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In new essay, Eminem reveals he’s lucky to be alive after years of drug addiction

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

After years of drug addiction, Eminem has been sober since 2009 and is enjoying one of the best years of his career, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, performing during the Super Bowl halftime show, and on September 3, winning his first Emmy Award.

But on Wednesday, the Grammy winner, born Marshall Mathers, took some time to reflect on the joy and pain of his life, including his addiction, in an essay he wrote for XXL.

“You went on tour and people were just giving you free drugs,” Slim Shady commented. “I managed it for a little while. And then, it just became, I like this s*** too much and I don’t know how to stop.”

“I’m coming off The Marshall Mathers LP and going into Encore when my addiction started to get bad,” he recalled. “I was taking Vicodin, Valium and alcohol. I kinda fell off the map a little bit and didn’t explain why I went away.”

Mathers remembered in 2006, “My drug use f***in’ skyrocketed. I had f***in’ 10 drug dealers at one time… Seventy-five to 80 Valiums a night, which is a lot. I don’t know how the f*** I’m still here.”

Now, Eminem’s goal is to “always try to be the best rapper.” He named four MCs that he admires.

“What I hyper-focus on is people like Kendrick Lamar, Joyner Lucas, J. Cole and Big Sean,” Eminem said, “because they’re also focused on being the best rappers.”

Mathers concluded by advising artists to study the competition.

“The minute you sleep, someone’s coming to take your head off. That’s what I’ve always loved about rap,” he said. “It’s always evolving, and to succeed you need to be constantly aware of that and keep up with it.”

Taye Diggs to host 40+ dating reality show ‘Back in the Groove’

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Taye Diggs will host an upcoming Hulu dating reality show called Back in the Groove, according to the streaming service.

The show will see a trio of women in their 40s checking into the Groove Hotel in the Dominican Republic on a quest to “rediscover their youth, joy, and desire.”

The streamer adds, “The object of that desire? Men half their age.”

Diggs is a most appropriate host for the series, as he helped Angela Bassett‘s Stella get her titular groove back in the 1998 romantic comedy How Stella Got Her Groove Back, about a more mature woman’s attempt to get back in the game.

Hulu’s announcement notes, “As the saying goes, you can’t fall in love with someone else until you fall in love with yourself!”

To that end, 41-year-old Steph from Miami, 42-year-old Brooke from Los Angeles and 43-year-old Sparkle from Atlanta will “break through the double standards older women face every day” in finding a possible connection with a younger love.

A debut date is still unknown.

Unreleased recordings of Taylor Hawkins playing with Ozzy Osbourne to be “used for another thing”

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins posthumously appears on Ozzy Osbourne‘s new album Patient Number 9, and according to producer Andrew Watt, there’s more where that came from.

Watt tells Rolling Stone that Hawkins collaborated with Ozzy on several other recordings that didn’t make the final Patient Number 9 track list and hints that they will eventually see the light of day.

“There’s a bunch of other stuff with Ozzy and Taylor, as well, that’s going to be used for another thing,” Watt shares.

Along with Hawkins, Patient Number 9 includes contributions from Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi, Pearl Jam‘s Mike McCready, Black Label Society‘s Zakk Wylde, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica‘s Robert Trujillo. The album is out now.

Earlier this month, Foo Fighters held the first of two all-star tribute concerts in honor of Hawkins in London. The second show takes place in Los Angeles on September 27.

Harry Connick Jr. and Lauren Daigle unveil plans for their holiday tours

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Like it or not, the holidays are around the corner and both Harry Connick Jr. and Lauren Daigle are gearing up for their very own Christmas tours.

Harry invited fans to spend the holidays with him on his recently unveiled A Holiday Celebration 2022 Tour. The outing, which he announced Thursday, kicks off in Hershey, Pennsylvania on November 18 and runs through Christmas Eve, with a December 24 stint in San Francisco.

The crooner will also hit up New York City, Philadelphia, Tucson, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver and more. Tickets as well as a complete rundown of the tour can be found on his official website.

Of course, Harry will be sure to sing all your holiday favorites and his original classics “(It Must’ve Been Ol’) Santa Claus” and “When My Heart Finds Christmas” while he’s on stage.

“You Say” singer Lauren Daigle is also getting ready to show off her holiday cheer with the Behold: A Christmas Tour. The five-stop trek will take Lauren to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre between December 6 and December 11.

The two-time Grammy winner is excited to restart her annual holiday tradition, where she and fans can sing their favorite Christmas songs.

“Music has always been a huge part of my family’s holiday celebration,” she said in a statement. “So for me, being able to do these shows every year, to share these songs with others, brings joy to my heart.”

Tickets can be purchased on Lauren’s official website.

And for those who’re counting down the days until Santa comes down the chimney: Friday marks 100 days until Christmas.

Sublime biopic in development with ’Catching Fire’ director & ’Ozark’ writer

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The Sublime biopic is officially in the works.

The upcoming film will be directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed the Hunger Games movies Catching Fire and the two-part Mockingjay, and written by Ozark scribe and producer Chris Mundy.

Surviving Sublime members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson will serve as executive producers along with late frontman Bradley Nowell‘s son, Jakob, and widow, Troy.

In a joint statement, Gaugh, Wilson and the Nowells say, “Wow — we can’t believe this is finally happening and we couldn’t be more honored and excited to have the great Francis Lawrence and Chris Mundy telling our story.”

“We know Bradley’s talent and spirit will be part of this incredible journey,” they add.

The release date and title for the film have yet to be announced.

Cardi B pleads guilty to misdemeanor charges; agrees to perform community service

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Cardi B accepted a plea agreement on Thursday from the Queens County district attorney’s office in New York City after being charged with assault in a 2018 strip club incident.

The original indictment included 12 charges, including two felonies. She has pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges and has agreed to perform community service. The remaining 10 charges were all dismissed.

In 2018, Cardi was involved in a brawl, during which she and nine members of her entourage were accused of throwing bottles, chairs and a hookah pipe inside the Angels Strip Club, injuring two of the bartenders. It is rumored that the Hustlers star suspected one of the bartenders was intimately involved with her husband, Offset.

“Part of growing up and maturing is being accountable for your actions. As a mother, it’s a practice that I am trying to instill in my children, but the example starts with me,” the 29-year-old entertainer said in a statement after accepting the plea agreement.

“I’ve made some bad decisions in my past that I am not afraid to face and own up to. These moments don’t define me and they are not reflective of who I am now,” Cardi continued. “I’m looking forward to moving past this situation with my family and friends and getting back to the things I love the most–the music and my fans.“

The “WAP” originally rejected an offer to plead guilty to a third-degree assault in exchange for a conditional discharge.

Luke Combs will be ESPN’s College GameDay guest picker: “I wouldn’t miss it for the world”

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

In between a hectic touring schedule, Luke Combs is making a stop in his home state to be the guest picker for ESPN’s College GameDay this weekend.

The star announced the news on social media, and he made it pretty clear what one of his picks is going to be: his alma mater, Appalachian State.

“Don’t even ask me who I’m picking. You know who I’m picking, baby,” Luke said in his video announcement, pointing to the App State ball cap on his head.

Luke also said that making sure he could be there for College GameDay was tough to orchestrate, as he’s currently out on his Middle of Somewhere Tour.

“You know your boy has a show in Green Bay Friday night. Unfortunately he has a show on Saturday night, as well,” Luke said. “But, the logistics were very, very difficult, but we got it put together, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Tune in to ESPN on Saturday around 11:30 a.m. ET to watch Luke make his picks.

Anne Heche’s new memoir, ‘Call Me Anne’, set for posthumous release in January

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Anne Heche‘s new memoir, Call Me Anne, will be released in January, about five months after she died following a fiery car accident in Los Angeles.

Publisher’s Weekly reports Heche had presented a manuscript to Start Publishing in May, and the book will be released by its Viva Editions imprint.

Start President Jarred Weisfeld explained the company is working with Heche’s estate to finish the book, saying, “Anne was an inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. This book deserves to be read by all of her fans.”

He added, “We are grateful to have the opportunity to share her message with the world. While we are very sad that Anne isn’t here to see the book be published we know it’s what she would have wanted.”

Heche’s previous memoir, Call Me Crazy, was a 2001 bestseller in which she detailed her struggles with mental health and overcoming sexual abuse in her family. The book has been out of print, but interest in it grew after her death at 53.

Call Me Anne is being billed as a sequel to the former book, containing “personal anecdotes of her rise to fame: how Harrison Ford became her on-set mentor, her relationship with Ellen Degeneres, her encounter with Harvey Weinstein, her history of childhood sexual abuse, her relationship with God [and] her journey to love herself.”

Heche’s partner on the Better Together with Ann and Heather podcast, Heather Duffy, reportedly wrote an epilogue to the new book, explaining, “[Heche’s] wish was that this book could help others get to the other side of pain and learn about her philosophy, which allowed her to remain in a life where she woke up each day looking for opportunities to find joy and spread kindness.”

Shawn Mendes unveils music therapy program for sick children called Wonder of Music

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Shawn Mendes launched his new initiative, Wonder of Music, a music therapy program designed for sick children. The program is underway at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in his native Toronto.

The singer’s charitable arm, The Shawn Mendes Foundation, committed a million dollars to this new effort.

“SickKids is a very special place to me and my hometown of Toronto, and I’m so honored to support such an important program,” Shawn said in a press release. “Music has made such a profound impact in my life and is no doubt a form of therapy to me. I can only hope the Wonder of Music Program will help SickKids patients, families, and staff benefit from its power as well.”

The singer’s new initiative acts as a comprehensive music therapy program that enhances and expands the programs SickKids already has in place. Music therapists will be able to help infants, children and young adults with custom-made therapy sessions — which are also meant to help children and their families bond and find comfort and joy in what could be a very scary time.

Carolyn Marshall, Certified Music Therapist, The Hospital for Sick Children, explained how important Shawn’s new directive is.

“For many children and families in the hospital, music therapy is an opportunity to express and process a complex range of emotions – such as anger, hurt, happiness, fear or hope – in a creative way,” she said.

Children can now take advantage of a multitude of activities, including learning how to write music, creating custom lullabies and even composing original songs set to their own heartbeat to help them cope with being hospitalized. In addition, kids can also access music education through the program.

You can support Wonder of Music by donating to The Shawn Mendes Foundation.

Back in the Saddle: Aerosmith kicked off Las Vegas residency Wednesday

September 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Aerosmith launched its 2022 Deuces Are Wild Las Vegas residency on Wednesday night at the Dolby Live theater at the Park MGM resort.

The concert is one of eight dates the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are playing at the Sin City venue in September and early October; the band has another eight-show engagement scheduled there in late November and early December.

Aerosmith originally was supposed play its first 2022 Las Vegas stand in June and July, but those concerts were canceled in May when it was announced that frontman Steven Tyler had entered a treatment facility after relapsing while recovering from foot surgery.

According to People, Tyler was in fine form at Wednesday’s show. The magazine notes he seemingly eluded to his substance abuse issues when he commented to the audience, “It’s either too much or too little all the time. I’m a big fan of too much.”

According to Setlists.fm, the band played a hit-packed, 17-song set that included such classics as “Back in the Saddle,” “Love in an Elevator,” “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” “Dream On” and “Walk This Way.”

Aerosmith also included covers of The Shangri‐Las‘ “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” and Fleetwood Mac‘s “Stop Messin’ Around” in the show, which featured immersive Dolby Atmos audio technology and 12-inch screens displaying never-before-seen visuals.

Leading up to the launch of the residency, the band played concert on September 4 in Bangor, Maine and September 8 at Boston’s Fenway Park. Their next Vegas concert takes place this Saturday, September 17.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com/Aerosmith.

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