In an ABC special airing Friday at 8 p.m. ET, Matthew Perry sits down with Diane Sawyer to discuss his sobriety, fame, and his life today, as written about in his new memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
Perry’s book details his hard-fought, nearly fatal battle with addiction. At one point, he was taking 55 Vicodin pills a day. “Addiction is the obsession of your mind: ‘Now give me everything you gave me before and more,'” Perry says. “I had to wake up and realize I need to get 55 of them, or I was going to be really sick.”
To fill the need, Perry says, he’d fake illnesses like migraines, even enduring MRIs to help sell the doctors on giving him prescriptions. “I guess the weirdest thing I did was on Sundays, I would go to open houses and go to the bathrooms…and see what pills they had in there and steal them,” Perry recalls. “And I think they thought, ‘Well, there’s no way that Chandler came in and stole from us.'”
The actor is now in a better place, thanks to a strong support system. “Alone you lose to the disease,” he says. “And now I finally feel okay and feel like I’ve got some strength.”
The book also highlights the good times in his life. Perry says he had a “chain crush” on his Friends cast mates Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow. “Well, how do you not have a crush on Jenny and Courteney and Lisa?” he smiles.
He tells Sawyer, “It made it kind of difficult to go to work because I had to pretend that I didn’t exist.” He says of Aniston, “I was kept wondering, ‘How long can I just look at her? Is three seconds too long?'”
Former Journey singer Steve Perry has been teasing plans to release a new original holiday tune called “Maybe This Year,” and now the song has arrived as part of an expanded digital version of his 2021 yuletide album, The Season.
Perry co-wrote the song with keyboardist Dallas Kruse, who played on Steve’s 2018 solo album, Traces.
The Season Deluxe Edition, which is available now, features the album’s original eight songs, plus “Maybe This Year” and a cover of the classic Donny Hathaway holiday song “This Christmas.”
“I wanted to write an original Christmas song of my own, so Dallas Kruse and I began writing what became ‘Maybe This Year,'” Perry explains. “I wrote the lyrical sentiment about how the holidays can bring such joy and sadness and how for me, both these emotions give me connection to feelings of gratitude for so many years gone by, and a desire to hold on to these holiday feelings we share throughout the coming year.”
Steve also notes that “This Christmas” is one of his favorite Hathaway songs, adding, “I dedicate both these tracks to my friend Lamont Dozier.” Legendary Motown songwriter Dozier died in August at the age of 81.
The Season features Perry’s understated take on a variety of well-known Christmas tunes.
Here’s the full track list of The Season Deluxe Edition:
“Maybe This Year”*
“This Christmas”*
“The Christmas Song”
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
“Auld Lang Syne”
“Winter Wonderland”
“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
“Silver Bells”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
After ending his production contract with the Starz network in September, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has a new TV and film partner.
Fiddy has signed a three-project deal with Lusid Media, according to Variety. His first project will be an unscripted true crime series for Peacock that will debut in 2023.
“I am excited by the kind of stories we’re going to be bringing to life together, and can’t wait for the first project to reach Peacock next year,” Jackson said in a statement. “G-Unit Film & Television continues to go from strength-to-strength, and this partnership with Lusid is another great collaboration for the team.”
Lusid Media President Zak Weisfeld added, “50 Cent is a storytelling phenomenon, and we’re excited by the combination of our track record in the unscripted entertainment space, and the dynamism of 50 and the G Unit team. There’s a whole different energy and a unique point of view that makes our joint projects really special.”
Jackson and G-Unit Film & TV produced the Power franchise at Starz, including three spinoffs. G-Unit also produces the Starz series BMF, with the second season set for January 2023.
The company’s latest project is the unscripted series Hip Hop Homicides, debuting November 3 on WeTV. The first episode will examine the murder of Pop Smoke, who was fatally shot on February 19, 2020, during a home invasion in Hollywood.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Tesla CEO Elon Musk has closed a deal to acquire Twitter, ending a monthslong saga that cast Musk as suitor, critic, legal adversary and ultimately owner of the social media platform.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed the deal closure to ABC News on Friday morning. Some of Twitter’s top executives were fired, including CEO Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal, chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde and general counsel Sam Edgett, and the company will likely be launching an internal investigation, according to the source.
On Friday, Segal recounted his tenure at the company and vowed to remain active as a user of the platform.
“The last 5 years have been the most fulfilling of my career,” Segal said. “The people, the potential, and the importance of Twitter. The shifts in technology, politics, culture. This will be hard to beat.”
Meanwhile, an employee leaving Twitter headquarters in San Francisco on Friday told ABC station KGO he’d been terminated during a Zoom meeting.
Former President Donald Trump applauded Musk’s takeover of Twitter. Musk has said in the past he would rescind the ban on the former president, but Trump did not say Friday whether he would return to the platform.
“I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, a platform launched by Trump. “Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly.”
Trump told Fox News in April, when news of Musk’s bid to buy Twitter emerged, that he would not return to the platform if his ban was lifted and was committed to growing Truth Social.
Musk said on Friday that he will forgo any significant content moderation or account reinstatement decisions until after the formation of a new committee devoted to the issues.
“Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints,” Musk tweeted. “No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.”
The New York Stock Exchange confirmed on Friday morning that Twitter shares are now suspended for trading, which means the social media platform is headed for delisting and is no longer a public company.
On Thursday night, Musk tweeted: “The bird is freed.”
The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal were among the first outlets to report the purchase had gone through on Thursday evening, also citing sources familiar with the matter.
Musk — the richest person in the world, according to Forbes — reportedly acquired Twitter at his original offer price of $54.20 a share at a total cost of roughly $44 billion.
On Wednesday, Musk posted a video of himself walking into Twitter’s offices with a sink, with the tagline: “Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!”
After initially reaching an acquisition deal with Twitter in April, Musk moved to terminate the agreement in July, citing concerns over spam accounts on the platform.
Soon after, Twitter filed a lawsuit against Musk over his effort to nix the deal. The judge in the trial, set to take place in Delaware Chancery Court, gave Musk a deadline of Friday to reach a deal or proceed with the trial.
The deal completes a courtship that started in January when the billionaire first invested in Twitter.
By March, Musk had become the largest stakeholder in Twitter with the social media company announcing in April that Musk would join its board. Days later, however, Musk said he had decided against joining the board.
In April, Musk offered to buy Twitter at $54.20 per share, valuing the company at about $44 billion. The offer amounted to a 38% premium above where the price stood a day before Musk’s investment in Twitter became public. Roughly 10 days later, Twitter accepted Musk’s offer.
One month later, however, Musk said he had put the deal “temporarily on hold,” citing concern over what he said was the prevalence of bot and spam accounts on the platform. Roughly two hours later, Musk said he was “still committed” to the deal.
Twitter said it had provided Musk with information in accordance with conditions set out in the acquisition deal.
Eventually, Musk moved to terminate the deal in July. Soon after, Twitter sued Musk in Chancery Court in Delaware to force him to complete the deal.
A scheduling decision made by the court in July — to hold the trial over five days in October — appeared to align more closely with a timeline requested by Twitter, which had sought a four-day trial in September. Musk asked the court to set a trial date no earlier than mid-February 2023.
Dolly Parton may be adding “reunited Robert Plant and Jimmy Page” to her long list of career accomplishments.
Speaking withPollstar, the country legend — and soon-to-be Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee — shares that she wants the Led Zeppelin duo to contribute to her cover of “Stairway to Heaven,” which she plans to record for her upcoming rock album.
“I’m trying to see if Robert Plant might sing on it,” Parton says. “Maybe Jimmy Page might do the pick-up part on it.”
A collaboration with Parton probably wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for Plant, given his collaborations with country-bluegrass artist Alison Krauss. Getting Page, however, might be trickier, as he’s not released much music in recent years. He apparently even left a call from Ozzy Osbourneunanswered after the Prince of Darkness tried to recruit Page for his new solo album.
Led Zeppelin, of course, has been inactive since their one-off reunion show in 2007.
Parton’s rock album, meanwhile, was inspired by her nomination for induction into the Rock Hall, which she initially declined before ultimately deciding to accept.
“I’m looking forward to dragging in some of the great classic people, girls and boys, to sing on some of the songs,” Parton tells Pollstar. “I’m not far enough along to discuss who and what, but I am going to do an album.”
When it comes time for Parton to pick a producer, Steve Albini is available.
As Journey prepares to launch its 50th anniversary tour next year, the band has announced plans to release a new concert album and video on December 9 capturing the group’s performance at the 2021 Lollapalooza festival.
Live in Concert at Lollapalooza, which can be preordered now, will be available as a CD/DVD set, on Blu-ray, via digital formats and as a three-LP vinyl package pressed on either black vinyl or limited-edition green vinyl.
Journey’s Lollapalooza performance took place on July 31, 2021, at Chicago’s Grant Park. The band’s lineup for the show featured founding guitarist Neal Schon, longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain, frontman Arnel Pineda, keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka and fill-in bassist Marco Mendoza. The group also featured two drummers at the show, current member Deen Castronovo and Narada Michael Walden. Walden played drums on, co-produced and co-wrote most of the songs on Journey’s 2022 studio album, Freedom, but he’s no longer part of the group.
A video of Journey performing its 1986 song “Be Good to Yourself” at the Lollapalooza gig has debuted on YouTube.
The concert also included renditions of such classic tunes as “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Who’s Crying Now,” “Wheel in the Sky,” “Open Arms,” “Faithfully,” “Any Way You Want It” and, of course, “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
As previously reported, Journey’s 50th Anniversary Freedom Tour 2023, featuring opening act Toto, kicks off February 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and is scheduled to run through an April 25 show in Thousand Palms, California.
Here’s the full track list of Live in Concert at Lollapalooza:
“Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”
“Only the Young”
Guitar Interlude
“Stone In Love”
“Be Good to Yourself”
“Just the Same Way”
“Lights”
“Still They Ride”
“Escape”
“La Do Da”
Piano Interlude
“Who’s Crying Now”
Guitar Interlude
“Wheel in the Sky”
“Ask the Lonely”
“Open Arms”
“Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin'”
“Faithfully”
“Any Way You Want It”
“Don’t Stop Believin'”
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was “violently assaulted” by a man who broke into his San Francisco home early Friday, according to her spokesperson.
The suspect, 42-year-old David Depape, attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer when officers responded to a priority well-being check at 2:27 a.m. local time, San Francisco police said. Officers tackled the suspect and disarmed him, police said.
Paul Pelosi, 82, is in the hospital and “is expected to make a full recovery,” the speaker’s spokesperson, Drew Hammill, said in a statement. But two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News his injuries are “significant.”
Depape allegedly entered the house through a sliding glass door, law enforcement sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The suspect shouted “Where’s Nancy?” before allegedly striking Paul Pelosi, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., with her protective detail at the time, according to the Capitol Police.
Depape, who was hospitalized with injuries, will be booked on charges including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and elderly abuse, police said.
The motive is under investigation, Hammill said.
The Capitol Police, FBI and San Francisco Police Department are all involved in the investigation. The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said the case will be handled locally. Charges are forthcoming but have not yet been filed, the district attorney’s office said.
“The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” Hammill added.
President Joe Biden spoke with Nancy Pelosi Friday morning “to express his support after this horrible attack,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, “What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act. I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell tweeted that he’s “horrified and disgusted” by the attack, adding, “Grateful to hear that Paul is on track to make a full recovery.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reached out to Nancy Pelosi to “check in on Paul and said he’s praying for a full recovery,” according to his spokesperson.
ABC News’ Trish Turner, Pierre Thomas, Rachel Scott and Alex Stone contributed to this report.
Sam Smith and Kim Petras made LGBTQ+ history on the Billboard charts when “Unholy” topped the Hot 100, making them respectively the first non-binary and transgender artists to top the chart. But, they also accomplished something else that has never been seen before in the chart’s 64-year history.
Steve Lacy, who is openly bisexual, previously reigned the Hot 100 for several weeks with his hit “Bad Habit” until “Unholy” knocked it into second place. This marks the first time in Billboard history that two gender-diverse artists have taken the #1 from a bisexual artist.
Sam spoke with Billboard about their song’s success and expressed, “I’ve been genuinely humbled by the reaction to ‘Unholy.'”
The singer continued, “I felt like we’d made something special in the studio, but you never know how that is going to translate. It was only when I started playing it to people close to me and seeing their reactions to the record that I dared to think it might.”
After a two-month delay, Lil Wayne is hosting his annual Lil Weezyana Fest this weekend in his hometown of New Orleans, and he’s added Rick Ross and Cam’ron to the lineup.
The annual event was originally scheduled for August but was delayed due “unforeseen circumstances.” Wayne’s headlining his sixth festival on Saturday at the Champions Square in The Big Easy. The show will also feature Quavo & Takeoff from Migos, Babyface Ray, Rob49, Neno Calvin, artists from his Young Money Entertainment label and surprise guests.
The first Lil Weezyana Fest in 2015 commemorated the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
The annual event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, Meek Mill, Trey Songz, Kash Doll, Saweetie and more took the stage. Previous shows featured NBA Youngboy, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Master P, Big Freedia, Tory Lanez, Migos, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz and the Hot Boyz, with surprise guests including Drake, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, and Birdman.
This year, proceeds from the festival will be donated to support educational initiatives for the youth of New Orleans.
Rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, known for his dynamic singing, piano playing and wild performance style, has died at age 87. Lewis’ passing was announced Friday in a lengthy statement posted on his official website.
The Louisiana-born Lewis was part of Memphis, Tennessee label Sun Records’ roster of influential rock ‘n’ roll artists during the late 1950s alongside Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison.
Jerry Lee, who was infamously nicknamed “The Killer,” came to fame thanks to the classic songs “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On” and “Great Balls of Fire,” which peaked at #3 and #2, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs also topped the U.S. country charts.
After scoring another top-10 hit in 1958 with “Breathless,” Lewis, who was 22 at the time, was involved in a major controversy that derailed his pop career when it came to light that he had recently married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown. The couple remained married until 1970.
Starting in the late 1960s and into the ’80s, Lewis enjoyed a successful career as a country artist, releasing dozens of charting hits.
Jerry Lee was part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s first class of inductees in 1986. He also was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022.
Lewis’ life was chronicled in the 1989 biopic Great Balls of Fire, which starred Dennis Quaid and featured Winona Ryder as Myra.
Jerry Lee’s last solo studio album, Rock and Roll Time, was released in 2014 and featured guest appearances from several well-known musicians, including Keith Richards, The Band‘s Robbie Robertson, Neil Young and Nils Lofgren. Earlier this year, he released a collaborative gospel album with his cousin, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, called The Boys from Ferriday.
Lewis is survived by his wife, Judith Coghlan Lewis, his four children, many grandchildren and his sister, Linda Gail Lewis.
