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Felix Cavaliere says his shows with The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz offer a “happy, uplifting” night of music

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Rascals singer/keyboardist Felix Cavaliere and The Monkees‘ Micky Dolenz will perform together this Friday in New York City and Saturday in Lynn, Massachusetts, the latest in a series of joint 2022 “Legends Live!” concerts featuring the two music greats.

“[A] Rascal and a Monkee, what do you think? Pretty weird,” Cavaliere comments to ABC Audio with a chuckle.

He then notes that, with people having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic during the last couple of years, the concerts’ organizers felt that the music of The Monkees and The Rascals were both “happy [and] uplifting,” and that “maybe [it was] time for people to…just enjoy themselves.”

The concerts feature Cavaliere and Dolenz performing with their respective solo bands, and alternating the headlining slot at each show.

The 79-year-old Cavaliere says one of his favorite things to do during his set is to throw in snippets of other artists’ famous tunes while playing some of his classic Rascals tunes.

“[F]or example, when I do ‘Groovin’,’ I pop in [a little bit of The Temptations‘] ‘My Girl,'” he explains. “And everybody goes, ‘Oh wow, I know that song.’ And I say, ‘Well, okay, if you know it, sing it.’ And then I put in ‘Just My Imagination.'” Same thing. I try to keep their attention and their memory cells active.”

Another highlight for Felix is the finale of his show, where he tells the audience, “Okay, this is your last chance to dance, get up and rock,” and then plays “Good Lovin’.”

Cavaliere and Dolenz also have a joint October 23 show scheduled in Phoenix, Arizona. Felix’s tour schedule also includes a series of concerts in Hawaii running from June 9 to June 12, as well as a July 16 show in Rochester, Michigan.

Music notes: BTS, Demi Lovato, The Weeknd and Shakira

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

BTS‘ Jimin and Jungkook hung out with H.E.R. after hitting up the White House. They shared videos to their Instagram Stories of them going to an arcade with the R&B singer, where they tried their luck at a punching-bag game and a rapid-shot basketball game. H.E.R. tied with Jungkook on the latter … in second place.

To hype their upcoming single “Skin Of My Teeth,” Demi Lovato is heading to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, June 9. Headline Planet reports Demi will be interviewed on the show and also serve as its musical guest. The Grammy winner will release their new single on June 10.

The Weeknd teamed with Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, for his After Hours Til Dawn tour, reports City A.M. This will allow him to create the first world trek to use Web 3.0 technology, which gives him an “innovative edge.” “There are so many possibilities with crypto and I think this is just the beginning,” The Weeknd said of his new partnership. His tour starts on July 8.

People love Shakira‘s hips — as in, her song “Hips Don’t Lie.” Her smash 2005 hit is the latest member of Spotify’s Billions Club, meaning fans have streamed the song over 1 billion times. “So humbled. Thank you for all of the love,” she said of the surprise honor.

Aqua unveils fun fan contest to mark 25th anniversary of “Barbie Girl”

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

It’s been 25 years since Aqua released their smash-hit single “Barbie Girl.” To celebrate, the Danish pop group wants fans to get in on the fun.

Taking to TikTok, the hitmakers unveiled a fun new contest where the grand prize is a trip to their native Denmark.

“Barbie Girl turns 25! Can you believe it? What an amazing ride,” the group announced, saying they want to “celebrate the life of Barbie Girl and Aquarium [their debut album] with all of you.”

Singer Lene Nystrøm encouraged her fans to, “Share with us your favorite ‘Barbie Girl’ moment” using #BarbieGirl25 on social media.

She explained the winner will be flown to Denmark to “see us in concert, meet us backstage and hang out” at an upcoming music festival.

It is unknown when the contest ends.

The group recently celebrated their “Barbie Girl” music video hitting a billion YouTube views and told fans, “Absolutely crazy! Thank you for all the love.”

The song was released in April 1997 and went on to become a global phenomenon. It peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 after it was officially released in the U.S. on August 12, 1997.

The debut album, Aquarium, is RIAA-certified three times Platinum after selling over 3 million units in the U.S.

Nashville notes: Carrie Underwood, Brantley Gilbert + more

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Carrie Underwood is planning a one-night-only event to celebrate the release of her Denim & Rhinestones album. On June 9 — one day before the album drops — she’ll give a live performance from Nashville’s Historic Bell Tower. You can watch by tuning into Amazon Prime Video or Amazon Music’s Twitch app at 8 p.m. CT.

Next month, Brantley Gilbert is headlining a benefit concert mounted by Shaquille O’Neal and the Pepsi Stronger Together campaign. The show benefits Atlanta’s Henry County Sheriff’s Office Foundation and will specifically raise funds for its three-day summer youth sports camp, which is attended by over 780 local children. Tickets are available now; the show is set for June 22.

Alabama, Sara Evans, Jamey Johnson and more artists hailing from Alabama contribute to the new theme song of The World Games 2022, called “Hope of Alabama.” The video is available now.

Deborah McCrary, one fourth of the sibling gospel quartet The McCrary Sisters, died on June 1 at age 67. The group has set their voices to countless recordings with a genre-spanning list of artists, including Carrie Underwood on her My Gift album. The family announced Deborah’s death in a statement; information regarding services and an honorarium is forthcoming.

“Thank you for being so patient”: Giveon announces new album ‘Give or Take’ expected June 24

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

R&B soul singer Giveon is giving fans what they’ve long been waiting for: the singer’s newest album, Give or Take, set to arrive June 24.

The Long Beach native revealed the album release date Wednesday, along with a cinematic, 48-second album trailer that features his mom’s voice.

As a prelude to Give or Take, Giveon released his hit single “Lie Again” in April, which, as previously reported, seemed to hint at his relationship woes with ex-girlfriend and fellow singer Justine Skye.

“Lie Again” could serve as a glimpse of the emotional and evocative music — which Giveon is known for delivering — that may show up on the new full-length project.

The “For Tonight” singer shared the presave information when announcing Give or Take on Twitter and apologized to fans for the wait. “Thank you for being so patient with me. Give or Take. The Album. June 24th. pre-save link in bio,” he said.

Harry Styles donates Apple AirPods commercial proceeds to humanitarian aid

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

In order for Apple to use Harry Styles‘ music and likeness for their new AirPods commercial, they had to agree to one big condition.

Billboard reports the new commercial features Harry’s song “Music for a Sushi Restaurant.” The Grammy winner told the company that if they wanted to use the song, they would have to donate his artist fee to humanitarian relief efforts.

The funds were directed to the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid effort that works to help people survive crises, then rebuild their lives. IRC announced the donation in a tweet, writing, “From all of us at the IRC: Thank you to @Harry_Styles and @Apple for your generous donation to the IRC.”

The organization continued, “Working in more than 40 countries, your support will help us reach even more refugees and people in need in the world’s toughest places. Honored to have your support!”

The new AirPods commercial is set to air on YouTube, as well as television, and premiered Thursday.

Dierks Bentley remembers his dad 10 years after his death: “Think about him every day”

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Dierks Bentley is remembering his late father, Leon Bentley, this week on the 10-year anniversary of his death.

The singer paid tribute to his dad on social media with a special childhood memory, sharing some photos of Leon giving a young Dierks a sip of his beer. The second and third photos show Dierks’ reaction to the beer, with a big smile on his face.

“Funny how a good cold beer has always had the same effect on me!” Dierks joked in the caption, before offering some more serious reflections on his father. “Think about him every day. Find myself wanting a little more advice now than I wanted back then!”

In fact, it was Dierks’ dad who first introduced him to country music. “I remember him saying he liked that even if you didn’t know the song, if it was written right, you could still sing along and guess some of the words,” he said.

“Miss him, wish the kids could have had a little bit more time with Granddude,” Dierks said in the conclusion of his post. “Thanks for being a good dad…Dad!”

Leon died on June 1, 2012, at the age of 88 after a long illness. CMT reported that Dierks — who had already released several albums and achieved considerable country music success — shared the news with his fans in a tweet.

Dierks’ 2014 album Riser included some nods to his dad’s death, including the song “I Hold On,” which mentions the truck he used to drive to Nashville with his dad at the beginning of his career.

Megan Thee Stallions drops hot new video for “Plan B”

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Megan Thee Stallion blazed the 2022 Billboard Music Awards stage two weeks ago with a performance of her new song “Plan B.” On Thursday the Houston hottie dropped the track’s official music video.

The Grammy winner teased the new visual on Instagram Wednesday, alerting fans of its release.

“Hotties Thee wait is OVER the ‘Plan B’ video is coming on 6.2.22 @ 3PM ET/12PM PT. TUNE IN WITH ME!” she said, sharing a video snippet. In her caption, she also tagged French fashion luxury brand Mugler, which Megan sports in the video and in her everyday looks, including her Billboard performance.

The modern and sleek video, directed by Mugler’s Casey Cadwallader and John Miserendino, accompanies the punchy, hardcore lyrics of the song. On the track, which samples Jodeci‘s 1995 hit “Freek ‘N You (Mr. Dalvin Remix) featuring Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, Megan tells a tale of female empowerment.

The first lines of the chorus goes, “Ladies, love yourself cause this s**t could get ugly / That’s why it’s f**k n****s get money.”

To listen to the full song and to watch Megan rock her assortment of Mugler looks, check out the video for “Plan B” on her official YouTube channel.

Mariah Carey reflects on 30th anniversary of ‘MTV Unplugged’ EP

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

It’s officially been 30 years since Mariah Carey dazzled on the MTV Unplugged stage and released her standout EP, and the hitmaker reflected Thursday on how important the pivotal moment was for her career.

Sharing an Instagram video highlighting moments of her Unplugged set, where she belted out hits from her album Emotions, Mariah reflected on how much she’s changed since 1992.

“Happy anniversary to that girl on stage who was so nervous and scared to even sing in front of a crowd. Also she had no idea this last minute ‘unplugged’ show would become a ‘thing!'” she remarked.

Mariah also revealed how that performance changed the course of her career.

“During that performance, I remember having a breakthrough moment…the realization that all I needed to do was SING and actually CONNECT with the people in the audience and be in the moment with THEM!!! And then we were in it together,” she recalled.

The Grammy winner continued, “When I watch this now, it’s revelatory how many insanely talented musicians and singers I had the privilege of sharing that small stage with and I truly feel blessed. I am thankful to that majestic group of people who made that stage come to life and to the audience in the room for sharing what became a life changing experience for me and as always.”

“Thank you my fans for sharing this journey with me. You save my life each day,” she closed out the sentimental post.

Mariah’s MTV Unplugged EP sold over 4 million copies and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 200. It also spun off her hit duet with Trey Lorenz, “I’ll Be There,” which was a last-minute addition to her Unplugged set list. Her cover of the Jackson 5 song earned her two Grammy nods.

Bonnie Tyler, Stella McCartney chosen for prestigious honors by Queen Elizabeth II

June 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Bonnie Tyler and Stella McCartney are among the people who have been acknowledged in the 2022 edition of Queen Elizabeth II‘s annual Birthday Honours list, which recognizes “outstanding achievements” and service of people across the U.K.

Tyler, who is from Wales and whose birth name is Gaynor Hopkins, is also is known by her married name, Gaynor Sullivan. She was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire honor, or an MBE, for her services to music.

“I am truly honoured to be awarded an MBE and especially so in Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, which makes this even more special,” Bonnie wrote in a message posted on her official website. “This honour just goes to show that anyone from any background can become a success, and be recognised by our wonderful country, if they put their minds and efforts into what they do.”

She added, “I hope that my honour may in some small way motivate others to give their best … I’m just a girl from a small town in Wales who just loves to sing, so to be recognised for that in this way is very significant to me and my family and friends.”

The “Total Eclipse of the Heart” singer will help celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, marking her 70-year reign, at a special concert this Saturday at Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales.

Paul McCartney‘s daughter Stella, a successful fashion designer who also is known for promoting vegetarianism, was honored with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire award, or CBE. The CBE is a higher honor than an MBE, ranked just below a knighthood. Stella’s famous dad was knighted in 1997.

Check out the queen’s full 2022 Birthday Honours list online.

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