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New Orleans Jazz Fest — featuring Stevie Nicks, The Rolling Stones & more — canceled due to COVID-19

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Courtesy New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which was to have taken place this October, has been canceled due to a resurgence of COVID-19 in the area.

A statement on the festival’s website says, “As a result of the current exponential growth of new COVID cases in New Orleans and the region and the ongoing public health emergency, we must sadly announce that the 2021 edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, scheduled to take place October 8–17, 2021, will not occur as planned.”

The event has now been rescheduled to April 29-May 8, 2022. Ticket holders will be notified this week about refund and ticket rollover details. All tickets for October 13 will be refunded automatically.

Among the acts who were set to play at the iconic event: Stevie Nicks, Dead & Company, The Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Buffett, The Isley Brothers, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Boz Scaggs, Randy Newman, Rickie Lee Jones, and The Rolling Stones, who were set to play October 13 as part of their fall tour.

The Stones were originally scheduled to perform at the event in 2019, but had to cancel due to Mick Jagger’s emergency heart surgery.

Queen guitarist Brian May’s response to anti-vaxers: “I’m sorry, I think they’re fruitcakes”

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Eric Clapton recently made headlines for blaming “the propaganda” for what he described as his “disastrous health experience” after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, for supporting Van Morrison‘s anti-lockdown stance, and then for subsequently declaring that he won’t perform at any concert that requires the audience to be vaccinated. Well, count fellow British guitar hero Brian May as someone who thinks Clapton’s wrong.

Speaking to the U.K. paper The Independent, the Queen guitarist was asked to comment on musicians like Clapton and their vaccination comments. “I love Eric Clapton, he’s my hero, but he has very different views from me in many ways,” May responds. “He’s a person who thinks it’s O.K. to shoot animals for fun, so we have our disagreements, but I would never stop respecting the man.”

As for people against the vaccine, May declares, “Anti-vax people, I’m sorry, I think they’re fruitcakes. There’s plenty of evidence to show that vaccination helps. On the whole they’ve been very safe. There’s always going to be some side effect in any drug you take, but to go around saying vaccines are a plot to kill you, I’m sorry, that goes in the fruitcake jar for me.”

May, who has a PhD in astrophysics, was also asked whether he’d like to buy a ticket to join billionaires like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk on one of their space missions. May responds, “When it comes to one very rich guy putting himself into space — actually not into space, only about 60 miles high — I ask myself, ‘What is it really for?’”

He adds, “I saw this cartoon where somebody said, ‘We’ve got two billionaires competing to see who can get into space first. Wouldn’t it be nice if they competed on how quickly they could solve world hunger instead?’”

Jonas Brothers help close out Tokyo Olympics with inspiring “Remember This” performance

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Jonas Brothers helped close out the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Sunday by performing their anthemic single “Remember This” during the Games’ closing ceremony.

Kevin Jonas shared the band’s performance on Twitter, calling their experience “a moment I’ll never forget.”

Nick Jonas also celebrated JoBros’ Olympic debut on Sunday, saying it was “an honor” to be involved in the Games. He added, “We are so proud of you @TeamUSA [flexing emoji] Let’s get it!!”

“Getting to perform this song at the Olympics Closing Ceremony is quite the bucket list moment for me,” Joe Jonas shared on his Twitter.

The three-minute performance video included shots of the brothers’ rooftop performance spliced with callbacks of various Olympic athletes preparing for and dominating their respective events.

The United States took home the most overall medals at this year’s Games out of all competing nations with 113 — 39 gold, 41 silver and 33 bronze. Many of those moments were included in the “Remember This” reel, which aired on NBC, this year’s home of the Olympic Games.

“Remember This” by the Jonas Brothers is available for digital download and on-demand now.

Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie sells catalog to same company that bought Lindsey Buckingham’s

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Fleetwood Mac‘s Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham are now reunited. Well, at least their catalogs are.

According to Variety, McVie, who just turned 78, has just sold her 115-song catalog to Hipgnosis, a music company that’s made headlines in the past few years for spending billions to acquire pop and rock copyrights. It includes the hits she’s written for Fleetwood Mac — a list that includes “Don’t Stop,” “Over My Head,” “Say You Love Me” and “You Make Loving Fun” — as well as the songs she wrote with her pre-Mac group, Chicken Shack, plus her solo material.

In January, ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham sold his publishing rights to Hipgnosis. Stevie Nicks, meanwhile, sold a chunk of her catalog last year to a company called Primary Wave, while drummer Mick Fleetwood made a similar deal with BMG.

As Music Week points out, thanks to Hipgnosis’ deals with McVie and Buckingham, it now owns the rights to eight of the 11 songs on Rumours, seven of the 11 songs on the band’s 1975 self-titled album, 11 of the 16 songs on Greatest Hits, and 15 of 20 songs on Tusk.

In a statement, Merck Mercuriadis, the head of Hipgnosis said, “It’s wonderful for us to welcome Christine to the Hipgnosis Family and particularly wonderful to reunite her once again at Hipgnosis with Lindsey Buckingham.”

McVie added, “I am so excited to belong to the Hipgnosis family, and thrilled that you all regard my songs worthy of merit. I’d like to thank you all for your faith in me, and I’ll do all I can to continue this new relationship and help in any way I can!”

Bruce Springsteen’s daughter claims silver medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jessica Springsteen, the daughter of Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa, rocked her first-ever Olympic Games over the weekend, taking home the silver medal for the U.S. Equestrian jumping team.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the Springsteen clan reacted with pure joy and triumph after Jessica’s Olympic victory.

“I FaceTimed them really quick,” the 29-year-old Springsteen said after collecting her medal. “They were all screaming, I don’t think we understood anything.”

This latest win now pushes Jessica to a new ranking. Prior to competing, she was listed as 27th in the world; now, she ranks 14th.

“It was also super exciting,” the Olympian added, noting she dealt with some “jitters” before making her final run in Tokyo. “My horse jumped it beautifully. And we really gave it our all out there.”

She competed alongside fellow Team USA members Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut and two-time gold medalist McLain Ward in a neck-and-neck race for first against Sweden.

The two countries faced against each other in a jump-off, with the Swedes eking out Team USA with a slightly better time of 122.90. Team USA completed the jump-off with an overall time of 124.20. Both managed the course with no penalties.

Despite taking home the silver, Team USA managed to make history: Not only does this mark Jessica’s first Olympic Games and medal, but teammate Laura Kraut, 55, is now the oldest Olympic medalist.

Kool & the Gang co-founder Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas dead at 70

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, co-founder and saxophonist of Kool & the Gang, died “peacefully in his sleep” in New Jersey, the legendary funk band announced on Saturday.

Thomas was 70. Further details about his death were not given.

“An original member of Kool & the Gang, Dennis was known as the quintessential cool cat in the group, loved for his hip clothes and hats, and his laid-back demeanor,” Kool & the Gang shared on its Instagram page. “A huge personality while also an extremely private person, Dennis was the alto saxophone player, flutist, percussionist as well as master of ceremonies at the band’s shows. Dennis’ prologue featured on the groups 1971 hit, ‘Who’s Gonna Take the Weight’ is legendary and an example of his showmanship.”

Thomas, the post continued, was Kool & the Gang’s “wardrobe stylist who made sure they always looked fresh.” In the act’s early days, he also “served as the ‘budget hawk,’ carrying the group’s earnings in a paper bag in the bell of his horn.”

Thomas, along with brothers Ronald Bell and Robert “Kool” Bell, Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown and Charles Smith, formed the Jazziacs in 1964. Five years later, they changed their name to Kool & the Gang and released their self-titled debut album that same year.

Since then, the band has earned a pair of Grammy Awards and racked up numerous hits, including “Celebration,” “Jungle Boogie” and “Ladies Night.”

Thomas, who has appeared on every one of Kool & the Gang’s albums — including their upcoming 25th studio release, Perfect Union — last appeared on stage with the band during a July 4 concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Thomas’ death comes nearly a year after Ronald Bell’s passing last September at the age of 68.

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Def Leppard celebrating ‘High ‘n’ Dry’ album’s 40th anniversary with livestream event at band’s Vault website

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Def Leppard will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s sophomore album High ‘n’ Dry with a special livestreamed event that will premiere exclusively inside the Def Leppard Vault website on August 28 starting at 4 p.m. ET.

The High ‘n’ Dry 40th Anniversary Retrospective will feature new interviews with all five members of the group.

Singer Joe Elliott, drummer Rick Allen and bassist Rick Savage will share behind-the-scenes stories about the 1981 album, while guitarists Phil Collen and Viv Campell — who joined Def Leppard in 1982 and 1992, respectively — will discuss the impact High ‘n’ Dry had on them and the rock world in general.

The band members also will be answering select questions from fans, who can submit written or video queries now to events@leppardvault.com.

Tickets to the event and ticket bundles offering special merch items can be purchased now at LeppardVault.com, although you must be a Def Leppard Vault member to access them.

Released on July 11, 1981, High ‘n’ Dry helped establish the band in the U.S. in advance of their massive 1983 breakthrough, Pyromania. MTV’s heavy rotation of a performance video for the High ‘n’ Dry track “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” earned Def Leppard a lot of American fans, and the album eventually peaked at #38.

To date, High ‘n’ Dry has sold over two million copies in the U.S.

Lovelytheband guests on new Bryce Vine song, “Miss You a Little”

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Lovelytheband has found a new collaborator in Bryce Vine.

The group is featured on the “Drew Barrymore” artist’s newest song, “Miss You a Little.” Vine describes the track as being about “what we all go through in the aftermath of breaking up,” a subject with which the “Broken” trio is quite familiar.

“It’s that period of romanticizing the past through rose-colored glasses, but the reality of it is that maybe some of those memories weren’t all we thought they were,” Vine says.

You can download “Miss You a Little” now via digital outlets.

Lovelytheband released their new album, conversations with myself about you, last August. They’re also featured on the single “Games,” by Tessa Violet.

Jessie J apologizes to Nicki Minaj over differing “Bang Bang” accounts

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jessie J has apologized to Nicki Minaj after telling an apparently inaccurate account of how Nicki came to be featured on her 2014 hit “Bang Bang.”

Last week, Nicki took exception to the fact that Jessie told Glamour magazine that the rapper asked to be on the track after hearing Jessie and Ariana Grande’s verses. Nicki said the record label actually asked her to be on the song.

“I’m sorry I got the story wrong all these years, I was told you heard the song and wanted to be on it by someone clearly gassing me up at the label. (Bless them and my naive a**),” Jessie wrote in an Instagram post over the weekend.

She also acknowledged there has been some “weird energy” between her and Nicki and wondered if it might have stemmed from a meme that was made of Jessie jokingly mouthing along to Nicki’s verse in the song.

“If we can’t laugh in the lives we have been blessed with. What’s the point,” Jessie wrote. “It really isn’t that deep.”

Jessie also apologized to Ariana, saying she had no idea Ari had co-written the song with Max Martin.

“I’m the first person to admit Bang Bang would NEVER have been what it was without you guys,” she said of Nicki and Ariana.

Jessie then joked that all three of them should go out to dinner, or record “Bang Bang part two,” before finishing with, “Look, the song did it’s damn thing. I will never say you asked to be on the song ever again….Always love and light from me babes.”

Lynyrd Skynyrd postpones tour dates after Rickey Medlocke contracts COVID-19

August 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Lynyrd Skynyrd has postponed four of their concerts because longtime guitarist Rickey Medlocke has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a note to fans, the band says their shows in Canton, OH; Jackson, MI; Atlanta, GA and Cullman AL will no longer go forward. “Rickey is home resting and responding well to treatment. We will continue to update you on his condition,” the note adds.

The Atlanta show on August 13 has been rescheduled to October 23. No word yet on the other dates.

After the Alabama show, the next date on Skynyrd’s Big Wheels Keep on Turning tour is August 20 in Canandaigua, NY. The tour is currently scheduled to wrap up November 19 in Bossier City, LA.

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