Neil Sedaka performs, Chicago, Illinois, November 25, 1978. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka died Friday at the age of 86, ABC News has confirmed.
“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” read a statement from the musician’s family. “A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed.”
Sedaka rose to fame in the late ’50s and early ’60s, thanks to popular hits like “Calendar Girl,” “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen,” “Oh! Carol,” and what became his signature song, “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” which went to #1 in 1962. In 1975, he released a slowed-down version of the same song, which became a top 10 hit in 1976 and earned him a Grammy nomination.
Sedaka’s career as an artist saw a decline in the mid-’60s, due to the popularity of The Beatles and the so-called British Invasion, although he had continued success writing songs for other artists like Frank Sinatra, The Monkees and others. He also remained a successful performer in the U.K. where he released a trio of popular albums: Emergence, Solitaire and The Tra-La Days Are Over. Those albums prompted Elton John to signed Sedaka to his Rocket Records label, and helped reintroduce him to American audiences.
Sedaka saw a renewed popularity as a performer in the mid-’70s, thanks to the albums released on John’s label. One, Sedaka’s Back, featured the #1 song the “Laughter in the Rain,” while The Hungry Years included another #1 hit, “Bad Blood,” with an uncredited Elton John on backing vocals.
Sedaka also maintained a successful songwriting career, writing tunes for other artists, including the Captain and Tennille song “Love Will Keep Us Together,” which went to #1 and earned Sedaka and co-writer Howard Greenfield a Grammy for record of the year.
Sedaka was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983, which also gave him the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
Grateful Dead fans attend the Bob Weir memorial at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, Calif., (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
The Grateful Dead have a loyal fan base, and a new movie about them is set to hit theaters this summer.
Summer Tour, directed by Mischa Richter and co-produced by actress Chloe Sevigny, focuses on the Deadhead community as they follow Dead & Company on the band’s final tour in 2023.
The film debuted at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival and was just acquired by Utopia. As a shout out to Deadheads, the company plans to roll out the film this summer with a multi-city tour across America that will include screenings and performances by Dead-inspired bands.
“We are so happy that Summer Tour has found a home with Utopia,” says Richter. “We can’t think of a better fit for our film due to Utopia’s experience with and love for music documentaries.”
“Summer Tour is a lovingly crafted hang-out documentary that roadtrips alongside such an iconic music fandom,” Utopia’s Charlie Sextro notes. “There’s a timeless quality to Mischa’s film. It’s a love-letter to community, music, alternative lifestyles and gathering together irl.”
In this photo illustration, the logo of Warner Bros. Discovery is displayed on a computer screen in Ankara, Turkiye, on August 12, 2025. (Photo by Omer Taha Cetin/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Warner Bros Discovery has agreed to a deal with Paramount Skydance, the two companies confirmed Friday in a news release.
According to the release, under the terms of the agreement, Paramount plans to pay “$31.00 per share in cash for all outstanding shares of WBD.”
“The merger unlocks innovative and compelling storytelling opportunities across the combined company’s best-in-class film and television studios, streaming and linear platforms,” the release stated.
According to the release, the board of directors of both companies approved the deal unanimously.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, “subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances and approval by WBD shareholders, with a vote expected in the early spring of 2026.”
President Donald Trump answers questions during a press briefing held at the White House February 20, 2026, in Washington, DC. The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled against Trump’s use of emergency powers to implement international trade tariffs, a central portion of the administration’s core economic policy. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. government agencies to stop using Anthropic’s products, just hours before the deadline the Pentagon set for the AI company to agree to its terms.
“I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology. We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again! There will be a Six Month phase out period for Agencies like the Department of War who are using Anthropic’s products, at various levels,” Trump posted on his social media platform.
“Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow,” Trump added.
ABC News has reached out to Anthropic for comment.
The AI company’s CEO has made clear that despite threats from the Pentagon, they refuse to drop their two key demands: no use of its artificial intelligence for fully autonomous weapons — meaning AI, not humans, making final battlefield targeting decisions — and no mass domestic surveillance.
Anthropic told ABC News that amid negotiations, the latest contract language from the Pentagon does not fully commit that the military will not use their technology for those two use cases.
In fact, Anthropic said the “new language” added into the contract by the department would allow their safeguards to be “disregarded at will.”
“The contract language we received from the Department of War made virtually no progress on preventing Claude’s use for mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons,” Anthropic told ABC News.
The company added, “New language framed as compromise was paired with legalese that would allow those safeguards to be disregarded at will. Despite DOW’s recent public statements, these narrow safeguards have been the crux of our negotiations for months.”
Top members of the Senate Armed Services Committee have sent a private letter to Anthropic and the Pentagon, urging them to resolve their fight.
The Senate leaders are urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, to extend their negotiations and work with Congress to find a solution, according to the letter obtained by ABC News.
The Pentagon claims it has no intention of using Anthropic’s AI for cases that involve mass domestic surveillance or autonomous kinetic operations. However, it says Anthropic’s guardrails could jeopardize military operations.
The Pentagon said that if Anthropic does not agree to its demands by 5:00 p.m. ET Friday, they will terminate the partnership with Anthropic and label the company a “supply chain risk” – a designation usually reserved for foreign adversaries.
“The Department has stated that it does not intend to conduct mass surveillance or use autonomous weapons without humans on the loop — positions that we in Congress endorse,” the letter from the Senate leaders reads. “It is clear, however, that the issue of ‘lawful use’ requires additional work by all stakeholders. We must determine whether additional legislative or regulatory language is required, and, if so, what that law and regulation should entail.”
“By Friday, February 27, the DOD could essentially declare war not on a foreign nation but on one of America’s most successful frontier AI companies if it does not bow to its demands,” Adam Conner, the vice president for technology policy at American Progress, wrote in an article on their website.
“This would be an unprecedented and unnecessary peacetime move that sends the signal to other private companies that they must do the Trump administration’s bidding or face existential consequences,” Conner wrote.
In addition to the 1973 live performance at Boston venue Paul’s Mall on black vinyl, the set includes the original album remastered on clear vinyl, along with a 2024 Album Mix on translucent red vinyl. The set also includes unreleased studio tracks on black vinyl and a UV cloud-effect 12-inch vinyl, featuring both the 2024 remaster and mix of the band’s iconic single “Dream On.”
The set also comes with a hardcover book featuring never-before-seen photos, plus liner notes with new interviews with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford and Joey Kramer. There are also contributions from musicians like Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, Dolly Parton, The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash and more.
In addition to the Collector’s Edition set, Aerosmith will release Aerosmith (Legendary Edition) as four-LP and three-CD sets, as well as digitally, as a single CD and as a single LP, available in both black and translucent red.
RAYE has released “Nightingale Lane.” from her upcoming album, This Music May Contain Hope. There’s also a live video, recorded at London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios with the London Symphony Orchestra and a choir. “This song is about the greatest heartbreak I’ve ever known,” RAYE says before she starts singing the ballad. The album is out March 27.
Alex Warren has been teasing his song “Fever Dream” for weeks, and the song is finally out. Fans seem to agree that they really like the song but wish it was longer. Like his breakthrough hit “Ordinary,” the song is about his wife, Kouvr Annon. It’s the first taste of new music from the Grammy-nominated singer ahead of his upcoming tour, which launches in April. He performs at the BRIT Awards on Sunday.
Jessie Murph has a new song on the soundtrack of Scream 7, the latest installment in the long-running horror franchise. The slinky track is called “Criminal.” The movie’s in theaters now.
Lauv has returned with a new EP called songs i couldn’t forget, a set of demos he’s been sitting on for years. In a statement, he writes, “back in 2018, i wrote these songs during a time that shaped me. years later, i still can’t get them out of my head, so i put them together into my new EP … it’s a collection of songs that still mean a lot to me — lessons learned, moments shared, and love lost. in any case, i hope you love them.” The single, ‘mariah,’ is about listening to old songs by Mariah Carey. Lauv launches a co-headlining tour with Khalid called It’s Always Summer Somewhere, starting May 15.
Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus on the set of ‘God of War.’ (Leah Gallo/Prime Video)
Prime Video has released its first look at its upcoming God of War series.
Additionally, Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios have announced that production on the new series has begun. The first photo from the show’s set has also been released. It features stars Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson in character as Kratos and Atreus.
God of War is based on the popular ancient mythology-themed Playstation video game. It has already received a two-season order from the streamer.
Hurst previously played Thor in the Playstation game God of War Ragnarök and already has established familiarity with the franchise.
The storyline for the upcoming series follows “father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye,” according to an official synopsis from Prime Video. “Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.”
Also starring in the show are Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri and Danny Woodburn as Brok.
A fan reacts during the 2025 When We Were Young Music Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on October 18, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Bryan Steffy/Getty Images)
When We Were Young won’t be happening in 2026.
The Las Vegas festival will be skipping this year but plans to return in 2027, organizers have announced.
“The songs, the memories, the moments — none of it exists without you,” a statement on the When We Were Young website reads. “After an unforgettable run in Las Vegas, we’ve decided to take 2026 off to give this festival the care it deserves and to make sure what comes next feels just as special as what came before.”
It continues, “Thank you for showing up with your whole hearts every year. This isn’t goodbye — it’s just a pause. We’ll see you in 2027.”
The first When We Were Young festival took place in 2017 in Santa Ana, California. It then relaunched in Vegas in 2022 with a headline-making lineup dedicated to the alternative, emo and pop-punk scene of the early and mid-2000s.
My Chemical Romance and Paramore headlined in 2022, followed by blink-182 and Green Day in 2023, MCR and Fall Out Boy in 2024, and blink and the reformed Panic! at the Disco in 2025.
Avery Anna’s new EP, forgive, forget, will arrive March 13. The six-song collection features her latest release, “Man Downstairs.”
“Boat Named After You” is the latest preview of ERNEST’s third studio album, Deep Blue, which is set for release sometime later this year. It will also feature the previously released “Lorelei.”
“Born to Be Yours” is Warren Zeiders’ first new music since January’s Live from the 717. The 21-track album was recorded during his sold-out Giant Center performance in his hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Cover of The Zombies’ ‘Begin Here’ (Beechwood Park Records)
The Zombies are revisiting their debut album with a new reissue.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are set to reissue 1965’s Begin Here remastered in mono on April 17. This follows the September release of a mono remaster of their iconic sophomore album, Odessey & Oracle.
The reissue of Begin Here, the second of four planned reissues, will feature all 17 tracks from the U.K. and U.S. versions of the album, with new liner notes by rock journalist David Fricke.
“Thinking of The Zombies’ first album Begin Here immediately triggers wonderful memories of late-night sessions in Decca’s West Hampstead studio fueled by pure excitement and adrenaline,” The Zombies’ Colin Blunstone says. “These tracks changed all of our lives forever and I am forever grateful. I look back on them with wonder and a great deal of affection!”
The band is previewing the reissue with the release of the mono remastered version of “It’s Alright With Me,” which is now available via digital outlets.
Begin Here (Mono Remastered) will be released digitally, and on CD and vinyl. It is available for preorder now.
