Kenny G is having a moment: He’s played on recent records by The Weeknd and Kanye West, his first album in six years is out now, and he stars in the new HBO documentary Listening to Kenny G, which examines why some people hate his music.
Kenny says he didn’t mind starring in that movie — just like he doesn’t mind that for years, he’s been mercilessly roasted on shows like South Park, Family Guy and Saturday Night Live.
“I’m always in on the joke,” he tells ABC Audio. “I like humor, so…if it’s at my expense, I’m just thinking, ‘If it’s funny, it’s just funny.’ I have no problem laughing about a South Park episode that makes fun of me because I play a note that makes everyone crap their pants.”
He adds, laughing, “I look at it like this: I’m on the radar of the guys that are making South Park. I must be doing something right!”
The fans coming out to see Kenny’s current Miracles Holiday & Hits Tour 2021 must think he’s doing something right: Contrary to popular belief, his concerts are far from a snooze.
“People think they might want to come see me and just have it all be beautiful ballads. But…if I did that, it would be a more…boring concert,” he explains. “We throw in…some crazy stuff, and that makes the concert way better…at the end, they’re going, ‘Wow!'”
The tour is partly named after Kenny’s 1994 album Miracles, the best-selling modern-day Christmas album. But Kenny, who’s Jewish, admits that he initially didn’t get why the head of his record label, Clive Davis, wanted him to do a Christmas album.
“He goes, ‘Kenny, Irving Berlin wrote ‘White Christmas’ [and] he’s Jewish,'” Kenny recalls. “I said, ‘Good point, Clive!'”
Since releasing the mega-hit “Shut Up and Dance” in 2014, WALK THE MOON certainly hasn’t shut up, but definitely has kept dancing.
The trio has followed “Shut Up and Dance” with singles including 2017’s “One Foot” and this year’s “Can You Handle My Love??”, the lead track off the new WTM album, HEIGHTS. While those tunes haven’t quite matched the record-breaking feats of “Shut Up and Dance,” they’ve marked important creative steps for the group.
“We’re all really grateful for ‘Shut Up and Dance,'” guitarist Eli Maiman tells ABC Audio. “It put a lot of gas in our tank. We can continue to be able to put out music and to be able to do more of what we want to do because we’ve been propelled by…this massive thing that was ‘Shut Up and Dance.'”
Maiman adds that WALK THE MOON doesn’t feel pressure to deliver another “Shut Up and Dance.”
“Don’t get me wrong, if something else goes as huge as ‘Shut Up and Dance,’ we’d be thrilled, but we’re not reaching for it,” he explains. “We’re able to do things that are really true to who the band is, as we evolve as human beings and live our lives.”
In returning to the road this past fall for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, WALK THE MOON was reminded how special it feels to play “Shut Up and Dance” live, despite playing it so many times.
“We don’t like practicing ‘Shut Up and Dance,'” Maiman laughs. “But playing ‘Shut Up and Dance’ is great. When the audience shows up and they’re singing and they’re dancing and they’re jumping and they’re sweating and they’re doing the whole thing, it’s magic every single night.”
Earlier this year, Rick Wakeman had to postpone a portion of the 2021 U.S. leg of his Even Grumpier Old Rock Star Tour until next year because of issues regarding COVID-19 restrictions. Now the former Yes keyboardist has announced some added changes to his stateside itinerary.
The run of 2022 shows, which kicks off February 22 in Seattle, originally had been confirmed through a March 11 concert in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but a previously postponed concert in Kent, Ohio, has now been rescheduled for March 13 and a new performance in Toronto has been added on March 14.
In addition, postponed shows in Chicago and Buffalo, New York, have been canceled, a March 5 concert in Des Plaines, Illinois, has been added in place of the Chicago gig, an a new performance in Tucson, Arizona, also is now part of Wakeman’s 2022 outing.
As previously reported, Wakeman’s Even Grumpier Old Rock Star Tour shows feature him playing solo piano and keyboard versions of Yes classics, material from his solo albums, and well-known songs by other artists to which he contributed. Rick also presents his arrangements of a few Beatles tunes at the concerts, as well as telling bawdy jokes and humorous anecdotes.
Wakeman currently is in the middle of a U.K. holiday trek dubbed The Not Quite as Grumpy as Last Xmas Tour, which is scheduled to wind down on December 21 in Hull, England.
Production on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has come to a halt after cast members Erika Girardi, Garcelle Beauvais, Lisa Rinna tested positive for COVID-19.
A source revealed to People, “The girls who are sick are trying to take care of themselves. The other cast members are nervous now that they might have it. Production is taking every precaution to keep people safe.”
“All of the ladies are vaccinated. They’re fine and will be fine because of it,” a source close to production shared.
On Monday, Garcelle confirmed her positive diagnosis on Instagram and asked fans to send TV and movie recommendations to help her get through the next 10 days of quarantine.
“A Monday morning update for you all,” the caption began. “Thankful to be vaccinated and to not be showing symptoms.”
“I found out that I tested positive for COVID. I feel okay, I’m sure I will continue to feel okay,” she said in the 45-second video. Referencing her 14-year-old twin sons Jax and Jaid, she continued, “My boys are being tested, so far they’ve tested negative. We’re going to continue testing them.”
Garcelle, who is also a co-host on The Real added that she may show up on Girl Chat, a segment on the daytime talk show, via Zoom.
RHOBH which also stars Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke, Kyle Richards, Crystal Kung Minkoff and reoccurring Housewife Kathy Hilton was filming for season 12, when production was placed on pause. There was no mention of when they are expected to resume.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.3 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 798,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 60.9% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 14, 6:45 am
Pfizer says COVID-19 pills could be FDA authorized by end of year
Pfizer’s forthcoming COVID-19 treatment could be authorized for emergency use in the United States by the end of this year or early next year, pending the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory timeline, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told ABC News.
The pharmaceutical giant announced Tuesday that it has submitted promising new data to the FDA, including lab experiments showing its oral antiviral medicine, Paxlovid, will likely work against the omicron variant. And in updated clinical trial data, Pfizer found the treatment reduces the risk of being hospitalized or dying by 89% when taken within three days of being diagnosed with COVID-19, and 88% when taken within five days of being diagnosed among high-risk, unvaccinated patients.
“It is a game changer,” Bourla told ABC News. “But at the same time, I want to emphasize that no one should use the existence of the pill as an excuse to avoid vaccination.”
Bourla said the medicine could save thousands of lives.
“We did some calculations how many deaths or hospitalizations can be avoided based on the current U.S. mortality rates and the current U.S. hospitalization rates,” he said. “On the back-of-the-envelope calculation, we estimate that 100,000 people if they take the pill, we will avoid 6,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths approximately.”
-ABC News’ Sony Salzman
Dec 14, 5:57 am
France mulls tightening entries from UK due to omicron
France is considering tightening restrictions for travelers arriving from the United Kingdom, where the omicron variant appears to be spreading swiftly.
“Regarding Britain, the current rule is to show a negative test less than 48 hours old in order to enter France,” French government spokesman Gabriel Attal told France Info radio on Tuesday. “But we are always looking at means to tighten the framework, we are currently working on that and we should, I think, come to a conclusion in the coming days.”
Dec 14, 5:44 am
Mainland China confirms 1st case of omicron variant
China has confirmed its first case of the omicron variant on the mainland, state-run media reported Monday.
The variant was detected in a traveler from overseas who arrived in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin on Dec. 9. The individual tested positive for COVID-19 last week and subsequent genome sequencing confirmed it was the omicron variant.
The patient, who showed no symptoms, is being treated in isolation at a hospital, according to state-run media.
Dec 14, 5:31 am
UK reports 1st death from omicron variant
At least one person has died in the United Kingdom after being infected with the omicron variant, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday.
It’s the first publicly confirmed death globally from the new variant of the novel coronavirus, which was initially identified in southern Africa last month and has since spread rapidly around the world. Deaths from omicron may have already occurred in other countries but no others have been publicly confirmed yet.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to a vaccination clinic in London, Johnson said the death was a patient who had been diagnosed at a hospital but gave no further details.
“Sadly, at least one patient has now been confirmed to have died with omicron,” the prime minister said. “So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that’s something we need to set on one side and just recognize the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population. So the best thing we can do is all get our boosters.”
Dec 13, 9:59 pm
NFL to require vaccinated Tier 1 and 2 employees receive boosters by Dec. 27
The NFL will require that all its vaccinated Tier 1 and 2 employees receive their COVID-19 booster shots by Dec. 27, according to a memo they sent all 32 teams on Monday.
This group of employees includes coaches and other employees who work closely with players and help in essential league operations.
“On November 29, the CDC issued a study showing that the effectiveness of the approved COVID-19 vaccines may decrease over time and has recommended that all eligible vaccinated individuals over the age of 18 should receive a booster shot,” the memo reads. “Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we implement the CDC’s recommendation.”
The memo came as 36 players were added to the league’s COVID-19 reserve list. Players are currently not required to receive boosters, but in Monday’s memo, the NFL said clubs should consider making boosters available for players and their families.
“Any individual who is not currently subject to the requirement for boosters will be required to obtain the booster within 14 days of becoming eligible,” the memo reads.
(NEW YORK) — Requiring proof of a COVID-19 vaccination to eat at a restaurant, go to a movie or take part in other indoor group activities may have a ripple effect, according to researchers.
A study published Monday in Lancet Public Health found that some countries that implemented “COVID-19 certifications” such as vaccine passports providing proof of complete vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test or a COVID-19 recovery certificate saw an increase in the number of people getting their shots.
The study, which looked at vaccination rates in France, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany where such certifications were made mandatory, found there were major jumps in the number of vaccine doses given once the rules were put in place.
“Overall, we observed a significant uptick in anticipation of restrictions coming into place around 20 days before introduction, which lasted up to 40 days after,” Melinda Mills, director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science at the University of Oxford and the study’s lead author, said in a statement.
Researchers said the data showed a significant increase in the number of vaccine doses per million people: 127,000 in France, over 243,000 in Israel, over 64,000 in Switzerland and over 66,000 in Italy.
There was a significant increase in vaccinations among people under 30, the study found. Researchers believe COVID-19 certifications used at leisure and hospitality spots, such as nightclubs, likely precipitated the jump in younger people.
“We know that certain groups have lower vaccine uptake than others and it may be that COVID-19 certification is a useful way to encourage vaccine complacent groups, like young people and men, to get vaccinated,” Dr. Tobias Rüttenauer, one of the study’s co-authors, said in a statement.
Researchers noted the study had some limitations. For instance, there was no data available to examine vaccine uptake by sociodemographic, gender and ethnic groups. Researchers also acknowledged concerns that COVID-19 certifications raises the “risk of exacerbating inequalities among certain ethnic or socioeconomic groups that have lower uptake and trust in authorities.”
The study recommends that other measures should be used to complement the COVID-19 certification, such as vaccine drives targeted at hesitant groups.
“COVID-19 certification is only part of a constellation of multiple policy levers that could be used to counter vaccine complacency and hesitancy and increase uptake,” the researchers wrote.
Anyone who needs help scheduling a free vaccine appointment can log onto vaccines.gov.
Alexis E. Carrington, M.D., an ABC News Medical Unit associate producer and a rising dermatology resident at George Washington University, contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — An Asian American software engineer who was lauded for creating a free website to help people find COVID-19 vaccine appointments, and using the platform to raise awareness about the uptick in anti-Asian racism amid the pandemic, has announced he will now run for state office.
Huge Ma, known on Twitter as “TurboVax” or “VaxDaddy,” announced Monday he is running as a Democratic candidate for New York’s Assembly to represent the 37th District, which comprises of western Queens in New York City.
The political newcomer rose to fame earlier this year, when the website he made on his own time and dime, TurboVax, became a widely-used tool for New Yorkers trying to navigate the headache-inducing search for vaccine appointments. After spending hours refreshing and scouring multiple government-run websites, Ma programmed a website that compiled information from city and state websites and announced appointment availabilities in near-real time on Twitter.
The website was spotlighted in the New York Times and Ma estimates hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers used it to help book vaccine appointments during the arduous early days of the rollout. Then, when a spate of racist attacks targeting Asian Americans, believed to be linked to biases related to the coronavirus pandemic, filled communities across the country with fear and rage, Ma abruptly shut the website down for two days.
“I wanted to illustrate, through this action of taking the site down for two days, that if we as a country don’t listen to the concerns of Asian Americans, then we risk losing the contributions of Asian Americans as well,” Ma told ABC News in March.
During the brief website shutdown, Ma urged his followers and website visitors to donate to a community-based group aimed at supporting New York City’s Chinatown. He wrote on Twitter at the time, “And if you think contributions of Asian-Americans are replaceable, ask your government how their version of TurboVax is going.”
In a campaign website launched on Monday, Ma said he “deeply struggled” with the decision to shut down the site for two days in March, but that in the end he raised some $200,000 for the nonprofit Welcome to Chinatown and was able to highlight not only the contributions that Asian Americans bring to society but also give credence to his community’s suffering that many felt went unseen.
“I built TurboVax because the system was broken,” Ma stated on his campaign website. “When the Mayor and Governor couldn’t come together to deliver a single website to find a vaccine, I used my technology background to deliver a platform that helped hundreds of thousands of teachers, grocery store workers and other regular New Yorkers get the vaccine.”
“But with the eyes of New York on TurboVax, I decided to use its moment to bring attention to another epidemic: the wave of anti-Asian hate,” he added.
Ma is running on a progressive platform, according to to his campaign website, and is focusing on taking action to slow climate change, investing in public transit and affordable housing and building robust technology infrastructure to solve problems and empower New Yorkers.
“I took action when the needs of my neighbors weren’t being addressed,” Ma wrote on his campaign website.
“I’m taking action now because we need a representative who will address our needs in District 37,” Ma wrote. “I am running for the Queensbridge tenant who lives with lead paint, for the Sunnyside resident facing a rent hike and for the frustrated Ridgewood commuter waiting for their bus to arrive.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way. I will take on the challenges of today with creativity and urgency,” he added. “Let’s work together and build a New York that works for all of us.”
Longtime Democratic incumbent Catherine Nolan, who was first elected to the state Assembly in 1984, currently holds the seat Ma is running for. But residents in New York City’s Queens borough are famous for their willingness to embrace political change, after all, in 2018 voters elected then-political newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to represent New York’s 14th congressional district, unseating a 10-term incumbent.
The M3 Rock Festival is set to return in 2022. The event, which celebrates 1980s-era rock and heavy metal music, is scheduled to take place May 6-8 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
Next year’s 13th edition of the extravaganza will feature performances by Blue Öyster Cult, Tesla, Cinderella‘s Tom Keifer, Extreme, Ratt‘s Stephen Pearcy, Skid Row, Stryper, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zebra, Quireboys, Kix and many more.
Three-day and VIP packages for the fest go on sale this Friday, December 17, at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com.
Kix will headline the May 6 kickoff party, which also will include performances from Lizzy Borden and Doro.
The May 7 lineup is led by Kiefer and also features Blue Öyster Cult, Extreme and Pearcy. The festival wraps up with a loud bang on May 8, with Tesla headlining and Skid Row, Stryper, Malmsteen, Zebra and Quireboys also performing.
grandson has announced a North American headlining tour for 2022.
The “Blood//Water” rocker will hit the road beginning February 27 in Los Angeles, and will wrap up April 8 in Kansas City, Kansas. “Overwhelmed” artist Royal & the Serpent will provide support.
In a statement, grandson promises that the tour will be “full experience” of his 2020 debut album, Death of an Optimist.
“Some of these songs will never be played again,” grandson says. “I just knew this era wouldn’t be complete without some small sweaty club shows. Bringing my little sis Royal along for the ride. After that, it’s album 2 time!!”
Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 17, at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit grandsonmusic.com.
The headlining dates will fall in between a pair of high-profile opening gigs for grandson. In February, he’ll be supporting Imagine Dragons‘ North American tour, followed by a run supporting Avril Lavigne throughout Canada in May.
Stevie J and his son, Stevie II, were escorted off of a Delta flight Friday for allegedly attempting to bring alcohol on the plane after being warned it was illegal.
According to TMZ, Faith Evans‘ estranged husband was booked on a flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta, and a Delta staff member instructed them to dispose of the alcohol before boarding. Stevie J, whose birth name is Steven Aaron Jordan, insisted that he and his son threw away their cups as instructed. The reality star added that the confrontation was racially motivated, and he is considering legal action. Stevie and his son were not arrested, and they did eventually arrive in the A-T-L to celebrate the birthday of Stevie’s daughter.
Stevie filed for divorce from Evans on November 8 at Los Angeles County Superior Court.
As previously reported, Faith recently asked a judge to deny Stevie’s request for spousal assistance. Faith is also seeking to retain “all property acquired before marriage, by gifts, inheritance, or ingenuity, and after the date of separation,” according to The Blast. In court documents, Evans states that she and Jordan have been officially separated since May 29, 2020, while Stevie J’s filing states the date is October 19, 2021.
