When Austin Butler signed on to play Elvis Presley in Elvis, the new biopic about the musician’s life, he knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park to step into the King of Rock & Roll’s blue suede shoes.
“I’ve never felt a responsibility like this,” Butler told ABC News. “Anytime you take on somebody who’s actually lived their life, there’s a responsibility. But with Elvis, it’s something I’ve never felt before.”
The film’s director, Baz Luhrmann, echoed his sentiment, saying it was important to both of them that Butler did not do an impersonation of Presley. “Elvis is the most impersonated person in history. We had to have a person,” he said. “Austin really did fuse his spirit with that of Elvis’. He shows the man, not the icon, you know.”
Butler’s performance as Presley tried to combat “all the misconceptions” of those impersonations – the caricatures and the Halloween costumes – that Butler says make people look “up to him almost in a godlike way” and, in turn, take the singer’s “life out of context.”
“I was just so fascinated by stripping all that away,” Butler said.
Elvis hits theaters on June 24, but it premiered at Cannes Film Festival last month – where it was treated to a 10-minute standing ovation during and after the end credits.
“I’m getting to now see people responding to all the work that we did,” Butler said. “And it just feels so good that people are appreciating and getting to see him in a way they haven’t maybe before.”
If you’ve been following Old Dominion on social media, you might have noticed that the band is trying something different this year. While on the road as openers for Kenny Chesney’s Here and Now Tour, they’ve been making some surprise stops at small venues.
Those pop-up shows were the result of a brainstorming session on how to make the summer even more fun, the group’s Matthew Ramsey explains.
“It’s actually kind of a lighter year for us, to be on the Kenny tour, because we just play on weekends,” Matthew says. “We’re used to playing a lot more. And we were just trying to figure out how to get the most out of it. So we thought, you know, maybe we should try and do some surprise shows here and there.”
That idea has led them to small stages in Nashville, Tampa, Atlanta and more. “And so far, it’s been really fun,” the singer adds.
It’s been fun for the fans, too, although the bandmates can’t resist making a crack at the running joke they have about being mistaken for duo Brothers Osborne on social media.
“They are a little let down when they get in there and realize that the Brothers Osborne aren’t playing,” band member Brad Tursi says dryly, leading the whole band to break into laughter.
But in all seriousness, it’s extra fun because the fans camp out before free pop-up shows, Matthew says. “They wait outside these clubs all day long. I mean, they show up at 10, 11 in the morning.”
Old Dominion aren’t slowing the pop-up shows down anytime soon. They’ve got one planned for Chicago this Friday night, before Kenny’s Here and Now tour stop in the city Saturday.
Ozzy Osbourne has premiered a new solo song called “Patient Number 9.”
The track, which features guitar icon Jeff Beck, is available now via digital outlets. An accompanying video, directed by famed comic book artist Todd McFarlane, is set to premiere Friday at 10 a.m. ET on YouTube.
“Patient Number 9” is the first preview off Ozzy’s next solo album, also titled Patient Number 9, the follow-up to 2020’s Ordinary Man. Beck is one of the many guests to be featured on the upcoming record, along with Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam‘s Mike McCready, Black Label Society‘s Zakk Wylde and Metallica‘s Robert Trujillo.
Patient Number 9, the album, is due out September 9.
The new song arrives amid a rough couple of health months for Ozzy, who tested positive for COVID-19 in April and underwent surgery earlier in June. The 73-year-old rocker has since returned home from the hospital and is “recuperating comfortably.”
The new Disney+ film Rise, out Friday, tells the true story of the Antetokounmpo family, who, after years of hard work and struggle, found incredible success in the world of professional basketball.
Actor Dayo Okeniyi plays patriarch Charles Antetokounmpo in the film, and he shared with ABC Audio how much he admired his character’s strength.
“The great thing about Charles is he never wore that on his sleeves,” Okeniyi said. “He always remained, you know, a man of strong self-esteem … I think that’s a really great leadership quality he had.”
Not only did Okeniyi admire his character’s strength, he also related to his story.
“I’m also an immigrant from Nigeria, moved to America when I was 15,” Okeniyi said. “It’s constantly debating what is the best thing to do for our children, you know … Just imagine not being able to put food on the table for your family or not being able to give your sons the dream they want to become.”
Director Akin Omotoso says he took cues from Giannis Antetokounmpo’s speech at the 2019 NBA Awards where he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. “He speaks about when you were a kid, you can’t see the future and your parents see the future for you,” Omotoso said.
“I hope that when people watch it, they follow that journey and recognize themselves in that journey.”
After the Antetokounmpo family watched the film for the first time, they told Omotoso it really “captured the essence” of what they went through.
“That’s what we really wanted to do,” Omotoso said. “When you’re making something about someone’s life, you want to be sure that they see things that trigger other things. It’s like, ‘Ah, we remember that.’”
After The Zombies canceled two shows in Ontario, Canada, this week because founding singer Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent contracted COVID-19, the band launches the second leg of its 2022 Life Is a Merry-Go-Round Tour tonight in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.
Interestingly, Blunstone also celebrates his 77th birthday today.
The North American summer trek features 26 shows, and is mapped out through a three-night stand, July 28-30, in Park City, Utah.
Fans who attend the shows can expect the British Invasion group to perform their classic hits, some deeper cuts from their 1960s heyday and a few brand-new tunes that will be featured on the band’s upcoming studio album, which is expected to be released in the coming months.
Argent tells ABC Audio that it’s very important for the band to continue to make new music and to include fresh material in their concerts. He also notes that in general, Zombies fans have been reacting very positively to the new songs that the group has been performing.
“Obviously, if we play ‘Time of the Season,’ the place erupts,” Argent explains. “But…[when we play a] new song after that, [while the reaction isn’t] quite as amazing as we get after ‘Time of the Season’…it’s a really, really significant reaction…So people embrace that as well.”
One of the new tunes The Zombies are playing is “Merry-Go-Round,” which is the song that the tour is named after. Argent says “Merry-Go-Round” was one of the first tracks that the band recorded for the upcoming album, and he feels that it could be chosen as a single.
You can check out The Zombies’ full schedule at TheZombiesMusic.com. No word yet if the canceled Ontario shows will be rescheduled.
(WASHINGTON) — Federal agents searched the Virginia home of former Trump Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark on Wednesday morning, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the activity.
It was unclear which federal agencies conducted the search, but one neighbor who witnessed the law enforcement activity said they saw officials entering and exiting the Lorton, Virginia, home after arriving there early Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department told ABC News that its officers assisted with law enforcement activity at the house, but deferred to the Justice Department for further comment.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., said they “can confirm there was law enforcement activity in that area yesterday,” but declined to comment on specific individuals or the nature of that activity.
A lawyer for Clark did not respond to a request for comment. But Russ Vought, a former Trump White House official and the president of the Center for Renewing America, where Clark is now a senior fellow, said in a statement that “more than a dozen DOJ law enforcement officials searched Jeff Clark’s house in a pre-dawn raid, put him in the streets in his pajamas, and took his electronic devices.”
“The new era of criminalizing politics is worsening in the U.S.” Vought said. “This is not America, folks. The weaponization of government must end. Let me be very clear. We stand by Jeff and so must all patriots in this country.”
Clark, a former assistant attorney general for the environment and natural resources, has emerged as a key player in Donald Trump’s efforts to leverage the powers of the Justice Department to find widespread corruption in the 2020 electoral process after it became clear that Joe Biden had won.
On Thursday, the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack was expected to hear testimony from multiple former Justice Department officials with knowledge of Clark’s proposal of a plan to pressure states to invalidate Biden’s electoral victories after the 2020 election.
In one instance, emails obtained by ABC News in August 2021 showed how Justice Department officials rebuffed Clark’s request to urge officials in Georgia to investigate and possibly overturn Biden’s victory in the state.
An alleged plan to appoint Clark acting attorney general — which would have empowered him to pursue baseless allegations of voter fraud — prompted several Justice Department officials to threaten their resignation. Trump ultimately withdrew the plan.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that the eyewitness to Wednesday’s activity was not certain what agency the officials were from.
(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court ruling Thursday striking down a New York state law limiting the right to carry a concealed handgun in public is sparking a furor from Albany to Washington as gun safety activists and Democrats warn the ruling will lead to more guns, and more violence.
The high court’s ruling struck down the century-old law mandating that gun owners demonstrate “proper cause” to carry a concealed handgun outside of their homes.
The 6-3 opinion was authored by Justice Clarence Thomas for the conservative majority with the three liberal justices dissenting.
President Joe Biden said he was “deeply disappointed” by the ruling, saying it “contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should deeply trouble us all.”
“In the wake of the horrific attacks in Buffalo and Uvalde, as well as the daily acts of gun violence that do not make national headlines, we must do more as a society — not less — to protect our fellow Americans,” he said in a statement. “I urge states to continue to enact and enforce commonsense laws to make their citizens and communities safer from gun violence.”
The decision sparked an outcry among New York Democrats, including New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who said she might call a special session of the state legislature to consider responses to the ruling — falling just six weeks after 10 Black people were killed in a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket.
“It is outrageous that at a moment of national reckoning on gun violence, the Supreme Court has recklessly struck down a New York law that limits those who can carry concealed weapons,” Hochul tweeted.
“In response to this ruling, we are closely reviewing our options — including calling a special session of the legislature,” she added. “Just as we swiftly passed nation-leading gun reform legislation, I will continue to do everything in my power to keep New Yorkers safe from gun violence.”
New York City’s Democratic Mayor Eric Adams warned that the ruling would allow for more guns on the streets and put residents at risk.
“We have been preparing for this decision and will continue to do everything possible to work with our federal, state, and local partners to protect our city. Those efforts will include a comprehensive review of our approach to defining ‘sensitive locations’ where carrying a gun is banned, and reviewing our application process to ensure that only those who are fully qualified can obtain a carry license,” he said in a statement.
“We will work together to mitigate the risks this decision will create once it is implemented, as we cannot allow New York to become the Wild West,” he added, ahead of a public press conference.
Congressional Democrats pan ruling after prominent mass shootings
Democrats in Washington, meanwhile, bemoaned the decision, noting that it comes as the nation grapples with a spate of high-profile mass shootings, including in Buffalo and at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
“Just weeks after mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, as parents and young people across the country call for an end to gun violence, the far-right Supreme court has struck down one of the nation’s oldest gun safety laws. Congress must pass gun safety legislation now,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., tweeted.
“This right-wing Supreme Court just gave in to the gun lobby and struck down a critical New York State gun control law. As we face rising gun violence across the country, this decision will only make it harder to protect New Yorkers from dangerous weapons in our communities,” added Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y.
Aligned groups advocating for stricter gun laws echoed those lamentations, painting in stark terms the violence they say could follow the ruling.
“More people will be harmed by guns as a result of today’s decision,” Everytown for Gun Safety Executive Director Eric Tirschwell said Thursday. “More people will be intimidated by guns, more people will be shot and wounded and more people will be shot and killed. By wrongly issuing this decision, and ignoring its public safety implications, the Supreme Court risks converting the Constitution into a suicide pact…”
Republicans, gun rights groups rejoice
Republicans and gun rights groups, for their part, hailed the ruling, casting it as a needed protection of the Second Amendment.
“Today’s SCOTUS decision reaffirms what we already knew: the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,” tweeted Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. “This is a major victory for law-abiding gun owners across America.”
“While states like NY have tried to restrict your Constitutional 2nd Amendment right through burdensome laws and regulations, today’s Supreme Court ruling rightfully ensures the right of all law-abiding Americans to defend themselves without unnecessary government interference,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in a tweet.
The National Rifle Association, the nation’s preeminent gun rights group, praised the ruling as a “watershed win.”
“The right to self-defense and to defend your family and loved ones should not end at your home. This ruling brings life-saving justice to law-abiding Americans who have lived under unconstitutional regimes all across our country, particularly in cities and states with revolving door criminal justice systems, no cash bail and increased harassment of law-enforcement,” NRA chief Wayne LaPierre said in a statement.
Ruling comes as Congress pushes gun reform bill
The reactions come as Congress is working to move forward with a gun reform bill that would, among other things, provide funds for states to implement so-called red flag laws and close the “boyfriend loophole” to keep weapons out of the hands of domestic abusers, and break a 26-year long stalemate on bipartisan gun legislation on Capitol Hill.
Democrats, in particular, have been buoyed by what they say is public support for stricter gun laws, including a September Pew survey showing that majorities of Democrats and Republicans are against people carrying concealed guns without a permit.
The legislation is expected to ultimately pass, with 15 Senate Republicans voting Thursday to end debate on the bill ahead of a final vote by the end of the week and House Democrats, expected to be supportive, controlling that chamber.
(ATLANTA) — A committee of advisers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously Thursday to greenlight the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 6 to 17, clearing the way for parents to have one more vaccine to choose from when considering whether to inoculate their children against the virus.
At this time, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is the only shot available for children and adolescents 5 years old and older.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration completed the first step in the authorization process, when it signed off on the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 shots for children ages 6 and older, following a unanimous vote from their advisers.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is now expected to issue her official recommendation for use.
However, even with another COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, health experts question how much the Moderna shot will truly move the needle with hesitant parents.
Children 5 years and older became eligible for a primary series of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in November. Even with the shots available for nearly eight months, more than 25.4 million children over the age of 5 are still completely unvaccinated against COVID-19, with just 44% of the age group now fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.
Despite slow uptake, scientists from the CDC stressed on Thursday that vaccination against COVID-19 for children remains critical, as young people are not immune to severe disease or the long-term consequences of the virus.
As parents consider getting their children vaccinated, scientists from Moderna reported that their COVID-19 shots are safe and effective for use in children.
Myocarditis, a form of heart inflammation that can occur following vaccination, remains “rare,” according to officials. The greatest risk for the heart inflammation appears to be in adolescents 12 to 17 years old.
For children ages 5 to 11 years old, there have been no statistical significance for myocarditis, and the risk level remains “very low” for younger children, Dr. Tom Shimabukuro of the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Coordination Unit reported.
Although officials acknowledged that adverse events following vaccination can occur, most people recover in the subsequent weeks and months.
“In general, most adverse events reported after COVID vaccines are mild and transient events like injection site and systemic reactions,” one official said.
(NAPA COUNTY, Calif.) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, has been charged with driving under the influence, causing injury, following his May 28 arrest, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office said.
Paul Pelosi is also charged with driving with 0.08% blood alcohol level or higher, causing injury, the office said in a press release Thursday. Both charges were filed as misdemeanors.
The 82-year-old was detained on May 28 around 11:44 p.m. and booked on two misdemeanor counts at the time, according to the Napa County Criminal Justice Network’s records.
The California Highway Patrol in Napa said at the time that units responded to a two-vehicle crash at 10:26 p.m. local time on State Route 29 at Walnut Lane. Paul Pelosi was driving a Porsche and traveling eastbound on Walnut Lane and attempted to cross SR-29 when his vehicle was hit by a party traveling northbound on SR-29 in a Jeep, according to the CHP.
Paul Pelosi’s bail had been set at $5,000 and he was released the next morning, the records show.
ABC News’ Morgan Gstalter contributed to this report.
(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — The Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday striking down a New York State law limiting the right to carry a concealed handgun in public is drawing criticism from many in the state, including Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.
“It is a disappointment and it is a dark day for sensible gun reform in this nation,” Brown told ABC News’ Linsey Davis during an interview for ABC News Live Prime.
This ruling comes weeks after 10 African Americans were gunned down on May 14 in a racially motivated mass shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and after many other mass shootings in the country. Brown added the ruling would only add to gun violence in the country and be another hurdle for law enforcement.
“I do see a concern for law enforcement. They will not know who is legally permitted to carry a weapon if there are more weapons being carried in a concealed fashion in the city of Buffalo, and across the state of New York and other communities across the country. It will make the job of law enforcement a lot more difficult,” Brown said.
While Brown is criticizing the ruling, other New York lawmakers are praising the decision.
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling upholds the Constitutional rights of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms and correctly declares New York’s shameful attempt to shred Second Amendment rights on New Yorkers unconstitutional,” New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said in a statement shortly after the decision was announced.
Brown called her statement “absolutely wrong.”
“Far too many innocent Americans are losing their lives to gun violence. We don’t want to take away the rights of responsible gun owners. We certainly do not want to infringe on the Second Amendment, but it does make sense for there to be sensible gun reform that does not infringe on the rights of responsible gun owners and at the same time keeps average innocent Americans safe from unnecessary gun violence,” he said.
This ruling also coming on the heels of what could potentially be historical bipartisan gun reform legislation passage in Congress, gaining support from 15 Senate Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“The timing of this ruling is very difficult, particularly when you have a bipartisan group of United States senators that have advanced sensible gun reform after years of inaction in the Congress,” Brown said.
Legislation that was pressed upon after several mass shootings, most recently in Uvalde, Texas, would be the first time in nearly 30 years that Congress has acted on gun reform.
“It took tragedies like the mass shooting, the act of domestic terror that took place in Buffalo on May 14, and other mass shootings since that time to finally get Congress to take some action– and on the day when we are seeing further movement in Congress on sensible gun reform, this ruling comes down from the United States Supreme Court. It is a disappointment,” Brown said.
