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Ed Sheeran reveals sweet meaning behind daughter Lyra Antarctica’s name

July 2, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Ed Sheeran opened up about the special meaning behind his daughter’s unique name. Last summer, the “Bad Habits” singer welcomed Lyra Antarctica alongside wife Cherry Seaborn.

“I realize some people think it’s quite a strange name,” Ed said on the British morning show Lorraine on Thursday. “But my wife’s called Cherry, and she is the only Cherry that I’ve ever met and I think that she’s the only Cherry that she’s ever met and I quite like that.”

Ed continued with a smile, “In my class at school, there were probably more Eds.”

Because of that, Ed revealed that he and Cherry “wanted to give [our daughter] a name that was unique, so that she would be the only one.”

However, the singer noted the name Lyra may continue to grow in popularity because of the successful fantasy trilogy-turned-television-series His Dark Materials, which features a protagonist with the same name.

Ed also divulged why he gave his daughter the middle name Antarctica, saying he visited the continent with Cherry before she became pregnant.

“I’ve basically toured every single continent but I’ve never been to Antarctica so that was always on our list,” he gushed. “So we went down there in 2019 and it was just incredible. The most amazing place on earth.”

The “Shape of You” singer also noted that his experiences as a first-time father influenced his upcoming album that is due out later this year.

Wealth management firm pulls out of Britney Spears’ conservatorship

July 2, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Bessemer Trust, the wealth management firm approved Wednesday to act as co-conservator over Britney Spears‘ finances, has asked to be removed from the role.

Attorneys for Bessemer Trust filed resignation paperwork Thursday, noting that Britney’s testimony on June 23 indicated the conservatorship was not voluntary, as the firm understood it to be.

Bessemer Trust was not authorized to act as a co-conservator until Wednesday, so it has not taken any actions in the position, or had it taken any fees, according to the court documents.

Once the resignation is approved, Jamie Spears, the pop star’s father, will once again be the sole conservator of his daughter’s estate.

“Petitioner has become aware that the Conservatee [Spears] objects to the continuance of her Conservatorship and desires to terminate the Conservatorship,” the documents read. “Petitioner [Bessemer Trust] has heard the Conservatee and respects her wishes.”

A conservatorship governing Britney’s personal affairs and finances has been in place since 2008, when the pop star was hospitalized twice for psychiatric evaluations. Jodi Montgomery was appointed to serve as conservator of Spears’ personal affairs in 2019, after Jamie Spears stepped down from the position.

Jamie Spears is still in charge of his daughter’s finances, despite the singer’s request last year to remove him from her conservatorship. The pop star had petitioned for her father to be suspended as a conservator as soon as a corporate fiduciary was put into a position of control.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda J. Penny agreed to appoint Bessemer Trust as a co-conservator last November, but she declined to remove Jamie Spears from his role. That order was officially signed Wednesday.

Britney pleaded with a judge last month to end her conservatorship, claiming that it is “abusive” and is “doing me way more harm than good.”

Listen to Taylor Swift sing on new Big Red Machine collab “Renegade”

July 2, 2021 by WDNY Radio

L-Taylor, R-Aaron Dessner; Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Two days after it was announced Taylor Swift would be again teaming up with her folklore and evermore collaborators, Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon and The National‘s Aaron Dessner, the trio dropped “Renegade” at the stroke of midnight Friday.

The song was recorded for Vernon’s and Dessner’s indie rock band Big Red Machine and will be featured in its upcoming album How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?, due out August 27. Taylor recorded another song for BRM’s upcoming album, “Birch.”

“Renegade” is about wanting someone to drop their defenses and become a better person so a romance can bloom.

“You’ve come a long way/ Open the blinds, let me see your face/ You wouldn’t be the first renegade/ To need somebody/ Is it insensitive for me to say/ Get your s*** together/ So I can love you,” Taylor gently sings in the chorus.

Taylor gushed about her latest collab, writing on Instagram following the song’s release, “I can’t believe I get to work with Aaron Dessner. When Aaron came into my life, I was ushered into his world of free-flowing creativity where you don’t overthink, you just make music.”

“His generosity of spirit and humility bleeds into every part of his life, and that’s why so many artists have jumped at the chance to be a part of his collaborative project, Big Red Machine,” she continued.

Dessner also raved about the collab on social media, writing, “Taylor’s words hit me so hard when I heard her first voice memo and still do, every time.”

“I’m so grateful to Taylor for continuing to share her incredible talent with me and that we are still finding excuses to make music together,” he added.

Dessner was one of several people who shared the Album of the Year Grammy for folklore with Taylor.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Foreigner’s chart-topping fourth studio album, ‘4,’ was released 40 years ago today

July 2, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Foreigner‘s hit-packed fourth studio album, the aptly titled 4.

The album featured such enduring tunes as “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” “Urgent” and “Juke Box Hero,” which peaked at #2, #4 and #26, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.

Propelled by those hits and a fourth top-40 single, “Break It Up,” 4 became Foreigner’s only album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200, spending 10 non-consecutive weeks atop the chart from August 1981 to January 1982. 4 has sold over 6 million copies in the U.S.

Interestingly, “Waiting for a Girl Like You” set a Billboard record by spending 10 weeks at #2 on the Hot 100 tally without ever reaching the top. It was blocked from #1 by Olivia Newton-John‘s “Physical” and Hall & Oates‘ “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do).”

The title 4 also was a reference to the fact that Foreigner had become a quartet after the exit of founding multi-intrumentalist Ian McDonald and keyboardist Al Greenwood in 1980.

Founding guitarist and main songwriter Mick Jones co-produced the album with “Mutt” Lange, then famous for producing AC/DC‘s Back in Black and soon to become more famous for his work with Def Leppard.

4 was the first Foreigner album to make significant use of session musicians. Thomas Dolby, who had a big hit of his own in 1982 with “She Blinded Me with Science,” played synthesizers, while Motown sax legend Junior Walker contributed a memorable solo to “Urgent.”

Singer Lou Gramm told ABC Audio that while “Waiting for a Girl Like You” may be the tune that fans remember most from 4, he considers “Juke Box Hero” to be “the quintessential Foreigner song.”

Here’s 4‘s full track list:

“Night Life”
“Juke Box Hero”
“Break It Up”
“Waiting for a Girl Like You”
“Luanne”
“Urgent”
“I’m Gonna Win”
“Woman in Black”
“Girl on the Moon”
“Don’t Let Go”

Listen to new Imagine Dragons song, “Wrecked”

July 2, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Imagine Dragons has released a new song called “Wrecked.”

The tune will appear on the band’s upcoming album, Mercury — Act 1, which was announced earlier this week. The record, which is due out September 3, also includes the previously released songs “Follow You” and “Cutthroat.”

Dan Reynolds and company recorded Mercury — Act 1 with famed producer Rick Rubin. They describe the album as being about “love, faith, pain, passion and loss.”

Mercury — Act 1 is Imagine Dragons’ fifth studio effort. It follows the one-two punch of 2017’s Believer and 2018’s Origins.

Nashville notes

July 2, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Cadillac Three celebrate their love of skateboarding in the new video for their song “Bridges,” which finds the band converting Nashville venue Exit/In into a pop-up skate park. The video also features a number of skaters, including pro Jake Wooten.

Alan Jackson is joining forces with Cornerstone Building Brands to provide relief for those affected by the spring tornado that hit Alan’s hometown of Newnan, Georgia. Cornerstone is donating $500,000 in supplies to Habitat for Humanity and $100,000 to the Coweta Community Foundation to aid in recovery efforts.

Travis Denning and Jon Langston join newcomer Noah Hicks for his new single, “Drinkin’ in a College Town.”

Pentatonix ready to celebrate the “Seasons” on PBS’ ‘A Capitol Fourth’ special Sunday

July 2, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Pentatonix is one of the acts performing on this year’s edition of A Capitol Fourth, airing on PBS on Sunday, July 4, at 8 p.m. ET. The group will be performing in downtown Los Angeles, along with a choir, and will sing “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway musical Rent. Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying explains why the group chose a distinctly non-patriotic song.

“I think it’s a song that everyone needs to hear right now; it’s a really uplifting song — ‘measure your life in love,'” Scott tells ABC Audio. “And I think we’re all reuniting, and as things start to open up, we’re all feeling the love for each other.”

He adds, “We’re feeling the love for music and a love for our country. And so it felt really appropriate. And the performance is very epic, too. So it has a grandeur about it.”

It’s not the first time the a cappella group has done A Capitol Fourth — they’re pretty much a fixture at these high-profile events, like last month’s Kennedy Center Honors. Why do these shows have Pentatonix on speed-dial?

“Y’know, singing a cappella is a really difficult thing. And so I think that the people…who book these gigs have a respect for us,” explains Scott. “Which is amazing, because we get to perform alongside…legends, which is really surreal.”

While celebrating the birth of our country, Pentatonix also is celebrating their 10th anniversary: Last month marked a decade since they first sang together. And Scott says they already have the next decade mapped out.

“We definitely have a 10-year plan…we feel like we’re just getting started,” he gushes. “We’re going to go bolder. We’re going to go bigger. We’re going to tour a lot. We’re going to take everything to the next level.”

Lady A has lots to celebrate as they kick off Fourth of July weekend

July 2, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Lady A sets the Fourth of July holiday weekend in motion today, playing Good Morning America‘s Summer Concert Series on ABC.

From there, well, they’ve got some serious celebrating to do.

“It’s America’s birthday, and then the next day is Dave [Haywood]’s birthday,” Hillary Scott explains. “And it’s actually the anniversary of my engagement to [my husband,] Chris. The second was the day that we got engaged… And then your anniversary is the…”

“Sixth,” Charles Kelley interjects.

For all those reasons, you’ll usually find Lady A kicking back like lots of Americans around the Fourth.

“We always take that week off,” Dave points out. “I’ll be with my wife’s family in Alabama at the beach…just kind of enjoying outdoor cookouts.”

The three agree: Nothing sets up the Independence Day mood quite like the country standard “God Bless the USA.”

“It’s a great celebration and a reminder of this great country we get to live in,” Charles says of the holiday. “And every time I think the Fourth of July, all I can think of is Lee Greenwood. I don’t know why.”

He continues, “I’m proud to be American. It’s like always, like, right when you say it, I smell barbecue and I’m hearing Lee Greenwood over and over and over.”

Adds Hillary, “Yeah. And fireworks.”

Lady A’s new collection, What a Song Can Do (Chapter One), features their top-25 hit “Like a Lady.”

‘The Fourth in America’ special to feature The Beach Boys, Foreigner, Chicago, Sammy Hagar & more

July 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A bevy of veteran music artists are part of the lineup of CNN’s The Fourth in America special, which will air on the cable network on Independence Day from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. ET.

The Beach Boys, Foreigner, Chicago, Sammy Hagar & The Circle, REO Speedwagon, Bangles frontwoman Susanna Hoffs and Kool & the Gang are among the many performers that appear on the show, which will also will feature live footage of fireworks displays in cities across the U.S.

The Beach Boys will be joined by their longtime honorary member, actor John Stamos.

Meanwhile, Hagar tells ABC Audio that his performance with The Circle was filmed during a series of recent concerts that he and the band played in Florida, which were some of their first shows since the start of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“Woo, it was awesome,” Sammy gushes about the gig. “[CNN] filmed a lot of our songs. And we were really having a good night…I felt so good about that night, ’cause the band was so up to play. It was about our fourth show, so we were getting our wings back, and the audiences [were] just nuts.”

Other artists who will perform on The Fourth in America include Blues Traveler, Bebe Rexha, Billy Ray Cyrus, Black Eyed Peas, Brad Paisley, Trisha Yearwood and many more.

The special will stream live on CNN.com, and also will be viewable on Apple and Android mobile devices via CNN apps for those with a login to a cable provider. The program also can be viewed on CNNgo.

Watch Debbie Gibson & Joey McIntyre get lost in each other’s eyes in new video

July 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Get ready to swoon, ’90s kids: Debbie Gibson and New Kids on the Block member Joey McIntyre just dropped the official video for their duet version of Debbie’s 1989 number-one hit “Lost in Your Eyes.”

The video features the two former teen idols in the studio singing the romantic ballad, for which Debbie still holds the record as the youngest person to write, perform and produce a number-one hit. At the end, it cuts to Debbie and Joey onstage performing the song.

The “Lost in Your Eyes” duet is included on Debbie’s upcoming album The Body Remembers, which is her first collection of original material in 20 years.

As previously reported, Debbie and Joey will team for a limited engagement at The Sands Showroom in the Venetian Resort Las Vegas this August and September.

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