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Sting honored with ‘Bass Magazine’s’ Lifetime Achievement Award

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Sting has been honored with Bass Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

While the magazine’s 2026 awards ceremony will take place Jan. 22 in Santa Ana, California, the mag presented Sting with his award earlier in New York, sharing the moment in a video on Instagram.

In the clip, Sting jokes that while it’s a lifetime achievement honor, he’s “only halfway through” his lifetime. He then gets serious and says, “Thank you so much, I’m deeply, deeply honored, profoundly honored.”

The rocker then reads from a letter he wrote in 2001 about the Fender bass guitar, which he says was addressed to the “archeologist of the future.”

“There are few artifacts of the 20th century as consistently recognized and recognizable as the Fender bass. Those elegant functional lines have etched themselves into our consciousness for over half a century,” he says. “A Fender bass can shake a room with its thunder or moan softly like a sleeping giant. The bass is the ground of all harmony, the root, the foundation of all musical structure.”

He adds, “A Fender bass has been my constant companion for most of my life, a brother to me, sister. The loom on which I have woven dreams and stories, and my oldest friend.”

Next up for Sting, he’ll star in a production of his musical The Last Ship, which is set to open in Amsterdam on Jan. 13. He’ll also appear in a run at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House from June 9 to 14.

Foo Fighters’ Pat Smear to miss shows following ‘bizarre gardening accident’

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Foo Fighters will be without guitarist Pat Smear for several upcoming shows.

“In the classic tradition of rockstars having bizarre gardening accidents, Pat Smear has apparently rung in the new year by smashing the s*** out of his left foot,” the Foos write in an Instagram post.

Of course, a “bizarre gardening accident” was the cause of death for one of the many ill-fated Spinal Tap drummers.

Fortunately, said accident only injured Smear, though he will “be missing a few shows while the multiple broken bones in his foot heal.”

“We’ll miss our beloved Pat as much as you will, but we want him fully healed and back on his feet as soon as possible,” the Foos write.

The post doesn’t mention exactly how many dates Smear will miss. Foos are playing a show in Mexico on Saturday, followed by a benefit concert in Los Angeles on Dave Grohl‘s birthday, Jan. 14, and then a trip to Tasmania on Jan. 24. After that, their schedule is clear until May.

For the shows without Smear, the Foos will be joined by guitarist Jason Falkner, who’s played with Beck and St. Vincent.

Goo Goo Dolls react to Buffalo Bills playing ‘Iris’ during last game at home stadium

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

If you know only two things about Goo Goo Dolls, it’s probably that their biggest hit is “Iris” and that they’re from Buffalo, New York. Those two things converged on Jan. 4, when the Buffalo Bills played their final game at their hometown venue, Highmark Stadium.

After 53 years at Highmark, which is slated for demolition in March, the Bills are moving to a new stadium next door. So after the team beat the Jets on Jan. 4 and secured a spot in the playoffs, the Dolls played a five-minute highlight reel set to — you guessed it — “Iris.” Fan-shot footage shows the whole stadium singing along to the 1998 track, which recently hit 3 billion streams on Spotify.

On Jan. 6, Goo Goo Dolls posted a clip of the highlight reel, writing, “What an incredible honor to have ‘Iris’ played as the very last song at @highmark_stadium – home to the @buffalobills for 53 seasons !!!!”

Regarding the ongoing success of “Iris,” Goo Goo Dolls singer John Rzeznik recently told ABC’s On the Red Carpet, “Everyone can relate to that song,” adding, “I think it hit a nerve culturally.”

Chaka Khan to be honored at 2026 Resonator Awards

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Chaka Khan is set to be honored at the 2026 Resonator Awards, presented by We Are Moving the Needle.

Khan will receive the Luminary Award, which according to a press release, is given to “a creator whose profound impact has transcended the confines of the music realm to significantly change culture.”

“Empowered women empower women. I am honored to be part of a movement that celebrates the creativity, resilience, and determination of women creators everywhere,” Khan said in a statement. “We lift each other and shine. Together, we are moving the needle.”

The Resonator Awards, which recognize “artists, producers, and engineers whose craft shape the sound and culture of our time,” as per the release, will take place during Grammy Week, on Jan. 27 at Chaplin Studios in Los Angeles.

Also being honored at the event are rocker St. Vincent, who is set to receive the Golden Trifecta Award, and the band Haim, the recipients of the Disrupters Award. Olivia Rodrigo, Sia, Anderson. Paak and more are confirmed to present.

The 2026 Resonator Awards marks the second iteration of the event. The first took place in 2024 and honored artists including Alanis Morissette and Corinne Bailey Rae. The 2025 awards were canceled due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

As for Chaka, this isn’t the only honor she’ll be receiving during Grammy week. She’s also being recognized with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Special Merit Awards, taking place Jan. 31 in Los Angeles.

A decade later, Jon Pardi’s back with more boots

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

From the man who brought you “Head Over Boots” and “Dirt on My Boots” comes another boots song.

Jon Pardi‘s new radio single from his Honkytonk Hollywood album is “Boots Off.”

“Third time’s a charm,” he jokes. “Well, you know, it’s been 10 years since the boots songs, so I figured I’d dust off the old titles in the songwriting book and write another one.”

“I didn’t want to title it ‘Boots Off,'” he tells ABC Audio, “but there was just no way around it. And then everybody was like, ‘We love it!’ So people love boots. Everybody’s got boots on.”

It is worth noting that “Head Over Boots” and “Dirt on My Boots” both made it to #1.

While Jon’s new song is “Boots Off,” you might also remember that Randy Houser‘s “Boots On” was a top-10 hit in 2009.

Children’s book inspired by David Bowie’s career coming in September

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

A new children’s book inspired by the life and career of rocker David Bowie is set for release this fall.

Starman: The Cosmic Voyage of David Bowie, by author Matthew Cordell, imagines Bowie as a real spaceman. It is described as “the galactic journey of Bowie’s life, with stops for each phase of his ever-transforming career.”

People revealed the cover of the book, which features Bowie inside a star. Each point illustrates a different iconic Bowie look, including the face of Ziggy Stardust.

“I wanted to share with young readers Bowie’s journey in a similar sense of how he lived it — traveling with eyes wide open, constantly seeking and observing, all with an intergalactic flair,” Cordell tells the mag. “I love the way Bowie’s endless curiosity led him to discover, be inspired by and implement new sounds into his own artistic output, throughout his artistic life.”

Starman: The Cosmic Voyage of David Bowie will be released Sept. 1.

Graphic novel adaptation of Rancid-inspired movie announced

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The upcoming Rancid-inspired movie …And Out Comes the Wolf will be accompanied by graphic novel.

The book, also called …And Out Comes the Wolf, will be available to preorder in the spring through publisher Z2. It’ll be adapted by artist and writer Kevin Mellon from the film’s script by Danny Peykoff, Jason Neese and Jamie Neese.

“With Danny Peykoff and the Neese Brothers driving this vision with Kevin Mellon, we’re positioned to create something both culturally sharp and commercially explosive,” says Z2 President Josh Bernstein. “And at the heart of it all is one of the greatest punk albums ever made by Rancid—a record that defined a generation and now inspires an entirely new storytelling frontier on the screen and on the printed page!”

…And Out Comes the Wolf the movie is set to screen at film festivals in the spring before hitting theaters in the summer. It takes its title from Rancid’s 1995 album …And Out Come the Wolves.

Rancid’s most recent album is 2023’s Tomorrow Never Comes. More recently, they contributed a cover of the Motörhead song “Sex & Death” to a tribute album, which was released in October.

Enter charity sweepstakes to win trip to Backstreet Boys’ final Sphere show

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Backstreet Boys are raising money for a good cause –while also giving fans a chance to win a trip to see their final show at Sphere Las Vegas in February.

They group has teamed up with Propeller, an organization that helps stars use their platforms to enact positive change, to offer one lucky winner and a guest a shot an all-expenses paid trip to Sin City for the weekend of the Feb. 15 show. Airfare, hotel and rideshare credit are all included, as are exclusive merchandise packages.

If you or your guest is 21 and older, you can enter the sweepstakes by donating money to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Ten entries cost a dollar, so you can buy 100 entries for 10 bucks. The more money you donate, the more entries you’ll receive, upping your chances of winning.

Certain donation amounts are intended to fund specific things for the kids of St. Jude’s, like one day’s worth of meals, two days’ worth of oxygen or 27 ‘no more chemo’ parties. The deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. PT on Jan. 29, with the winner set to be announced on Jan. 30.

RAYE’s ‘Husband’ hits Hot 100 high

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Where is RAYE‘s “Husband?” It’s nearing the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

With Christmas songs no longer on the chart, RAYE’s hit “Where Is My Husband!” has made an impressive leap, jumping from #56 to #13. That marks the highest placement of her career, surpassing her previous peak at #22 with “Escapism” in 2023. Back in RAYE’s native U.K., the song has already reached #1.

It’s only one of many songs that have jumped up the chart following the departure of the holiday tunes Myles Smith‘s “Nice to Meet You” climbs to #26, marking its first time in the top 40. Max McNown‘s “Better You for Me (Brown Eyes)” rises to #32, giving Max his first top 40 hit as well.

Meanwhile, Olivia Dean‘s “A Couple Minutes” rises to #36, meaning the British star now has three songs in the top 40 simultaneously: “Man I Need” sits at #4, while “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” jumps to #14.

The Format announces ’Boycott Heaven’ listening parties & in-store concerts

January 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The Format has announced a series of listening parties and in-store performances to celebrate the release of their new album, Boycott Heaven.

The listening parties will take place in record stores across the U.S. on Jan. 17 and Jan. 18, days before Boycott Heaven will be officially released on Jan. 23.

You can check out a list of all participating locations via TheFormat.com/listening-parties.

The in-store performances, meanwhile, take place Jan. 23 and Jan. 24 in The Format’s hometown of Phoenix, Jan. 25 in Long Beach, California, Jan. 27 in Seattle and Jan. 29 in New York City.

Boycott Heaven, which features the single “Holy Roller,” marks the first Format album in 20 years. The band broke up in 2008, after which frontman Nate Ruess went on to form fun.

The Format then reconvened in 2020 for a planned reunion tour, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They reunited again in 2025.

The Format will launch a full U.S. tour in support of Boycott Heaven in March.

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