Soundgarden & Stone Temple Pilots members taking part in upcoming Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp

Soundgarden & Stone Temple Pilots members taking part in upcoming Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp
Soundgarden & Stone Temple Pilots members taking part in upcoming Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp
Image provided by Ashley White PR

Soundgarden‘s Kim Thayil and Stone Temple PilotsRobert and Dean DeLeo will be taking part in an upcoming edition of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp.

The program will take place March 16-19 in Los Angeles. Attendees will get the opportunity to learn from and jam with the guest rockers, including Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge.

Thayil, who participated in a grunge-themed Fantasy Camp earlier this year alongside Alice in ChainsJerry Cantrell, says he’s “super excited” for another go-round.

“Bring your favorite axe, and let’s jam at Rock Camp!” Thayil says.

For more info, RockCamp.com.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp previously announced a “Women Only” version, featuring Halestorm‘s Lzzy Hale. That’ll take place January 19-22 in Nashville.

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Music notes: Adele, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Gwen Stefani and more

Music notes: Adele, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Gwen Stefani and more
Music notes: Adele, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Gwen Stefani and more

The couple that got engaged at Adele‘s concert special — Quentin Brunson and Ashleigh Mann — are now married. They told People Mann walked down the aisle to the singer’s “Make You Feel My Love,” which is what she sang to them when they got engaged.

Taylor Swift didn’t watch her own movie Amsterdam when out in New York City … instead, she watched The Banshees of Inisherin, reports E! Online. She wasn’t the only star at the premiere; Oscar IsaacColin Farrell and Lily Allen were also in attendance.

Jennifer Lopez‘s new children’s book, Con Pollo, which she wrote with Jimmy Fallon, is now out. She celebrated the release on Instagram, writing, “I’m so proud of this fun little bilingual playtime adventure and I can’t wait for you to meet Pollo. Everything is always better#ConPollo, especially when starting kids off early to learn Spanish in a fun way!!!!”

John Legend and Andy Grammer helped raise over $1.7 million for diabetes research. Billboard reports the two performed at the 36th Carousel of Hope Ball benefiting the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. Both sang their biggest hits.

Gwen Stefani revealed she simply had to ask Sean Paul to be her advisor on this season of The Voice. Turns out she asked him when they collaborated on the song “Light My Fire.” She told Entertainment Tonight, “I was like, ‘Gosh, you know, I should get him to do [The Voice] — that would be perfect … I just asked.” Obviously, he said yes.

The new trailer for the horror movie M3GAN is out, and features creepy versions of Taylor’s “It’s Nice to Have a Friend” and Beyonce’s “America Has a Problem.” The movie is about a doll powered by artificial intelligence that turns rogue. 

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Lizzo responds to criticism she makes music for white people: “I am making music from my Black experience”

Lizzo responds to criticism she makes music for white people: “I am making music from my Black experience”
Lizzo responds to criticism she makes music for white people: “I am making music from my Black experience”
ABC

Lizzo is often the topic of discussion in the media. 

Most recently, her name was mentioned in a TV interview with Kanye West, in which the rapper made comments about her weight and body image. 

In a recent spread for Vanity Fair, the “About Damn Time” singer opens up about the “biggest criticism” she receives: that the music she makes is for white people. 

“I am not making music for white people,” Lizzo says. “I am a Black woman, I am making music from my Black experience, for me to heal myself [from] the experience we call life.”

The Grammy winner is all for helping people with her music, especially Black women. “Because we are the most marginalized and neglected people in this country,” the singer says.

“We need self-love and self-love anthems more than anybody. So am I making music for that girl right there who looks like me, who grew up in a city where she was underappreciated and picked on and made to feel unbeautiful? Yes.”

Lizzo says she’s always baffled by comments her music isn’t meant for the Black audience. “How could I not do that as a Black artist?” she wonders.

While perplexed, the singer says she realizes she’s not the only artist who has received the criticism from fans. 

“The thing is, when a Black artist reaches a certain level of popularity, it’s going to be a predominantly white crowd,” Lizzo said, using musicians like Diana RossTina Turner and Beyoncé as examples. 

Once bothered by the criticism, Lizzo credits the “real world” conversations with Black women who’ve been inspired by her music as a source of happiness today. 

She tells Vanity Fair, “I finally feel I can relax and have a cocktail.”

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Nashville notes: Miranda Lambert & Carly Pearce debut music videos & more

Nashville notes: Miranda Lambert & Carly Pearce debut music videos & more
Nashville notes: Miranda Lambert & Carly Pearce debut music videos & more

Miranda Lambert has released the video for “Strange,” which features clips from her live shows on The Bandwagon Tour and her headlining set at Windy City Smokeout festival in Chicago. 

Carly Pearce has premiered the video for her single, “What He Didn’t Do.” “Bringing #whathedidntdo to life this way feels like the perfect way to end my chapter of 29,” she says. 

The 11th season of Front and Centera live concert series featuring intimate performances by artists of all genres, will feature Hank Williams, Jr. in an episode airing on November 26 on public television stations (check local listings). 

The second annual “Opry NextStage Live in Concert” will feature performances by Hailey Whitters, Priscilla Block, Breland, Elvie Shane, Conner Smith, Restless Road and Nate Smith at the Grand Ole Opry on November 20. Priscilla will also serve as host. Tickets go on sale on October 14. 

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Lizzo explains why she changed “GRRRLS” lyrics: “Using a slur is unauthentic to me”

Lizzo explains why she changed “GRRRLS” lyrics: “Using a slur is unauthentic to me”
Lizzo explains why she changed “GRRRLS” lyrics: “Using a slur is unauthentic to me”
ABC

Lizzo opened up about the controversy of her song “GRRRLS” and explained why she adjusted the song’s lyrics after fans criticized her for using an ableist slur.

To recap, the song originally contained the lyrics, “Hold my bag, b****, hold my bag / Do you see this s***? I’m a spaz.” She has since adjusted the last sentence to “Hold me back” after fans pointed out the word is ableist. 

Lizzo opened up about the controversy to Vanity Fair and explained, “I’d never heard it used as a slur against disabled people, never ever.”

“The music I make is in the business of feeling good and being authentic to me. Using a slur is unauthentic to me, but I did not know it was a slur,” she continued. “It’s a word I’ve heard a lot, especially in rap songs, and with my Black friends and in my Black circles: It means to go off, turn up.”

Added Lizzo, “I used [it as a] verb, not as a noun or adjective. I used it in the way that it’s used in the Black community. The internet brought it to my attention, but that wouldn’t [have been enough] to make me change something.”

Lizzo also called out those who continue to criticize her for using the word. She asked, “Am I not being an artist and reflecting the times and learning, listening to people, and making a conscious change in the way we treat language, and help people in the way we treat people in the future?”

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Ed Sheeran pranked Sam Smith with NSFW statue

Ed Sheeran pranked Sam Smith with NSFW statue
Ed Sheeran pranked Sam Smith with NSFW statue
Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal

Ed Sheeran is known for sending suggestive gifts to his fellow artists from time to time, and his recent offering to Sam Smith is right on brand.

Ed made headlines last year for sending Elton John a large phallus statue made of marble. He’s also pranked Friends star Courteney Cox by buying her a S&M gear gimp mask.

Sam was a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Showand they revealed that it was their turn to be pranked by the redhead. Turns out Sam received a similar gift to that of Elton John.

“It’s a six-foot-two marble penis… It’s two tons and I’m gonna have to get it craned into my house,” Sam explained, calling his new decorative artwork “wild.” They also admitted they “thought it was a joke” at first.

Leave it to Sam to get creative with turning a joke into a opportunity. “I want to turn it into a fountain, which I think will be hard to do,” they joked.

Sam also noted their gift from Ed isn’t all that unique. “He gives people concrete penises. Yeah. I’m not the first,” they said.

Kelly joked that she “kinda” wants to be the next singer Ed sends a NSFW statue. We’ll see what Ed will do now that Kelly technically asked for one.

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New Duran Duran concert film and doc, ‘A Hollywood High,’ premiering soon

New Duran Duran concert film and doc, ‘A Hollywood High,’ premiering soon
New Duran Duran concert film and doc, ‘A Hollywood High,’ premiering soon
Courtesy of Abramorama

A new Duran Duran concert film and documentary, A Hollywood High, featuring footage of a rooftop show the British new wave band played last March will be released in theaters around the world November 3.

The 75-minute movie focuses on a performance by Duran Duran on the roof of L.A.’s Aster Hotel, and also includes new interviews with the band’s members and archival footage of the group, while telling the story of the group’s love for and experiences in the city.

Prior to its wide release, A Hollywood High will get a special premiere screening at LA’s Dolby Theatre on October 27 that Duran Duran will attend. A London premiere with follow on November 1 at the Vue West End theater.

“For our first U.S. show in several years we wanted to do something really special and intimate,” says keyboardist Nick Rhodes. “After considering many options, a rooftop performance quickly became the front-runner … we had never done anything like that before, and we had just released a new album [2021’s Future Past]. Somehow it seemed like a magical doorway to the next part of our journey.”

Adds bassist John Taylor, “Duran Duran have had an enduring relationship with the city of Los Angeles since the first time we came to America. We were determined to do something unique to celebrate our four decades together. A rooftop performance in LA … turned out to be an extraordinary night for all of us.”

Duran Duran will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on November 5 at LA’s Microsoft Theater.

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Elton John books charity gig for LA museum, buys futuristic penthouse in Toronto

Elton John books charity gig for LA museum, buys futuristic penthouse in Toronto
Elton John books charity gig for LA museum, buys futuristic penthouse in Toronto
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Part-time Los Angeles resident Elton John will provide the entertainment for this year’s big charity event for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, aka LACMA.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Elton will perform at LACMA’s Art + Film Gala November 5; Leonardo DiCaprio is the event’s co-chair. The money raised will help fund an initiative to make film more central to the museum’s programming. Elton will be in the neighborhood since his final U.S. tour dates are taking place November 17, 19 and 20 at Dodger Stadium.

In addition to having two homes in LA, Elton and his husband, David Furnish, also have homes in the U.K., the south of France and Atlanta, GA. Now, the real estate website Dirt reports the two have purchased a penthouse in a yet-to-be-completed futuristic complex in downtown Toronto, which will be their sixth home. The two-story condo is 2,400 square feet with three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

“David’s brothers and their wives and children are here. We spend a lot of the summer in Canada,” Elton told The Globe and Mail about their decision to purchase the home. David, who’s Canadian, added that their sons Elijah and Zachary “find Toronto dynamic.”

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Warren Haynes’ 2022 Christmas Jam benefit concert to feature Gov’t Mule, Phil Lesh & more

Warren Haynes’ 2022 Christmas Jam benefit concert to feature Gov’t Mule, Phil Lesh & more
Warren Haynes’ 2022 Christmas Jam benefit concert to feature Gov’t Mule, Phil Lesh & more
Courtesy of Warren Haynes

Ex-Allman Brothers Band guitarist Warren Haynes is bringing back his Christmas Jam benefit concert for the first time since 2018.

The 31st edition of the holiday event will take place in Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday, December 10 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center.

The lineup will feature Haynes’ current band Gov’t Mule, founding Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh‘s Phil Lesh & Friends collective, Brothers Osborne, Dinosaur Jr., Beth Hart and more.

The concert also will boast several special guests, including former Black Crowes guitarist Audley Freed and current Who touring violinist Katie Jacoby.

Besides playing with Gov’t Mule, Haynes will be performing as part of Phil Lesh & Friends, whose lineup will also feature guitarist John Scofield, keyboardist John Medeski and drummer John Molo.

Tickets for the 2022 Christmas Jam will go on sale to the public on Friday, October 21 at 10 a.m. ET, while pre-sale tickets and VIP and travel packages will be available starting this Friday, October 14 at 10 a.m. ET. Visit XmasJam.com for more info and to purchase tickets.

“I’m excited to finally bring back Christmas Jam and continue the tradition we’ve been building for over 30 years,” says Haynes. “It feels like the perfect time to return to celebrating this wonderful cause (and life in general) and to be helping the community in my beloved home of Asheville.”

He adds, “Looking forward to being together for an amazing night of music and holiday cheer.”

In addition to the main show, Xmas Jam by Day gigs will be held at select local venues.

The Christmas Jam concert will raise money for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and for BeLoved Asheville, an organization that helps the local homeless population and other in-need people in the community.

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Rapper Nelly gives jacket off his back to fan with disability

Rapper Nelly gives jacket off his back to fan with disability
Rapper Nelly gives jacket off his back to fan with disability
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

St. Louis rapper Nelly took the jacket off his back to give it to an excited fan in a wheelchair at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina this past weekend. 

In a short clip shared by the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter, Nelly is seen removing the windbreaker and placing it across the body of 22-year-old Jacob Lemke. According to his sister, Lemke suffers from Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, a representative of the Charlotte Motorsport Speedway said. 

“You make sure you hold it down, okay?” Nelly said while he and the fan interact. He then learned the fan would soon be celebrating a birthday on October 12. The rapper wished him a happy birthday and proceeded to walk away while thanking him.  

The 47-year-old entertainer appeared as the Bank of America ROVAL 400 pre-race performer and driver announcer.

“I can’t wait to Rock the ROVAL and get fans revved up for an afternoon of NASCAR action,” Nelly said prior to the popular event and his scheduled 60-minute show. “We’re bringing the party to Charlotte Motor Speedway and it’s going to be big!”

People on social media say it was a selfless act of kindness from Nelly, one that garnered the now-viral video many likes, retweets and lots of positive comments aimed at him.

“This is why I have always loved @Nelly_Mo he’s so genuine and just made that guys day,” one user tweeted. “#Nascar really is family.”

“That’s pretty cool Nelly_Mo. Great to have people that care about others and not just about themselves,” another wrote.

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