This weekend, the long awaited Fresh Prince reboot, Bel-Air, arrives on your screens. The drama flips the script on the original sitcom version — this is a darker, more realistic take on the story of a kid who moves from the rough streets of west Philly to the manicured sidewalks of Bel-Air.
Newcomer Jabari Banks takes over the role that made Will Smith a household name, and he tells ABC Audio that this new version might ruffle the feathers of some fans, and that’s ok.
“We’re not taking away from the original,” he says. “I think we’re just expanding upon that. And so if people are interested in seeing that, it’s going to be super exciting watching.”
And for fans of the original, Banks promises, “There’s a lot of callbacks to the original. A lot of Easter eggs that are going to excite people.”
Jabari wasn’t even born when the original Fresh Prince aired, but he’s no a stranger to the show.
“My family had the six-season box set in our house, and that would just be on repeat all the time…And so it’s really raised me in a way,” notes Banks. “I dressed up as the Fresh Prince in high school for character day, and made all my friends dress up as the rest of the characters.”
Banks says Smith has become a mentor to him, warning the 23-year-old that he’ll face “a lot of ups and downs” in his career. but, “through it all, just stay grounded.”
Bel-Air will debut with three episodes streaming Sunday on Peacock, and on NBC after the Super Bowl. New episodes will stream weekly after that, and Banks says he’s thrilled: “It’s amazing and during Black History Month…[I’m] so grateful.”
Eddie Vedder is celebrating the release of his new solo album, Earthling, alongside Bruce Springsteen.
The Pearl Jam frontman will be joined by The Boss for a chat about the record Friday at 2 p.m. ET on Amazon Live.
In a clip from the conversation, Springsteen asks Vedder about some of his influences, including The Jackson 5, The Beatles and The Who, as well as, of course, the “Born to Run” rocker himself.
“Ah, grazie,” Springsteen responds.
Earthling, Vedder’s first solo album in 11 years, is out today. It was produced by Ozzy Osbourne collaborator Andrew Watt and features guests including Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer, Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr and Elton John.
Watt, Smith and Klinghoffer are also members of Vedder’s solo live band, The Earthlings, along with Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and singer-songwriter Glen Hansard. Their tour continues February 15 in San Diego.
Here’s the Earthling track list:
“Invincible”
“Power of Right”
“Long Way”
“Brother the Cloud”
“Fallout Today”
“The Dark”
“The Haves”
“Good and Evil”
“Rose of Jericho”
“Try”
“Picture” feat. Elton John
“Mrs. Mills”
“On My Way”
Michael McDonald, the soulful singer and talented songwriter and keyboardist who found success with The Doobie Brothers, as a solo artist and as a collaborator with various other musicians and singers, celebrates his 70th birthday this Saturday, February 12.
In 1974, McDonald briefly was a member of Steely Dan‘s touring band. He would go on to contribute backing vocals to all of Steely Dan’s albums, from 1975’s Katy Lied through 1980’s Gaucho.
McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers in 1975. During his tenure with the group, Michael sang and wrote or co-wrote some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “Real Love,” “Minute by Minute” and the chart-topping “What a Fool Believes.” The latter, which McDonald co-wrote with Kenny Loggins, also won multiple Grammy awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
After The Doobie Brothers’ 1982 breakup, Michael launched a successful solo career. Among his solo hits are 1982’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” and 1986’s “Sweet Freedom.”
McDonald also lent backing vocals to notable tunes by other artists, including Loggins’ 1979 hit “This Is It,” which he co-wrote, and Christopher Cross‘ 1981 #2 single “Ride Like the Wind.” In addition, he scored hit duets including the Grammy-winning “Yah Mo B There” with James Ingram in 1983, and the chart-topping “On My Own” with Patti LaBelle in 1986.
McDonald has reunited with The Doobies several times over the years after the band’s initial breakup. Starting last year, Michael rejoined the group to take part in their 50th anniversary tour, which gets underway again in June.
(DELPHI, Ind.) — In Delphi, Indiana, a close-knit town of nearly 3,000 residents, this weekend marks five years since its most haunting event — the slayings of two eighth-grade girls on a local hiking trail — a devastating crime that stripped families of their innocence and thrust the rural community into a murder mystery that remains unsolved.
Feb. 13, 2017 was an unusually warm day in Delphi, about 70 miles north of Indianapolis, and best friends Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, were enjoying a day off from school.
They headed to the trail — and never made it home.
There appears to be substantial evidence in the case — from audio and video footage of the suspect to a new lead from social media — but no arrest has been made. Police are also not willing to disclose key facts about the crime, such as the cause of death, which experts interviewed by ABC News say is unusual.
They also say that the benefit of continued secrecy and pursuing cryptic leads in the case may have passed.
Nonetheless, five years on, the families still say they have faith in the head of the Indiana State Police, Doug Carter, who said he urges them to continue to hold his feet to the fire.
“We know a lot about you … today could be the day — sleep well,” Carter said in a direct message to the killer.
Watch the full story on “Nightline” TONIGHT at 12:35 a.m. ET on ABC.
‘Our own little bubble’
Libby was outgoing and competitive, excelling in softball, soccer, swimming and volleyball. But she also stood up for the underdog, her grandmother and guardian, Becky Patty, told ABC News.
“She made an impression on people with her kindness,” she said.
Abby was independent, artistic and musical, said her mother, Anna Williams.
“She was one of the most helpful kids I’ve ever had the pleasure of being with,” her mom said. “She loved helping other people … assisting her nieces, playing games.”
The inseparable friends spent their last night alive having a sleepover at Libby’s house, Becky Patty said. There was no school on Monday, Feb. 13, so the girls slept in and had pancakes.
“We were in our own little bubble,” Becky Patty said.
When Abby and Libby didn’t come home from their afternoon at the trail, Libby’s grandfather, Mike Patty, went to look for them.
By nightfall, the girls were still missing and he called the police. Officers and neighbors descended on the streets and trails with flashlights, he said.
Williams said, “We couldn’t find anything on any form of social media saying that they were planning on hanging out or anything with people … the only logical reasoning for them not to be here is that neither of them had a good sense of direction and they’re lost and somebody’s hurt.”
The next day — Valentine’s Day — the girls’ bodies were found near the trail.
Video, a recording and a sketch
The murders cast fear across Delphi, with parents keeping their kids inside and once-friendly neighbors looking at each other with suspicion.
In 2017, authorities released a grainy image of the suspect, who they say was on the trail the day the girls went missing. In 2019, police released a brief video clip — footage taken from Libby’s phone — showing a grainy image of the suspect walking on the bridge near where the girls were last seen.
Police also publicized the suspect’s voice — a recording of him saying, “guys … down the hill” — which was recovered from Libby’s phone.
Authorities in 2019 released a new suspect sketch that officials said was based on a witness’ recollection of what he or she saw.
Despite all that evidence, no arrest has been made.
Two Indiana State Police detectives work full-time on the case, investigating alongside local authorities and looking into all tips and leads that come in, state police spokesman Sgt. Jeremy Piers said.
Carter, the Indiana State Police superintendent, told ABC News this week, “My resolve to catch him is as strong now as it is Day One.”
“I get 25 to 30 tips a week personally,” he said. “I can assure you — it’s moving.”
A deepening mystery
So much remains a mystery. Most significantly, how Abby and Libby died has still not been released to the public. The state police spokesman would only say that’s because “there is some information about this case that we cannot release to protect the integrity of the investigation.”
“One day I’m gonna be able to explain it — we will be able to explain why we held certain things,” Carter said.
Speaking directly to the killer, he added, “We know a lot about you,” though he didn’t elaborate.
Though police routinely withhold details from the public when working to identify a suspect, ABC News contributor and former FBI agent Brad Garrett said that he thought the lack of disclosure of the particular aspects of the cause of death is strange.
“It’s odd to me that they have not released what caused Abigail and Libby’s death, because it’s fairly routine … for the public to at least generally know what happened,” he said.
Garrett said the cause of death having a unique aspect that only the killer would know is the only logical reason he can think of for law enforcement withholding the information.
Robert Ives, the chief prosecutor in Carroll County at the time of Abby and Libby’s murders who has since retired, thinks the time has passed to keep the cause of death a secret.
“I would like to hear an explanation from those leading the investigation what benefit is gained with secrecy,” Ives told ABC News.
Two months ago came a new lead — but that’s also shrouded in mystery.
State police announced in December that, while investigating Abby and Libby’s case, they “uncovered” a fake Snapchat and Instagram profile called “anthony_shots,” where the unknown user took photos of a known male model and communicated with underage girls “to solicit nude images, obtain their addresses, and attempt to meet them.”
The user of the “anthony_shots” profile, which was active in 2016 and 2017, “portrayed himself as being extremely wealthy and owning numerous sports cars,” police said.
The male model in the photos has been identified and isn’t a person of interest, according to police.
Authorities won’t say if Abby or Libby communicated with the fake profile.
Carter was tight-lipped on the “anthony_shots” investigation, saying the profile has “generated a tremendous number of leads for us — and that’s as far as I can go.”
In a statement this week state police said they’re urging anyone who communicated with, met or tried to meet the “anthony_shots” profile to contact law enforcement.
Mike Patty said he sometimes gets criticized for being so supportive of law enforcement. He admitted he gets frustrated, saying he “never thought we’d be here five years and not have resolution.”
But Mike Patty’s still supporting the police, because, he says, “Who else is gonna make the arrest for me?”
“What’s the most effective way to get this done? It’s to support them, right?” he said.
“Obviously I don’t know everything they [the police] have,” he said. “And they’re not gonna roll those cards out on the table at this point in time.”
“Our job is to get the information out there,” he continued. “‘Cause one day we’re gonna get ahold of the right person. Or they’re gonna hear our plea for their help enough that they’re finally gonna say something.”
Williams agreed.
“It did feel we do have more information than a lot of cases have,” she said. “I’m not saying that the cops are in error — law enforcement has done us well … the thousands and thousands and thousands of hours that they have put into our case is frustrating for everybody.”
Carter said, while having conversations with Mike Patty, “There’s things he wants to know that we haven’t told him. Can you imagine? I can’t. He’s looking at a man that knows the answer to a question he’s asking about the death of a grandchild. And I won’t tell him.”
“I want them to continue to hold us to the fire,” Carter said of the families.
‘We always have hope’
Those middle-schoolers enjoying a warm day in the fresh air would now be young adults finishing their freshman year of college. Williams said Abby “would’ve turned into a really good young lady.”
Becky Patty said she made a vow to Libby to never give up on finding her killer and to “live our life making her proud.”
“We live our life like she would want — she was way more giving and she was way more forgiving than the rest of us,” Becky Patty said.
“We include her every day in our life,” she continued. “She’s just not physically standing here, but she’s here. So we just don’t let her be gone.”
Mike Patty said he’s still hopeful for an arrest.
“We always have hope,” he said.
“So if you know and you’re not saying something, I encourage you to do so, ’cause … this guy could strike again,” he said. “I don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”
Ian McDonald, a multi-instrumentalist and founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner, has died at the age of 75.
The rocker “passed away peacefully on February 9, 2022 in his home in New York City, surrounded by his family,” according to a press release. A cause of death was not given.
McDonald co-founded King Crimson in 1968, alongside Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake and lyricist Peter Sinfield. He contributed saxophone, flute, clarinet, Mellotron, harpsichord, piano, organ, vibraphone, the band’s influential debut album In the Court of the Crimson King, as well as backing vocals and production. McDonald left the band after their first U.S. tour in 1969, although he later contributed sax to two songs from the group’s 1974 album, Red.
In 1976, Ian became a founding member of Foreigner, joining guitarist Mick Jones, singer Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Ed Gagliardi. McDonald played on the band’s first three albums: Foreigner, Double Vision and Head Games, all of which went platinum, and produced such classic songs as “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded” and “Double Vision.”
McDonald also took part in several Foreigner reunion concerts alongside the band’s other surviving original members in 2017 and 2018.
McDonald was also an in-demand session musician, playing on numerous recordings by the likes of T. Rex, Steve Hackett and Asia. Notably, he played saxophone of T. Rex’s signature tune “Bang a Gong (Get It On).”
Last summer, Jon Anderson teamed up with the students of the Paul Green Rock Academy for an 11-date U.S. tour, and the now former Yes frontman is set to join forces again with the talented young musicians for a lengthier North American trek this year.
So far five concerts have been confirmed, starting with an April 6 show in Atlanta, and followed by stops in four Florida cities — on April 10 in Clearwater, April 12 in Melbourne, April 14 in Orlando, and April 16 in Sarasota.
A post on PaulGreenRock.com reports that the 2022 tour will eventually feature more than 30 dates.
Like last year’s tour, the new shows will feature Anderson performing with 25 Paul Green Rock Academy members. The concerts will feature renditions of Yes classics and deep cuts, songs from Anderson’s solo catalog, mash-ups and more, with lush arrangements including choral vocals, horns and other musical elements.
Anderson commented about the upcoming shows in a recent Facebook post.
“[G]etting ready to tour this April with the teenagers of Academy of Rock,” he wrote. “Ready to perform ‘Close to the Edge’…and many more Yes classics like ‘Heart of the Sunrise’, and some fun mash ups…like [Led Zeppelin‘s] ‘Kashmir’…[David Bowie‘s] ‘Let’s Dance’…[Eminem]’s first hit…things like that…I call the show Wonderful Chaos!!….so if by chance you see us advertised near you, please come along and have fun.”
Daryl Hall and John Oates will release their 1997 album Marigold Sky on vinyl for the first time on March 25 in honor of the record’s 25th anniversary.
In addition the vinyl version, which will be a two-LP set, an expanded version of the album with three bonus tracks will be released as a two-CD collection and on digital platforms. This also will mark the first time that Marigold Sky will be available as a digital download and via streaming services.
Marigold Sky, the duo’s 15th studio effort, was originally released in September 1997. It only reached #95 on the Billboard 200, although the singles “Promise Ain’t Enough” and “The Sky Is Falling” peaked at #6 and #26, respectively, on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart.
The reissue’s bonus tracks are a radio edit of “Romeo Is Bleeding,” a remix of “Hold On to Yourself,” and what’s described as a “hot mix” of “The Sky Is Falling.”
Coinciding with the announcement of the reissue, a restored version of the “Promise Ain’t Enough” music video has premiered at Hall & Oates’ YouTube channel, and the track is available now via digital formats.
“I look at Marigold Sky as the lost Hall and Oates album,” says Hall. “The fans have been asking me for years about it. I’m really proud of these songs and happy to see that it’s getting a global re-release.”
Adds Oates, “I am really pleased that Marigold Sky is finally becoming available around the world. It’s a very unique and cool album, and I hope old and new fans really enjoy it.”
You can pre-order the Marigold Sky reissue now. Here’s the expanded version’s track list:
“Romeo Is Bleeding”
“Marigold Sky”
“The Sky Is Falling”
“Out of the Blue”
“Want To”
“Love Out Loud”
“Throw the Roses Away”
“I Don’t Think So”
“Promise Ain’t Enough”
“Time Won’t Pass Me By”
“Hold On to Yourself”
“War of Words”
“Romeo Is Bleeding” (Radio Edit)*
“Hold On to Yourself” (Remix)*
“The Sky Is Falling” (Hot Mix)*
Saweetie has dropped a new collaboration with H.E.R. called “Closer.”
Over a retro-flavored dance beat, Sweetie raps, “I wanna fall in love for the weekend/ Three boyfriends I don’t know where I’m sleeping/ We be thuggin’, clubbin’…Order room service when we done/ That’s the sequence.”
H.E.R. chimes in on the hook, cooing, “Hold me closer/ It’s the freak in me, I wanna show ya/ It feels so good don’t want it to be over/ And I like it/ I know that you like it.”
The video for the track, directed by Hannah Lux Davis, drops soon, and based on the single’s artwork, it seems that the two women will be portraying either flight attendants or pilots in the clip.
Saweetie’s long-awaited debut album Pretty B***h Music is due to arrive soon. She’s nominated for Best New Artist at next month’s Grammys and also scored a nod for Best Rap Song for “Best Friend,” her collaboration with Doja Cat.
David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
Ye — otherwise known as Kanye West — is demanding that Billie Eilish apologize to Travis Scott before West performs his headlining set at this year’s Coachella.
As for why Eilish would need to apologize, the “Stronger” rapper seemingly thinks that the “bad guy” singer insulted Scott when she stopped in the middle of a recent concert to get a fan in the crowd an inhaler.
In footage obtained by TMZ, Eilish can be heard saying, “We’re taking care of our people, hold on. I wait for people to be OK until I keep going.”
While she didn’t mention Scott specifically, some thought that Eilish’s comments were a veiled shot at Travis and the tragedy that occurred at his Astroworld festival last year, when 10 people died in a crowd surge during his performance.
In an Instagram post Thursday, West shared a screenshot of one such article, which has the headline “Billie Eilish dissed Travis Scott at her concert.”
In the all-caps caption, West wrote, “Come on Billie we love you please apologize to trav and to the families of the people who lost their lives. No one intended this to happen. Trav didn’t have any idea of what was happening when he was on stage and was very hurt by what happened.”
West added that Scott is set to join him at Coachella, before declaring, “Now I need Billie to apologize before I perform.”
Eilish is also set to headline Coachella this year, which is making its return after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott was set to headline the originally scheduled 2020 festival, but was reportedly dropped from this year’s bill due to the events of Astroworld.
In a cover story for this week’s People magazine, Lionel Richie says his daughter Nicole, whom he adopted when she was nine years old, changed his life.
Lionel and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey, adopted Nicole because her parents, friends of Lionel’s, were struggling financially. “Nicole was actually a godsend. She was a little girl who needed a shot,” he tells People. “She was used to people coming and going. She looked at me and I’d say, ‘I’m not going anywhere.'”
Nicole even helped Lionel after he and Harvey divorced in 1993. “Brenda and I went through a very interesting time,” says the American Idol judge, adding, “We didn’t agree on a lot of things, but we did agree on [Nicole].”
Nicole, who’s married to Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden, has given Lionel two grandchildren: daughter Harlow, 14, and son Sparrow, 12.
“I’ll say something and she goes, ‘Dad, we don’t use those kind of words around the kids.’ And I go, ‘Excuse me?'” Lionel says with a laugh. “She turned into a fantastic young lady.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee is also the father of Miles, 27, and Sofia 23, whom he shares with his second wife, Diane Alexander. Lionel and Diane divorced in 2004.
