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Decades after she put out her biggest hits, Shania Twain is still one of country music’s most beloved figures. Her reach extends far beyond her generation, and far beyond her home genre, too.
Both of those facts were clear at Coachella last week, when Shania was the surprise guest during Harry Styles’ sold-out set.
While Shania was self-admittedly “starstruck” in the moment, she reflected on her immense staying power in an interview with journalist Steve Baltin for his upcoming book, Anthems We Love: 29 Iconic Artists on the Songs That Shaped Our Lives.
According to Variety, Shania told Baltin that over the years, she’s started realizing that many of her most fervent fans are Harry’s age, or even younger. “I’d be thinking, ‘Where are they coming from? I haven’t been on tour in so long. No new music in so long,’” the singer said.
“So I asked a few of them and they’re like, ‘My first concert was Shania Twain when I was six,’ or ‘when I was three,’ or ‘when I was eight,’” she continues. “And I’m thinking, ‘Wow, you guys were the kids that were lining up at the stage.’ We had to set up special security so that kids could approach the stage.’”
Now, some of those kids are big stars themselves, and it’s not just Harry: Post Malone famously fan-girled out while Shania was performing “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” at the 2019 American Music Awards. Drake once dubbed her his “Woman Crush Wednesday,” but he’s got some competition from Nick Jonas, who called Shania his “lifetime crush” after seeing her Las Vegas residency show.
Of course, Shania gets her props from country music, too. Most recently, she and Kelsea Ballerini remixed Kelsea’s “Hole in the Bottle” as a duet.
Alice Merton is opening for select dates on Bastille‘s upcoming U.S. tour.
The “No Roots” artist will be on the road with the “Pompeii” outfit from May 14 in Memphis, Tennessee, to May 25 in Bonner, Montana.
For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit AliceMerton.com.
Last month, Merton announced the details of her upcoming sophomore album S.I.D.E.S., the follow-up to 2019’s Mint. The record, which features the single “Vertigo,” arrives June 17.
Bastille, meanwhile, will be touring behind their new album Give Me the Future, which just dropped this past February.
After postponing their April concerts after Warren Haynes fractured his shoulder, Gov’t Mule has now added dates to their upcoming U.S. summer tour.
The tour, in support of Gov’t Mule’s latest album, Heavy Load Blues, starts June 3 in Hayes’ hometown of Asheville, NC. The newly announced shows include a June 4 show in Birmingham, AL, a June 19 concert in Ojai, CA, a June 21 show in Tempe, AZ and a June 22 show in Tucson, AZ. The final new date is August 19 in Indianapolis.
Pre-sale tickets for Ojai, Tempe, Tucson and Indianapolis are available via pre-sale on Wednesday; the general on-sale date is April 29 at 10 a.m. local time. All ticketing information is available at mule.net.
The tour features a mix of headlining and festival dates, as well as a few support dates with ZZ Top, Grace Potter, and Willie Nelson on his Outlaw Festival Tour. In addition, the band has rescheduled its shows in Philadelphia and New York City for December 29 and December 30 and 31, respectively.
In a statement, Haynes says, “I can’t overstate how happy and excited we are to finally get back on the road and be together with our amazing fans this summer. It’s been far too long, but I’m getting better every day and appreciate the well wishes and your patience.”
He adds, “We’re really looking forward to performing all these new songs for you. We’re also going to dig deep into our catalog and include many songs we haven’t played in a while. As always, every show will be a different experience. See you all very soon!”
(CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wisc.) — A hunt for a killer is underway in Wisconsin after a 10-year-old girl was found dead — and the police chief is warning residents to be vigilant.
Lily Peters, a fourth grader, was reported missing by her father on Sunday night, said police in Chippewa Falls, a city about 100 miles east of Minneapolis.
Lily had been at her aunt’s house on Sunday and never made it home that night, police said.
On Sunday night officers found Lily’s bike in the woods by a walking trail near her aunt’s house, police said.
Around 9:15 a.m. Monday, Lily’s body was found in a wooded area near the walking trail, Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm said at a news conference.
Kelm said police are considering this a homicide investigation.
No one is in custody, Kelm said, adding that police are following up on leads.
“We encourage anyone with information to please contact the Chippewa Falls police department — and maintain a state of vigilance as there may be a danger to the public,” Kelm said.
(AUSTIN, Texas) — The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has ordered a court to consider new evidence regarding the case of Melissa Lucio and the death of her daughter, Mariah. Lucio is on death row and was scheduled to be executed on April 27.
The execution will be halted as the 138th Judicial District Court of Cameron County considers the evidence.
In a statement following the announcement, Lucio thanked those who have supported her fight for clemency.
“I thank God for my life,” Lucio said. “I am grateful the Court has given me the chance to live and prove my innocence. Mariah is in my heart today and always. I am grateful to have more days to be a mother to my children and a grandmother to my grandchildren.”
Lucio was sentenced in 2008 for the death of her 2-year-old daughter, one of Lucio’s 14 children.
Her lawyers say new evidence shows that the cause of her daughter’s injuries and subsequent death were caused by a fall down a steep staircase outside their apartment in Harlingen, Texas.
They say Lucio was coerced into a false confession after hours of intense police interrogations.
A supplementary filing submitted by Lucio’s attorneys asserts that the conviction was based on a false confession and false or poor testimony from medical examiners and specialists. They are asking the court to withdraw its order setting Lucio’s execution date.
The filing states that there is “overwhelming evidence that the judgment this Court set for execution on April 27, 2022, represents a miscarriage of justice.”
Lucio had said she is “at peace” regardless of the decision, according to a recently released statement.
“Either way I will get my freedom soon,” the statement read. “I will go home to my family or go to heaven. If I get a new trial, I am ready for the fight. I am not the same person I was in that interrogation room. I would stand up for my rights today. I want other survivors of domestic violence and assault to stand up for their rights too.”
In the days leading up to Lucio’s clemency hearing, political and social justice figures held rallies and prayer vigils to protest her death sentence.
State lawmakers including Reps. Joe Moody, Rafael Anchia, Alex Dominguez, Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. and more met with Lucio in early April to join the fight.
“Melissa Lucio checked all the boxes of the ideal culprit, right? She is a little Latina mom with too many children, with a drug addiction,” Sabrina Van Tassel, the director of the documentary “The State of Texas Vs. Melissa,” said at a press conference Sunday.
“After a three-year investigation, I’m here to tell you that she’s not … The world’s not going to be a better place if Melissa Lucio is executed tomorrow,” Van Tessel said.
Lucio’s children have also issued a plea to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to grant their mother clemency.
“She’s more worried about her kids than anything,” Bobby Alvarez, Lucio’s son, said in an interview with ABC station KVUE in Austin, Texas.
On Monday, a petition delivery and prayer vigil will be held outside Abbott’s office at the Texas State Capitol, as protesters await action from the state district attorney, the Texas Board of Pardons & Paroles or Abbott.
Celebrity Kim Kardashian has also spoken out against the planned execution online.
“So heartbreaking to read this letter from Melissa Lucio’s children begging for the state not to kill their mother,” she wrote. “There are so many unresolved questions surrounding this case and the evidence that was used to convict her.”
If Lucio is executed, she would be the first Latina to be put to death by Texas and the first woman to be executed by the state since 2014.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated when Lucio was sentenced. It has been updated.
(NOTE LANGUAGE)Rap sensation Omeretta the Great is just getting warmed up.
After the crazy viral success of her controversial single, “Sorry Not Sorry,” the 25-year-old Atlanta native recently inked a new record deal with 300’s Entertainment’s Spartan Distribution.
Omeretta posted the exciting news, which was first reported by Diddy‘s TV and media company, Revolt, on Instagram over the weekend, with the caption, “HERE WE GO🤩✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️.”
Fans and fellow music stars, such as SZA, left supportive comments under the post. “OH YESSSSSSS😍😍😍,” SZA said.
Others wrote messages of concern, questioning the rising star’s business move. “Do you think this was the best decision?” one user said. Another fan wrote, “She too hard for 300 but I’m happy for her.”
“Just ensure your lawyers read your contract boo, and you too , and I’m so happy for you !!!!!!!! You deserve it,” another user wrote.
Meanwhile, Omeretta has relishing the blissful moment that was her fellow Atlanta rapper, Latto, bringing her out on stage over the weekend, during the last stop on her 777 tour in Atlanta.
“This s*** was soooo LIT🔥🔥 I forever f*** with @latto777 cuz she ain’t have to bring me out on Her tour but she did❤️❤️❤️,” Omeretta said on Instagram, reliving the significant moment.
Omeretta told Revolt that fans can soon expect her debut album, which will include “Sorry Not Sorry” as well as “some dope features.”
“Expect to see more Omeretta everywhere,” she said.
Fans who won’t be in attendance Stagecoach Festival this weekend can still catch the action via livestream.
For the first time, YouTube will be live-streaming the third week of the country music festival in Indio, CA with performances by Carrie Underwood, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris, and more.
For three days, rising country stars who are also performing at Stagecoach will host the broadcast ahead of the headlining performances, as well as interview their fellow artists on the bill.
Breland kicks off the festivities on Friday, hyping up the crowd before Thomas, Midland and Brandi Carlile take the stage. Meanwhile, Reyna Roberts serves as host on Saturday before Carrie, Brothers Osborne and more perform, with Hailey Whitters closing out the weekend with hosting duties on Sunday as Luke, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and others hit the stage.
The broadcasts stream live on YouTube April 29 – May 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
We finally have our first look at the poster for the upcoming Whitney Houston movie, I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
The movie’s official Twitter account debuted the poster Monday, which shows star Naoimi Ackie dressed in a black leather jacket, white tank, skinny jeans and black ankle boots — the same outfit Whitney wore for her “So Emotional” music video. Her arms are splayed wide and her head is thrown back as she strikes a joyful pose on the poster.
“Don’t you wanna dance?” the account teased. “Whitney Houston, the greatest voice, has an even greater story. I Wanna Dance With Somebody is exclusively in movie theaters December.”
Clive Davis, who signed Houston to Arista Records, is producing the movie and previously told USA Today, “The goal…is to come up with a very realistic, very honest story…as well as capturing her losing battle with addiction, capturing her vocal genius and influence on music and contemporary musicians.” He added that his overall mission with I Wanna Dance is to “present the full story of Whitney Houston impeccably and [ensure] that it will be realistic in every respect.”
I Wanna Dance with Somebody was written by Anthony McCarten, who’s behind the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody movie, which told the story of another late music legend and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.
Johnny Depp took the stand again Monday in his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
His testimony began with Heard’s attorney J. Benjamin Rottenborn continuing to grill him, before Depp’s own lawyer, Camille Vasquez, let him tell his side of the story on redirect.
Last week, Rottenborn tried to contrast Depp’s living up to the “standards of a Southern gentleman” with his texts to actor Paul Bettany, in which Depp said, “Let’s burn Amber,” and another that followed, “Let’s drown her before we burn her.” Those resurfaced again in court Monday.
Rottenborn also read a slew of headlines about the state of Depp’s career, essentially trying to debunk Depp’s claims that Heard’s Washington Post op-ed, in which she obliquely accused him of domestic violence, hurt his career.
Rotttenborn even intimated Depp cut his own finger off, not the vodka bottle Heard allegedly threw at him, based on an apparently sarcastic text he made to his doctor.
Later in the morning, Depp told his own lawyer reading the op-ed, was, “A blinding hurt. It was like somebody hit me on the back of the head with a two-by four.”
The actor later admitted his texts to Bettany were “…never intended to be real,” though said he was “ashamed” the messages were made public. He explained the texts were references to Monty Python and the Holy Grail‘s “burn the witch” scene, as he and Bettany shared the same “dry, obtuse, abstract” humor.
Depp called Heard’s relationship with WandaVision star Bettany “abominable,” saying, “Ms. Heard despised Mr. Bettany, mainly because we had become such close friends…he had become a threat, and would take me away from her.”
Depp also testified he learned he was dropped from Disney’s Pirates franchise days after the op-ed was published.
“I put a lot of myself into the character. And also having worked on these films with these people,” Depp said, “…I didn’t understand after that long relationship, that successful relationship, all of a sudden I was guilty until proven innocent.”
Asked to explain other texts Heard’s lawyers had previously quizzed him on, regarding his state of mind at the time, Depp said Heard used the same psychological “abuse” his mother did when he was a child.
“When you’re being demeaned, berated, judged, and treated like a lesser animal….’I’m a bad father.’ These things were endless,” he said. “There was no call for them. It’s hard to understand how someone who’s supposed to love you could be that cruel.”
Author and mom of Chris Rock, Rose Rock, is opening up about the infamous Oscars slap.
In a sit-down with South Carolina’s WIS-TV show Soda City Live, Rock said Chris was “doing well,” but is “still processing, because that’s not something you expect.”
“When he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us,” Mrs. Rock said of Will Smith. “He really slapped me, because when you hurt my child, you hurt me!”
Rose Rock, who is also a motivational speaker, also said if she had a chance to talk to Will, she would have asked, “What in the world were you thinking?”
She added of Will and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, “You reacted to your wife giving you the side-eye, and you went up, and you made her day because she was bowled over laughing when it happened.”
Mrs. Rock also said, “I wouldn’t take his award away, and I don’t see any good way they could have taken him out without disrupting.”
However, she admitted she also didn’t think much of the Academy’s banning Will for 10 years. “What does that mean? You don’t even go every year,” she quipped.
She said Chris’ biggest regret was he was “so happy” to present the Best Documentary Oscar to his friend Questlove. “No one even heard his speech. No one was able to just be in the moment, because everyone was sitting there like, ‘What just happened?'”
Indeed, even Rock’s mother thought the slap might have been a gag — until Will cursed out the comedian from his seat at the awards show.
Rock closed with saying of Smith, “I feel really bad that he never apologized. I mean his people wrote up a piece saying ‘I apologize to Chris Rock,’ but you see something like that is personal, you reach out.”
