Lizzo and Sir James Galway at the Met Gala; Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty Images
Most artists would be thrilled simply to receive an invitation to perform at the Met Gala, but Lizzo got an even better deal: She got to perform with her musical hero, and she’s still buzzing from the experience.
On Wednesday, Lizzo took to Instagram to rave about the experience of performing with Irish flute player Sir James Galway. She wrote, “Where do I begin…? When I was 11 years old and learning the flute I needed a challenge from my 5th grade level studies. So I found [the album] The Man with the Golden Flute by James Galway and it changed the trajectory of my life.”
“I learned most of the songs by ear because the sheet music was too difficult to read at the time but eventually I fell in love with virtuosic flute music and memorized ‘The Carnival of Venice’ (James’ Version) when I was 14,” she continued. “My father heard that and took my flute very seriously, he bought me lessons from university level teachers and my parents eventually got me [my own instrument] Sasha Flute to keep up.”
Lizzo wrote, “When my dad passed away I played ‘Amazing Grace’ into ‘Carnival of Venice’ at his funeral… it was my promise to never give up. Now, years later I had the honor to play beside Sir James Galway, and receive lessons from him and even play his alto flute. I can confidently say I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without his influence.”
She finished by writing, “Thank you for everything this week@sirjamesgalway! You are truly the King of Flutes and I can’t wait to play with you again.”
She also posted video of herself playing side-by-side with Galway backstage.
Snoop Dogg is an advocate of the Writers Guild of America and its current strike over compensation for writers. As an artist familiar with the downsides of streaming models, he shared his opinion on the issue of low pay across the board.
“[Artists] need to figure it out the same way the writers are figuring it out,” Snoop said during a panel with Variety’s executive music editor, Shirley Halperin, and Gamma’s Larry Jackson. “The writers are striking because [of] streaming, they can’t get paid. Because when it’s on the platform, it’s not like in the box office.”
“I don’t understand how the f*** you get paid off of that s***,” he continued. “Somebody explain to me how you can get a billion streams and not get a million dollars? … That’s the main gripe with a lot of us artists is that we do major numbers … but it don’t add up to the money. Like, where the f*** is the money?”
Snoop is the latest artist to express his support for the WGA and its members, whose strike started Tuesday after it failed to reach an agreement with The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers about writers compensation in the streaming era. Brian Tyree Henry and Quinta Brunson are also supportive of the protest.
The strike has led to the halt of production for many shows, including NBC’s Saturday Night Live. As a result, Lil Uzi Vert‘s musical performance, set for the May 6 episode, has been canceled.
Sheryl Crow was just announced as one of this year’s inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it sounds like Stevie Nicks had a feeling it was going to happen.
“Yes, you can call me psychic,” the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer writes on Instagram, noting she had been listening to Crow’s music for the past four days.
Nicks then congratulated Crow on the honor, sharing, “I am so proud of you. It’s a very elite club for us women.” She added, “I found out at 4 o’clock this morning and had to dance around my room for you.”
The post prompted a response from Crow, who gave Nicks credit for her honor.
“If it were not for you, Stevie Nicks, there would be no me,” she commented. “You inspire me and you make me want to inspire others. I love you and I’m blessed to know you.”
Nicks is the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. She was inducted in 1998 as a member of Fleetwood Mac and then again in 2019 as a solo artist.
Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forrest – Paramount+/Michael Moriatis
In the 1987 blockbuster Fatal Attraction, Glenn Close was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Alex Forrest, the jilted, bunny-boiling “other woman” in an affair with a married man, played by Michael Douglas.
However, the actress has publicly rebuked how her character was portrayed solely as one of cinema’s great villains. The new Paramount+ series adaptation, starring Lizzy Caplan in Close’s role, takes a different view of the character, executive producer Alexandra Cunningham tells ABC Audio.
And that’s due to Close, she explains. “Actually reading the interviews with her about all of the work she put in to flesh out the character for herself from a performance perspective was kind of where a lot of the ideas about the mental health of the character came from, and wanting to explore that.”
She continues, “Because she had spoken to psychiatrists at the time in the mid-to-late ’80s, and none of them brought up diagnoses or terminologies or anything because we didn’t talk that way in the ’80s.”
Cunningham adds, “Now, thank God, we’re much more open to conversations about mental health, and the stigma is slowly moving away. And so that actually was inspired by the way Glenn Close talked about the way she felt about the character that she created.”
Fatal Attraction also stars Joshua Jackson, Toby Huss and Amanda Peet. The first three episodes are now streaming on Paramount+, with a fourth episode dropping Sunday.
(WASHINGTON) — After a trial lasting several months, a jury in Washington on Thursday handed the Justice Department a major victory, reaching a partial verdict in the Proud Boys Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy case.
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Three of the far-right group’s lieutenants also were found guilty of conspiring to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election and prevent Joe Biden from becoming president of the United States.
Tarrio and Ethan Nordean, Joe Biggs, Zachary Rehl were found guilty of seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election, actual obstruction of the certification, conspiracy to prevent officers from performing their duties, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and aiding and abetting in destruction of government property.
The Proud Boys leaders were acquitted charges they assaulted, impeded or resisted officers.
Deliberations continued for the seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding charges for Dominic Pezzola.
Tarrio was not present in Washington on Jan. 6 after his arrest on separate charges just days before. Prosecutors argued he directed his troops remotely with messages about revolution and telling them “don’t f—ing leave” after the building was breached that afternoon.
Tarrio was accused of orchestrating a fighting force with a group they called the “Ministry of Self Defense” comprised of dedicated Proud Boys and top leaders.
Tarrio’s conviction follows the case of Stewart Rhodes, leader of another far-right group called Oath Keepers, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the events of Jan. 6.
Video of the two ringleaders meeting in a Washington parking garage on the eve of Jan. 6 was part of the volumes of footage obtained by the Justice Department in the case.
Membership in the Proud Boys surged after then-President Donald Trump told the group to “stand back and stand by” during a 2020 presidential debate. Tarrio’s attorneys blamed Trump for encouraging and revving up the crowd that ultimately broke into the Capitol.
Thursday was the seventh day of deliberations during which jurors asked multiple questions.
With dozens of witnesses and mountains of video and social media evidence, the Proud Boys trial has been the longest to date in the Justice Department’s pursuit of Capitol rioters.
Since jury selection began in December, the case has dragged on with bitter arguments, frequent objections and mistrial motions. At times, Judge Timothy Kelly lost his temper and admonished the lawyers for interrupting or seeming to ignore his directions.
The Proud Boys insisted there were no plans to attack the Capitol and sought to cast themselves as nothing more than a hard-charging social club in which partying, drinking and exchanging crude jokes went along with attending political protests.
The group also describes themselves as “Western chauvinists,” an unapologetic brand of fervent nationalism.
Prosecutors emphasized to the jury that the Proud Boys did not need to have detailed — or successful — plans to be found guilty. The conspiracy allegations hinged on their mutual understanding to oppose the government by force.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Stevie Ray Vaughan kicked off his In Step Tour, which would turn out to be his final tour ever.
The trek, with his band Double Trouble, launched at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was supposed to consist of six legs. It was cut short after Vaughan and four others died in a helicopter crash following his East Troy, Wisconsin, concert on August 27, 1990.
Vaughan’s musical legacy lived on following his death, with a series of posthumous releases contributing to sales of over 15 million albums in the U.S. He and Double Trouble were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.
(ATLANTA) — A gunman killed one and wounded four others in a mass shooting in an Atlanta medical center waiting room on Wednesday, police said.
The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Deion Patterson, was apprehended following an hourslong manhunt, police said Wednesday night.
Here’s how the news developed. All times Eastern:
May 04, 12:15 PM EDT
Hospital gives updates on injured victims
Three of the four women who were shot and injured remain in the intensive care unit, Dr. Robert Jansen, the chief medical officer at Grady Health, said at a news conference Thursday.
Two of those three women are “critical” and will return to the operating room for additional procedures, he said. The third patient in intensive care is stable and hopefully can move out of the ICU later in the day, he said.
The fourth woman who was shot is in stable condition, he said.
“As of right now everybody is as stable as they can be given the nature of their injuries,” Jansen said.
Jansen said he’s spoken with two of the injured victims.
“They have been traumatized,” he said.
“They are very grateful for the support and care they’ve received,” he said, however, “the fact that they were in a health care facility just makes it worse.”
Jansen noted that “the impact” of this shooting “on the staff is something you can’t imagine.”
“Unfortunately, in this day and age, seeing shooting victims is almost a daily occurrence here,” he said.
“But when they come in like this, particularly because it happened in a health care setting, it resonates more,” he said, adding that the hospital staff is being offered support.
May 04, 11:44 AM EDT
Suspect charged with murder, aggravated assault
The suspected gunman, 24-year-old Deion Patterson, has been charged with one count of murder and four counts of aggravated assault.
He waived his Thursday court appearance, according to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB.
May 04, 10:37 AM EDT
Suspect had semi-automatic handgun
The suspected gunman, 24-year-old Deion Patterson, was armed with a semi-automatic handgun when he allegedly shot five people in a medical center waiting room, according to court documents.
The documents identify the surviving victims as Georgette Whitlow, Lisa Glynn, Jazzmin Daniel and Alesha Hollinger. All four of them remain hospitalized.
Hollinger was shot in the face, according to the documents, while Daniel was shot multiple times in the abdomen. Whitlow was shot in the arm and Glynn was shot in the abdomen.
Amy St. Pierre, 39, an employee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was killed in Wednesday’s shooting.
May 04, 10:27 AM EDT
Atlanta mayor: ‘It’s the guns’
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens released an impassioned letter addressed to city residents on Thursday pleading for change in the wake of Wednesday’s mass shooting in a medical center waiting room.
“This suspect was arrested and will stand trial for his crimes,” the mayor said. “But that doesn’t change the fact that one woman died, and four others were seriously injured. It doesn’t change the fact that our city experienced a collective trauma. Families are grieving today, and our community is on edge.”
“We will learn more in the coming days about the circumstances of this shooting. But one thing we already know is that an incident like this is tragically too common in America,” Dickens said. “We need national action to change the way we treat mental health. And we need action that keeps guns out of the hands of people who should not have them.”
“We cannot accept mass shootings as normal in our country,” he continued. “Other nations have challenges with mental health, but they don’t have this level of gun violence that we do.”
“It’s the guns,” the mayor stressed. “While we respect the rights conveyed by the 2nd Amendment, we also need more actions to protect the rights of our citizens to go about their lives — to go to a doctor’s office, a supermarket, a gas station, their school — without the threat of being gunned down.”
May 04, 8:50 AM EDT
Suspect charged with murder, aggravated assault
The suspected gunman, 24-year-old Deion Patterson, has been charged with one count of murder and four counts of aggravated assault.
He’s due in court at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
May 03, 11:00 PM EDT
Victim identified as CDC employee
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the 39-year-old victim who was killed in Wednesday’s shooting as Amy St. Pierre.
“CDC is deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of a colleague killed today in the Midtown Atlanta shooting,” it said in a statement. “Our hearts are with her family, friends and colleagues as they remember her and grieve this tragic loss.”
May 03, 9:34 PM EDT
Suspect taken into custody without incident, technology ‘played a huge role’: Police
The suspect was taken into custody without incident, police said Wednesday during a press conference.
The suspect entered the medical facility shortly before noon and allegedly shot the first victim shortly after, Deputy Chief Charles Hampton said. The suspect spent two minutes in the building before exiting and going to a Shell gas station, where he commandeered a pickup truck, according to Hampton.
Officers were able to place the license plate number into the reader system, Hampton said, and received an alert at approximately 12:30 that the suspect was in Cobb County.
Technology “played a huge role,” Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said, “but technology doesn’t work without the dedicated people behind it.”
Police had checked and cleared an unoccupied building they knew the suspect had gone into, VanHoozer said, adding that a “real-time operator” took a 911 call and had an instinct that it was legitimate, and they prioritized that call.
An undercover officer made the first contact with the suspect and had backup from uniformed officers, the chief said.
May 03, 8:00 PM EDT
Suspect has been captured, police say
The suspect, Deion Patterson, has been apprehended following an hourslong manhunt, Atlanta police said.
May 03, 6:49 PM EDT
Suspect seen in Cobb County shortly after shooting, police say
Police in Cobb County said Deion Patterson was seen on video in the county around 12:30 p.m. ET, roughly 20 minutes after the shooting, though it’s unclear if he’s still in the area.
Cobb County Police Sgt. Wayne Delk said during a press briefing that after learning Patterson might be in the area, his team checked flock cameras and “did discover that the vehicle had entered Cobb County,” located northwest of Midtown Atlanta, where the shooting occurred.
“Around 12:30 p.m., we did spot what appeared to be a suspect in this area, which is why we have such a heavy presence,” Delk said.
Police did not discover the video footage until around 2:30 p.m., and Delk acknowledged it’s unclear if Patterson is still in the county.
“He might still be in the area,” he said.
The vehicle Patterson was believed to be driving was recovered by Atlanta police in a parking garage, Delk said.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie
May 03, 5:24 PM EDT
3 patients remain ‘critically ill’
Of the four women who were shot and injured in the medical facility waiting room, three of them are considered “critically ill” and are in the intensive care unit, according to Dr. Robert Jansen, the chief medical officer at Grady Health.
The most seriously injured patient remains in the operating room, Jansen said, while a second victim has completed an operation.
Another victim underwent an interventional radiology procedure, which is used to repair vascular injuries, and will need more procedures in the future, he said.
The fourth patient is considered stable, he said.
-ABC News’ Darren Reynolds
May 03, 4:51 PM EDT
Sen. Warnock, in grief for his home state, begs Congress to take action
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., gave a passionate speech on the Senate floor in the wake of the latest mass shooting to strike the nation, this one unfolding in his “own backyard.”
“I rise today in shock and sorrow and in grief for my home state,” Warnock said.
Police officers work the scene of a shooting near a medical facility, May 3, 2023, in Atlanta.
Warnock noted that his two children were under lockdown at school on Wednesday amid the ongoing hunt for the Atlanta gunman.
“We behave as if this is normal — it is not normal. It is not right for us to live in a nation where nobody is safe, no matter where they are. We’re not safe in our schools. We’re not safe in our workplaces. We’re not safe at the grocery store. We’re not safe at movie theaters. We’re not safe at spas. We’re not safe in our houses of worship. There is no sanctuary in the sanctuary. We’re not safe at concerts. We’re not safe at banks. We’re not safe at parades. We’re not safe in our own yards and in our own homes,” he said. “And now, today, we can add medical facilities to that list.”
He warned, “It’s only a matter of time that this kind of tragedy comes knocking on your door.”
As a pastor, Warnock said, “I’m praying for those who are affected by this tragedy,” but he stressed, “It is a contradiction to say that you are thinking and praying and do nothing. … We pray by taking action.”
Warnock said he’s “pleading” with his colleagues in Congress to pass stricter gun reforms to “do everything we can to protect all of us and certainly all of our children.”
-ABC News’ Trish Turner
May 03, 3:50 PM EDT
39-year-old woman killed, 4 women injured
The manhunt is ongoing for the mass shooting suspect, 24-year-old Deion Patterson, Atlanta police said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Police said the gun has not been recovered.
The shooting, which unfolded in a medical center waiting room, killed a 39-year-old woman, police said.
The four injured victims, who are all women, are “fighting for their lives,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said. They are ages 71, 56, 39 and 25, police said.
“As soon as possible I’ll be in touch with the families of the victims,” he said.
Patterson’s family is cooperating with the investigation, police said.
May 03, 3:17 PM EDT
Doctor recounts performing surgery as shooting unfolded 1 floor below
Dr. Timothy Simons was performing surgery one floor above the scene where the shooting unfolded.
He told ABC News he completed the surgery and then sheltered in place.
When police came to clear the building floor by floor, Simons said he was told to put his hands up to verify that he was not the shooter.
“Then they escorted us all down the stairs,” he said.
-ABC News’ Janice McDonald
May 03, 2:58 PM EDT
Carjacking may be connected to shooting
As Atlanta police search for the suspected gunman, 24-year-old Deion Patterson, they say a car was stolen “not long after the shooting” and remains missing.
“We are working to locate the carjacked vehicle and to determine whether it is connected to the shooting,” police said.
May 03, 2:31 PM EDT
Doctor saw officers swarm his building
Dr. Ahmed Ali, a radiation oncologist at the building, told ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB that he was returning from his lunch break when he saw armed officers swam the scene.
“I was worried what was happening,” he said. “Building security … they told me gunshots were coming from the 11th floor. They said there was a pool of blood in the elevator shafts when the doors opened.”
-ABC News’ Ivan Pereira
May 03, 2:30 PM EDT
3 critically injured, 1 remains in ER
Of the four people who were shot and injured, three are in critical condition and one is in the emergency department, according to hospital officials.
All four are adults, officials said.
May 03, 2:02 PM EDT
1 dead, 4 injured
One person was killed and four were injured in the shooting at Laureate Medical Center in Atlanta, according to police.
“Officers are actively searching for the suspect and any other victims,” police said.
Northside Hospital tweeted that it’s “cooperating with law enforcement following the shooting at our midtown #Atlanta location earlier this afternoon. We urge people in the area to shelter in place and follow instructions from law enforcement on the scene.”
Live Nation has announced the return of its Concert Week promotion.
As part of the campaign, you’ll be able to purchase tickets to see artists including Fall Out Boy, Måneskin, Shinedown, The Smashing Pumpkins and Avenged Sevenfold for the all-in price of just $25.
Among the other artists playing the more than 3,800 eligible shows are 3 Doors Down, The All-American Rejects, Avatar, Ghost, Godsmack and Staind, Garbage and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Incubus, The Interrupters, The Offspring, Pantera, Misfits, Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper, Beck and Phoenix, Breaking Benjamin, Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe, Disturbed, Dream Theater, Jelly Roll, Jimmy Eat World, Mudvayne, Nickelback, Volbeat, Weezer, Yellowcard, Young the Giant and Yungblud.
A presale for Concert Week 2023 tickets exclusive to Verizon customers and Rakuten members begins May 9 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets go on sale to the general public May 10 at 10 a.m. ET. The promotion runs through May 16.
After all the headlines about people paying too much money for concert tickets, this is welcome news: Live Nation is bringing back its Concert Week, where you can buy tickets to see superstar acts this summer for just $25 a ticket.
Even better, that’s $25 all-in — all the fees are built into the cost. Beyond the $25, all you’ll have to pay is the tax that’s applicable in the city, state and venue.
Among the acts whose shows you can get tickets to: Maroon 5, Pink, Matchbox Twenty, Bebe Rexha, Charlie Puth, Pentatonix, Shinedown, Macklemore, Janet Jackson, Louis Tomlinson, Goo Goo Dolls and 5 Seconds of Summer.
Here’s how you can get in on the deal: Between May 10 and May 16, go to LiveNation.com/ConcertWeek for the full list of concerts available. Once you find one you like, select the “Concert Week Promotion” ticket type, add it to your cart and you’re good to go. The general onsale runs May 10 at 10 a.m. ET through Thursday, May 16, at 11:59 p.m. ET, or while supplies last.
There are also a few presales. The Verizon one starts May 9 at 10 a.m. ET — visit Verizon Up to find out how to access it. Rakuten members have a presale starting May 9 at 10 a.m., as well; you have to sign up for Rakuten to get the presale access code.
Meanwhile, Hilton Honors members can use their points to pay for all or part of their tickets — visit the program’s website to find out how.
After all the headlines about people paying too much money for concert tickets, this is welcome news: Live Nation is bringing back its Concert Week, where you can buy tickets to see superstar acts this summer for just $25 a ticket.
Even better, that’s $25 all-in — all the fees are built into the cost. Beyond the $25 all you’ll have to pay is the tax that’s applicable in the city, state and venue.
Among the acts whose shows you can get tickets to: Maroon 5, Pink, Matchbox Twenty, Seal, JanetJackson, Bebe Rexha, Charlie Puth, Pentatonix, Goo Goo Dolls, Shania Twain, Lionel Richie & Earth, Wind & Fire, Boy George & Culture Club and Howard Jones, Bryan Adams and Anita Baker.
Here’s how you can get in on the deal: Between May 10 and May 16, go to LiveNation.com/ConcertWeek for the full list of concerts available. Once you find one you like, select the “Concert Week Promotion” ticket type, add it to your cart and you’re good to go. The general onsale runs May 10 at 10 a.m. ET through Thursday, May 16, at 11:59 p.m. ET, or while supplies last.
There are also a few presales. The Verizon one starts May 9 at 10 a.m. ET — visit Verizon Up to find out how to access it. Rakuten members have a presale starting May 9 at 10 a.m., as well; you have to sign up for Rakuten to get the presale access code.
Meanwhile, Hilton Honors members can use their points to pay for all or part of their tickets — visit the program’s website to find out how.
