Music

Lainey Wilson was once a young, wide-eyed girl dreaming of being part of the historic CMA Awards. Fast-forward to 2023, she now leads this year’s nominations with nine nods, including one for the coveted Entertainer of the Year.

“Watching the CMA Awards was a big deal in my house as a child. We would sit around the TV, we knew when they were coming on we would be, I mean, eyes glued to it,” Lainey recalls. “I would dream about just being a part of the industry and being down there on the floor with these people who I look up to and people who have paved the way.”

“It’s crazy how life works because the truth is, I think sometimes you got to envision yourself in certain places and sometimes pretend you are what you’re not really so one day you can become that,” she posits.

As a first-time Entertainer nominee, Lainey says she’s humbled and grateful for the recognition, especially after an extensive touring schedule.

“Of course, [there are] times I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, how did that happen?’ But when you think about the amount of shows that we have played this year and last year, we have played a lot,” says Lainey, who’ll also perform “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” on the awards show.

“We started playing a club to the top of the year. We went out with Luke Combs, we did a stadium tour. We’re out on the road with HARDY right now. Every fair and festival in between, we have done it,” she notes. “So when you think about the amount of people that we have entertained, then I guess it’s not that crazy.”

The 57th CMA Awards airs live from Nashville Wednesday, November 8, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Missy Elliott officially became the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame November 3 at the induction ceremony in Brooklyn, New York.

Missy’s friend Sandra “Pepa” Denton of Salt-N-Pepa came out to support her, and on the red carpet, she told ABC Audio how impressive it is that Missy’s talents go far beyond simply rapping.

“To be a songwriter, producer, singer, dancer, director … and not only for herself, but for other artists that she has also made a star, you know? And it was, it’s just amazing,” she gushed. “I’m happy for her because I’m happy to have seen where hip hop has evolved. And women in hip hop.”

Pepa added that it was great to see Missy walk through the doors that she, Salt and DJ Spinderella kicked down in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

“It feels amazing. I mean, because she always talks about it. I mean, she even [has] a whole big picture up of Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella in her music room,” she shared. “So it’s amazing because like, from where we coming from and the struggle that we’ve been through, just to be here 50 years celebrating hip hop as a woman, it’s a proud moment because just to see the levels that we took the game, you know, for the music and she did it. And it’s a beautiful thing to be a part of it.”

Asked by ABC Audio if she hopes that her group will be next on the induction list — given that they laid much of the groundwork that allowed Missy to shine — Pepa said, “Yes, yes, yes.”

“I got a few pieces in the museum, so hopefully,” she laughed.

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It’s no secret Kirk Franklin endured an unexpected time of difficulty when recording his latest album, Father’s Day. 

The title alone is nod to the life-changing event of finding his birth father after more than 50 years. But if he had to pinpoint which of the album’s 10 tracks most accurately illustrates what it was like dealing with the news, it’d be the number six track, “Listen.”

“I remember ‘Listen’ and I remember the day that lyrically I had to try to find my way and listen,” Kirk said.

Describing the special song as somewhat of a “beautiful funeral,” the Grammy winner said the lyrics are a direct reflection of his emotions. 

“The lyrics say, ‘Light of the world, please don’t give up on me. I’m so lost right now,'” Franklin recited, adding that the words help to start a conversation.

He continued, “Reach through the dark, I feel like I’ve been missing/ God of the stars, can You silence the storm deep in me right now?/ Relight my fire, That warm embrace has ended.”

Franklin, who was adopted as a young child and did not have much information about his biological dad, said that the time recording “Listen” was “the hinge that the album, in that moment of my life, was hanging on.” 

The heartfelt song, echoing his “painful, really dark, sparse, empty” emotions, was his opportunity to really let it all out. 

“Let me go ahead and do this doggone thing,” Franklin thought at the time. “Let me go ahead and say I’m concerned about all of this.”

Franklin’s 14th album, Father’s Day, is available for streaming on major platforms.

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For the second year in a row, country music was acknowledged in a big way at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held this year in Brooklyn, New York, and now available for streaming on Disney+.

Willie Nelson was ushered into the Hall by his friend and fellow Farm Aid board member Dave Matthews. After performing Willie’s song “Funny How Time Slips Away,” Matthews gave a speech in which he constantly referred to Willie’s infamous love of weed. 

Recalling the time he met Willie — on Willie’s tour bus after a gig — Matthews got big laughs when he said, “I got so high that I thought I might forget to breathe … and then we continued to get high, until Willie said, ‘Is everybody high?'” But Matthews also stressed Willie’s efforts on behalf of American farmers, among other good works.

When he took the stage, the 90-year-old country icon made several pointed references to the fact that he has never been held back by musical genres — possibly to answer anyone who questioned whether or not he was “rock” enough for the Rock Hall of Fame. Referring to his pioneering collaborations with the late Ray Charles, Willie said, “We never asked each other … whether to do a soul song, a rock song or a country song — we just sang the songs we loved.”

Noting that he and Johnny Cash are now both in the Hall of Fame, Willie also called for the other two members of their supergroup The Highwaymen to be inducted.

“I want to give a plug for Waylon [Jennings], who played with Buddy Holly,” he said. “And Kris [Kristofferson], who sang so many hits, to be inducted, too.”

Willie then performed three classics: “Whiskey River” with Chris Stapleton, “Crazy” with fellow inductee Sheryl Crow and “On the Road Again” with Crow, Matthews and Stapleton.

Carrie Underwood, announced as a performer ahead of the show, didn’t take part in tributes to either Willie or Sheryl. Instead, she paid tribute to the late George Michael, who was also being inducted, bringing the house down with an impassioned rendition of Michael’s hit “One More Try.”

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Adam Levine and Miguel crooned, Olivia Rodrigo strummed, Sia duetted and Missy Elliott worked it at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held November 3 in Brooklyn, New York, and now available for streaming on Disney+.

Adam and Miguel were part of the induction of the late George Michael, who was ushered into the Hall by Andrew Ridgeley, his musical partner in ’80s duo Wham!. Adam, wearing a long overcoat, sang George’s hit “Faith,” while Miguel crooned Wham!’s “Careless Whisper.” Country superstar Carrie Underwood was also part of the tribute and brought the house down with her rendition of George’s hit “One More Try.”

Olivia got to open the show: She joined one of her idols, inductee Sheryl Crow, in performing Sheryl’s hit “If It Makes You Happy,” then spent the rest of the night cheering from the audience seated next to LL Cool J. Sheryl also performed with Stevie Nicks as part of her induction.

Sia, wearing a wig so massive she had to be led onstage, joined inductee Chaka Khan for performances of some of Chaka’s biggest hits, including “I’m Every Woman” and “I Feel For You.” 

Missy Elliott, the first female rapper to be inducted into the Hall, was inducted by Queen Latifah. Wearing a glittering gold suit, she and more than two dozen dancers closed the show with a massive performance of some of her biggest songs: “Get Ur Freak On,” “The Rain” and “Lose Control.” 

Missy told the audience that, surprisingly, it was the first time that her mom had ever seen her perform, “because I didn’t want her to see me talking about b****** and a one-minute man.”

Other inductees included “Running Up that Hill” singer Kate Bush, who didn’t attend the ceremony; guitar legend Link Wray; “father of hip hop” DJ Kool Herc; political rockers Rage Against the Machine; Soul Train creator Don Cornelius; R&B vocal group The Spinners; and Elton John‘s songwriting partner Bernie Taupin.

ABC will air highlights of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony on January 1.

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Missy Elliott officially became the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Friday night at the induction ceremony in Brooklyn, New York.

After Queen Latifah paid tribute to the artist, Elliot took the stage to deliver an electrifying performance to some of her hit songs, including “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It” and “Lose Control.”

“I’ve been through so many ups and downs and I know where my gifts come from,” Missy, who was the final artist to be inducted, said. “God has brought me all the way here. He has allowed me to meet some incredible people along the way. I’m still pinching myself to even be in a room with some of the inductees that I see.”

“And this is the 50th year anniversary of hip-hop. And so this is deeper than me just being up here,” she added.

And speaking of the birth of hip-hop, DJ Kool Herc, the founder of the genre, was honored with the Musical Influence Award and received an introduction from LL Cool J.

Queen of Funk Chaka Khan was also inducted, with a touching introduction from Jazmine Sullivan. She performed a medley of her hits with help from Common, H.E.R. and Sia. Influential R&B group The Spinners were inducted with a tribute performance by New Edition, and Don Cornelius, the creator and host of Soul Train, was honored with the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

The ceremony streamed live on Disney+ Friday night. ABC will air a special featuring performance highlights and moments from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on Monday, January 1, at 8 p.m. ET.

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The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place on Friday in Brooklyn, New York, and, as you might’ve guessed, Rage Against the Machine did not show up or perform.

However, guitarist Tom Morello was in attendance and, after an introduction by rapper Ice-T, took to the podium to give a fiery speech about the power of music, what the honor means to him and how fans can continue the legacy of the “Killing in the Name” outfit.

“Fans often ask, ‘Well, what can I do?'” Morello said. “Well, let’s start with these three things: One, dream big and don’t settle; two, aim for the world you really want without compromise or apology; and three, don’t wait for us.”

“Rage is not here, but you are,” he continued. “The job we set out to do is not over. Now you’re the ones that must testify.”

Another not entirely unexpected absence from the night was Kate Bush, who published a statement hours before the ceremony saying she would not be attending. The English singer-songwriter was inducted by Outkast rapper Big Boi, whose love for all things Kate Bush is well documented, and she was honored with a performance of her resurgent hit “Running Up That Hill” by St. Vincent.

While we didn’t get to see Rage or Bush play, we did get a surprise appearance by Jimmy Page. The Led Zeppelin legend took the stage to perform “Rumble,” the signature instrumental from late guitar pioneer Link Wray, who was honored with the Musical Influence Award.

Another surprise came from Elton John, who, while inducting his longtime songwriting partner and lyricist Bernie Taupin with the Musical Excellence Award, revealed that they’d recently completed a new album together. Taupin’s speech was also memorable, as he took a jab at Rolling Stone founder and former Rock Hall board member Jann Wenner over his controversial comments on Black and female artists.

Other inductees included Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, The Spinners and the late George Michael, as well as DJ Kool Herc for Musical Influence, Chaka Khan and Al Kooper for Musical Excellence, and Don Cornelius for the industry Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Stevie Nicks and Peter Frampton performed with Crow, as did Olivia Rodrigo, while Dave Matthews gave a winding introduction to Nelson befitting of the 90-year-old’s lengthy career.

The night also included a tribute performance of The Band‘s “The Weight” in honor of the late Robbie Robertson, which featured Elton, Crow, Brittany Howard and Chris Stapleton.

Highlights from the induction ceremony will air during an ABC special on January 1.

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Ministry has premiered a new song called “Just Stop Oil,” a track off their upcoming album, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES.

“Ministry approves this message and the movement behind it,” frontman Al Jourgensen says of the environmentally conscious track. “ENOUGH is ENOUGH!”

You can listen to “Just Stop Oil” now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying lyric video streaming now on YouTube.

HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, the follow-up to 2021’s Moral Hygiene, is due out March 1.

Ministry will launch a U.S. tour, which will also feature Gary Numan on the bill, in February.

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