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David Foster sells rights to his income from writing hits for Celine, Madonna, Whitney and more

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Super-producer David Foster is the latest celebrity to cash in by selling the rights to his music. But in Foster’s case, he’s not a recording artist, so he’s sold the rights to the money he earns from writing some of the biggest hits ever.

Specifically, Hipgnosis Song Management has purchased Foster’s share — known as the “writer’s share” — of the performance income that’s generated each year by all the songs he’s written.

Just a few of the many hits the 16-time Grammy winner has penned include Peter Cetera‘s “The Glory of Love,” Whitney Houston‘s “I Have Nothing,” Celine Dion and Andrea Boccelli‘s “The Prayer,” Earth, Wind & Fire‘s “After the Love Has Gone,” The Tubes‘ “She’s a Beauty,” Chicago‘s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” Madonna‘s “You’ll See,” John Parr‘s “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion),” and Celine’s “To Love You More.”

In a statement, Hipgnosis CEO Merck Mercuriadis said Foster is “the songwriters’ songwriter and the producers’ producer,” adding, “David is truly special, and we are delighted to be working with his almost 50 years of incredible songs and to welcome him to the Hipgnosis family.”

Foster added, “I’ve long admired what Merck and his team have built and I trust they will be terrific partners.”

Foster, 73, is married to Katharine McPhee. They welcomed a son in 2021.

Hipgnosis has also purchased the rights to songs by Justin Bieber, Neil Young, Shakira, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Fleetwood Mac‘s Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham, to name just a few.

‘Fast X’ director Louis Leterrier will be back for 11th ‘Fast and the Furious’ film

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

ABC Audio has confirmed that Vin Diesel and company are sticking with Fast X director Louis Leterrier in the driver’s seat to reportedly wrap up the $6 billion-grossing Fast and Furious franchise with its 11th (!) film.

Universal Pictures President Peter Cramer said Wednesday that Leterrier, who “seamlessly” jumped behind the wheel for May’s Fast X after veteran franchise director Justin Lin bailed out, would keep the pedal down for the eleventh film.

“Under his direction, Fast X is a high intensity thriller with all the spectacular action, emotion, and twists that the fans have come to expect – and then some,” Cramer said in the announcement. He added, “We are thrilled that he will continue to work his magic in the director’s chair.”

The tenth film sees Jason Momoa joining the F&F rogues gallery as Dante, explained as the vengeful son of the drug kingpin who Diesel’s Dom Toretto and his “family” did away with in Fast Five.

Fast X reunites “family” members Jordanna Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Tyrese Gibson and Sung Kang, as well as returning players Jason Statham, Nathalie Emmanuel, Scott Eastwood and John Cena.

Oscar winners Helen Mirren, Brie Larson and Charlize Theron, and EGOT winner Rita Moreno, also star in Fast X, which hits theaters May 19.

Listen to two new Extreme songs, “Banshee” and “#Rebel”

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Extreme has released two new songs, titled “Banshee” and “#Rebel.”

The tracks will appear on the “More Than Words” outfit’s upcoming album, Six, due out June 9.

You can listen to “Banshee” and “#Rebel” now via digital outlets, and watch their accompanying videos streaming now on You Tube.

Six, the aptly titled sixth Extreme studio effort, also includes the previously released single “Rise.”

Extreme will launch a U.S. tour in support of Six beginning August 2 in Portland, Maine. Living Colour will also be on the bill.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 21, at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Extreme-Band.com.

“Unforgettable memories”: Get a behind-the-scenes look at Kane and Katelyn Brown’s tour life

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Kane Brown is currently on the road, but he’s brought his entire family along with him: His wife and duet partner, Katelyn, and their daughters Kingsley, 3, and Kodi, 15 months. Now the “Thank God” singer has posted some behind-the-scenes photos of what it’s like on the road for the Brown family.

“Sometimes we are so exhausted after being on the road, but when I get home and look through all the pictures while we were gone I realize how many unforgettable memories we get to make all while dad works,” Katelyn captioned a slideshow on Instagram.

The photos show Katelyn rehearsing onstage as Kingsley watches her, Kane and the girls in what looks like a bounce house, Kodi hanging backstage with the tour bus, Kingsley sitting on a pool table playing with the balls, Kodi being swung around by a crew person and, most adorably, Kodi rocking a “Thank God” tour hoodie.

Katelyn added, “We are so blessed to be able to do all of this as a family. thank god.”

Visual podcast series, hosted by Angie Martinez, will delve into The Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Life After Death’

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

As hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, Warner Music Group’s creative content division WMX has announced Iconic Records, a brand-new visual podcast series that will highlight iconic albums in pop culture. First on the list is The Notorious B.I.G.’s posthumous album Life After Death, which host Angie Martinez will delve into for the series’ debut season.

She’ll speak to the likes of Lil Cease, Fat Joe, Pusha T, Rick Ross, Too $hort and some surprise guests about making the album, its legacy and Big’s overall impact on hip-hop, with some exclusive stories shared along the way.

“Biggie was, and still is, one of the most important artists of our lifetime and Life After Death is a masterpiece!” Martinez said in a statement. “To collaborate with WMX on this series has been an incredible experience. It’s especially meaningful as we also pay homage to 50 years of hip-hop and how it’s changed the course of history.”

Martinez and Kevin Hofman executive-produced Iconic Records: Life After Death, while Bonsu Thompson and the estate of Christopher Wallace co-directed the eight-episode series.

Life After Death will premiere April 29 at 8 p.m. ET on WMX’s new hip-hop channel on The Roku Channel, and will also be available to watch on Big’s YouTube Channel. Those who prefer an audio experience can stream on major podcast platforms starting May 1.

Three times is a trend: Hear “Praising You,” Rita Ora’s reworking of Fatboy Slim’s 1999 hit

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Someone once said, “Once is a fluke. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a trend.” Well, meet the trend-making new single from Rita Ora.

“Praising You,” Rita’s new single, is from her upcoming third album You & I, due July 14. As the title suggests, the song is a reworking of “Praise You,” the 1999 hit by U.K. musician Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim. He’s credited on the track and has given Rita the thumbs-up for the redo.

“To not only get Norman’s stamp of approval, but to actually collaborate with him and pay homage to such a massive song from my childhood was truly a surreal experience,” Rita says.

“I think this record means something different for everyone, but from my perspective, it’s about praising your loved ones and really celebrating those relationships,” she adds, noting that she’s “honored” to get to “re-introduce” the song “to a whole new generation.”

The video for the track, directed by Rita’s husband Taika Waititi, features a cameo from Cook and pays homage to the song’s original Spike Jonze-directed, award-winning video. You can watch it now on Facebook and Instagram today and on all platforms starting April 28.

As for why “Praising You” is trend-making, well, it’s the third reworking of a globally popular dance track from the ’90s to arrive in the past year. The trend started in 2022 year with David Guetta and Bebe Rexha‘s “I’m Good (Blue)” — a reworking of “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65. The second instance was “Baby Don’t Hurt Me,” a reworking of the 1993 Haddaway hit “What Is Love” by Guetta with Anne-Marie and Coi Leray.

Maybe Moby should be waiting for a call?

Missy Elliott to be honored at 2023 Black Music Honors

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Missy Elliott is one of the honorees at this year’s Black Music Honors. She’ll be recognized for her contributions to both African American culture and music alongside fellow guests of honor SWV, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Jeffrey Osborne and The Hawkins Family.

“Black music is the heartbeat of our culture, and the honorees for this year’s Black Music Honors represent the soul of American music,” founder and executive producer Don Jackson said in a statement, per Billboard. “We pay homage to the musical innovators who have paved the way for future generations. Our tribute performances not only celebrate the honorees of yesterday, but also showcase the influence and impact of their iconic sounds and styles on today’s artists with a beautiful symbiosis of past and present.”

The 2023 Black Music Honors, hosted by Letoya Luckett and DeRay Davis, will take place May 19 at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. It will air June 3 on the Stellar Network and from June 10-July 2 in national broadcast syndication. The show will also air June 19 on Bounce TV.

Elton John testifies before Senate about AIDS relief: “We need to keep our foot on the accelerator”

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Elton John testified remotely before the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday morning, urging the committee to continue to fund the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

The plan, known as PEPFAR, was founded in 2003 by President George W. Bush. The Hill reports that in his testimony, Elton credited it with saving some 25 million lives and urged Congress to extend and fund the program for the next five years.

“I am boundlessly grateful for the bipartisan cooperation that has been the hallmark of PEPFAR for two decades now,” he told lawmakers, noting that the plan has been “enthusiastically supported by four presidents and 10 Congresses, and consistently championed by the generosity of the American people.”

“The PEPFAR platform has not only transformed HIV into a chronic disease for tens of millions, it has been leveraged to fight [COVID-19] and made countries far better prepared for whatever viral nightmare comes next,” Elton noted. “But we are not done yet.”

He continued, “We need to keep our foot on the accelerator,” adding, “By extending PEPFAR for another five years and fully funding it, together, we can continue the march toward ending AIDS for everyone everywhere and leave no one behind.”

The committee’s chairman, Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.) praised Elton as someone who “use[s] their fame in a way that saves the lives of others.”

Scorcese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ reportedly clocking in at nearly 3 and a half hours

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

When you have Oscar winners Robert De Niro, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Brendan Fraser in your movie, you arguably might want them on screen for as long as possible — and that’s what Martin Scorsese apparently got with his newest picture.

Based on a bestselling book, the Academy Award-winning directing legend’s latest film is reportedly clocking in at 3 hours and 26 minutes long.

The Apple Studios production is actually three minutes shorter than Scorsese’s The Irishman, which also starred De Niro, but that film was made primarily to stream on Netflix.

Quoting Comscore data, The Hollywood Reporter notes that Flower Moon, the runtime of which includes credits, is one of the longest theatrical movies on record in modern times.

Theater chains may gripe at longer runtimes, because they can screen a long movie fewer times a day compared to a 90-minute rom-com, which means fewer tickets and fewer buckets of popcorn. But some of the highest grossing movies of all time were long ones: Avengers: Endgame, #2 of all time, was three hours and two minutes; #3, James Cameron‘s Avatar: The Way of Water ran three hours and 12 minutes; and #4, also a Cameron film, Titanic, clocked in at 3:14.

By comparison, Cameron’s original Avatar, the highest grossing movie of all time, ran a relatively sprightly 2 hours and 41 minutes long.

Based on David Grann‘s bestselling book of the same name, Killers of the Flower Moon is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a murder spree known locally as the Reign of Terror.

The movie debuts in limited release from Paramount Pictures on October 6; wide release comes October 20. It comes to Apple TV+ after it goes wide.

Lainey Wilson’s sending “Smell Like Smoke” to the Emmys

April 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Lainey Wilson‘s sending her boot-stomping song, “Smell Like Smoke,” to the Emmys for consideration in the outstanding music and lyrics category.

The track, which Lainey penned with Derek George, Lynn Hutton and Monty Criswell, was featured in the season five premiere of Paramount+’s Yellowstone, where Lainey made her acting debut as a local musician named Abby.

“Derek came up with the signature guitar lick at the beginning of the song and tracked the original demo, while Monty and I fiddled around with lyrics and Lynn steered the melodies,” Lainey tells Variety. “It was a little rough around the edges, but with good energy, which we thought was perfect for Yellowstone.”

“We thought a song about owning tough times in a proud, matter-of-fact, light-hearted way would tie in well with the way the show makes the down-and-dirty look sexy and fun,” she adds.

“Smell Like Smoke” is featured on Lainey’s third studio album, Bell Bottom Country. The 16-song collection also includes her latest chart-topper, “Heart Like a Truck.”

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