Eric Clapton has set his first plans for 2024. The three-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has just announced a limited run of dates in the U.K. and Ireland.
The six-date tour kicks off May 9 in New Castle, England, and wraps with a two-night stand at London’s Royal Albert Hall, May 20 and 21. Clapton played Royal Albert Hall in May, hosting the two-night all-star Jeff Beck tribute concerts.
Tickets for all 2024 shows go on sale Friday, June 9, at 10 a.m.
Clapton is set to kick off a short set of North American shows this year, with the trek launching September 8 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He’ll also headline two Crossroads Guitar Festival dates, September 23 and 24, in Los Angeles. A complete list of shows can be found at ericclapton.com.
(LONDON) — Prince Harry took to the witness stand in a U.K. courtroom on Tuesday, becoming the first British royal to do so in more than a century.
The Duke of Sussex was grilled by the defense team in his lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Daily Mirror.
Harry and 100 other celebrities, including the estate of the late George Michael, are suing Mirror Group Newspapers for alleged misuse of private information between 1991 and 2011, including phone hacking and intercepting voicemails.
In a prepared witness statement released Tuesday, Harry said the articles published about himself and his family played a destructive role in his childhood and provoked feelings of paranoia in him.
“As a teenager and in my early 20s, I ended up feeling as though I was playing up to a lot of the headlines and stereotypes that [the tabloid press] wanted to pin on me mainly because I thought that, if they are printing this rubbish about me and people were believing it, I may as well ‘do the crime,’ so to speak,” Harry said in the statement. “It was a downward spiral, whereby the tabloids would constantly try and coax me, a ‘damaged’ young man, into doing something stupid that would make a good story and sell lots of newspapers.”
He continued, “Looking back on it now, such behavior on their part is utterly vile.”
Harry, the youngest child of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana, also addressed the tabloid rumors that he was born from an affair between Diana and James Hewitt.
Harry said in his witness statement that he wondered if the rumors were planted by the tabloids so that he would be “ousted from the Royal Family.”
“Numerous newspapers had reported a rumour that my biological father was James Hewitt, a man my mother had a relationship with after I was born. At the time of this article and others similar to it, I wasn’t actually aware that my mother hadn’t met Major Hewitt until after I was born,” Harry said in his statement. “This timeline is something I only learnt of … around 2014, although I now understand this was common knowledge amongst the Defendant’s journalists.”
He continued, “At the time, when I was 18 years old and had lost my mother just six years earlier, stories such as this felt very damaging and very real to me. They were hurtful, mean and cruel. I was always left questioning the motives behind the stories. Were the newspapers keen to put doubt into the minds of the public so I might be ousted from the Royal Family?”
Harry’s legal team has accused Mirror Group Newspapers of unlawfully gathering information on an “industrial scale.”
Mirror Group Newspapers is contesting the claims, saying in the 33 articles being examined by the court that its reporters found the information through lawful reporting.
Harry’s testimony in the case is expected to continue on Wednesday.
The prince traveled to the U.K. just prior to his testimony Tuesday because of a late flight to the U.K. after celebrating the birthday of his daughter, Lilibet, who turned 2 on Sunday, according to his attorney.
Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, live in California with Lilibet and their 4-year-old son, Archie.
Since stepping down from his role as a senior working royal in 2020, Harry has made no secret of his disdain for the British tabloid media. In his witness statement, Harry said it he has “a very difficult relationship with the tabloid press in the U.K.”
“Harry is somebody that is very clear in what he wants to achieve. He believes he has been treated badly by this newspaper group,” said ABC News royal contributor Robert Jobson. “He believes he’s had his phone hacked by this newspaper group and therefore is determined, as he is right, to be compensated for it, and to receive an apology.”
The lawsuit against the Mirror Group Newspapers is one of six lawsuits that Harry is currently waging against the British tabloids.
He made an unexpected appearance in a U.K. courtroom in March for a hearing on a lawsuit that he, Elton John and other celebrities have brought against Associated Newspapers Ltd., the publisher of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline.
The case, first announced last year, alleges the celebrity defendants are “the victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy,” according to a press release shared last year by Hamlins, the London-based law firm representing Harry in the case.
Harry told ABC News’ Michael Strahan in January that the lawsuits he is involved in are his attempt to bring about real change when it comes to the media coverage of celebrities and the royal family.
“I’m in this to be able to say, ‘Draw a line. Enough. We can all move on and get on with our lives,'” he said. “But if this continues, then I’m naturally, deeply concerned that what has happened to us will happen to someone else.”
Dr. Chad Schmiedt performs surgery at the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital. — ABC News
(ATHENS, Ga.) — Some cats battling kidney disease are getting a second chance at life, thanks to a pioneering kidney transplant program at the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
Dr. Chad Schmiedt leads the initiative and is one of only a handful of surgeons who performs the procedure around the world.
“One particular thing about cats is that they are so good at hiding their disease. So, a lot of times, cats won’t start showing signs of illness and owners won’t pick up on signs of illness until it’s quite advanced,” Schmiedt told ABC News Live. “And so that’s one challenge we face in these animals, is trying to work with those very sick animals.”
It’s a type of advanced veterinary care growing in demand as pet ownership has surged over the last 30 years. As of 2023, 66% of U.S. households — 86.9 million homes — own a pet, according to the American Pet Products Association’s [APPA] annual survey. Millennials make up the largest percentage of current pet owners at 33%.
Around three-quarters of cat owners said they considered their pets to be a member of the family, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2018 and 2022 report on U.S. pet ownership, and that could lead to increased expenses for their care. Just last year, Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets, the APPA survey said.
“It’s considered absolutely normal behavior for people to love their animals, spend whatever it takes to fix their animals when they get sick. You have to go back to the fact that for many people, these animals are like their kids,” said Dr. James A. Serpell, professor of ethics and animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
That was the case five years ago for Franklin, Tennessee, resident Greg Norwicki, whose beloved cat Tucker was diagnosed with kidney failure after routine blood work showed slightly elevated creatinine and blood urea nitrogen – indicators for kidney disease. Tucker’s levels continued to rise over the following months, then Norwicki learned Tucker may be a candidate for a kidney transplant.
The transplant was a success, and Tucker is still alive — and thriving.
“We don’t realize how sick our animals are until you see an animal bounce back,” Norwicki said.
At the University of Georgia, the surgery costs around $20,000 for both the recipient and donor cat, Schmiedt said. There are also recurrent costs — it’s estimated owners can expect to spend anywhere between $1,500 to $4,000 per year on medication, tests and veterinary visits.
Donor cats come from a variety of places, including other cats owned by the family of the recipient. The donor cats are always adopted by the family of the recipient, Schmiedt said.
“To the best of our knowledge, they go on and live a normal life,” Schmiedt said.
Still, some have raised ethical concerns about the program, arguing that unlike humans, cats can’t give consent to have their organs donated.
“Those donor cats don’t come along and say, ‘Yes, please take my kidney.’ The argument that is used is that most of those donor cats are coming from shelters. They might not have found a home. They might have been euthanized in the shelter. So donating a kidney to another cat is preferable to that, especially if the recipient household of that new kidney is willing to adopt the donor,” Serpell said.
In Norwicki’s case, Charlie, the donor cat for Tucker, was previously used for research and was adopted by the family after the procedure.
“So as I say, you know, we saved [Charlie’s] life, too,” Norwicki said.
The Broadway musical adaption of The Who’s Tommy won five awards at the 47th annual Tony Awards.
Based on the band’s 1969 album and 1975 film of the same name, the musical earned a Best Original Score Tony for The Who’s Pete Townshend, as well as Best Direction of a Musical for Des McAnuff. In total it was nominated for 10 Tonys, including Best Musical, losing out to Kiss of the Spider Woman.
The Who’s Tommy opened on Broadway on April 22, 1993, and closed on June 17, 1995, after 899 performances. It was also staged in Canada, Germany and the U.K.
A new reimagining of the musical, featuring a cast of 28, a nine-piece band and brand new staging, is set to open at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre on June 13.
(NEW YORK) — The PGA Tour has announced it will be merging operations under a single owner with its rival, the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, as well as the DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour.
“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA TOUR’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV – including the team golf concept – to create an organization that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.
He continued, “Going forward, fans can be confident that we will, collectively, deliver on the promise we’ve always made – to promote competition of the best in professional golf and that we are committed to securing and driving the game’s future.”
The controversial Saudi Public Investment Fund will make an investment into the new merged company “to facilitate its growth and success.” The new company does not yet have a name, according to the press release.
The upstart LIV Golf league had been locked in a heat rivalry over the top golfers in the world. Players like Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau took the guaranteed money from LIV Golf, while players like Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods pledged to remain with the long-established PGA Tour. Players on the LIV Golf tour signed contracts, similar to football or baseball, that paid them regardless of their performance in tournaments. On the PGA Tour, players competed for money in tournaments.
Dustin Johnson, who won two majors and 24 PGA tournaments, jumped to the LIV Golf tour in June 2022 for a reported $150 million. He’s made millions more in individual tournaments.
As part of the agreement, the sides agreed to mutually end all pending litigation. The PGA Tour had filed a federal lawsuit in October against Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, while LIV Golf players had filed a federal antitrust last August after the PGA Tour threatened to prevent LIV Golf players from competing in the four majors.
“There is no question that the LIV model has been positively transformative for golf,” PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said in a statement. “We believe there are opportunities for the game to evolve while also maintaining its storied history and tradition. This partnership represents the best opportunity to extend and increase the impact of golf for all.”
A board of directors will “oversee and direct all the new entity’s golf-related commercial operations, businesses and investments,” according to the statement announcing the merger. Al-Rumayyan will be named chairman of the board, while Monahan will become the CEO.
The terms of the agreement have yet to be finalized.
“This is a momentous day,” Keith Pelley, chief executive of the DP World Tour, said in a statement. “We are delighted to be able to not only reignite our relationship with PIF, but also to have the opportunity to build on our current Strategic Alliance partnership with the PGA TOUR.”
Actor Elliot Page’s rise to fame was meteoric — and complicated.
“Yeah, that whole Juno time. That was quite the time,” Page told ABC News in an exclusive network interview for The Freedom to Exist — A Soul of a Nation Presentation, airing June 6 on ABC, coinciding with the release of the Umbrella Academy star’s memoir, Pageboy: A Memoir.
When the 2007 movie Juno premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, it was a smash. The film went on to earn four Oscar nominations, ultimately winning the Academy Award for best original screenplay.
In an excerpt from his new book, Page said he had planned to wear jeans and a shirt to the premiere but that he needed to wear a dress and heels instead.
“It’s not like someone was forcing clothing on my physical body, but that is what it felt like…” he explained.
When Page was a 6-year-old kid growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he had asked his mother, Martha, if he could be a boy, and his mother said no. But at the age of 10, Page wrote that he cut his hair short and people started addressing him as a boy.
“It was the first time I really could see myself,” he said. “I was lucky to have a mom that let me get to that place at 10…but…I could sense her embarrassment.”
Fast-forward to December 2020 when, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Page announced on Instagram he was transgender. He told ABC News that the announcement was a moment of freedom.
“I was able to finally make the steps and the decision to be myself and…to live fully,” he said. “I’m feeling that joy every day. What it has allowed me is what feels like truly being alive for the first time.”
Tool Dissectional/Volcano Entertainment/RCA Records
Tool has announced a fall North American tour in continued support of the band’s latest album, Fear Inoculum.
The headlining trek begins October 3 in Loveland, Colorado, and concludes November 21 in Toronto. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 9, at 10 a.m. local time. Members of the Tool Army fan club have access to a presale beginning Thursday, June 8, at 10 a.m. local time.
For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit ToolBand.com.
Fear Inoculum was released in 2019 after a 13-year wait for a follow-up to 2006’s 10,000 Days. Tool also put out a rerecorded version of their song “Opiate” in 2022 in honor of its 30th anniversary.
In between the headlining dates, Tool will play a number of festivals this year, including the much-anticipated Power Trip in Indio, California, alongside Metallica, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses.
Queens of the Stone Age have announced a U.S. headlining tour in support of the band’s upcoming album, In Times New Roman… .
The outing, dubbed The End Is Nero tour, launches August 3 in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and wraps up October 6 in San Francisco. Phantogram will also be on the bill for select dates.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 9, at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit QotSA.com.
In Times New Roman…, the follow-up to 2017’s Villains, drops June 16. It includes the previously released songs “Emotion Sickness” and “Carnavoyeur.”
You can hear In Times New Roman… a day early at QotSA’s Midnight Club listening parties, held in record stores across the world on June 15. For more info, visit MatadorRecords.com/midnightclub.
Dua Lipa‘s latest project is the Service95 Book Club, which invites readers of her Service95 newsletter to read and discuss a book she selects each month. And Dua claims that her endorsement of reading has done the impossible — gotten kids to put down their phones and pick up a book.
“I’ve had a great response,” she tells the Sunday Times. “People say their kids started reading because I posted about books. Everything is so bitesize now, but reading takes you from that.”
“It’s cool to encourage younger generations to read, which maybe isn’t so instilled in them because of social media,” she adds. “I know reading has been on a decline, but I read everywhere.”
Dua interviewedDouglas Stuart, the author of Shuggie Bain, her first book club selection, last weekend at the U.K.’s most prestigious literary festival. According to ELLE, Stuart said he’d like to cast Dua in the TV adaptation of the book.
Mackie in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’/Marvel Studios
In a social media post, Marvel Studios gave a behind-the-scenes peek at its upcoming fourth Captain America film, and revealed a new title.
The movie will now be called Captain America: Brave New World.
The snap from the set of the movie formerly subtitled New World Order shows Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, having taken up the Captain America mantle at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, sharing a laugh with movie icon and MCU newbie Harrison Ford.
Ford plays Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, formerly played by the late William Hurt, who died in 2022. The character has gone from a Hulk-obsessed general in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk to the Secretary of State in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, to his position in the new film, the President of the United States.
Ford is dressed casually in a crew chair bearing the movie’s new name, in front of a pair of video monitors as he converses with a smiling Mackie, who seems to be wearing a version of the navy blue Cap “stealth suit” Chris Evans wore as the character in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And of course, on Mackie’s back, is Captain America’s mighty red-white-and-blue vibranium shield.
The film also stars Liv Tyler, reprising her Incredible Hulk character Elizabeth “Betty” Ross — Thaddeus’ daughter — who was thelove interest of Edward Norton‘s Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk before that role went to Mark Ruffalo.
Captain America: Brave New World also stars another Incredible Hulk player, Tim Blake Nelson, again portraying scientist Samuel Sterns, as well as Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Danny Ramirez, and MCU veterans Emily VanCamp and Samuel L. Jackson, among others.
The movie hits theaters May 3, 2024 from Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of ABC News’ parent company, Disney.
