Darius Rucker doesn’t hesitate at all when asked to consider the best moments of the past year.
“The highlight of 2021 was getting back on the road,” the Hootie & the Blowfish frontman tells ABC Audio. “You know, after being off for almost two years, actually going out and playing shows again was definitely the highlight of this year.”
In February, the South Carolina native is set to launch his Darius Rucker Live tour of iconic, intimate theaters, building on the intensity he felt from audiences in 2021.
“The fans have always been great, and my shows have always been fun parties and everything,” he explains. “But it just seems like it’s a whole new level now.”
“Everybody’s there to have fun from the first note to the last,” Darius continues. “And you could just tell people were so glad to be back out there seeing shows and being a part of that that, they just want to soak it all in.”
“So, yeah, the fan enthusiasm’s definitely up,” he adds.
2021 also found Darius topping the charts with his tenth solo number one, “Beers and Sunshine,” which he followed with “My Masterpiece.” Both are from his follow-up to 2017’s When Was the Last Time, which should arrive sometime in 2022.
Katy Perry kicked off her Las Vegas residencyPLAY at Resorts World on Thursday night, with dates for it scheduled through March. Katy recently told ABC News that one thing that attracted her to doing a residency is that it allows her to literally “do it all:” be a pop star and spend plenty of time with her daughter, Daisy Dove.
“Coming to Vegas means I also still get to be a mother and drop my daughter off at preschool in the future,” Katy told ABC News. “And I will still go and tour the world in a couple of years, for sure. But I think the first three years of a child’s life is really important — just making sure their foundation is great.”
“I just want to be able to do both, do it all,” she added. “Because for 12 years, I have definitely put all of my energy into [my work] and now I’m just finding that balance.”
Katy also revealed that performing in Las Vegas was “always a part of my long-time goals.” And though she technically doesn’t have to take on such a huge project on top of her other ventures — like judging American Idol, for example — she didn’t want to give up the chance to perform for her fans.
“I feel joy when I get to be on stage and sing together with other people who find joy in my songs and find empowerment,” she explained.
“Music is a real powerful tool to get us through some of the worst times in our life or empower us,” Katy added. “And I think there’s still so much joy and empowerment and hope and love to spread onstage.”
Tom DeLonge is set to make his feature film directorial debut with Monsters of California. Speaking with ABC Audio, the Angels & Airwaves frontman and former Blink-182 guitarist shares that he’s “so proud” of the upcoming movie.
“I think people are gonna love it,” DeLonge says. “I think people are gonna be kinda blown away by what we’ve pulled off on such a micro budget.
From a story perspective, DeLonge describes Monsters of California as a “really honest reflection of who I am.”
“It’s skateboarders in San Diego, the paranormal, a lot of d*** jokes, but with a really big philosophical ending about life and what it’s all about,” DeLonge says. “I’m really proud that it hits all those marks in a really great, Amblin kind of adventure.”
The release date for Monsters of California has yet to be announced, though it’s expected to premiere sometime this year. In a recent Instagram post, DeLonge teased the size of the titular Monsters with a photo of a giant footprint.
L: Bernie Taupin, R: Elton John in Jan. 2020; Kevin Winter/Getty Images
27 years after Elton John first received the honor, his long-term musical partner Bernie Taupin has been honored by Queen Elizabeth II with the same prestigious award.
In the queen’s annual New Year’s honors list, Bernie was made a CBE — Commander of the Order of the British Empire — in recognition of his “exceptional services to music.” A CBE is one step below a knighthood. Elton was made a CBE in 1995, and was subsequently knighted in 1998, which why he’s now called Sir Elton John.
“Congratulations to my lyricist extraordinaire on his C.B.E that was announced today!” Elton wrote on Instagram. “I love you and you so deserve this recognition.” In the comments, Bernie replied “Thanks my darling friend. It’s all a bit ironic isn’t it.”
Other music legends who are CBEs include Queen‘s Brian May, Led Zeppelin‘s Robert Plant, Sting and the Bee Gees.
Meanwhile, Melanie Brown, aka Mel B, aka Scary Spice of the Spice Girls, was made an MBE — a Member of the Order of the British Empire. However, she wasn’t honored for her music, but for her work with Women’s Aid, a charity that helps “vulnerable women,” specifically victims of domestic violence.
Other pop stars who’ve received MBEs include Ed Sheeran, Adele and The Beatles.
With 2021 now in the rear-view mirror, it’s a good time to look ahead at some of the artists planning to release new music in the new year — including John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams and Tears for Fears.
Mellencamp’s new album, Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, will be released on January 21, and will include three collaborations with Bruce Springsteen.
Adams has a new album called So Happy It Hurts that’s coming out on March 11.
As for Tears for Fears, the veteran British duo will release their first new studio album in 17 years, The Tipping Point, on February 25.
In addition, Motown legends The Temptations will be celebrating their 60th anniversary with a new album aptly titled Temptations 60 that’s due out on January 28. That same day, U.K. classic rockers Jethro Tull will release their first new studio album in 18 years, The Zealot Gene.
Other releases scheduled for February include Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and his side group Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators‘ 4 on February 4, plus Scorpions‘ Rock Believer and Guns N’ Roses’ Hard Skool EP on February 25.
Country legend Dolly Parton will release a new album titled Run, Rose, Run in March as a companion to a novel of the same name that she’s co-written with author James Patterson.
Other artists expected to release albums this year include Journey, Todd Rundgren, Joe Walsh, Bonnie Raitt and, possibly, Springsteen, who revealed in May 2021 that he had “a record coming out soon.”
Rundgren’s previously announced album, Space Force, features Todd collaborating with a variety of musicians.
Here’s a list of notable confirmed or expected releases for 2022, by month:
1/7 — David Bowie, TOY (TOY:BOX) (box set focusing on unreleased 2000 album)
1/14 — Elvis Costello & The Imposters, The Boy Named If
1/21 — John Mellencamp, Strictly a One-Eyed Jack
1/28 — Jethro Tull, The Zealot Gene
2/4 — Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, 4
2/25 — Guns N’ Roses, Hard Skool EP
2/25 — Scorpions, Rock Believer
2/25 — Soft Cell, Happiness Not Included
2/25 — Tears for Fears, The Tipping Point
March — Dolly Parton, Run, Rose, Run
3/11 — Bryan Adams, So Happy It Hurts
3/25 — Various Artists, Legacy: A Tribute to Leslie West (featuring Slash, Dee Snider, Martin Barre, Joe Lynn Turner, Elliot Easton, Robby Krieger & others)
Unconfirmed or details not yet announced:
Bonnie Raitt — Just Like That…
Todd Rundgren — Space Force
Journey — TBA
Joe Walsh — TBA
Bruce Springsteen — TBA
Sony-Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home dominated the box office for the third weekend in a row, earning an estimated 52.7 million dollars to push its three-week domestic take to 609 million. That makes it the tenth-highest-grossing domestic release in history, just edging out 2018’s Incredibles 2.
Adding its $759 million from overseas earnings, Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s global tally now stands at $1.37 billion.
Sing 2, while earning an estimated $19.6 million in its second week of release, was caught in Spider-Man‘s web, settling for second place. The animated sequel has tacked on an estimated $54.9 million internationally so far, bringing its worldwide tally to $144.6 million.
Third place belonged to the prequel to the Kingsman action franchise, The King’s Man, earned an estimated $4.5 million in its second weekend. Its stateside haul now stands at $19.5 million, to go along with an estimated $28.3 million internationally, putting its global box-office total at $47.8 million.
Finishing in fourth place was the sports drama American Underdog, grabbing just short of $4.1 million in its second week of release. American Underdog, which has delivered a total of $15 million so far here in the states, has yet to open outside the U.S.
Rounding out the top five was The Matrix Resurrections, which continued to struggle, taking in an estimated $3.8 million. The fourth film in the Matrix franchise has only managed to scratch out $30.9 million after two weeks. The film had better luck overseas, where it’s pulled in $75.1 million to date.
(COLORADO) — Three people are still missing after devastating Colorado wildfires destroyed hundreds of homes, authorities said.
Thousands of people were forced to evacuate in Boulder County on Thursday when high winds and dry conditions helped fuel two fast-spreading wildfires, the more destructive of the two being the Marshall Fire.
No casualties have been officially reported, though three people have been reported missing in the region of the Marshall Fire, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said during a press briefing Saturday.
“I suspected we would have loss of life just based on the size of this fire, the speed and the ferocity,” Pelle said. “I think it’s miraculous that it is three and not 100 or hundreds. So I’m grateful for that, but I’m also extremely sorry for the families.”
Two people were reported missing in the town of Superior, while one person is missing in the Marshall area, Pelle said.
Their homes have been destroyed, and search and recovery efforts have been further impeded after 8 inches of snow fell on the structures, the sheriff said.
First responders plan to bring in cadaver dogs on Sunday to help find potential human remains in the homes, he said.
“We unfortunately believe these are going to turn into recovery efforts,” Pelle said.
The Marshall Fire has destroyed 991 total structures and damaged 127, based on preliminary assessments, authorities said. In the city of Louisville, 553 structures were destroyed and another 45 were damaged. In Superior, 332 structures were destroyed and another 60 were damaged.
Parts of Boulder County are still under evacuation due to “active hot spots, downed power lines and damaged trees at risk of falling,” according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management.
Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the fires, which were first suspected to be sparked by downed power lines. The sheriff’s office executed a search warrant on a property based on a tip it recently received, said Pelle, who did not provide any further information on that case.
“We’re looking at any cause for the wildfire,” he said. “If it turns out to be arson, or reckless behavior with fire, we’ll take appropriate actions.”
(NEW YORK) — An off-duty New York Police Department officer is in stable condition after he was struck in the head by a bullet while sleeping in his car between shifts, authorities said.
The officer was resting in his personal car, which was parked in the lot of a Manhattan police precinct, after finishing a late-night shift at a New Year’s Eve event in Central Park, according to NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
While reclined in the driver’s seat, a bullet came through the rear passenger window, striking him in the temple, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig.
The officer awoke at 6:15 a.m. in pain to find his rear window shattered, according to Sewell. An on-duty officer rendered aid and the injured officer was transported to a nearby hospital, where he underwent surgery and had bullet fragments removed from his wound, the commissioner said.
The officer, who officials said is a seven-year veteran of the force and father of two, was not identified. He has a fractured skull but is expected to make a full recovery, officials said.
“We are grateful that our officer is recovering, as we know this could have been a very tragic outcome,” Sewell told reporters outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where the office is recuperating. “I also truly believe this incident underscores that there are far too many guns out there in the wrong hands and too many people willing to fire those weapons, and that is something we intend to tackle head-on.”
Detectives don’t have a motive at this time, and it is unclear if the officer was the intended target, authorities said.
“It appears that the bullet was fired from a significant distance away,” Sewell said. “It’s hard to tell who the intended target was, if any.”
There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who fired the gun, Essig said.
Newly-inaugurated New York City Mayor Eric Adams visited the officer in his hospital room on Saturday.
“I knew that this could have turned out differently,” Adams, a former New York City police captain, told reporters. “I know that a bullet, when it strikes an individual, it does not stop its path. It continues to rip apart the anatomy of a family and a community.”
We are happy but angry today.
Happy to report that our officer injured last night is recovering and in good spirits.
Angry that someone brought in the New Year with violence.
We’ll find the gun AND the shooter. We’ll bring anyone who thinks they can attack our city to justice. pic.twitter.com/uhT2dWTlAy
He vowed to “aggressively” address gun violence in the city.
“That bullet could have struck any person or individual that was walking through the streets,” he said. “And I am clear on my mission to aggressively go after those who are carrying violent weapons in our city.”
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
(KENTUCKY) — A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Kentucky and Tennessee on Saturday, effective until 6 p.m. CT.
The tornado watch warning includes areas devestated by an outreak of tornadoes that left 93 dead across five states last month.
The severe weather system brought heavy rain, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail and strong straight-line winds impacting much of Western, Eastern and South Central Kentucky, according to a press release issued by the governor’s office.
“The severe weather caused flash flooding, loss of power and damage of public infrastructure and private properties,” the governor’s office said in the release.
A total of between 2 to 5 inches of rain is expected to fall on Saturday, with a cold front arriving in the evening, which could complicate the response, according to the governor’s office.
At least one tornado has already been reported in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency Saturday due to severe weather across most of the state.
“A tornado touchdown was reported in Hopkinsville, causing severe damage to downtown businesses, and a possible tornado touchdown was reported in Taylor County, where numerous households have been damaged,” the governor’s office said.
Strong thunderstorms have been hitting parts of Kentucky Saturday morning, bringing a high risk of torrential rain and flash flooding.
“It is devastating that we are once again experiencing severe weather just weeks after the deadly tornadoes hit Western Kentucky. Sadly, some counties have been affected by both of these events,” Gov. Beshear said. “We will continue to monitor the weather and provide needed updates. Everyone be aware, stay safe and seek shelter when advised.”
Major flash flooding is ongoing in Pike County and surrounding areas of Kentucky as numerous flash flood warnings remain in place across southern parts of the state.
Flash flooding was also reported in Green, Barren, Taylor, Adair, Owsley, Breathitt and Casey counties resulting in road closures and water rescues, according to the governor’s office.
The threat of severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes will increase in the next few hours, with possible damaging wind gusts and tornadoes in the watch area Saturday evening.
Kentucky Emergency Management activated the State Emergency Operations Center. Personnel from the Kentucky National Guard, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentucky State Police and Kentucky Department of Public Health are monitoring the situation, according to the governor’s office.
“Please give way to emergency responders operating in numerous counties and stay off of transportation routes today if at all possible,” Michael Dossett, director of Kentucky Emergency Management, said in the press release.
(NEW YORK) — COVID-19 cases among airline staff plus poor weather conditions resulted in 2,581 nationwide flight cancellations as of 4 p.m. on Saturday, according to Flight Aware.
The news comes after a week of mass flight cancellations, pushing the total number of flight cancellations this week to over 12,000.
The number of flights canceled on Saturday was the largest in a single day this week.
Airlines, which have been canceling hundreds of flights every day since Christmas Eve, canceled the largest number of flights on Saturday. On New Year’s Eve, there were 1,625 flights canceled.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to travelers on Friday that flight cancellations will continue as it experiences staffing issues.
Southwest Airlines said it has canceled 473 New Year’s Day flights. The company announced it will suspend operations at its Chicago Midway hub on Saturday as of 1 p.m. CST due to weather.
“Our Planners proactively suspended operations at both Chicago airports as of 1pm CST today (we operate well more than 200 departures a day at Chicago Midway) anticipating the gusty winds and blowing snow that decades of our history operating in this airport show us will slow down the airspace and also make deicing and getting aircraft back into the air very challenging,” Southwest said to ABC News in a statement.
“No doubt, for passengers of all air carriers, Chicago travel will be tough today,” Southwest Airlines said.
Delta Airlines said it had canceled 196 flights on Saturday.
“A combination of issues, including but not limited to inclement weather in some areas of the country and the impact of the omicron variant, are driving cancellations,” the airline said on its website.
American Airlines said it canceled 207 flights on Saturday.
“The winter storm in Chicago is having an impact on our operations, accounting for a significant number of our mainline cancellations,” American said in a statement to ABC News. “t’s affecting both flights in and out of Chicago and other flight sequences for our crew. The number of COVID-related sick calls is consistent with what we have seen over the past few days. The vast majority of impacted flights were precanceled yesterday so we could proactively notify and accommodate our customers and avoid last-minute disruptions at the airport .”
American Airlines also said that it had “issued a travel notice to allow all customers whose travel plans are impacted by the Chicago storm to rebook without change fees. We apologize to our customers whose travel plans have been affected, and want thank to our team who have worked tirelessly to help us care for our customers.”
Skywest Airlines said it canceled 465 flights Saturday.
“We continue to experience the impact of weather and the omicron variant across several SkyWest hubs, and have proactively canceled a significant number of flights due to the weekend’s weather in Chicago, Denver, and Detroit,” Skywest Airlines said in a statement to ABC News.
Skywest also said that its teams “are working nonstop to minimize impact to customers and crew. Customers should check their carrier’s website or app for the latest information about their flight.”
