Parker McCollum has notched his third consecutive country radio chart-topper with “Handle On You.”
Speaking with ABC Audio recently, Parker recalled the moment he found out about the news.
“I’d just woken up on my bus somewhere in Missouri and rolled over, and had a bunch of text messages saying ‘congrats’ and a bunch of messages from the team,” shares Parker. “You know, all my good radio folks at Universal [Music Group Nashville]. It was pretty good, man. It’s always a good feeling.”
Having number-ones is not something Parker takes for granted. After all, it’s been something the Texas native has dreamed of since he was young.
“I just try to be extremely grateful. It’s kind of wild to grow up wanting to be a country singer, and then you’re actually getting to do it on a pretty big level. So it’s pretty surreal a lot of the time,” Parker reflects.
“But the number ones are just crazy. When you’re growing up and you’re kind of studying your favorite artists and stuff, you’re so aware of their accolades, and their accomplishments and the career they’ve had,” he adds. “And quite a few of my heroes had quite a few number ones. So to have a few is a pretty good feeling.”
“Handle On You” is the lead single off Parker’s brand new album, Never Enough. The 15-song record follows 2021’s Gold Chain Cowboy, which spawned the hit singles “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved By You.”
Matchbox Twenty‘s long-awaited Slow Dream Tour finally gets underway Tuesday night in Vancouver. Since the tour was first announced, they’ve made a new album, Where the Light Goes, but don’t worry — they don’t plan to dump their hits in favor of the new stuff.
“This tour was supposed to be in 2020. So we promised a tour of a lot of our history and we’re not going to ignore that just because we made a record,” the band’s Paul Doucette tells ABC Audio.
“We definitely think that there is a large element of our fanbase that want to hear the new songs … and that makes it exciting for us,” he explains. “But at the same time, we’re a band that’s been around for almost 30 years … we know that we have a long history with our fans and we are not in the business of disappointing them.
Singer Rob Thomas agrees.
“There is a sense of nostalgia in coming to see us, and there’s no shame in that,” he says. “Because we’ve been really, really fortunate to have a few songs that we’ve managed to be able to put out into the universe and … be a part of people’s life … we want people to be able to revisit those like old friends.”
He laughs, “I don’t think you’re ever going to have like one night where it’s like, ‘Tonight is going to be almost all the new songs.'”
Either way, fans shouldn’t expect the same show every night, which is why they’ve arranged to make every concert available for download as soon as it’s over.
“Fans are sharing it literally the day of the show, and they’re sending off versions of this song to someone else,” says Rob. “I like that aspect of it.”
Gene Simmons is reminiscing about the late guitar great Eddie Van Halen for a new piece published inClassic Rock magazine.
The KISS bassist and co-founder talks about the first time he saw Van Halen play in a Hollywood club in 1976 and says despite what some have said, he didn’t discover the band. “No, I didn’t. I did no such thing,” he says, “I just happened to be there and witness their greatness at what was still a very early stage.”
“I saw them that night and was left incredulous. I stood at the front of the stage and couldn’t believe my eyes and ears,” he adds. “What really intrigued me about Van Halen was that they came out of nowhere … to this day I’ve no clue where Van Halen came from.”
Simmons calls Eddie, who passed away in 2020, “such a kind and beautiful soul.” He said he’s particularly upset that young people don’t know, and may never know, how truly great Eddie was.
“As much as his death was upsetting, it also made me a little furious that so many of our so-called ‘younger generation’ remain unaware of his talents,” he says. “For f***’s sake, parents should be slapping mobile phones out of their kids’ hands and telling them to check out this guy.”
He adds, “Our millennials need to know about the most important musician since Jimi Hendrix. There will never be another like him.”
Megan Fox is getting deep and personal about her journey towards self-acceptance and body image issues.
In a candid interview withSports Illustrated, the 37-year-old actress, one of this year’s cover models, revealed her battle with body dysmorphia, expressing that she never truly sees herself the way others do.
“There is never a point in my life where I loved my body, ever ever,” she said.
Reflecting on her childhood, Fox shared how her obsession with conforming to societal beauty standards began at a young age.
As for why she had such an awareness of her body as a child, the actress couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason, but explained, “It definitely wasn’t environmental because I grew up in a very religious environment where bodies weren’t even acknowledged.”
Fox went on to share that she believes the “journey” to loving herself will be “never-ending” and while she understands physical appearance is the first thing people see, she wishes people noticed something else about her.
“I wish everyone noticed my aura,” she said. “Because I have a rainbow Aura and it’s special.”
Alongside Kim Petras, Martha Stewart, and Brooks Nader, Fox will grace the cover of the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, hitting newsstands on May 18th.
(WASHINGTON) — Threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community are on the rise and intensifying, according to a new briefing by the Department of Homeland Security.
The DHS document, distributed to government and law enforcement agencies on May 11, said that domestic violence extremists and people who commit hate crimes have increased threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community within the last year.
“These issues include actions linked to drag-themed events, gender-affirming care, and LGBTQIA+ curricula in schools,” DHS said.
DHS said that the issues inspiring threats and calls of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community could lead to a rise of potential attacks against larger targets, such as public spaces and healthcare sites that may be linked to the community.
DHS analysts also cite social media chatter celebrating the recent mass shooting at a Nashville church school.
“High-profile attacks against schools and faith-based institutions like the recent shooting in Nashville have historically served as inspiration for individuals to conduct copycat attacks,” DHS said.
In recent months, politicians in Tennessee, Florida and other Republican-run states have introduced legislation that critics say targets the LGBTQIA+ community.
In March 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by detractors.
The bill banned classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Last month, the Florida Board of Education expanded those restrictions to include all grades. In March, Tennessee became the first state to restrict public drag performances.
HB 9 and SB 3, signed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, make “a person who engages in an adult cabaret performance on public property” — or where it can be viewed by minors — a criminal offense.
Last month, a federal judge temporarily blocked the law, saying it was vaguely written and overly broad, according to AP.
At least 14 states have passed laws or policies that restrict gender-affirming care for people under the age of legal majority, which is the threshold for legal adulthood.
According to DHS, about 20% of all hate crimes reported throughout the country in 2021 were motivated by bias linked to sexual orientation and gender, citing the FBI’s hate crime statistics.
ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — With the unofficial start of summer almost here — AAA projects 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, a 7% increase over last year.
“This is expected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports.”
AAA says nearly 3.4 million people will take to the skies over the holiday, up 11% from 2022 and 5.4% from 2019.
The most popular U.S. destinations this year are Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Dallas, according to online travel booking platform Hopper. Internationally, the top spots are Cancun and Toronto, Hopper said.
U.S. airfare down, but international prices are steep
Travelers staying in the U.S. over the Memorial Day holiday will pay “considerably less” than what they did last year and even pre-pandemic, according to Hopper economist Haley Berg.
Berg told ABC that last-minute domestic airfare is averaging $275 per ticket — about $100 cheaper than last year and about 6% lower than pre-pandemic Memorial Day weekend ticket prices.
“Most of the improvement in prices just has to do with a bit of a relief on costs on the airline side, with jet fuel prices coming down a little bit since this time last year, demand normalizing at this time last year,” Berg said in an interview with ABC News. “We were in the real peak of the demand surge coming out of that last wave of COVID, and so these factors have normalized considerably this year, which is bringing some relief on prices compared to what we saw last year.”
Airfare to international destinations won’t come so cheap, Berg said. Roundtrip tickets to Europe, a number one destination for American travelers, are up more than 50% from last year, averaging around $1,300 per ticket, according to Hopper.
“The big shocker is airfare to Europe right now,” Berg said. “For those travelers who did plan an international getaway to Europe over Memorial Day weekend, they’re paying the highest fares that we’ve seen in more than five years.”
Best times and days to beat road traffic
Car travel this holiday will be up from last year. AAA projects 37.1 million Americans will hit the roads over Memorial Day weekend — a 6% increase from last year.
To beat traffic, experts say you should plan to drive in the morning or on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28 when road traffic is expected to be lightest.
“Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a release. “Our advice is to avoid driving during peak hours or use alternative routes.”
Drivers will also see lower gas prices heading into the holiday weekend. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), prices averaged $3.53 a gallon last week. The same time last year, the national average was over $4 a gallon.
“With lower fuel prices and more travelers on the road compared to last year, drivers should expect long delays this holiday weekend, especially in and around major metros as commuters mix with Memorial Day travelers,” Pishue said.
Hotel and rental car rates significantly lower
If you’re looking to rent a car while you’re on vacation, you’re in luck: The average price for a rental is $44 a day, which is down 17% from last year, according to Hopper. The platform’s data shows that the top destinations for rental car pickups are Florida, Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas.
Hotel prices are also down this year. According to Hopper, prices have dropped to an average of $208 per night — 6% lower than 2022.
And domestic travelers will have it cheaper than international travelers. Hotel prices in the U.S. are 15% cheaper than international rates, according to Hotels.com.
Tips for booking a last-minute trip
For those looking to take a last-minute trip over the upcoming three-day weekend, experts say there’s still time to make plans.
“Just because airfare is more expensive than in previous years, that doesn’t mean that cheap flights or great airfare deals are nonexistent,” Katy Nastro, spokesperson for Going, told ABC. “You just have to be a little bit more strategic in how you find them.”
Nastro says booking two one-way fares instead of one round-trip can sometimes help you save cash. Another tip is to see if booking your departure and return on different airlines will end up costing less.
“That roundtrip price might be actually more expensive on one airline versus if I flew from New York to Chicago on American and then from Chicago back to New York on Delta,” Nastro said.
Nastro said taking some extra time to see if flying out of an alternate airport can also save some cash, even if it takes more time to get to the airport.
“Think a little bit outside of your box,” said Nastro. “It might be a little bit more time on the road or travel time overall, but you could end up saving overall in the end and your wallet will thank you.”
(NEW YORK) — Sayfullo Saipov, the Uzbekistan native who planned and carried out a 2017 ISIS-inspired terror attack on the west side of Manhattan, deserves multiple life sentences “to provide just punishment” for killing eight people, federal prosecutors said Monday in a sentencing memorandum to the judge.
Judge Vernon Broderick is scheduled to impose a sentence on Wednesday after more than two dozen relatives of victims deliver statements to the court. Most of them will be traveling from Argentina or Belgium, the native countries of the tourist victims.
Saipov was convicted in January of all 28 counts he faced in connection to carrying out the deadly attack along a Hudson River bike path with a truck he had rented, but escaped the death penalty after jurors deadlocked on sentencing for the nine charges Saipov faced that were eligible for capital punishment.
“The defendant’s conduct before, during and after his attack warrants a sentence that reflects the extraordinary depravity of his crimes. The government respectfully requests that the court impose the maximum statutory penalty on each count of conviction,” prosecutors said in the sentencing memorandum.
Saipov was a “proud terrorist” who “chose to come to this country and then fight for an enemy,” prosecutor Amanda Houle said during the trial. Once the judge imposes the sentence, Saipov will spend at least 22 hours a day alone in his cell at ADX in Florence, Colorado.
The jury agreed Saipov intentionally killed his victims after “substantial planning and premeditation” and did it for ISIS. However, the jury did not unanimously find Saipov represented a future danger or would likely commit acts of violence while in prison.
The defense conceded that the grief of the victims’ families “was entirely caused by Sayfullo Saipov,” but defense attorney David Patton argued it was not necessary to kill him, “not for our safety or anyone else’s and not to do justice.”
On the morning of Oct. 31, 2017, Saipov rented a Home Depot truck weighing more than 5,000 pounds that he drove from New Jersey into Manhattan, according to trial testimony. He turned onto the Hudson River bike path near the entrance of Pier 40, traveling approximately 31 miles per hour, prosecutors said.
Within moments, Saipov struck his first victim, Ann-Laure Decadt, a mother of two visiting from Belgium, whose mother and two sisters watched her die.
Saipov also killed five friends from Argentina who were in New York celebrating the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation: Hernan Mendoza, Alejandro Pagnucco, Hernan Ferruchi, Diego Angelini and Ariel Erlij.
Saipov sped up to 57 mph when he struck and killed a 32-year-old New Jersey native, Darren Drake, who was enjoying a bike ride on a break from work. Nicholas Cleves, a 23-year-old New Yorker, was killed riding back to his family business after running errands.
Saipov sped up to 66 mph and crashed the truck into a school bus carrying two adults and two special needs children. He emerged from the truck carrying two fake guns and was shot by police.
The sentencing memorandum included statements Saipov made after the attack.
“Saipov admitted that his goal was to kill as many people as possible, and that he was happy with what he had done. Saipov smiled and asked to hang an ISIS flag in his hospital room. Saipov admitted that he had decided to commit an attack a full year before he executed it, and that he had spent two months planning his truck attack,” prosecutors said.
The headlining run begins September 6 in Lexington, Kentucky, and concludes October 15 in Pioneertown, California. The Ataris and The Pink Spiders will also be on the bill.
“We usually hit the road hard in the summers, but this year we’re changing it up and bringing a new kind of energy by touring in the fall and bringing out bands that came out 15 years after we did,” says frontman Art Alexakis. “While we love touring with our ‘90s brothers, we’re excited to get out there with bands like The Ataris, who I’m a huge fan of, and The Pink Spiders, who are a cool band from Nashville. We’re really looking forward to it and can’t wait to see all of our amazing fans out on the road.”
Tickets go on sale Friday, May 19, at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit EverclearMusic.com.
Everclear put out their most recent album, Black Is the New Black, in 2015. Last year, they put out a reissue of their 1993 debut album, World of Noise, in honor of its 30th anniversary.
The Village People are not happy that Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort hired a lookalike group to play the venue.
Billboard reports that after video surfaced on Twitter of what appeared to be the band playing an event at the estate, Trump was sent a cease-and-desist letter by lead singer Victor Willis‘ wife, Karen Willis, who manages the band.
The letter, which was sent to Trump’s lawyer Joseph Tacopina, argues that the tribute band violates the disco group’s federal trademark, noting the clip “has and continues to cause public confusion as to why Village People would even engage in such a performance. We did not.” Karen adds, “Though my husband has tolerated your client’s use of his Village People music, we cannot allow such use by him to cause public confusion as to endorsement.”
Willis insists that the confusion makes it look like the band is endorsing Trump and that the band has threatened to sue to keep him from using “not only of the Village People trademarked image and trade dress, but of the music as well.”
This isn’t the first time the Village People took issue with Trump’s use of their music. In June 2020 Victor, upset over Trump using police to clear protesters in Lafayette Square, used social media to ask the president not to use their songs at his events.
