Jackson Dean earned his first chart-topping hit with “Don’t Come Lookin’” — but the very same day he found out the song had gone to number one, he wound up having to ask friends to “Come Lookin’” for him: his car broke down during a road trip.
“The irony of it all is not lost on me,” Jackson told People. “Celebrating a song about getting lost and not coming back, and then immediately having my truck break down and needing someone to come lookin’ for me?”
The singer’s breakdown happened in Kentucky while he was on his way back home from a Thanksgiving trip. Though he was initially frustrated, he quickly remembered to keep perspective.
“I had the No. 1 song in the country, and really, what could I possibly be upset about?” he recalls thinking.
Plus, as he waited around for help to arrive, he accomplished a very important task. “I spent that time making phone calls to all of the people on my team, and thanking them for their hard work and belief in me,” the singer continues.
“Don’t Come Lookin’” comes off of Jackson’s Greenbroke album.
The holidays can be stressful, but one star has figured out a way to beat the pressure — and it’s baked into her Christmas Day tradition.
Vivica A. Fox, who was recently seen in VH1’s original movie A New Diva’s Christmas Carol, tells ABC Audio she makes it a full December 25, but takes time for herself in between events every year.
“On Christmas Day, I usually start out the day having breakfast with my godson,” she says. “Then from there I go to the Beverley Hot Springs, get a massage, chill in the waters. Then I go to my manager’s house, and we watch the NBA games all day and have lunch. Then that usually takes me into the evening, where I go for a UNO tournament and fish fry.”
Of the unique self-care routine on the big day, Vivica laughs, “Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. Got to have that. The massage is well needed because I’ve made it through Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. All in one — all in, what, a month? Jeez.”
Oliver Tree has released a deluxe version of his latest album, Cowboy Tears.
The expanded collection, dubbed Cowboy Tears Drown the World in a Swimming Pool of Sorrow, includes a total of 11 bonus tracks, some of which were co-produced by Travis Barker. You can listen to it now via digital outlets.
Tree has also premiered the video for the Cowboy Tears track “Suitcase Full of Cash,” which is streaming now on YouTube.
The original Cowboy Tears, Tree’s sophomore follow-up to 2020’s Ugly Is Beautiful, was released in February. Tree followed the album with the single “Miss You” featuring Robin Schulz.
Here’s the track list for Cowboy Tears Drown the World in a Swimming Pool of Sorrow:
“I Hate You”
“Placeholder”
“Mind Control”
“Wasteland”
“Battleship”
“Sunshine”
“Replacement”
“Oxymoron”
“Crash Test Dummy”
“The Exploding Man”
“A-Okay”
“Cowboys Don’t Cry”
“Swing & a Miss”
“Freaks & Geeks”
“Doormat”
“Suitcase Full of Cash”
“Cigarettes”
“Balloon Boy’
“Things We Used to Do”
“California”
“Get Well Soon”
“Playing with Fire”
“The Villain”
“Cowboy Tears”
It’s been less than a month since Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie passed away, and her bandmate Mick Fleetwood is opening up about how he’s doing since her passing.
While appearing at the John Douglas exhibit at the Animazing Gallery at the Palazzo in Las Vegas, Fleetwood told The Music Universe, “I’m doing OK. Coming to Vegas … has been a really healthy distraction from a tragedy for us in Fleetwood Mac.”
Fleetwood praised McVie’s artistry, noting she “would have a lot to say” about Douglas’ work, which has been featured on drums, guitars, album covers and more. “She was a great craftswoman,” he said of McVie. “She was a great painter, in actual fact. [She] did a couple album covers back in the day.”
Courtesy Never Broke Again L.L.C./Atlantic Records
NBA Youngboy has released an album filled with some of his most highly anticipated leaks over the last seven years.
Titled Lost Files, the 21-track compilation project “features singles from every era of his career,” according to a press release. It marks his eighth project of 2022, following his Last Slimeto album and mixtapes Colors, Realer 2, 3800 Degrees and more.
With his final project of the year now available for fans to hear, it appears NBA Youngboy will shift gears and focus on a charitable effort. His Unity in the Community event is set to take place Saturday in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to a flyer previously shared on his mother’s Instagram Story, bikes, toys, blankets, coats, tennis shoes and more will be given to local residents, who will also have an opportunity to take pictures with Santa.
TG Kommas and Fredo Bang, with whom the rapper’s had multiple exchanges, will also make an appearance at the event.
Exes Ashanti and Nelly have performed together in the past few years, but would they consider recording a “Body on Me Pt. 2”? According to the singer’s interview with The New Norm with Selena Hill, she’s not ruling out a collaboration with her former boyfriend.
“The majority of the questions I’ve been getting lately are, ‘Oh, are y’all getting back together?’ But releasing music together? The one thing that I can say is that we’re both very business savvy,” Ashanti said. “So, if something is presenting itself as an opportunity to get money, we’re probably both gonna be with it.”
“I don’t know if we’re gonna go to the studio or anything together,” she went on. “But what I will say is, again, we’re both very business savvy. If an opportunity presents itself to make a record and get to the bag, we’re probably gonna be all in.”
Ashanti and Nelly started dating in 2003 and were together for roughly 10 years. After years of not speaking, the stars, who collaborated on Ashanti’s 2008 song “Body on Me,” reunited at the Fat Joe and Ja Rule Verzuz competition in 2021.
(WASHINGTON) — The House on Friday passed a sweeping $1.7 trillion spending bill that will keep the government from running out of money at midnight and send an additional $45 billion to Ukraine.
The measure now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.
The bill passed 225-201 with nine Republicans — Reps. John Katko of New York, Chris Jacobs of New York, Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Fred Upton of Michigan, Rodney Davis of Illinois, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington and Steve Womack of Arkansas — supporting the bill. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York voted ‘no’ and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., voted ‘present.’
“This bill is a critically important piece of legislation not only to keep our government funded, keep our people being served but also to show that the United States of America’s government works,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said ahead of the vote.
“I ask all my colleagues to join me in voting ‘yes,’ showing the world that we will never remain idle in the face of those who believe they can terrorize civilians, devour our territory and commit more crimes with impunity,” he said, countering skepticism some Republicans have voiced about continued high-levels of funding to support Ukraine.
President Biden, who said in a statement just after passage that he’d sign the bill into law “as soon as it reaches my desk,” applauded its bipartisan support.
“This bill is further proof that Republicans and Democrats can come together to deliver for the American people, and I’m looking forward to continued bipartisan progress in the year ahead,” he said.
Biden signed a short-term funding bill into law later on Friday, officially averting a government shutdown ahead of the midnight deadline and giving legislators on Capitol Hill enough time to get the spending bill processed and ready for his signature sometime in the coming days.
House Republican leaders had told GOP members to vote against the bill.
As the last bill Democrats will pass while controlling the House before the GOP takes control of the House on Jan. 3, it was considered in a mostly empty chamber — over half of House members filed proxy letters — allowing them to vote remotely — after making it home ahead of treacherous winter storms set to disrupt travel before the holidays.
Some House Republicans, including current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy R-Calif., had called for punting the issue to the new Congress.
“This is a monstrosity that is one of the most shameful acts I’ve seen in this body. The appropriations process failed the American public, and there’s no greater example of the nail in the coffin of the greatest failure of a one-party rule,” McCarthy said in a nearly 25-minute floor speech Friday, telling the body he would be a ‘no’ vote.
He said the omnibus spends “too much, increasing the deficit and fueling more inflation,” adding, “Why is the majority of Democrats not even here if it’s so good?”
As he finished, he said, “In eleven days this all changes. We are going to reclaim this body’s integrity and service to the American people. After this institution covers itself in disgrace, disgrace one last time under Democrat one-party rule. A new direction is coming. In eleven days, Republicans will deliver.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in her final floor speech, called out McCarthy for his remarks.
“It was sad to hear the Minority Leader earlier say that this legislation is the most shameful thing to be seen on the House floor in this Congress,” she said. “I can’t help but wonder — has he forgotten about January 6?”
Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday she was hopeful the bill could pass that night, before lawmaker absences due to weather and the Christmas holiday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had announced earlier on Thursday an accelerated process for passing the spending bill.
The House vote was pushed back to early on Friday, according to Hoyer, in order for members to get a chance to dissect the wide-ranging package. Still, McCarthy said on the House floor on Friday, members had little time to read the bill.
The vote came after the Senate struck a last-hour deal on Thursday to pass a version of the sprawling spending package, speeding through votes on 17 amendments that included both victories and compromises from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
It also came two days behind Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s historic appeal to a joint meeting of Congress, imploring lawmakers for the $45 billion in military, humanitarian and security money he claimed wasn’t “charity” but a contribution to the success of democracy abroad.
The bill keeps doors open for federal agencies through Sept. 30, 2023, and is set to head to President Joe Biden’s desk upon its expected passage despite some anticipated repudiation from a handful of GOP House members.
“Over two thirds and the United States Senate stood and said it is time to do our duty. And they did not because each and every one of those senators thought that this bill was perfect, it is not,” Hoyer said.
The legislation includes an increase in defense spending and military and civilian federal employee pay, disaster relief, medical services for military veterans, a ban of the use of TikTok on government-issued devices and reforms to the Electoral Count Act to avoid a repeat of Jan. 6 and attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
Senate passage of the bill did not include all requests from White House officials, such as additional COVID funding and an expanded Child Tax Credit.
It also did not include an amendment from Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that would have kept in place Title 42, a pandemic-era policy which allows the expulsion of migrants on public health grounds that expired this week despite legal challenges waged by Republicans against its rollback. Another Title 42 amendment, introduced by Sen. Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., also failed.
Still, Biden praised the legislation in his statement on Friday, highlighting it’s advancement of cancer and other disease research through his ARPA-H initiative, investment in community policing and further funding the Violence Against Women Act, among other tenants of the bill, like relief aid, Ukraine funding and veteran health care expansion.
“The bipartisan funding bill advances key priorities for our country and caps off a year of historic bipartisan progress for the American people,” he said. “I want to thank Senator Leahy, Senator Shelby, and Chairwoman DeLauro for their tireless work to get this done. Neither side got everything it wanted in this agreement – that’s what happens in a negotiation.”
Several additional amendments did pass, including two that expand pregnancy and breastfeeding accommodations and security in the workplace as well as a measure known as the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act that funds a shortfall in the 9/11 first responder fund called the World Trade Center Healthcare Program. The amendment funds the program for another five years and authorizes $2.7 billion in compensation payments to the families of 9/11 victims, the Beirut Marine barracks bombing and other acts of terrorism.
–ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler, Mariam Khan, Trish Turner and Allie Pecorin contributed to this report.
He may be the King of Country, but George Strait isn’t content to rest on his laurels. The living legend told Cowboys & Indians that he’s got his eye on making new music.
“I like making records and plan on doing another one soon,” George details. “I’m narrowing down my song choices now.”
He goes on to say that he’s a “melody guy,” so fans should expect any new music that comes to him to have a strong, catchy sonic delivery. “A great melody can sell a song the best,” the singer explains.
“A great lyric with a lousy melody maybe not so much, but a great lyric along with a great melody is obviously what you’re looking to create,” George continues. “There’s no specific message or mood that I’ll be shooting for. I just want to put together a bunch of good songs that stand out individually.”
George is such a legendary performer that he appears on top of the charts both as an artist and as a lyrical subject. This year, Scotty McCreery had a big hit with his ode to the King, “Damn Strait.”
When he thinks about furthering his musical legacy, George says he’s not opposed to the idea of being the subject of a biopic.
“I have given serious thought to a documentary,” he says. “Although I tend to procrastinate these days, so right now a thought is all it is.”
Bryan Adams has written several Christmas songs over the years, including the 1985 hit “Christmas Time” and the recently released track “Let’s Get Christmas Going.” But no matter how many songs he may put out, he knows there’s no competing with classic holiday tunes.
“I’m just trying to have a laugh,” he tells ABC Audio. “You know, I think Christmas is a fun time and it should be about that.”
While Bryan says “Christmas Time” is a more “sentimental” holiday track, his latest tune was inspired by something his daughter said to him.
“It was September or something. She’s like, ‘Papa! Let’s just get Christmas going!’” he laughs. “And I thought, ‘That’s a good idea!'”
As for how the family will be celebrating Christmas, Bryan notes there won’t be any ham or turkey on the table because his family is vegan. “Oh, no, no, there’s no animals in our house. My kids have never eaten any animals,” he says. “You can have a perfectly good nut roast or something with gravy and roast potatoes.”
He adds, “I mean, Christmas is obviously a time to pig out. So I have no problem making an absolute pig of myself without the pig!”
(NOTE LANGUAGE)In an Instagram Live on Thursday evening, Zachary Levi urged restless fans to “be patient” as James Gunn and Peter Safran chart a new future for DC Comics superheroes, including his, Shazam.
As reported, some fans were so vocal in their criticism of some of the pair’s decisions, like not having Henry Cavill reprise as Superman, that Gunn responded to the “disrespectful outcry,” saying, “No one loves to be harassed or called names.”
Levi said, “It’s hard for me to see all these random comments and, like, basically lies and things that people are throwing around online and not wanting to respond.”
“Everyone just take a breath,” Levi advised. “Just trust that James … he understands comic books, he understands the canon … Just breathe. It’s gonna be OK. It’s gonna be better than OK.”
Levi said Gunn and Safran are “not just making decisions because they like someone or don’t like someone. They’re making decisions based on what is best for Warner Bros., DC, that entire studio and entity and trying to make as many fans, as much of an audience, happy as they can.”
He added, “So guys, just f***ing give ’em a break. Take it easy. Take a breath. It’s the holidays, for God’s sake. Just go enjoy what the holidays are, give them some time to enjoy the holidays, and let’s see what happens on the other side of this.”
Levi also hailed his upcoming March sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, as “even better than the first one, and the first one was really f***ing good.”
That said, if his red-suited hero doesn’t end up a part of Gunn and Safran’s plans, “them’s the breaks, that’s how it goes.”
