A variety of noteworthy musicians from the rock and pop world, including Ringo Starr, Billy Joel and KISS‘ Paul Stanley, have paid homage to Procol Harum lead singer and pianist Gary Brooker, who died Saturday at age 76 after a battle with cancer.
Brooker, who was most famous for singing and co-writing the classic Procol Harum song “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” led the group for its entire 50-plus-year history, and he also was a member of Ringo’s All Starr Band from 1997 to 1999. The former Beatles drummer posted a tribute note on his Twitter page that reads, “God bless Gary Brooker peace and love to the family,” along with a photo of him and Gary together.
Joel also took to Twitter, where he wrote, “Sorry to hear about the passing of Gary Brooker. Rest in Peace.”
Stanley meanwhile, saluted Brooker with a tweet that reads, “RIP Gary Brooker. You could identify that voice as soon as you heard him sing. Procol Harum…Who can forget ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’? The man sang with a captivating, grand authority and soul.”
Here are more tributes to Brooker from various other well-known music artists:
Queen‘s Brian May: “SAD NEWS: Procol Harem singer Gary Brooker dies at 76 – RIP.”
Faces and ex-Who drummer Kenney Jones: Very sad to hear the news that Gary Brooker has passed away. My thoughts are with Gary’s wife Franky at this sad time. He was a wonderful man who will be sorely missed. Rest in peace.”
Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens: “Safe travels to Gary Brooker of Procol Harum. A truly incredible talent that redefined what rock and roll could be. Big influence on me.”
Former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden: “So sorry to hear of the passing of Gary Brooker. One of the highlights of my career is playing ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ with him. I was very proud to know him. My condolences to his family and fans.”
E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt: “RIP Gary Brooker. I’m too p***ed off to speak right now.”
Bonnie Tyler: “So sad to hear about Gary Brooker. He was a lovely guy and made incredible music that will live on forever.”
Beatles reissue producer (and son of George Martin) Giles Martin: “Rest in peace #GaryBrooker — incredible singer, writer and musician — more than that he was a lovely, lovely man. He and his wife…looked after me and my sis when my parents were away. They gave so much love and warmth to us as kids, I wish I’d thanked him before he passed.”
Eight major Oscars will not be presented live on this year’s show in an effort to present a more TV friendly telecast, the Academy announced on Tuesday.
The awards will be given out an hour ahead of time, edited down, and then cut into the live telecast. However, the Academy points out that everyone will still have their “Oscar moment” — all nominees will still have their names read in their categories, and all winners will have their acceptance speeches televised.
Those categories being handed out earlier in the ceremony are for Documentary (Short Subject), Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Production Design, Short Film (Animated), Short Film (Live Action) and Sound.
The 94th Annual Academy Awards airs March 22 on ABC.
(NEW YORK) — President Joe Biden said the world is witnessing “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine” after weeks of escalating tensions in the region as he announced new economic sanctions on Russia Tuesday.
Biden’s remarks followed a fiery address from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Russian public on Monday evening, when the leader announced he was recognizing the independence of two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region: the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DNR and LNR) — prompting a set of sanctions from Western countries, including Germany halting approval of a major gas pipeline from Russia.
While the U.S. says some 190,000 Russian troops and separatist forces are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, Russia has denied any wrongdoing and reiterated its demands Tuesday that Ukraine pledge to never join NATO.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 23, 5:33 am
Ukrainian right-wing volunteer battalion mobilizes
One of Ukraine’s far-right volunteer battalions announced Wednesday it is mobilizing to prepare to fight, amid fears of an imminent Russian invasion.
During Russia’s first invasion in 2014, the Ukrainian army was in disarray, prompting civilians to form volunteer battalions — many of them with right-wing ideologies. These highly motivated private armies — some funded by oligarchs — helped stem the fall of eastern Ukraine to Russia-backed separatists.
But once large-scale fighting had ended, the Ukrainian government moved the volunteer battalions back from the front line because they were seen as potentially provocative and problematic.
The so-called Right Sector is one of Ukraine’s most famous volunteer battalions. It’s made up of radical nationalists who played a crucial role in the 2014 revolution. In Russia, the group was made into a propaganda boogeyman.
The Right Sector’s return to the front line in eastern Ukraine will be used heavily by Russian propaganda. But it also shows how worried Ukrainians are getting, especially if more volunteer battalions start mobilizing.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Right Sector said it is mobilizing its “assault brigade” due to the “high probability of the start of a full-scale invasion by the Russian army.”
“Our unit has already defended Ukrainian independence for 8 years from the occupiers,” the group said. “In the case of a full scale invasion we, as always, will be at the front of the fight.”
Feb 23, 4:43 am
Ukrainian military begins calling up some reservists
Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it has begun calling up some reservists in response to an order from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The military general staff said they will be calling up reservists aged 18 to 60 starting Wednesday.
On Tuesday, while signing a decree to call up some of Ukraine’s military reservists, Zelenskyy emphasized that it was not yet a full mobilization but just the “active reserve,” or troops with combat training.
Zelenskyy said the order was necessary because Ukraine’s military now needs to be at “heightened readiness” for any changes changes in the situation on the ground with Russia.
Feb 23, 4:29 am
Russia claims 100,000 refugees have fled eastern Ukraine
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed Wednesday that 100,000 refugees from two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine have arrived across the border in Russia.
The claim was unverified and highly improbable, as it appeared to be part of Russia’s intensifying efforts to spin an image of a major humanitarian crisis in the region to build a pretext for a possible invasion.
Russia-backed separatists have forced civilians living in the areas to evacuate despite the fact that there is no increased threat from the Ukrainian military. While thousands of people have been bused out of the region to Russia, the alleged figure of 100,000 appeared vastly exaggerated.
Russia’s claims have been accompanied by a barrage of false stories and staged videos of alleged attacks by Ukrainian forces, all of which have been blaring across Russian state media in recent days.
Feb 23, 12:03 am
Russia-backed separatists make ‘terror attacks’ claim as Russia continues to build pretext
Russian-controlled separatists are claiming two large “terrorist attacks” took place in their territory Tuesday night, as the separatists and Russia continue to intensify their efforts to create a pretext for a possible Russian attack.
The separatists claimed explosions went off at a TV tower and near a trolley bus depot, and they released video afterward they claim shows emergency workers looking at damage.
The claims are highly suspect, and they came amid a barrage of fake reports of supposed Ukrainian attacks that are being swiftly debunked.
The claims also came as Ukraine released video showing heavy artillery fire from separatists hitting a village called Chastiya — which means “happiness” — on the Ukrainian side of the frontline. The video appears to show rockets striking a house.
Artillery fire also hit a power station nearby yesterday.
It appears the Russian-controlled separatists have intensified their fire onto Ukrainian positions in the hope of stoking return fire and creating an impression of a general escalation.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Ottawa 4, Minnesota 3
St. Louis 4, Philadelphia 1
Columbus 4 Toronto 3 (OT)
Nashville 6, Florida 4
NY Islanders 5, Seattle 2
Anaheim 4, San Jose 3 (SO)
(LOS ANGELES) — Analysts are warning motorists in California to hold on to their wallets as a host of factors will take already record-high gas prices to new levels.
The state averaged $4.742 a gallon on Tuesday, about $1.20 more than the national average, according to AAA. Some counties, including San Francisco, are averaging over $4.90, according to AAA.
Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gas prices across the nation, told ABC News that the statewide average is likely to cross the $5 a gallon average threshold soon.
“Everyone is going up the same but no one is going to match California’s prices,” he said.
De Haan said there were several factors, the biggest being the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The political uncertainty over a possible invasion has affected oil prices globally, De Haan noted.
“We are subject to international supply and demand,” he said. “How long it progresses through the summer depends on Russia.”
California’s regulations have also affected prices, specifically its gas tax of 51.1 cents per gallon, according to De Haan. The tax, which pays for road repairs and maintenance throughout the state, is one of the largest in the nation, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators, and has gone up with inflation.
“The taxes make a huge difference in the overall price. That’s why you haven’t seen as big of a jump in Oregon or Washington,” he said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed to halt a scheduled gas tax increase, but has not received support from Democratic members of the state legislature, the Associated Press reported.
De Haan said that spring is around the time that gas prices tend to go up and there is very little that motorists who drive in California can do to avoid taking a financial hit at the pump.
He did offer one suggestion that could help drivers cut down their trips to the gas station: slow down. De Haan said that a car’s mileage grows when a driver maintains their speed as much as possible.
“Slowing down a couple of miles per hour [and] not racing light to light can easily save you 10 to 15% in every tank,” De Haan said.
(BRIDGEWATER, N.J.) — The 14-year-old who was handcuffed by police as they broke up a fight at a New Jersey mall is speaking out about the incident, which prompted an internal investigation over the police’s apparent treatment of the Black teen.
In a viral video of the incident, police are seen responding to a fight between the teen, Kye, and another teenager at the Bridgewater Commons Mall in New Jersey on Feb. 12, but after breaking up the fight, police only handcuffed Kye, who is Black.
Kye, who is only being identified by his first name at the request of his mother, told GMA3 that the experience has been “stressful” for him and he didn’t expect his story to get national attention.
“It’s been kind of weird thinking about, like, how I was treated differently based on the color of my skin,” he said.
The video, which was taken by a bystander, appears to show the two teens arguing and then they begin to throw punches at each other. Kye told New York ABC station WABC that the fight started after the other teen began picking on Kye’s friend and he stood up to him. Shortly after, two Bridgewater Township police officers arrived at the scene and broke up the altercation.
In the video, the female officer sits the other teen who exchanged punches on the sofa and then proceeds to assist the male officer in handcuffing Kye.
The other teenager involved in the fight sat on a couch watching as both police officers put their knees on Kye’s back, the video showed.
Kye said he was held for about 30 minutes and was released without charges.
Ben Crump, the attorney representing Kye’s family, told GMA3 “there’s no question” that this incident is a case of “biased policing.”
“We have ocular proof. I mean, you see it with your own eyes,” Crump said, referring to the video.
The Bridgewater Township Police Department told ABC News in a statement that police have asked the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office to assist in an internal investigation of the incident.
“We recognize that this video has made members of our community upset and are calling for an internal affairs investigation,” police said, urging anyone with additional videos of the incident to share them with law enforcement.
Asked by ABC News if any action has been taken regarding the officers, police did not return a request for comment.
Frank Roman Jr., deputy chief of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, told ABC News in a statement that the incident is being investigated by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Internal Affairs Unit.
Asked if there are any updates, the prosecutor’s office said Monday that the investigation is ongoing.
Kye’s mother, Ebone, told GMA3 that the support her son has gotten from the public has been “awesome,” but “he’s had a really hard time” and is seeking counseling.
“We can’t really get him out the house, we’re worried about, you know, the hate that possibly can come to him,” she said.
Crump said that the family wants the officers to be held accountable.
“If there’s no accountability, there’s no deterrent,” he said. “We can’t have two justice systems in America.”
Asked what he wants to see happen, Kye said that he wants the officers to get fired.
“There’s gonna be some type of change so we aren’t treated differently because of the color of our skin,” he said.
ABC News’ William Gretsky and Ben Stein contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Officials are investigating what caused a fire that killed two people and displaced multiple residents at an apartment building in Washington, D.C., early Tuesday.
The two that died, a man and a woman, had been taken to the hospital in critical condition, but succumbed to their injuries, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.
The two-alarm fire began early Tuesday on the third floor of the apartment building in Southwest Washington, D.C., the fire department said.
After arriving at the scene, around 100 firefighters were able to knock down the fire and get all of the residents out of the building, according to the fire department.
Fire officials said Tuesday that there are 40 apartments deemed uninhabitable due to the fire. Residents are being assisted with housing options.
They said they will return to the scene to distribute fire prevention information and test all smoke alarms, replacing or installing new ones as needed.
(NEW YORK) — Professional golfer Phil Mickelson has apologized for comments he made supporting a Saudi Arabia-backed golf tour, after they appeared to cost him one his biggest sponsors.
The global tax firm KPMG said Tuesday it had dropped its sponsorship of Mickelson in the midst of Mickelson’s ongoing feud with the PGA Tour over a controversial splinter league backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The move follows the publication earlier this month of backlash-inducing comments Mickelson made in November to author Alan Shipnuck, in which Mickelson expressed no reservations about working with the Saudis despite the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which a United Nations probe determined was a “premeditated execution” for which Saudi Arabia was responsible.
“They’re scary … to get involved with,” Mickelson told Shipnuck about working with the Saudis on the new league. “We know they killed Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”
On Tuesday, Mickelson apologized for those comments even as he suggested they had been taken out of context.
“I’m deeply sorry for my choice of words,” Mickelson in a statement on social media. “I apologize for anything I said that was taken out of context.”
“The specific people I have worked with are visionaries and have only been supportive,” he said. “My intent was never to hurt anyone and I’m so sorry to the people I have negatively impacted.”
“The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level,” he added. “I desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love and work on being the man I want to be.”
A spokesperson for KPMG told ABC News on Tuesday that the company and Mickelson have decided to part ways.
“KPMG U.S. and Phil Mickelson have mutually agreed to end our sponsorship effective immediately,” said Ichiro Kawasaki in a statement. “We wish him the best.”
Representatives of the Saudi Public Investment Fund did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
None of the other sponsors listed on Mickelson’s website, including Workday, Callaway, and Rolex, have commented on the matter.
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — A Florida bill that would limit classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity and encourage parents to sue schools or teachers that engage in these topics continues to move through the state House and Senate.
It’s being called a “Don’t Say Gay” bill by LGBTQ advocates, who fear that if this bill is signed into law, it could act as a complete ban on the lessons on LGBTQ oppression, history and discussions about LGBTQ identities.
An amendment to the bill was proposed Friday that also would require school officials to disclose a student’s sexual or gender identity to their parents within six weeks of finding out about the student’s identity. State Rep. Joe Harding, the sponsor of the legislation, withdrew the amendment Tuesday afternoon before it was to be debated and voted on the House floor.
Harding said in a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat Tuesday that “nothing in the amendment was about outing a student,” and that it was intended to “create procedures around how, when and how long information was withheld from parents so that there was a clear process and kids knew what to expect.”
“Rather than battle misinformation related to the amendment, I decided to focus on the primary bill that empowers parents to be engaged in their children’s lives,” the statement continued.
The Florida Senate Education Committee had moved the bill forward earlier this month, but it still has to be approved by other Senate committees and the state House.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled support for the bill at a recent public event.
The Biden administration has denounced the efforts as anti-LGBTQI+.
“Every parent hopes that our leaders will ensure their children’s safety, protection, and freedom,” the White House said in a statement Feb. 8.
“Today, conservative politicians in Florida rejected those basic values by advancing legislation that is designed to target and attack the kids who need support the most – LGBTQI+ students, who are already vulnerable to bullying and violence just for being themselves,” the statement said. “But make no mistake – this is not an isolated action. Across the country, we’re seeing Republican leaders take actions to regulate what students can or cannot read, what they can or cannot learn, and most troubling, who they can or cannot be.”
President Joe Biden also weighed in on Twitter. “I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are,” Biden said in the post.
Activists say that erasing LGBTQI+ presence from schools may imply to students that their gender identity or sexual orientation is something to be ashamed of or hidden.
“We have to create a learning environment where they feel safe and healthy, or it’s not an effective learning environment,” said Heather Wilkie of the Zebra Coalition, a Central Florida LGBTQ advocacy group.
“When you have laws like this, that directly attack our kids for who they are, it prevents them from learning,” she said. “It prevents them from being able to be healthy.”
The two bills in the state legislature, HB 1557 and SB 1834, state that a school district “may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”
The House Education & Employment Committee moved another version of the bill forward in January, handing it off to the Judiciary Committee.
“This would erase LGBTQ+ history and culture from lesson plans and it sends a chilling message to LGBTQ+ young people and communities,” said Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, the executive director of the national LGBTQ youth advocacy group GLSEN.
If the bill passes, it would go into effect on July 1.
It adds that parents who violate this rule can sue, seeking damages and reimbursement for attorney fees and court costs.
Rep. Harding hopes it will “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing & control of their children,” according to the bill’s text.
Harding did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Chasten Buttigieg, activist and husband of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, denounced Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state legislature for the efforts last month in a Twitter post.
LGBTQ advocacy organizations say these bills are reminiscent of the “no promo homo” laws of the 1990s that barred educators from discussing queer topics in schools, but with an added mandate on parent and family involvement.
“These mandates are harmful and risk carelessly outing LGBTQ+ young people to families who do not affirm their children’s identities,” Willingham-Jaggers said.
2021 was a record-breaking year for anti-LGBTQ legislation, according to the Human Rights Campaign. More than 250 of these bills were introduced and at least 17 were enacted into law.
Several states, including Arizona, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and South Dakota, have already introduced anti-LGBTQ legislation in 2022.
This Florida legislation follows similar bills that restrict educators from teaching about oppression in the U.S.
Wilkie said that queer issues and access to supportive resources have been the priority against anti-LGBTQ attacks in recent years, and this has been a heightened effort since the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016.
LGBTQ youth in the state, who have a higher risk for suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety, have been struggling, but Wilkie says advocacy groups will continue to fight these bills.
“We will fight,” she said. “It’s so disheartening to think that they would not be able to freely talk about themselves, or learn anything about their history.”
Veteran U.K. synthpop star Howard Jones is preparing a new studio album titled Dialogue, the third in a trilogy of electronic releases following the 2015 multimedia project Engage and the 2019 album Transform.
More information will be unveiled about Dialogue soon. Jones will support the album with a tour later this year running from a June 17 show in Tulalip, Washington, through a July 27 concert in Dallas. He’ll be accompanied by a four-piece band that includes bassist and Chapman stick player Nick Beggs, formerly of Kajagoogoo.
Howard will be joined on the trek by special guest Midge Ure, former frontman of Ultravox and co-writer of the classic 1980s Live Aid charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas.”
“I am beyond excited to be touring the U.S. this summer with my great friend Midge Ure,” Jones says in a statement. “As we take safe steps to put the pandemic behind us, the tour will be a celebration of being together, enjoying the power of live music again. Expect plenty of hit songs as well as cuts from my new album Dialogue.”
Ure adds, “What a joy to be touring North America with my friend Howard Jones again. With the emphasis on technology, quality and performance I am looking forward to dusting off the synthesizers, cranking up the guitar and playing with the brilliant musicians who will be sharing the stage with me.”
Meanwhile, Jones is wrapping up a U.S. winter trek tonight in Richmond, Virginia, with his acoustic trio, which also features Beggs. Visit HowardJones.com for his full tour schedule.
Howard is best known for his string of synth-driven 1980s hits, which included “New Song,” “What Is Love?,” “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life in One Day,” “No One Is to Blame” and “Everlasting Love.”
