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Orlando FreeFall ride to be taken down after teen’s fatal fall

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ORLANDO, FL) — The world’s tallest tower drop ride will be taken down after a Missouri teenager fell to his death while riding it earlier this year, the operator of the Florida amusement park attraction announced Thursday.

Fourteen-year-old Tyre Sampson died after slipping out of his seat while on the Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park on March 24. The eighth grader was a star football player who was visiting the theme park with his team.

Orlando Slingshot, which operates the ride, said it has decided to take down the 430-foot-tall attraction in the wake of Sampson’s death.

“We are devastated by Tyre’s death. We have listened to the wishes of Tyre’s family and the community, and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall,” Ritchie Armstrong, an official with Orlando Slingshot, said in a statement.

The timeline for decommissioning the ride, which has been closed since the incident, will be determined pending approval from “all involved parties and regulatory entities,” the operator said.

Orlando Slingshot also plans to create a scholarship in Sampson’s name to honor his “legacy in the classroom and on the football field,” Armstrong said.

ICON Park said it supports the removal of the Orlando FreeFall.

“Tyre’s death is a tragedy that we will never forget. As the landlord, ICON Park welcomes and appreciates Orlando Slingshot’s decision to take down the ride,” ICON Park said in a statement.

An attorney representing Sampson’s mother, Nekia Dodd, said the ride should have been taken down “immediately” after the teen’s death.

“This is not a ride that can be operated safely, given the design defects,” the attorney, Bob Hilliard, said in a statement. “Dismantling the ride is the right move, though it should have been done immediately after Tyre’s death.”

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Sampson’s father, Yarnell Sampson, called the announcement “long overdue” and one his father has been advocating for “since the day Tyre fell to his death.”

“The Orlando Free Fall ride never should have been permitted to operate under those faulty conditions,” Crump said in a joint statement with Hilliard. “Theme parks, their parent companies, and regulatory agencies must do better to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening to any other family.”

Operator error is suspected as the primary cause in Sampson’s death, according to a forensic engineer’s field investigation report released in April. The report showed that the individual operator of the FreeFall ride, who was not identified, “made manual adjustments to the ride resulting in it being unsafe.”

According to the report, manual manipulations were made to the seat Sampson was sitting in to allow the harness restraint opening to be loosened, apparently to accommodate the more than 300-pound teenager. The investigation found Sampson’s harness restraint opening was “almost double that of a normal restraint opening range.”

Sampson’s parents have filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit accusing ICON Park and other defendants of negligence.

Watch the trailer for 2000s NYC indie rock doc ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The trailer for the upcoming documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom, which chronicles the New York City indie rock scene of the early 2000s, is out now.

The clip, streaming now on YouTube, teases archival performance footage and interviews with artists including The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Interpol and LCD Soundsystem.

Meet Me in the Bathroom will premiere in NYC and Los Angeles on November 4 followed by one-night-only screenings across the U.S. on November 8. It’ll then be available to watch on Showtime later in the month.

Based on the 2017 Lizzy Goodman book of the same name, Meet Me in the Bathroom will be directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, who also helmed the 2012 LCD doc Shut Up and Play the Hits.

Wolfgang Van Halen “didn’t wanna disappoint Dave Grohl” in playing Van Halen songs at Taylor Hawkins tributes

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Wolfgang Van Halen has opened up about his decision to play Van Halen songs at the two tribute concerts to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

The son of late Eddie Van Halen previously said he wasn’t interested in performing Van Halen tunes, but he made an exception in honor of Hawkins. However, as Wolf tells Guitar World, the decision wasn’t an easy one though he did get some help from Dave Grohl.

“I didn’t even know if I could do it,” Wolf shares. “I had a lot of conversations with Dave. What a kind sweetheart of a man he is. We talked a lot about [it].”

“Initially [Grohl] was like, ‘What do you think? Would you be comfortable doing this?'” Wolf recalls. “Initially, I didn’t wanna disappoint Dave Grohl. And I was like, ‘Sure.'”

As Wolf continued to consider Grohl’s proposal, he realized he could do it if the Foo frontman was onstage with him.

“I was like, ‘I don’t know if I could do this, but if I do I need your support. I need you up there with me,'” Wolf recalls telling Grohl. “I was like, ‘Whatever the incarnation of what it becomes, I need you there with me,’ and he was like, ‘Absolutely.'”

For both concerts, which took place in London and Los Angeles, Wolf was joined by Grohl on bass, acclaimed session drummer Josh Freese and The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. They played “On Fire” in London, “Panama” in Los Angeles and “Hot for Teacher” at both shows.

“It was really special, man,” Wolf says. “I’m super happy and proud with how everything came to be.”

Today, October 6, marks the two-year anniversary of Eddie’s death.

Lainey Wilson says her dad taught her to have a “Heart Like a Truck”

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Lainey Wilson’s new single, “Heart Like a Truck,” is all about finding strength through tough times — a familiar subject matter to the singer.

While her career’s been reaching new heights, Lainey has been grappling with some difficult family issues: Her dad was hospitalized this summer, and she even canceled a couple of shows in order to be by his side.

“The person who taught me to have a ‘Heart Like a Truck’ is my daddy,” the singer says in an interview with CMT. “And my daddy has been in the hospital for a couple months now.”

Though she takes all the time she can to be with family, Lainey has also stayed true to doing the job that she loves — playing in front of fans — because her parents raised her to be resilient and tough.

“I’ve been having to play shows and put on a happy face and get up there and do my job, because that’s what my parents have taught me to do. And that’s what they would want me to do,” she continues. “They helped me get to this point and they were my believers before anybody was.”

Lainey goes on to say that she was raised to get back on the horse after falling off — sometimes literally. “Going through things as a little girl, whether you fall off your bike or you fall off a horse or whatever, my parents would say, ‘Get up, dust the dirt off, you got it,’” she says.

Lainey’s tough upbringing is paying off: She was recently named CMT’s Breakout Artist of the Year for 2022 and has earned a whopping six nominations headed into this year’s CMA Awards.

Dead & Company confirms dates for 2023 farewell trek, The Final Tour

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Last month, Dead & Company announced that they were planning to launch a 2023 tour that would be their last trek ever, and now, the Grateful Dead spinoff group has unveiled the dates for the outing.

The 27-date U.S. outing, appropriately dubbed The Final Tour, will kick off with a May 19-20 stand at the Kia Forum near Los Angeles and is plotted out through a July 14-15 engagement at San Francisco’s Oracle Park. The band also will play multiple shows in several other cities, including Saratoga Springs, New York; New York City; Boulder, Colorado; and George, Washington.

Each concert will feature Dead & Company performing two sets of music from the Grateful Dead’s expansive catalog.

Tickets for the shows go on sale to the general public Friday, October 14 at 10 a.m. local time via DeadandCompany.com. A fan presale will begin Wednesday, October 12 at 12 p.m. local time. Advanced presale registration is available now at Seated.com.

Special VIP and travel packages will also go on sale on October 12 and can be purchased at DeadandCompany.100xhospitality.com.

While on the farewell trek, the band will continue its sustainability partnership with the nonprofit organization REVERB. They’ve committed to a comprehensive carbon offset program while also encouraging fans to take action to help the environment.

Formed in 2015, Dead & Company features Grateful Dead alums Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, along with popular singer/guitarist John Mayer, ex-Allman Brothers Band bassist Oteil Burbridge and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. Their most recent tour was last year.

A 2023 edition of the band’s Playing in the Sand destination festival is set to take place in Riviera Cancún, Mexico from January 14 to January 17.

Elton John launches lawsuit against ’Daily Mail’ with Prince Harry and others

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Sir Elton John has filed suit against Associated Newspapers — publishers of the U.K. papers Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and the Mail Online — under accusations of breach of privacy.

The legendary singer isn’t the only person bringing forth the suit, which was filed October 6, per a press release. Among those who have brought forth the lawsuit include Elton’s husband David Furnish, Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley. They are not just accusing the publishers of gross breaches of privacy, they also claim they are victims of abhorrent criminal activity.

They allege that Associated Newspapers hired private investigators to place surveillance equipment in their cars and homes so they could unknowingly eavesdrop and also record their private phone calls and conversations.

Sir Elton and company also claim the publishers bribed police officials to grant their private investigators access to sensitive information. Furthermore, they claim Associated Newspapers had their employees impersonate officials to obtain private medical information from the institutions that either saw or treated them.

Associated Newspaper were also accused of illegally accessing their private banking information and credit history.

Sir Elton and his group claim they have more alleged evidence of more wrongdoing and that there are more unknowing victims of these alleged crimes. They aim not only to hold those who allegedly wronged them accountable, but to help dissuade journalists from further engaging in such tactics to procure sensitive and private information.

It is unknown how much they are seeking in damages at this time.

Fans pass baby to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson during ‘Black Adam’ promotional event

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

As one of the biggest stars in the world, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is often handed things by fans, but Wednesday night in Mexico City, he got something he wasn’t about to autograph: a baby.

On his Instagram, Johnson posted footage of the moment, part of his “electric, emotional” tour promoting his upcoming movie Black Adam.

The video shows a baby girl being passed from fan to fan, over their heads, until she reached the stage. Johnson, with tears in his eyes, scooped up the tiny child in his giant arms while the crowd went bananas. “Oh my God,” he said.

He told his 340 million Instagram followers, “People do cry and they hand me things – I was NOT surprised to be handed this beautiful little baby. Her father caught my attention because he had tears in his eyes when he held her up high and gestured for me to hold her.” He continued, “I honestly thought he was holding a toy doll he wanted me to have as a gift.” Johnson added the “beautiful, serene, present and trusting angel” was named Luciana.

The star added, “One day, I bet she’ll inspire all those around her. And whatever this moment meant for her emotional father – means it meant something special for me too.”

Johnson closed with, “Love you back MEXICO and the mana is strong,” referring to the Polynesian phrase for magic and spiritual energy.

The father of two girls himself, Johnson closed with, “Girl dads ROCK.”

Lizzo files to trademark the name of her flute

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Lizzo fans have known for a while that she’s a classically trained flutist, but after she played President James Madison’s 200-year-old crystal flute, more people than ever are aware of her talents. So, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Lizzo is now filing to trademark her own flute.

Billboard reports that the “About Damn Time” singer filed to trademark the name “Sasha Flute” — which is the actual name of her instrument — under seven different patent petitions. This filing would protect the name “Sasha Flute” from being used in media, toys, clothing, books, NFTs, virtual marketplaces and more.

It is unknown if Lizzo was prompted to file for trademark protection following her performance on Madison’s crystal flute on September 27.

Attorney Michael E. Kondoudis told the outlet that this could mean Lizzo has something planned for her beloved instrument. “Usually in our experience what we find is people file trademark applications after the plans have already started being formed and in motion — not when they get this idea,” he explained.

“Because it does cost money, it does take some time and it is a federal legal matter,” he continued. “So when you have an attorney file it there has to be some kind of concrete plan to go from where they are today to selling the products and service in the metaverse.”

For trivia fans, it should be noted that Lizzo named her flute after her icon Beyoncé‘s alter-ego, Sasha Fierce. For more Sasha Flute updates or to learn more about her, you can follow her Instagram fan account.

Kenny Chesney, Old Dominion take fans inside life on tour with “Beer with My Friends” video

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Kenny Chesney is popping the top on a “Beer with My Friends” — and that includes everyone from his tour pals Old Dominion to all the fans who came out to see them on tour.

The singer and the guys of Old Dominion shared a music video for their duet rendition of “Beer with My Friends,” taking viewers behind the scenes on the road. From the bus to backstage to a performance in front of a packed stadium, the clip invites fans to get a first-hand look at life on tour with Kenny and the gang.

“If every picture is a million words, then every cut of this clip is a whole movie! Every shot means something to us, all those faces in the crowd, the stadiums…” Kenny reminisces.

But it’s not just the onstage fun that makes it into the video: The clip also includes some of the antics that the tour mates got into along the way, including a cameo from a fish named Marley, another from Kenny’s mom and even some shots of the singer drinking a beer in an ice bath.

“So when you see me drinking that beer in the ice bath, just know: that beer I’m lifting’s for you… wherever you are, whoever you’re with!” Kenny adds. “It’s all about ‘Beer with My Friends,’ from my whole road family, Old Dominion and beyond, to you!”

Jared Leto to play fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld in biopic

October 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

For a guy who knows how to make a splash on the red carpet and onstage, Jared Leto is no stranger to fashion. Now, the Oscar-winning actor and 30 Seconds to Mars frontman will be playing one of fashion’s biggest names.

Women’s Wear Daily broke the news that Leto will be playing the late Karl Lagerfeld in a biopic the actor is producing in collaboration with the fashion house that still bears Lagerfeld’s name.

“I feel like this is a full-circle moment and Karl would be proud of what we are doing,” Leto told the trade, adding, “Karl was an artist. Period. He was a fashion designer, he was a photographer, he was an artist. There was no defining him. He was a creative powerhouse.”

Lagerfeld died in 2019, but before his death, per WWD, Leto told him he wanted to portray him, and the designer reportedly answered, “Only you, darling, only you.”

Leto retweeted the article, noting “Karl has always been an inspiration to me. He was a true polymath, an artist, an innovator, a leader and, most importantly, a kind man.” He added, “When we came together with the Karl Lagerfeld team, we immediately shared a creative vision of doing a respectful ode to Karl while pushing the artistic boundaries of what a biopic can be.”

According to the Karl Lagerfeld company, the biopic will center on “key relationships in Karl Lagerfeld’s life, told through an unpredictable lens, much like the man himself.”

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