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Kool & the Gang is still “swinging” despite recent passing of two founding members

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Kool & the Gang’s Robert “Kool” Bell in 2012; Rob Ball/WireImage

Kool & the Gang reached a milestone with the release of their 25th studio album, Perfect Union, two weeks ago. However, it was difficult to celebrate following the recent passing of two of the founding members.

Saxophonist Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas died on August 7, one year after Ronald Bell, brother of band leader Robert “Kool” Bell, died in 2020.

“Our last show with Dennis Thomas was in Los Angeles on 4th of July weekend,” Kool tells People about their performance at the Hollywood Bowl. “We didn’t know that he would pass two or three weeks later. It was the greatest show. We blended very well with the live orchestra and it was great. We didn’t know that he would be leaving us after that.”

Perfect Union is the Grammy Award-winning band’s first album in eight years, and was conceived by Ronald Bell.

“[He] put together most of this album before he passed,” Kool continues. “The album represents the perfect union the band makes together and the theme of what not only our country, but the world is trying to achieve right now. “

After more than 50 years, Kool & the Gang is ready to document their impressive longevity with a project inspired by their 1974 party classic.

“We’re working on a documentary, a movie as well,” Kool reveals. “My working title is Hollywood Swinging: The Kool and the Gang Story.”

Despite so much recent tragedy, including the passing of his wife, Sakinah, in 2018, Bell is grateful for what has been a very special life.

“A lot of different things over the years were testing periods for me, learning periods of my life,” the 70-year-old bassist comments. “This experience has been a blessing, to be able to travel around the world and see so many different things.”

Foo Fighters nominated for just-added Group of the Year MTV VMA

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Foo Fighters are among the nominees for Group of the Year at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

The prize is among the just-announced VMA “social categories,” which will be chosen through MTV’s social media channels. Bracket-style voting is set to begin this Saturday, September 4, via MTV’s Instagram Story.

Other nominees include Twenty One Pilots, BTS, Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5, Silk Sonic, BLACKPINK and CNCO.

Foo Fighters are already up for three other VMAs this year: Best Rock, Best Choreography and Best Cinematography, all for the “Shame Shame” video. They’ll also be honored with the Global Icon Award.

Foo Fighters are also performing during the VMA ceremony, which premieres September 12.

Listen to new Badflower song, “Johnny Wants to Fight”

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Badflower has released a new song called “Johnny Wants to Fight” off the band’s upcoming album, This Is How the World Ends.

If you’re wondering why “Johnny Wants to Fight,” that’d be because frontman Josh Katz‘s narrator is sleeping with Johnny’s girlfriend.

“Johnny wants to fight, let him fight/ Let him paint my f***ing face all over town,” Katz sings. “Johnny Wants to Fight” is available now via digital outlets and steaming services. You also can check out a lyric video for the tune at Badflower’s official YouTube channel.

“Johnny Wants to Fight” is the fourth track to be released from This Is How the World Ends, following “Family,” “Don’t Hate Me” and “F**boi.” The album, the sophomore follow-up to 2019’s OK, I’m Sick, arrives in full on September 24.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

New Music Friday: Drake, Soulja Boy, Anderson .Paak and Bobby Shmurda

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Drake Certified Lover Boy album cover-Republic Records

Friday was highlighted by the release of the most anticipated album of the year, Drake‘s Certified Lover Boy, which finally dropped after months of delay. The follow-up to Drake’s five-times-platinum 2018 album, Scorpion, includes 21 tracks. The star-studded project features Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Rick Ross, Future, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Ty Dolla $ign, Kid Cudi, 21 Savage and many more.

Like Drake, Soulja Boy also is feuding with Kanye West, and earlier this week Draco blasted Yeezy in a marathon Twitter Rage. He’s accusing West of erasing his verse from the song “Remote Control” on the Donda album after telling Soulja Boy that he loved it.

Now the “Crank That” rapper, who has over 60 mixtapes, has dropped another mix project, titled Swag 4. He promoted it with a photo of stacks of cash on Instagram. The 14-song mixtape includes a track with the title “Shawn Carter,” which is of Jay-Z’s legal name.

Anderson .Paak, who has been enjoying his massive success with Bruno Mars as the duo Silk Sonic, has dropped a new solo song, “Fire in the Sky.” The mid-tempo track about falling in love is featured on Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings soundtrack, which also features Swae Lee, Jhene Aiko, Rick Ross, 21 Savage and Saweetie.

Finally, Bobby Shmurda has shared a new freestyle song, “No Time for Sleep,” his first since being released from prison in February after serving five years for conspiracy to commit murder. The song is his first new solo single in seven years, and he will have a chance to perform it for the first time this weekend at Jay-Z’s Made in America festival in Philadelphia.

This Sunday would have been Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s 75th birthday

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was born 75 years ago this Sunday, September 5.

Mercury, who died from AIDS in November 1991 at age 45, is widely regarded as one of the all-time great rock singers. His powerful vocals, flamboyant persona and dynamic performing style helped Queen become one of the most popular and successful bands on the planet.

Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on the African island of Zanzibar in 1946, and his family lived there until 1964, when they moved to the U.K. In 1970, Mercury teamed up with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor in a band called Smile, and after the addition of bassist John Deacon, the group changed its name to Queen.

Queen blended a variety of genres including rock ‘n’ roll, hard rock, prog-rock, classical, pop, funk and rockabilly for a unique sound that captivated a wide variety of music fans. Mercury was responsible for writing many of the band’s biggest hits, including “Killer Queen,” “Somebody to Love,” “We Are the Champions,” “Bicycle Race,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Play the Game” and, of course, the enduring rock anthem “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Freddie also co-wrote Queen’s classic 1981 collaboration with David Bowie, “Under Pressure.” Mercury’s performance with Queen at London’s Wembley Stadium at the 1985 Live Aid festival is widely considered one of the highlights of that historic event.

Mercury also released a pair of solo albums during the 1980s, one of which, 1988’s Barcelona, was a duets project with Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé.

Mercury and Queen’s other members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.

In commemoration of Freddie’s 75th birthday, three special T-shirts are on sale now at Queen’s online store.

Rejoice, ‘Dawson’s Creek’ fans: Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait” is back on the show

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

For months now, anyone who watched Dawson’s Creek on Netflix didn’t hear the show’s iconic theme song, “I Don’t Want to Wait” by Paula Cole, play over the opening credits. But on Friday, Netflix finally announced the good news: The song is back.

The reason the song had disappeared, reports Billboard, is allegedly because the show’s production company, Sony Pictures, was trying to save money by not licensing the song for DVD and streaming services. Meanwhile, Paula had re-recorded “I Don’t Want to Wait” and her other hits, similar to the way Taylor Swift is doing, and for the same reason. That cleared the way for the song to return.

As Paula tells Billboard, “This is a result of fans’ protestations, and I’m very touched and very humbled by that. Sony finally listened and contacted me and we made a deal using my new re-recorded master. It supports me, the artist.”

While she didn’t disclose the financial arrangement, Paula tells Billboard, “it’s a good deal” that’s enough to pay her daughter’s college tuition.

Now that “I Don’t Want to Wait” — which peaked at #11 in 1998 — is back, Paula tells Billboard that she hopes it’ll bring attention to the rest of her catalog, as well as her upcoming 12th album. She says what’s happened with Dawson’s Creek proves that that her “work will stand the test of time,” adding, “This is a beautiful testament to that — having patience and letting the fans have a voice. It’s beautiful and I’m very humbled by it.”

Vote for the MTV VMA Group of the Year and Song of the Summer starting tomorrow

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Most of the categories have already been announced for the MTV Video Music Awards and voting is underway. But nominees in two additional “social categories” were just announced on Friday, with voting on those starting this weekend and next week.

You can start voting for Group of the Year Saturday, September 4 on MTV’s Instagram Story, in bracket style. The nominees are BLACKPINK, BTS, CNCO, Foo Fighters, Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5, Silk Sonic and Twenty One Pilots. Technically, Silk Sonic and Twenty One Pilots are duos, not groups, but MTV seems to be making a distinction between solo artists, and acts with two or more members.

Starting Tuesday, September 7, you can vote for “Song of the Summer” on MTV’s Instagram Story; again, it’ll be bracket-style voting. The nominees are:

Billie Eilish — “Happier Than Ever”
BTS — “Butter”
Camila Cabello — “Don’t Go Yet”
DJ Khaled ft. Lil Baby & Lil Durk — “Every Chance I Get”
Doja Cat — “Need To Know”
Dua Lipa — “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran — “Bad Habits”
Giveon — “HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & Giveon — “Peaches”
The Kid LAROI with Justin Bieber — “Stay”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow — “Industry Baby”
Lizzo ft. Cardi B — “Rumors”
Megan Thee Stallion — “Thot S**t”
Normani ft. Cardi B — “Wild Side”
Olivia Rodrigo — “good 4 u”
Shawn Mendes & Tainy — “Summer Of Love”

The MTV VMAs, hosted by Doja Cat, air live from Brooklyn, NY on Sunday, September 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Lauren Alaina reveals how she overcame an eating disorder

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images for Vera Bradley

Lauren Alaina is opening up about one of the darkest times of her life, when she battled an eating disorder. The 26-year-old was just 15 when she was on American Idol, quickly getting a harsh taste of life on reality TV after she discovered a blog that called her “Miss Piggy,” complete with a pig snout on her face.

The discovery caused Lauren to resort to bulimia to lose weight, shedding 45 to 50 pounds by the end of the American Idol tour.

“[People] can be really cruel, and I didn’t have tools to deal with that,” Lauren told Entertainment Tonight.

It was only when doctors told her that her purging could have a permanent impact on her singing career that she found the strength to stop.

“They told me that if I didn’t stop, I would never sing again, and I didn’t want that,” Lauren said. “That was a wake-up call for me, and it took me a few years even after that to really get into a better place. And I still go check in with the therapist every once in a while, specifically for an eating disorder.”

Lauren’s new album, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World, which includes duets with Trisha Yearwood and Jon Pardi, is out now. Her book, Getting Good at Being You: Learning to Love Who God Made You to Be, will be out on November 23.

Diana Ross’ comeback album moved to November; hear new single, “If the World Just Danced”

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Fans will have to wait a bit longer for Diana Ross‘ first album of new, original songs in 20 years. Originally scheduled to come out September 10, the album, titled Thank You, will now arrive November 5.

However, a new track from the record, called “If the World Just Danced,” has just been released. As its title suggests, it’s an upbeat song that’s made for dance floors, and seems ripe for remixes.

The song was co-written by Diana with six other people, including Amy Wadge, who’s written many songs with Ed Sheeran, including “Thinking Out Loud.”

As previously reported, Thank You was recorded in Miss Ross’ home studio during the pandemic shutdown, and features producers and songwriters who’ve created hits for Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Usher, Justin Bieber, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé and Rihanna.

“This collection of songs is my gift to you with appreciation and love. I am eternally grateful that I had the opportunity to record this glorious music at this time,” the diva said in a statement.

Diana’s last album of new, original songs, as opposed to covers, was 1999’s Every Day Is a New Day.

Bell Biv DeVoe, Sheila E., Lalah Hathaway and more performing this weekend at Capital Jazz Fest

September 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Kevin Mazur/AMA2020/Getty Images for dcp

The 28th annual Capital Jazz Fest returns to Columbia, Maryland, this Labor Day weekend, with a lineup featuring Bell Biv DeVoe, Sheila E., Lalah Hathaway and many more stars.

The festival was canceled last year due to the pandemic. This year, over 20 artists will perform at the two-day event, including the aforementioned stars and Eric Benet, Will Downing, Tamia, Chante Moore, Eric Roberson, Avery Sunshine, Shanice, and Stokley from Mint Condition. There also will be a tribute to the late Bill Withers. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.

Attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the show.

Meanwhile, the 14th annual Capital Jazz Supercruise will return January 14-22, 2022, sailing from Orlando, Florida, to Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. Artists will be will announced later. Last year, Fantasia, Keith Sweat, SWV, Morris Day and The Time, Wyclef Jean, Najee, Deborah Cox, Hezekiah Walker and Sinbad were among the entertainers.

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