After Dave Grohl wore an ABBA shirt for his surprise appearance during Paul McCartney‘s headlining Glastonbury set over the weekend, the Swedish pop giants’ Benny Andersson is repaying the favor with a Foo Fighters cover.
In a video posted to Instagram, Andersson plays a piano rendition of the classic Foos tune “Learn to Fly.” At the end of the clip, Andersson turns to the camera and smiles to reveal he’s wearing a Foo Fighters shirt.
Grohl is a big ABBA fan and even told the BBC that he “wept like a baby” when he first heard the group’s comeback songs last year.
Beyond the ABBA shout-out, Grohl’s appearance at Glastonbury was significant for being his first public performance since the unexpected death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in March. Video of Grohl at the festival shows a letter T drawn on his hand, presumably in tribute to Hawkins.
In related news, the band Anyone, which Hawkins played in before he joined Foo Fighters and even before he joined Alanis Morissette‘s live lineup, has released an EP as a tribute to the late drummer. The five-track collection, dubbed The Sylvia Sessions, was recorded in 1993 and is described in a press release as Hawkins’ “earliest recordings.”
Anyone, then called Sylvia, also notably featured future Yes vocalist Jon Davison, who was friends with Hawkins since childhood. Vocalist and guitarist Riz Story is the only remaining member still in the band.
You can listen to The Sylvia Sessions now via digital outlets. The EP is also available as an NFT.
A new signature Cat Stevens acoustic guitar — based on the Gibson J-180 model the British singer/songwriter used to create some of his classic 1970s recordings — has been released by the Gibson Acoustic Custom Shop.
The Gibson Cat Stevens J-180 Collector’s Edition can be purchased now at select instrument dealers around the world and at Gibson.com for the list price of $7,499. Only 50 of the limited-edition guitars have been produced.
The Cat Stevens J-180 guitar features a Sitka spruce top, a star-and-moon design made of mother of pearl on the headstock, star-shaped mother of pearl fretboard inlays and an interior label signed by Stevens, who now is also is known as Yusuf.
The instrument also comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and a selection of collectible Stevens-inspired patches, pins and stickers, as well as a black hardshell case featuring a white cat design.
Stevens purchased his original J-180, a guitar model that had been created for The Everly Brothers, in 1969 at London’s famed Selmer’s Music Shop. He used the guitar extensively on his early 1970s albums Mona Bone Jakon, Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat. Among the memorable tunes he wrote and recorded using his J-180 are “Wild World, “Peace Train” and “Father and Son.”
“I really turned a corner when I got my hands on a black Gibson Everly Brothers J-180,” Yusuf/Stevens explains. “It was my favourite guitar, and it had a very easy action. I played it almost percussively, and that sound gave real character to my recordings. It looked amazing too! Handling the new model is like going back in time to when I first started playing.”
Nick Cannon has formed a new pediatric cancer foundation in honor of his late son, Zen, who died of brain cancer in December. He hopes the organization will help lessen the pain for families with children suffering from cancer.
“I’m a true believer in turning your pain into purpose,” The Masked Singer host told Entertainment Tonight. “To know how much joy that he brought our family, I just wanted to spread that light.”
Cannon announced the Zen’s Light Foundation with his son’s mother, Alyssa Scott, on Friday, one day after what would have been Zen’s first birthday. His goal “is to foster global excellence in hope, grief-care, and pediatric healthcare for families and children in need.”
The 41-year-old entertainer posted photos on Instagram of “a beautiful lighting ceremony to honor the life of an Angel” and commemorate the foundation’s launch.
“Can’t wait for next year where our Lighting Gala will continue [to] grow to help find a cure for pediatric cancer, further research and help console more families during difficult times,” Cannon wrote.
Nick is also currently hosting his MTV Wild ‘N Out Live tour, which wraps up Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
After starring in Taylor Swift‘s 10-minute “All Too Well” music video, Stranger Things star Sadie Sink hopes the singer will pursue a career in directing.
Speaking with Collider, Sink explained why she thinks Taylor has the chops to become a force in Hollywood.
“I would love to see that happen and I think that it absolutely should happen because she’s someone who’s just so driven. When she has an idea, she will execute it exactly how her mind envisioned it,” the 20-year-old raved. “She’s very instinctual and it was just really amazing to kind of watch her work.”
Continued Sink, “And obviously she is a writer as well — she’s a poet I guess is a better way to put it, so to have that kind of mind directing the short film, it was really special and something that I don’t think I’d ever experienced before because she’s so visual and descriptive with her words… And to see how she made it come to life was pretty incredible.”
The actress also praised Taylor’s ability to connect with her actors and said that, even though directing was “unfamiliar” to the Grammy winner at the time, she “handled it as if she’d been doing it for the longest time.”
The “All Too Well” music video aired at the recent Tribeca Film Festival. During the “Storytellers: Taylor Swift” event, the “Shake It Off” singer said that she does see herself directing more projects.
Vulture reports Taylor thinks it “would be so fantastic to write a feature [film]” but admits she probably won’t like working with a huge crew. She says she prefers keeping her working circles small.
Taylor has directed 10 music videos, which the outlet notes is equivalent to the length of a feature film.
Although she ultimately says she’s “proud” of it, Dakota Johnson described making the first 50 Shades of Grey film as a “psychotic” experience.
The actor opened up to Vanity Fair about the behind-the-scenes drama of the movie, which spawned two sequels. She played Anastasia Steele opposite Jamie Dornan‘s Christian Grey.
“If I had known at the time that’s what it was going to be like, I don’t think anyone would’ve done it,” Johnson admitted. “I signed up to do a very different version of the film we ended up making.”
She laid blame on a “combo” of the directors and “the author of the books,” E.J. James.
“She had a lot of creative control, all day, every day, and she just demanded that certain things happen,” Johnson said.
“There were parts of the books that just wouldn’t work in a movie, like the inner monologue, which was at times incredibly cheesy. It wouldn’t work to say out loud. It was always a battle. Always.”
She explained, “We’d do the takes of the movie that Erika [E.L.] wanted to make, and then we would do the takes of the movie that we wanted to make. The night before, I would rewrite scenes with the old dialogue … It was like mayhem all the time.”
Overall, she called the making of the project “psychotic,” but added, “No, I don’t regret it.”
Johnson clarified, “Look, it was great for our careers. So amazing. So lucky. But it was weird. So, so weird.”
She also threw cold water on rumors that she was feuding with her on-screen lover, Dornan, off-screen. “There was never a time when we didn’t get along,” she said. “I know it’s weird, but he’s like a brother to me. I love him so, so, so much.”
Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee was finally able to play a full set for the first time on the Stadium Tour.
As previously reported, Lee broke four of his ribs ahead of the tour’s launch earlier this month. Against the reported will of his doctors, Lee decided to still play the tour but only for a few songs each night. Whenever Lee would sub out, he’d be replaced by Ozzy Osbourne drummer Tommy Clufetos.
However, during Tuesday’s concert in Charlotte, Clufetos’ services were not needed. According to Setlist.fm, Lee manned the kit for the entire show.
The Stadium Tour, which marks the Crüe’s first live run together since playing their “farewell” show in 2015, also includes Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts on the bill, plus opening band Classless Act. It continues Thursday in Nashville.
(SAN ANTONIO) — At least 53 people are dead after dozens were found inside a tractor-trailer in San Antonio on Monday evening in a suspected case of human smuggling, authorities said.
Of the 53 bodies in the custody of the medical examiner’s office, 40 are male and 13 are female, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday
Rebeca Clay-Flores, the Bexar County Precinct 1 commissioner, said at a press conference Tuesday that some of those found are under the age of 18, likely teenagers.
Thirty-seven of the victims have potential identification, officials said.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday that the total number of victims was 51 and that those who have been identified so far were from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. The criminal investigation remains ongoing, as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and partners continue to work to identify all of the victims, according to ICE.
It’s the deadliest incident of human smuggling in U.S. history, an HSI spokesperson told ABC News on Tuesday.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, citing information provided by U.S. authorities, said the death toll was at least 50, including 22 Mexican citizens, seven Guatemalan citizens and two Honduran citizens. The other victims have yet to be identified and Mexico is working with the U.S. on an investigation, according to Ebrard.
“We are in mourning,” Ebrard said in a statement Tuesday via Twitter. “Huge tragedy.”
The incident unfolded in the south-central Texas city on Monday evening at around 5:50 p.m. local time, when a nearby worker heard a cry for help and found the tractor-trailer with the doors partially opened and the bodies of 46 people inside, according to San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus and San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood.
An additional 16 people — 12 adults and four children — were transported to area hospitals in what officials called a “mass casualty event.”
Chris Magnus, the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), told reporters he was “horrified” by the incident.
“Horrified at this tragic loss of life near San Antonio,” Magnus said Monday. “This speaks to the desperation of migrants who would put their lives in the hands of callous human smugglers who show no regard for human life.”
The trailer was refrigerated but did not have a visibly working air-conditioning unit and there were no signs of water inside, according to Hood.
Three people are in custody in connection with the incident, according to McManus, who added that the case is now a federal investigation. One of the suspects was a driver who was spotted fleeing the scene by an eyewitness who called 911, McManus told ABC News.
Hood told ABC News that the the smell of meat tenderizer, which was reportedly put on top of the bodies before the suspects fled, was overwhelming.
The victims taken to hospitals were hot to the touch and all suffering from heat stroke and heat exhaustion, Hood said. There were no child fatalities that authorities know of so far, he added.
“They suffered, horrendously, could have been for hours,” Hood said.
Hood said there were personal items near where the bodies were found, including prayer cards in Spanish and a new pair of Air Jordan’s.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement Tuesday calling the deaths “horrifying and heartbreaking,” blaming the criminal smuggling industry for preying on migrants. Biden also highlighted the anti-smuggling campaign the U.S. has launched with its partners, saying they have made over 2,400 arrests.
“Exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit is shameful, as is political grandstanding around tragedy, and my Administration will continue to do everything possible to stop human smugglers and traffickers from taking advantage of people who are seeking to enter the United States between ports of entry,” Biden said.
ICE said initially that HSI agents found more than 40 deceased individuals upon arrival at the scene on Monday when responding to a call from the San Antonio Police Department regarding “an alleged human smuggling event.”
“HSI continues its enforcement efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities,” ICE said in its statement. “We will continue to address the serious public safety threat posed by human smuggling organizations and their reckless disregard for the health and safety of those smuggled. To report suspicious activity, we encourage people to call the HSI Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. All calls are kept confidential.”
HSI is the arm of ICE responsible for taking down smuggling networks
The San Antonio Fire Department confirmed to ABC News that HSI and CBP are taking over the investigation from local authorities.
CBP is the umbrella agency of the U.S. Border Patrol, which responded to assist at the scene and is supporting ICE in the federal investigation, according to Magnus, the CBP commissioner.
“We will be working with our federal, state and local partners to assist in every way possible with this investigation,” Magnus told reporters Monday night.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration will “continue to take action to disrupt human smuggling networks which have no regard for lives.”
“Our prayers are with those who tragically lost their lives, their loved ones, as well as those still fighting for their lives. We are also grateful for the swift work of federal, state and local first responders,” Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.
When asked about the criticism from Republicans, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who say Biden’s border policies have led to dangerous journeys for immigrants, Jean-Pierre said the White House is focused on the victims and their families.
“But the fact of the matter is, the border is closed, which is in part why you see people trying to make this dangerous journey using smuggling networks,” Jean-Pierre said.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas took to Twitter to say that he was “heartbroken by the tragic loss of life today and am praying for those still fighting for their lives.”
“Far too many lives have been lost as individuals — including families, women, and children — take this dangerous journey,” he tweeted Monday night. “Human smugglers are callous individuals who have no regard for the vulnerable people they exploit and endanger in order to make a profit. We will work alongside our partners to hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable and continue to take action to disrupt smuggling networks.”
Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security released more details on the Biden administration’s efforts to combat human smuggling and unauthorized migration in conjunction with the Summit of the Americas held in Los Angeles.
The series of operations launched across the Western Hemisphere is part of the largest human smuggling crackdown ever seen in the region, with more than 1,300 deployed personnel and nearly 2,000 smugglers arrested in just two months.
Agencies from across the administration, including the intelligence community and the U.S. Treasury Department, have engaged to disrupt smuggling operations in real-time and strip down the financial backing of the transnational criminal organizations that coordinate these crimes.
“The Biden administration is focused on putting these organizations out of business,” DHS said in a recent statement prior to Monday’s incident. “But human smuggling is, by definition, a transnational problem and we are committed to working with our regional partners in the Americas to commit our collective expertise and resources to put an end to human smuggling.”
ABC News’ Luke Barr, Marilyn Heck, Matt Gutman, Robert Zepeda, Anne Laurent, Scottye Kennedy and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
These days, Miranda Lambert is happily married to former NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin — but she had to go through quite a few ups and downs to find happiness.
“When I turned 30, I started to take life in a new direction and really start to understand myself better,” the singer, now 38, tells People. “And going through hard things obviously makes you get to know yourself better.”
As a country superstar, Miranda has had to go through many of those “hard things” in the public eye. In 2015, she went through a divorce from fellow country superstar Blake Shelton after nearly five years of marriage.
“When you get broken down pretty good, you look at the mirror and you go, ‘I have to spend some time with me, learn who I am and what I want,’” Miranda continues. “I got to a really good place with myself. Then I met my husband.”
Despite all the heartache she endured, Miranda says she’s got no regrets. “Without the hard stuff — the chaos, the crazy schedule, the heartbreak, the falling in love, the falling out of love — I wouldn’t be who I am,” she points out. “I’m thankful for the lessons, even though they hurt at the time.”
Travis Barker was reportedly hospitalized due to pancreatitis, according to TMZ.
The gossip site says that the condition was brought on by a recent colonoscopy that the Blink-182 drummer had undergone.
As previously reported, Barker was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital Tuesday for an unknown condition. TMZ published photos of Barker being wheeled out of an ambulance while accompanied by his wife, Kourtney Kardashian.
Earlier Tuesday, Barker tweeted, “God save me,” which some saw as a comment on his medical situation. However, the phrase is also the name of a song off the new Machine Gun Kelly album Mainstream Sellout, which Barker produced.
After news broke of Barker’s hospitalization, his daughter, Alabama,posted an Instagram Story asking fans to “Please send your prayers.”
Cardi B revealed on Instagram Live Tuesday that she wanted to cancel Friday’s release of her new single “Hot S***” because she is “so tired of people not doing their f***ing job correctly.”
The Grammy winner says she “is upset” because “a lot of people have been dropping the ball for the past two months.” She added the release “is not being executed like it’s supposed to,” and there has been “a lot of miscommunication.”
Cardi did not identify who has been “dropping the ball.” She is so angry that she just wants to “say f*** everybody and f*** everything.” However, she will release the track Friday as planned and promote it because of the love of her fans. “I don’t wanna push,” Cardi continued, “but I have to push.”
The track featuring Kanye West and Lil Durk will be her first single since “Up” in February 2021. The Hustlers star was also featured on the remix of “No Love” with Summer Walker and SZA,which dropped in ‘March.
There will not be a music video because the 29-year-old rapper is “just not in the mood for a lot of things.” She added, “I just don’t feel like doing too much this time around.”
