Page 7367 – 105.7 WDNY

‘American Idol’ alums to reunite to mark show’s 20th anniversary

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

American Idol turns 20 this year and it plans to pull out all the stops to celebrate.

Deadline reports the series is putting together The Great Idol Reunion, airing May 2, which welcomes back some of the best-known American Idol alumni in show history.

Among those heading back to the Idol stage are Ruben Studdard, Jordin Sparks, Scotty McCreery, David Cook, Lauren Alaina, Kris Allen and many others. A few details of the reunion have been shared, including a special duet between season two winner Ruben Studdard and season six winner Jordin Sparks. Cook, who won season seven, will be paired with season eight winner Kris Allen.

Idol executive producer and show runner Megan Michaels Wolflick said of the upcoming event, “It’s a testament to this show’s incredible legacy that we are able to celebrate 20 years of American Idol in this extraordinary way. We are so thrilled to welcome back some of our most beloved alumni from over the years to reunite on the Idol stage.”

Season 10’s respective winner and runner up, McCreery and Alaina, will also sing together.

Wolflick also saluted Idol’s ability to “create superstars just as it has done since 2002,” adding, “Bringing back these Idol Icons is the perfect way to herald the next generation.”

American Idol airs Mondays starting at 8 p.m. local time on ABC.

Senate negotiators strike deal for $10 billion in COVID funding

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Senate negotiators strike deal for billion in COVID funding

(WASHINGTON) — Key Senate negotiators have announced that they have struck a deal to move forward on legislation that will provide an additional $10 billion in COVID relief.

Half of the funds will go to development and the purchase of therapeutics. The other half of the funds will be given to HHS for use with slightly broader COVID-related discretion.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Watch trailer for FX’s new Sex Pistols series now

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Pistol, the upcoming FX series based on The Sex Pistols, now has a trailer.

The series, which debuts on May 31 on Hulu, was directed by Danny Boyle, the man who brought us Trainspotting, Yesterday and Slumdog Millionaire. “We’re gonna kick this country awake if it kills us,” says Toby Wallace as guitarist Steve Jones. Anson Boon, the actor portraying singer Johnny Rotten, declares, “The monarchy has stolen our future!”

We also hear Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Pistols’ manager Malcolm McLaren saying, “I don’t want musicians: I want saboteurs…assassins!” while his partner-in-crime, Vivienne Westwood, played by Talulah Riley, says, “I want to burn this city to the ground!”

In conjunction with the series’ release, Sex Pistols: The Original Recordings will be released on May 27 on vinyl, CD, cassette and digitally. The 20-track collection includes tracks from the band’s only album Never Mind the Bollocks, B-sides like “Satellite” and “I Wanna Be Me” and songs from The Great Rock & Roll Swindle soundtrack. You can pre-order the collection now.

Best Rap Album, Best Gospel Album & other notable Grammy categories that didn’t get TV time on Sunday

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

During the three-and-a-half-hour live broadcast of the “biggest night in music,” presenters such as Ludacris, Anthony Mackie and Lenny Kravitz handed off golden gramophones to artists deemed the “best” in their respective categories, according to the Recording Academy.

While music fans got a chance to witness Jasmine Sullivan take home her first-ever awards, Doja Cat give an emotional acceptance speech, Jon Batiste win the most trophies and Silk Sonic “sweep” the night, there were some awards in notable categories that weren’t broadcast live for the world to see and celebrate.

Surprisingly to many, the coveted Best Rap Album award was given out during pre-ceremony events. Tyler the Creator won for Call Me If You Get Lost, bringing his Grammy total to two awards.

Rapper Lil Baby nabbed his first-ever trophy, while the win for Best Melodic Rap Performance helped Kanye West tie with Jay-Z as the hip hop artist with the most Grammys.

Iconic gospel singer CeCe Winans added three Grammys to her collection, including Best Gospel Album for Believe for It. Winans, 57, now has 15 awards.

Singer and breakthrough actress Andra Day picked up her first Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media for the film, The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.

Alicia Keys won Best Immersive Audio Album for her self-titled project. Don Cheadle beat out former President Barack Obama for Best Spoken Word Album, and though he presented an award live, Philadelphia native Questlove won for Best Music Film for Summer of Soul, which also won an Oscar last week.

H.E.R was shocked to find out, during her red carpet interview, that she won Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Fight For You,” and so was Lucky Daye after winning Best Progressive R&B Album.

Severe weather to hit South while high heat strikes West

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — After two weeks of deadly storms ripping through states in the South, another severe storm is headed toward Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

On Monday, a new storm will begin to move into the South with severe thunderstorms expected from Dallas to Shreveport, Louisiana, and into Jackson, Mississippi. There is a strong possibility for damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes as well.

Already in the last 24 hours, there has been pingpong ball-sized hail falling across Florida and western Texas.

On Tuesday, severe weather is expected in the Gulf Coast and the Southeast, from New Orleans to Charleston, South Carolina. Several tornadoes will be possible in Montgomery, Alabama, central Georgia and into South Carolina.

Another storm system from the West will begin to move into the same areas Wednesday, potentially bringing more damaging winds, a few tornadoes and large hail from Birmingham, Alabama, to Atlanta and into Asheville, North Carolina.

In the West, an atmospheric river is pounding Washington and Oregon with up to several feet of snow in the mountains, and there is the threat of flooding in lower elevations around the states as well as the coast. Gusty winds from this storm will stretch from Washington to Wyoming, where gusts could reach as high as 100 mph.

Snow totals in the Cascades in Washington and Oregon could reach several feet in the next 48 hours. In the Rockies, up to a foot of snow is possible from Idaho to northern Colorado.

Meanwhile, in the Southwest, particularly in parts of California, record-breaking heat is expected by the end of the week, with temperatures rising into the mid- to upper 90s. Triple digits are possible Thursday in areas such as Burbank, Sacramento and San Jose.

Camila Cabello gets candid about body insecurity: ‘I’ve never had a worse time at the beach’

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Camila Cabello is speaking out about body insecurity.

In an Instagram post she shared over the weekend, Cabello included an essay about how she feels when she steps out in public in a bikini knowing her photo will be taken by paparazzi.

“Every time I’ve gone to this beach club in Miami I get papped — somehow when I check in paps know and get me in my bikini and every time I’ve felt super vulnerable and unprepared,” Cabello wrote. “I’ve worn bikinis that were to[o] small and paid no mind to how I looked, then saw pictures online and comments and been so upset.”

The singer went on, “I reminded myself when it impacted my self esteem that I was thinking the culture’s thoughts and not my own. A culture who has gotten so used to an image of what a ‘healthy’ woman’s body looks like that is completely not real for a lot of women.”

Cabello, who is in the middle of doing press for her new album Familia, which will be released later this week, said on Saturday that when she went to the beach she “held my core so tight my abs hurt” and was “self conscious of where the paps were the whole time.”

The “Bam Bam” singer said the whole situation made her feel sad. “I’ve never had a worse time at the beach,” she said. “I felt the emptiness and sadness of our culture’s thoughts that became my thoughts.”

Cabello has been open about her body image in the past. Following paparazzi photos that were taken last year of her in workout clothes, the singer shared a candid message to fans about overcoming the pressure of beauty standards and being at peace with one’s body.

Police arrest suspect in downtown Sacramento shooting that killed 6

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Sacramento police have arrested a suspected gunman in the shooting that killed six people in a popular nightlife area over the weekend.

Dandre Martin, 26, was identified as a “related suspect” in the shooting, which broke out on K Street in downtown Sacramento early Sunday morning just after a fight took place, the Sacramento Police Department said. Martin was arrested on assault and illegal firearm possession charges, police said.

More than 100 shell casings were recovered from the scene, according to police. Investigators believe multiple gunmen are responsible for the shooting and are sifting through hundreds of pieces of evidence, Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said during a press conference Sunday afternoon.

Video posted on Twitter on Sunday showed people running through the street as the apparent sound of rapid gunfire could be heard in the background.

The victims were identified by the Sacramento County Coroner’s office on Monday as Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21; and Devazia Turner, 29.

At least a dozen people were injured in the shooting, Lester said. The conditions of the injured victims were not immediately known, police said.

It is not known whether the alleged gunmen knew each other, Lester said. A large crowd was present at the time of the shooting, she added.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg condemned the shooting during a news conference Sunday afternoon, describing it as “a senseless and unacceptable tragedy.”

“And I emphasize the word unacceptable,” Steinberg said. “Thoughts and prayers are not nearly enough. We must do more as a city as a state and as a nation.

ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson, Zohreen Shah and Jennifer Watts contributed to this report.

Miranda Lambert doesn’t normally do costume changes, but she’ll make an exception for her Vegas residency

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Miranda Lambert normally steers clear of too much razzle-dazzle at her shows, but when she heads to Las Vegas this fall, she’ll kick things up a notch.

The singer’s recently announced Velvet Rodeo residency launches in late September. “Make it rain!” she tells Rolling Stone about her mindset going into the show.

“I’ve always been very low production, never changed my wardrobe onstage unless I ripped something. I’m very much, like, ‘This is a rock ‘n’ roll show.’ But with Vegas, we have to take it up a notch,” the “If I Was a Cowboy” singer reasons.

That doesn’t mean it’s going to come easily to her. “A wardrobe change? I’m going to have to get used to that. Can we get some Velcro so it’s real easy?” she adds.

But Miranda has already proved her versatility. Over the course of the past year, she’s rocked a buzzy uptempo vibe with her Elle King duet “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” and slowed things way, way down for her acoustic, vulnerable and Grammy-nominated The Marfa Tapes.

By the time she hits Las Vegas, Miranda will have added to her repertoire yet again, as her next album, Palomino, is due out next month. For a pro like Miranda, a little Velcro should be no sweat.

Grammy producer claims last year’s much-criticized Eddie Van Halen tribute was the family’s choice

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Every year, people complain about the stars who were either left off of or given short shrift during the “In Memoriam” segment of The Grammys, and Sunday night’s segment was no different: There were complaints that neither The Moody Blues’ Graeme Edge nor Slipknot‘s Joey Jordison were included. But now, we have some clarity about a part of last year’s “In Memoriam” segment that people complained about.

Eddie Van Halen, who died in October of 2020, was saluted in the 2021 Grammys “In Memoriam” segment with a clip of him playing his signature instrumental “Eruption” while his iconic “Frankenstein” guitar sat alone on the stage. Many felt the Grammys could’ve done more to honor the guitarist who single-handedly changed rock music, but now it’s been revealed that it wasn’t up to them.

David Wild, a writer and producer of The Grammys, who was a friend of the late guitarist, tells The Mitch Lafon and Jeremy White Show podcast that they went to the Van Halen family and offered a number of tribute ideas, including various artists performing Eddie’s songs, or Eddie’s son Wolfgang performing.

But according to Wild, “They said no one should perform…they didn’t want anyone, so we had to find video, and there is very little video of Van Halen.” What’s more, Wild claims the family didn’t want a clip of a song with any of Van Halen’s vocalists singing on it: They only wanted Eddie.

Wild, who decided to put the “Frankenstein” guitar onstage, tells the podcast it was “frustrating” when the segment drew criticism, including from Wolfgang Van Halen, who wrote that he had declined to play “Eruption,” but complained, “I didn’t realize that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of [four] full performances for others we had lost.”

With ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ stars starting press tour, fans crying for trailer

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

With its writer/director Taika Waititi hinting since last year that his fourth Thor movie will be the “craziest film he had ever done” — a bold statement from the guy who won an Oscar for imagining Hitler as an imaginary friend in Jojo Rabbit — fans are rabid for a trailer.

Alas, first the Super Bowl, and then the Oscars ads passed with nary a hint about Thor: Love and Thunder.

Today, star Chris Hemsworth posted that “long-lead press” — that is, generally, magazine interviews — had begun to promote the anticipated film, and that managed to whip up fans further. “Get ready folks, this film’s gonna be wild!” the God of Thunder himself promised.

However, with no trailer in sight, some fans are getting desperate for any hints, poring over Hemsworth’s picture with Taika, and their co-star Tessa Thompson, as if it were the Zapruder film.

One fan circled the stars’ hands: Waititi has his two index fingers up; Hemsworth is throwing up the heavy metal “devil horns,” and Thompson has peace signs flying in both hands. The fingers spell out “11 4 22,” the fan guesses, predicting the trailer would drop on April 11.

Like we said, they’re desperate.

All we do know for sure is that Natalie Portman is returning to the franchise as Jane Foster, who inherits the mantle of Thor; Thompson’s Valkyrie takes up the throne of New Asgard, hinted at the end of Avengers: Endgame; and Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, and the rest of their Guardians of the Galaxy pals also appear, as do a host of other stars.

Matt Damon, and Sam Neill also re-appear, after cameoing in Thor: Ragnarok, and Russell Crowe also will be seen.

Christian Bale reportedly plays the heavy, Gorr the Butcher, when the movie debuts July 7.

+ More