Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, The Weeknd & more to perform on Global Citizen Live broadcast

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour live broadcast on Saturday, September 25, will feature performances from music’s top stars, including Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, The Weeknd, BTS, Billie Eilish, Adam Lambert and Coldplay.

The broadcast will be filmed across six continents, with a goal of uniting the world in order to defeat poverty and defend the planet. It’ll air on ABC, ABC News Live, FX, Hulu, YouTube, Twitter and more. The musical performances will take place at “iconic locations” in New York, Paris, London, Seoul, LA, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro.

Other artists on the bill include Alessia Cara, Andrea Bocelli, Demi Lovato, Duran Duran, H.E.R., Lizzo, Lorde, Ricky Martin, Usher and Doja Cat.

The broadcast is part of Global Citizen’s Recovery Plan for the World in the wake of the pandemic. It calls on governments, the private sector and philanthropists to donate one billion COVID-19 vaccine, contribute $6 billion to famine relief efforts, donate $400 million to education, give $250 million to support COVID-19 response efforts for marginalized communities, and get the world’s biggest companies to commit to reaching net zero emissions to fight climate change.

“It is very important to me to be a part of this historic event to spread awareness and encourage action toward helping the people of Ethiopia during this devastating humanitarian crisis they are faced with,” says The Weeknd, whose parents are from Ethiopia. “It’ll be an honor to perform and help bring support to these citizens who are suffering so severely.”

Visit GlobalCitizen.org for more information.

Gloria Estefan, Camila Cabello and other Cuban artists react to country’s crisis

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Brad Barket/Getty Images for PEOPLE En Espanol, Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Spotify, Mike Coppola/FilmMagic

Celebrities with ties to Cuba, such as Gloria Estefan and Camila Cabello, are raising awareness about the ongoing crisis impacting the country.

Thousands of Cubans are actively protesting the government over rising prices and shortages of food and medicine amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as blackouts plaguing the island. The turnout is among the largest anti-government demonstrations in Cuba’s recent history. Amid the already growing tensions, Cuba’s government denounced the protests and deployed armed forces, further provoking an already volatile situation.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Cabello informed her millions of followers about what’s happening in Cuba and pleaded for their assistance.

“Hey guys, there is a major crisis right now in Cuba and we need your help to spread awareness. Deaths from COVID are rising rapidly and because of the lack of medicine, resources, basic necessities and even, food many people are dying,” she explained, urging her fans to use the #SOSCuba hashtag on social media.

In a follow up, the “Havana” singer continued, “There are simultaneous protests in more than 5 cities in Cuba. Our brave people took the streets to protest for this humanitarian crisis & they need our help.”

Gloria Estefan also rallied her followers on Sunday by sharing footage of a recent protest taking place in the country.

“The Cuban people are reaching their breaking point! I stand with them as I always have!,” she wrote, while also sharing the message in Spanish. In other social media posts, she called for the country’s freedom.

Other celebrities rallying for the country include J Balvin and Becky G.

Cuba is going through its worst economic crisis in decades. In tandem with the economic crisis, the country is grappling with a new and deadly surge of COVID-19.

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Deborah Cox says her new music is about “spontaneity and living in the moment”

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Veteran R&B singer Deborah Cox turns 47 today. The Canadian vocalist, who previously sang backup for Celine Dion, says the new music she’s making reflects her spontaneous attitude toward life.

“It’s really just about the spontaneity and living in the moment. I’m very much that kind of person that’s very grounded and very present,” Cox tells ABC Audio. “So a lot of the projects that I choose to do are birthed out of the moment that I’m in.”

Cox’s next moment involves preparing her seventh album, which will feature production assistance from Rico Love and D-Town.

“We were in the studio coming up with ideas for this next project, the seventh album, and that’s literally what I was working on at the time,” Cox explains, noting that the pandemic impacted her motivation to create more R&B classics.

“But the idea is really to accentuate and get back to my soul roots, the genre of music that got me to do ‘Sentimental‘ and ‘Where Do We Go from Here,’ ‘Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here‘ and ‘We Can’t Be Friends,'” she says. “It’s really to just continue that path.”

Cox admits that she’s “still in the process” of mixing, mastering and recording vocals for the album, reflecting on her new perspective on life.

“y life has changed dramatically [because of the pandemic]. I’m not able to really connect with people and do live shows and do all the things that were my life before,” she explains. “I’m going to have to be able to express that in this album. So, yeah, we’re not done. We’re just taking a bit of a pause until we can figure out how and when we can get back to finishing up some more.”

The Moody Blues’ Justin Hayward to launch the “Nights” US solo tour in September

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

After his solo touring plans were put on hold last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moody Blues singer/guitarist Justin Hayward will get back on the road starting in September for a monthlong U.S. trek.

The outing, dubbed the “Nights” tour, gets underway with a September 13-14 stand in Chicago and winds down on October 15 in Clearwater, Florida. The 22-date trek also will stop in venues in other Midwest cities, as well as along the East Coast.

Hayward’s longtime guitar accompanist Mike Dawes will open the shows with a solo set.

The most recent new music that the 74-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer released was a two-song digital EP featuring the original songs “One Summer Day” and “My Juliette” that came out in March 2020.

Here’s a full list of Hayward’s upcoming U.S. tour dates:

9/13 — Chicago, IL, City Winery
9/14 — Chicago, IL, City Winery
9/16 — Cincinnati, OH, The Ludlow Garage
9/18 — Warren, OH, Robins Theatre
9/19 — Kent, OH, The Kent Stage
9/20 — Munhall, PA, Carnegie of Homestead
9/22 — Annapolis, MD, Rams Head On Stage
9/24 — Fairfield, CT, The Warehouse at FTC
9/25 — Hartford, CT, Infinity Hall Hartford
9/26 — East Greenwich, RI, Greenwich Odeum
9/28 — Boston, MA, City Winery Boston
9/29 — Rockport, MA, Shalin Liu Performance Center
9/30 — Plymouth, NH, The Flying Monkey
10/2 — Huntington, NY, The Paramount
10/3 — Sellersville, PA, Sellersville Theater 1894
10/5 — Nashville, TN, City Winery Nashville
10/7 — Atlanta, GA, City Winery Atlanta
10/9 — Fort Lauderdale, FL, Amaturo Theater at Broward Center for the Performing Arts
10/10 — Key West, FL, Key West Theater
10/12 — Ponte Vedra, FL, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
10/14 — Orlando, FL, The Plaza Live
10/15 — Clearwater, FL, Capitol Theatre

“Super dope”: Nelly & Kelly Rowland’s “Dilemma” video hits one billion views

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

It’s difficult for videos that were released before YouTube existed — that’s pre-2005 — to amass a billion views, but a lucky few have done it, including clips for hits by Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, Whitney Houston and 50 Cent. Now, you can add Nelly to that prestigious list.

The multi-platinum rapper’s number-one 2002 hit “Dilemma” has just made it into the Billion Views club. A collaboration with Kelly Rowland, whose career was then red-hot with Destiny’s Child, the song topped the the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 10 weeks that year and won a Grammy to boot. The video featured the legendary Patti LaBelle playing Kelly’s mother, since the song was based on a sample of Patti’s hit “Love, Need and Want You.”

“Dilemma” replaced Nelly’s own “Hot in Herre” at number one on the Hot 100. The song appeared on both his album Nellyville, and Kelly’s first solo album, Simply Deep, which also included the hit “Stole.”

In a statement, Nelly said of the achievement, “It is both humbling and what every artist hopes for, to see your work from 20 years ago still getting such love from fans old and new.”

He added that it’s “super dope that a song made before YouTube existed is getting so much support now,” and declared, “Shout out to Nelly fans and to my girl Kelly Rowland who helped make this song a hit when we made it and still a hit today!”

Nelly is currently on the pop charts with the song “Lil Bit,” a collaboration with his pals Florida Georgia Line. He’s working on a country-inspired album called Heartland that’s due out this summer.

Smokey Robinson, The Black Crowes to perform at 2022 Stagecoach festival alongside country stars

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The annual Stagecoach festival focuses mainly on country music, but the event also has traditionally featured some big-name artists from other genres, and the forthcoming 2022 edition of the fest is no exception.

Motown legend Smokey Robinson and rockers The Black Crowes are part of next year’s lineup for the three-day extravaganza, which is scheduled to run from April 29 to May 1 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the same site as the popular Coachella fest.

Both Robinson and The Black Crowes will play on the final day of the festival. The respective daily headliners for the upcoming event are country stars Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Luke Combs.

Among the many other artists on the bill are Tanya Tucker, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Midland, Lee Brice, The Mavericks, Brandi Carlile and Margo Price.

Additionally, next year’s festival — Stagecoach’s 14th event — will feature a new partnership between YouTube and music event promotions company Goldenvoice, enabling the festival to livestream all three days of music on YouTube.

Passes for Stagecoach 2022 go on sale this Friday, July 16, at 10 a.m. PT.

The 2020 and 2021 installments of the Stagecoach fest were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Check out the cover art for Pop Smoke’s second posthumous album, ‘Faith’

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Pop Smoke’s manager Steven Victor has shared the cover art and title for the late rapper’s second posthumous album, Faith.

On Monday, Victor shared the album’s trailer on Instagram, featuring video clips of Pop Smoke in the studio and performing in front of a massive audience.

“Today, I had a conversation with myself. I’m bout to drop the hottest tape in New York,” says Pop in the trailer’s voiceover. “It don’t get more New York than Pop Smoke.”

The artwork for Faith features a grainy photo of the 20-year-old rapper, who was shot and killed during a home invasion at a property he rented in Los Angeles, California, on February 19, 2020.

Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, was a leading figure in Brooklyn’s drill music scene, with singles including “Dior” and “Welcome to the Party.” Pop’s posthumous debut LP, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, was released in July 2020 by his music mentor and executive producer, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. It debuted at #1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart and was followed by a deluxe version, which dropped on what would have been Pop’s 21st birthday, July 20th.

Faith arrives July 16.

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Get cooking with new merch from New Kids on the Block

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

When you were a kid, you had New Kids on the Block bed sheets. Now, you can relive your childhood days as a Blockhead as you prepare dinner for your kids.

The 1980s-era pattern that was used in the original design of New Kids on the Block bed sheets is now back in a line of more mature merchandise. Available now at NKOTBStore.com, you can get the pattern on an apron, oven mitt, pint glass, coffee mug, dish towel, coasters and other grown-up items.

In a statement, NKOTB’s Danny Wood says, “My favorite item from the [merch] drop is the oven mitt. It has been put to the test while filming my show The Wood Works in my kitchen. I am very particular about my kitchen accessories and this fits right in.”

There will be two additional merchandise drops in the summer and the fall.

In other NKOTB news, Joey McIntyre will be doing a co-headlining Las Vegas residency with Debbie Gibson this August and September at the Sands Showroom at the Venetian Hotel Las Vegas. A duet version of Debbie’s #1 hit “Lost in Your Eyes” featuring Joey is out now.

Tinashe announces headlining dates for The 333 Tour

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Following the release of her single “Bouncin’,” Tinashe has announced a U.S. tour kicking off this fall to celebrate her upcoming album, 333.

The 28-year-old singer and dancer is prepared to give fans the live show they’ve been waiting for after last year’s Tour for You was postponed due to COVID-19.

For The 333 Tour, Tinashe will be joined by rising Korean-born pop singer REI AMI, who will open each night from September 16 until October 24. The two artists will perform at venues in New York, Chicago, Texas, Boston, Atlanta and more, including a digital experience for fans at home in partnership with Moment House.

Access to VIP packages will be available on Tuesday, July 13, at 10 a.m. ET. Spotify listeners will be offered fans first presale tickets from Wednesday, July 14, at 10 a.m. until Thursday, July 15 at 10 p.m. Meanwhile, general admission tickets go on sale Friday, July 16, at 10 a.m. local time at TinasheNow.com or Ticketmaster.com.

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Write My Fire: Doors guitarist Robby Krieger publishing memoir in October

July 12, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Doors guitarist Robby Krieger will share his life story, including his adventures with his famous band, in an upcoming memoir tilted Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with The Doors.

The book, which will be published on October 12, features the 75-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and songwriter opening up about his journey to becoming a member for one of the most influential U.S. bands to emerge during the the 1960s and beyond.

Set the Night on Fire offers a series of vignettes in which Krieger discusses such highlights as buying his first guitar, getting arrested for drugs as a teenager, writing songs with singer Jim Morrison in his parents’ living room, playing his first gigs with The Doors at empty bars and backyard parties, recording his bands classic albums, and eventually performing in front of massive adoring crowds.

The book also will feature anecdotes about Robby’s experiences and encounters with other famous musicians, unhinged fans and more.

In addition, Robby recounts some of the difficulties he endured during his life, including his struggle with drug addiction, battling cancer, and his twin brother’s mental health issues.

Krieger co-wrote Set the Night on Fire with Jeff Alulis, an author and documentary filmmaker who also was lead singer of veteran punk band The Dead Kennedys from 2003 to 2008.

You can pre-order the book now.

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