I race cars, or I still try and race a few cars and I actually struggle to get out of them now.

“Getting in them, you kind of fall in them, but then you’ve got to get out of them and it just doesn’t look very good.”

The chef will be returning with James Martin’s Saturday Morning at 9.30am on ITV One. James will be serving up food for former model Jodie Kidd while enjoying recipes from Aktar Islam, Emily Scott, and Corrin Harrison.

Managing her ex Liam Payne’s £24m fortune for their son is a huge added pressure for heartbroken Cheryl, a source has revealed following the One Direction singer’s tragic death

Seven months after Liam Payne tragically fell to his death from a hotel balcony, his ex partner Cheryl Tweedy has been given the responsibility of managing the £24m fortune he left behind. Court documents published last week revealed the 31-year-old One Direction star didn’t make a will prior to his death, and Cheryl and music industry lawyer Richard Bray now have responsibility for administering his estate, including his property, money and possessions.

Cheryl, 41, and Liam were together for two years until 2018 and split just over a year after their son Bear was born. Shortly after Liam’s death, a heartbroken Cheryl wrote on Instagram she was “navigating this earth shattering event” and “working through her grief at this indescribably painful time”.

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A source claims the Girls Aloud singer is now relying on a close-knit circle of friends and focusing on trying to be “the best possible mum” to Bear, now eight. “Liam not leaving a will means Cheryl is front and centre of what’s happening now,” they told us. “It’s a really sad situation and a lot for one person to handle.”

Maria Bailey, founder of Grief Specialists, a social enterprise supporting anyone experiencing grief, says when a loved one doesn’t leave a will – or a will doesn’t match expectations – it often sparks feelings of confusion, hurt and anger, on top of the sadness of the loss itself.

“You can’t have a conversation with the person, so you can’t find out their wishes, or their reasoning,” she explains. “This can feel overwhelming. Going through a bereavement is already emotionally complex, and unexpected responsibilities, like being named executor of an estate, can intensify that experience.

“When there’s no will, you can be thrust into emotionally and legally charged situations, which can lead to feelings of shock, resentment, guilt or anxiety, especially if family dynamics are strained, or if decisions are unclear.”

Liam died of “internal and external haemorrhage” and multiple traumatic injuries after falling from the third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on 16 October. The Argentinian prosecutor’s office said shortly afterwards that tests found traces of cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant in his body.

In December, five people were charged in connection with the tragic death, including the hotel’s manager and the receptionist, and a friend of Liam’s, but these charges were dropped earlier this year.

Two other hotel employees were also charged with supplying cocaine to the Liam on the night he died.

His funeral was held in Amersham in Buckinghamshire in November, and was attended by a string of A-listers including his former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, as well as Simon Cowell, Cheryl and Bear, and his girlfriend at the time, Kate Cassidy.

Cheryl, along with Richard Bray, now has responsibility for managing the estate – which totals £24.3m once debts and expenses have been paid – but can’t distribute it just yet.

Maria believes it’s important for someone in a position like Cheryl’s to find “emotional space to grieve” as well as practical help, to work through the logistics of managing an estate without a will.

She adds, “Grief isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ experience, but people often cycle through emotions such as anger, sadness and confusion, especially when there are unresolved issues, or surprises relating to the estate.

“Being made responsible for another person’s legacy can stir up additional emotions, such as doubt, or heaviness, and might also raise questions, such as ‘Why me?’ or ‘What would they have wanted?’”

After splitting from Cheryl, Liam had a three-year relationship with model and actress Maya Henry, who told a magazine earlier this year that her ex was “unrecognisable” when he took drugs and she ended their relationship because “staying in his world meant losing herself”.

At the time of his death, Liam was dating model and influencer Kate Cassidy, who claimed a week after the fall that the pair had hoped to marry. Posting a tribute to Liam on her Instagram account, the 26-year-old wrote, “A few weeks ago, we sat outside on a beautiful evening manifesting our lives together.

“I keep your note close, even though you told me not to look at it. It said, ‘Me and Kate to marry within a year/engaged & together forever.’”

It’s been speculated that Kate won’t receive any money from Liam’s estate. In UK law, spouses and children are usually first to claim an estate, which means Cheryl is likely to put the money in a trust for Bear.

The Newcastle-born performer will be making the decisions alongside lawyer Richard Bray, who has “represented many high profile artists, performers, managers, record labels, publishers and senior executives” in the 36 years since he qualified, according to Bray & Krais legal practice.

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