Lainey Wilson’s first new music since the Whirlwind era is out now, with a new track she co-wrote called “Can’t Sit Still.”
The new track is seemingly a reflection of everything the CMA and ACM entertainer of the year has going on in her life these days. It arrives the same day that she makes her big-screen debut in Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him.
On Tuesday Lainey’s documentary, Keepin’ Country Cool, premieres at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, ahead of its April 22 debut on Netflix.
Just as Lainey seems to be closing the Whirlwind chapter of her music, she did the same with her concerts, wrapping the Australian and New Zealand leg of the Whirlwind World Tour in February. Next up, she plays RodeoHouston on Thursday.
David Gilmour’s ‘The Black Strat’ guitar (Courtesy of Christie’s)
A guitar previously owned by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour has broken records at auction.
Gilmour’s black Fender Stratocaster, known as “The Black Strat,” brought in a record-setting $14.55 million from an online bidder at a Christie’s auction on Thursday. According to the auction house, the guitar was part of a 21-minute online bidding war.
That price tag for Gilmour’s guitar is now the highest amount ever paid for a guitar at auction, beating Kurt Cobain’s Martin D-180E, which he played during Nirvana’s Unplugged episode, which brought in over $6 million in 2020.
According to Christie’s, Gilmour’s guitar was used in the recording of six Pink Floyd albums, including 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon, 1975’s Wish You Were Here, 1977’s Animals and 1979’s The Wall. He also recorded most of his 1978 self-titled solo debut on the guitar.
In 2019 the guitar was purchased at auction by the late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay for $5 million. The latest sale was part of a larger Christie’s auction of Irsay’s vast memorabilia collection.
Other records set in Thursday’s auction include: a guitar Cobain used for Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video sold for $6.9 million, the highest price for one of the rocker’s instruments; a custom Jerry Garcia-owned guitar known as “The Tiger” brought in $11.56 million, the highest price ever for a Garcia guitar; and John Lennon’s Broadwood upright piano, on which he composed songs for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, sold for over $3.2 million, the most expensive Beatles item ever sold.
The Jim Irsay Collection auction, featuring over 400 items, continues through Tuesday.
Elegant Weapons, the band featuring Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, has announced a new album called Evolution.
The sophomore follow-up to the group’s 2023 debut, Horns for a Halo, is due out April 24. The first single, titled “Bridges Burn,” is out now.
Alongside Faulkner, Elegant Weapons features Rainbow vocalist Ronnie Romero, Uriah Heep bassist Dave Rimmer and Accept drummer Christopher Williams
“This record represents growth in every sense,” Faulkner says in a statement. “When the four of us come together, we sound like Elegant Weapons. We’ve spent time on the road, we’ve developed a chemistry, and you can hear that evolution in the performances.”
The most recent Judas Priest album is 2024’s Invincible Shield. They will be touring Europe over the summer.
Here’s the Evolution track list: “Evil Eyes” “Generation Me” “Bridges Burn” “Holy Roller” “Come Back to Me” “The Devil Calls” “Thrown to the Wolves” “Shooting Shadows” “Rupture” “Mercy of the Fallen” “Keeper of the Keys”
Quincy Jones is honored with Hand and Footprint Ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on November 27, 2018, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
The Quincy Jones estate is putting new measures in place to keep the late producer’s legacy alive. The estate has signed a deal with HarbourView Equity Partners, granting it ownership of select music and non-music assets from Quincy Jones, including portions of his recorded music, publishing assets and his participation in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
HarbourView will also work with the estate on future initiatives tied to Quincy’s name, image and likeness, helping ensure his legacy is preserved and his music is protected against “unauthorized and exploitative uses,” according to a press release. The goal, the release adds, is to ensure that “future generations can fully understand and appreciate his global impact on music and culture.”
“Our father was endlessly curious and always ahead of his time. Long before anyone talked about ‘multi-platform,’ he was already building bridges and connecting the dots across music, film, television, publishing, technology and culture, creating iconic juggernauts like Thriller, The Color Purple, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Vibe,” Quincy’s daughter Rashida Jones said in a statement on behalf of the Jones family. “These projects didn’t just succeed; they became the gold standard. As his children, our responsibility is to protect not only the catalog, but the spirit and love behind it. HarbourView understands that legacy and has the vision and expertise to help ensure future generations can feel the full scope of his everlasting impact.”
His son, Quincy Jones III, added that the family has great confidence that his “father’s legacy will be thoughtfully protected and carried forward” through the partnership with HarbourView.
Billy Joel, Pink, and Willow Hart attend ‘The Music of Billy Joel’ at Carnegie Hall on March 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
It wasn’t 9 o’clock on a Saturday, but the crowd that shuffled into New York’s Carnegie Hall at 8 p.m. on Thursday night were definitely in the mood for a melody — written by Billy Joel.
An all-star cast lined up to pay tribute to The Piano Man during the latest installment of the annual Music Ofcharity concert series, which raises money for music education for underserved youth. Thursday night’s show netted $225,000 for the cause.
While Billy himself didn’t take the stage, he did watch from the balcony, accompanied by his friend Pink and her teenage daughter, Willow Sage Hart. He smiled and waved as the adoring crowd chanted, “Let’s go, Billy!”
And speaking of daughters, Billy’s eldest, Alexa Ray Joel, was on hand to perform for her dad, who she called “my musical hero.” She thanked Billy — and her mom and “golden muse,” Christie Brinkley — “for making me,” before singing “This Night,” from Billy’s 1983 album An Innocent Man. She was backed by Billy’s longtime touring band, who accompanied every artist on the bill, and also took their own turn in the spotlight to play “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.”
While many artists delivered faithful renditions of Billy’s songs, such as Rob Thomas singing “Vienna,” Gavin DeGraw rocking through “Big Shot” and Train’s Pat Monahan doing “She’s Always a Woman,” others offered their own interpretations. Former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant turned “Allentown” into a somber piano ballad, while jazz-pop singer Sammy Rae did “River of Dreams” solo, accompanied only by her own ukulele.
Matt Nathanson sang an introspective solo acoustic guitar version of Billy’s hard-driving 1990 rocker “I Go to Extremes,” and followed that with a full-band rendition of “Miami 2017,” earning him one of the night’s many standing ovations. Another ovation came when legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman accompanied O.A.R. frontman Marc Roberge on “The Downeaster ‘Alexa.'”
The night concluded with an all-star version of “You May Be Right,” which had fans literally dancing in the aisles.
Here’s who performed what:
Yola — “Movin’ Out” Rob Thomas — “Vienna” Pat Monahan — “She’s Always a Woman” Mary Chapin Carpenter — “And So It Goes” Matt Nathanson — “I Go to Extremes” and “Miami 2017” Jon McLaughlin — “Everybody Loves You Now” Alexa Ray Joel — “This Night” Rufus Wainwright — “Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)” Ledisi — “Turn the Lights Back On” Marc Roberge & Itzhak Perlman — “The Downeaster ‘Alexa'” Bettye LaVette — “(He’s) Got a Way” David Rosenthal (Billy’s musical director) — “The Longest Time” piano sonata Music Will students and Wyclef Jean — “My Life” Neal Francis — “Stiletto” Sammy Rae — “River of Dreams” and “Get It Right the First Time” Natalie Merchant — “Allentown” Billy Joel Band — “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” Curtis Harding — “Uptown Girl” Gavin DeGraw — “Big Shot” Lawrence — “Only the Good Die Young” Andrew McMahon — “Piano Man” Ensemble — “You May Be Right”
Riley Green’s Cowboy As It Gets Tour (Live Nation)
Riley Green has a steamy new duet out with Carly Pearce titled “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay.”
He also has a new tour to prepare for, as his Cowboy As It Gets run kicks off April 16 in Southaven, Mississippi.
“I’m taking out Justin Moore, who I’m a huge fan of, and several other artists that I love, and it’s gonna be great,” Riley says.
Drake White, Mackenzie Carpenter, Zach John King, Hannah McFarland and Adam Hood are the other artists who will join him along the way.
For the first time, Riley’s grappling with a new problem on tour — but it’s one he’s plenty happy to have.
“We got a lot of big songs now that we get to play, and I’m getting to this cool point in my career where I get to kind of pick through them,” he tells ABC Audio. “Like, I have to figure out which ones I want to play in my live show.”
Riley’s Cowboy As It Gets Tour is set to wrap Aug. 22 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The Black Crowes’ Chris and Rich Robinson (Photo by: Ross Halfin)
The Black Crowes are back with a new album, A Pound of Feathers, which they recorded in just eight days. And while that may sound fast, guitarist Rich Robinson tells ABC Audio that’s just how he and brother Chris Robinson work.
“Chris and I have always been that way when we make records,” he says. “Even when we were kids, we were always that way.” He adds, “This time around we were just like, well, let’s just kind of wing it and see what happens.”
Rich says he and Chris “work really quickly” when they get into the studio together, as does their producer, Jay Joyce.
“At the end of the first five days we had nine songs done, and we’re like wow, that’s pretty cool,” he says.
One of the first singles the band released from the album is “Profane Prophecy,” which Rich says is a fun song that has “an abandon to it.”
“You know, it is kind of a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll music,” he says. “Even how the songs are crafted, how they come across and, you know, and also the variety, the love, it’s a love letter to what rock ‘n’ roll was.”
When it comes to influences on the album, Rich says there’s a “really deep and broad base that we draw from,” but he notes, “At the end of the day, it still sounds like a Black Crowes record.”
A Pound of Feathers is the Crowes’ follow-up to 2024’s Happiness Bastards. While two albums in two years may also seem fast, Rich would be happy to continue at that pace.
“I would make a record a year indefinitely,” he says. “It’s something I love to do.”
Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters performs with Violet Grohl at Glastonbury Festival 2023 on June 23, 2023 in Glastonbury, England. (Harry Durrant/Getty Images)
Dave Grohl has said he’s been “totally uninvolved” with his daughter Violet Grohl’s debut album, but he did impact her latest single in an indirect way.
As Violet tells the U.K.’s Radio X, her song “595” was inspired by a T-shirt advertising a phone sex line that she’d ordered on Etsy. However, the package containing the shirt was rerouted by Dave before it got to her.
“My dad actually opened up my package and saw the shirt and then hid it in his studio for a couple months,” Violet recalls. “I scoured the house looking for the shirt because it said it was delivered, and then I found it in a box in the studio.”
Violet also shares how she told her parents she’d signed a record deal over dinner.
“My dad can make a killer Sunday roast,” Violet says. “I’m pretty sure it was a Sunday roast.”
Violet’s debut album, Be Sweet to Me, drops May 29. Her dad, meanwhile, will release a new Foo Fighters album, Your Favorite Toy, on April 24.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Mariah Carey’s one major career misstep, and though she says she used to hate it, she’s now excited to celebrate it.
That misstep was Glitter, her 2001 movie that had the misfortune of coming out 10 days after Sept. 11. It was panned by critics, audiences didn’t like it and it didn’t make any money, either. The soundtrack album fared better, but not on par with her past releases. However, Mariah tells Variety that since this year marks the 25th anniversary of Glitter, she’s got “plans for a deluxe and a reissue, or maybe just one, I don’t know.”
“We’re getting on top of it. I’m excited about it,” she tells Variety, adding that her feelings toward the project have changed over the years. “I used to hate it. I used to be so like, why did I do that?” she says, noting that it was “a disastrous flop,” made during what she described as “a tough time for me.”
But, she goes on to say, “[I]t became something that I really loved and it just sort of took on its own thing.”
Mariah also insists that she plans to eventually release her secret grunge album, Someone’s Ugly Daughter. The album’s songs were performed by Foo Fighters and Taylor Momsen at Mariah’s MusiCares Tribute earlier this year. She called that performance “one of the best things I’ve ever experienced,” adding, “I was flipping out.”
And speaking of rock, Mariah is on the ballot for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction for a third time, but she’s not holding her breath.
“Well, I mean, it would be fantastic, but I’m just like… Pftt. You know, if it happens, it happens,” she tells Variety. “And if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But I think it would be amazing.”
2 Chainz’s debut memoir, The Voice in My Head is God, is now a New York Times bestseller. Reacting to the news on Instagram, he wrote, “Something told me to write this book. Something told me the message would find the people it was meant for. Now it’s a INSTANT New York Times Bestseller. Grateful for everyone who listened to that voice with me.” The book details his journey to stardom and success, and discusses the higher source behind it all.
Nas has compiled all his guest appearances from the Legend Has It… series into one album. Legend Has It...Feature Presentation features Nas’ commentary on each collaboration and is now available on digital formats. A physical copy is also available for purchase at shop.massappeal.com. For the uninitiated, Legend Has It… celebrated hip-hop legends Nas, DJ Premier, Slick Rick, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Big L and De La Soul via the release of their new albums.
John Legend and his Get Lifted company have joined the production team for Broadway’s Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. He’ll work alongside Mike Jackson, who has also recently signed on as a producer. On Instagram, John says the new musical reimagines the original “in a way that feels completely fresh while still honoring the original. It incorporates ballroom culture and brings an incredible new energy to the piece. We got voguing, runway, fashion, music, all coming together on the stage.”
Jada Pinkett Smith will reprise her role as Lena James in the A Different World sequel, which follows Dwayne Wayne and Whitney Gilbert’s daughter as she starts college at their alma mater, Hillman College. Jada posted a photo taken in front of her trailer, which had her character’s name on the door. “She back #ADifferentWorld,” she wrote in the caption.
