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Fozzy’s Chris Jericho hospitalized due to reported “non COVID-related, treatable health issue”

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho was reportedly hospitalized with a “non COVID-related, treatable health issue.”

That’s according to the U.K.’s Sin City Swansea venue, where the “Judas” rockers were scheduled to play Friday.

“We were devastated to learn that Fozzy will have to cancel their planned date with us,” reads a statement posted to the club’s Facebook. The post also says that the venue received a message from Fozzy reading, “Chris was checked into hospital by doctors, with a non COVID related, treatable health issue.”

Fozzy also posted a statement on their own social media, writing that “due to circumstances beyond our control,” they will not be playing the Swansea gig. The statement made no mention of Jericho’s condition, though a rep for the band tells People that Chris is “feeling much better” and will “hopefully will be out of the hospital quickly.”

Fozzy had just announced the details of their new album Boombox earlier Friday. The record, due out April 15, includes the singles “Sane” and “Nowhere to Run.”

“I am heartbroken”: Monkee Micky Dolenz and other stars react to Mike Nesmith’s death

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Micky Dolenz, now the last living member of The Monkees, has taken to social media to mourn his late bandmate, Mike Nesmith, who died on Friday at the age of 78.

“I’m heartbroken. I’ve lost a dear friend and partner,” writes Dolenz, along with a recent photo of the two men embracing onstage. “I’m so grateful that we could spend the last couple of months together doing what we loved best – singing, laughing, and doing shtick. I’ll miss it all so much. Especially the shtick.”

“Rest in peace, Nez. All my love, Micky,” he finished.

Other celebrities who paid tribute to Nesmith included The Bangles‘ Susannah Hoffs, director Edgar Wright, comedian Patton Oswalt, magician Penn Jillette, the E Street Band’s Steve Van Zandt and “Cars” singer Gary Numan.

KISS’ Paul Stanley wrote, “WOW! Sometimes it’s hard to know why someone’s passing hits you a certain way but this is another one that hit me. I watch my world change as people that I thought to be timeless pass on, and that is sobering. Lives end and life goes on. RIP Mike Nesmith.”

And Beach Boy Brian Wilson wrote, “I’m sorry to hear about Mike Nesmith. The Monkees had some great songs, those were fun days. Love & Mercy to Mike’s family and friends.”

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Issa Rae supports Black businesses for the holidays, ‘Get Out’ voted number one screenplay, and more

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Issa Rae is supporting Black businesses for the holidays. The Insecure star has teamed with American Express for this weekend’s ByBlack Bazaar pop-up marketplace in Los Angeles on Saturday and Sunday. The shopping event, located at 1005 Mateo Street in Downtown LA, will feature 16 local and nationally known businesses prioritizing Black-owned companies that don’t have a physical store, allowing them to connect with live customers.

“Just thinking about shopping small and Black businesses in general, the last couple of years, even in my neighborhood, our businesses have been most affected by the pandemic,” Rae told People. “To be able to just support them genuinely and supporting families feels right and important to me, especially during this holiday season.”

In film news, the Writer’s Guild of America named Jordan Peele‘s 2017 film Get Out as the best screenplay of the 21st century. Peele won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for his breakout horror film, and also earned nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. The movie’s star, Daniel Kaluuya, was nominated for Best Actor.

In television news, Tyler Perry is expanding his programming with Tyler Perry’s Zatima on BET+, a spin-off of Tyler Perry’s Sistas. The 10-episode series follows Fatima, played by Crystal Renee Hayslett, and Zac, portrayed by Devale Ellis, as they navigate the ups and downs of their relationship. Zatima started production at Tyler Perry Studios this week and will premiere in 2022 on BET+.

Finally, congratulations to Olympic champion Simone Biles who was named TIME‘s 2021 Athlete of the Year. Last week, the 24-year-old gymnast was also chosen as one of People magazine’s People of the Year, and was hailed for bringing mental health to the forefront, when she decided to sit out part of the Tokyo Olympics.

Mads Mikkelsen makes debut as Grindelwald in new ’Fantastic Beasts’ teaser

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Harry Potter fans get to return to the world of wizardry with a teaser trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

The clip advertising the third film in the Fantastic Beasts franchise offers a retrospective of Harry Potter films past, along with clips of diehard fans dressed in wizard robes and wands.

It also offers a first look at Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen, who stepped into the role of Gellert Grindelwald after Johnny Depp dropped out of the project following allegations of abuse by his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Depp portrayed Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, released in 2018.

Mikkelsen can be seen in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it clip where he’s caught in the middle of a mob of people. Grindelwald is portrayed as the villain in the film, the dark wizard counterpart to Dumbledore. The trailer also sees Jude Law reprising his role as young Dumbledore and Eddie Redmayne as Dumbledore’s ally, Newt Scamander.

Fantastic Beasts is slated to premiere in the U.S. in April 2022.

Lucy Hale reveals ’The Hating Game’ author rallied to cast her in movie adaptation

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Lucy Hale loved starring in The Hating Game and it may have something to do with playing a character that shares her name. The 32-year-old actress also revealed it wasn’t a coincidence — but fate — that allowed her to bring Lucy Hutton to life in the rom com.

“It was really hard, you know, for everyone to learn my name [on set,]” she joked to ABC Audio. “No, it was great!”

The Hating Game is based off the 2016 book of the same name and Lucy reveals author Sally Thorne, “was heavily involved in casting me” and “always said that she had me in mind when she thought about the movie.”

Lucy was “excited” to be a part of the project because she “loved that book so much,” which is why she understands fans of the book will have big expectations going in to see it on the big screen. “I hope that the people who like the book feel like we did it justice. It’s always hard to get everything right, but I feel like we did a good job,” she expressed. “The script was just a blast.”

The Pretty Little Liars star also opens up about her love of rom coms, saying she finds them “comforting” to watch because “You always know you’re going to get your happy ending that you’re looking for. You can, like, ease into watching it.”

The Hating Game, also starring Austin Stowell, is now playing in theaters.

Elvis Costello releases “Paint the Red Rose Blue,” from upcoming album ‘The Boy Named If’

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Elvis Costello has released another track from his forthcoming album with The Imposters, The Boy Named If, due out January 14.

The new song, “Paint the Red Rose Blue,” is out now, and Costello describes it as “the account of someone who has long-courted theatrical darkness, only for its violence and cruelty to become all too real.”

“In its wake, a bereft couple learn to love again, painting a melancholy blue over the red of romance,” he adds.

As previously reported, in addition to the usual formats, The Boy Named If will also be available as an 88-page “hardback storybook edition,” each copy of which will be signed and numbered by Elvis. It’ll feature 13 illustrated short stories, each one based on one of the album’s songs.

While he’s always been prolific, Costello’s been releasing albums at a steady clip since the start of the pandemic, beginning with Hey Clockface in October of 2020. This past March, he put out an EP featuring new versions of six songs from that album sung in French by various people, including Iggy Pop.

Then in September, Costello released Spanish Model, a Spanish-language version of his 1978 album This Year’s Model featuring famous Latin music artists.

New Music Friday: Alicia Keys, Rick Ross, Juice WRLD, and Birdman & Youngboy Never Broke Again

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Alicia Keys released her eighth studio album, a double album, simply titled, KEYS. The 26-track project features Khalid, Lucky Daye, Lil Wayne, Brandi Carlile, Pusha T, and Swae Lee. The 15-time Grammy winner offers a dual audio experience; an Originals side with new songs, and an Unlocked side which samples the original tracks. Alicia also dropped a new video, “Old Memories,” on Friday, and performed via livestream at the Dubai UAE Infinite Nights concert series.

Rick Ross dropped his 11th studio album, Richer Than I Ever Been, the follow-up to his 2019 Port of Miami. Wiz Khalifa, The-Dream, Bennie the Butcher, Wale, Future, and DreamDoll are among the stars featured on the 12 tracks. Also on Friday, Ricky Rozay released the video for “Outlawz” featuring Jazmine Sullivan and 21 Savage.

Following the first Juice WRLD Day Thursday which was livestreamed from the United Center in Chicago, Fighting Demons, WRLD’s fourth studio album, dropped Friday featuring collaborations with Justin Bieber, Trippie Redd, SUGA of BTS, and Polo G. This second posthumous album is the follow-up to 2020’s Legends Never Die which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The late Juice WRLD will be remembered with the HBO documentary, Into the Abyss, debuting December 16.

Finally, Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman and YoungBoy Never Broke Again have teamed for the 13-track duo mixtape, From The Bayou. Birdman, who launched the careers of Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj, recently predicted that YoungBoy can be the best MC in five years, saying, “I think NBA YoungBoy might be the biggest rapper.”

Watch new videos for classic holiday tunes from The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye & The Jackson 5

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Music videos weren’t a big thing when some beloved holiday songs were first recorded, but now a bunch of new animated clips have been created for those Christmas classics.

The Beach Boys‘ “The Man with All The Toys,” The Jackson 5‘s “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and Marvin Gaye‘s “I Want to Come Home for Christmas” are among the holiday songs that have new videos this year.

Each video has a different feel and style: The Beach Boys’ clip is a lyric video that features a collage of images of the group along with Christmas imagery. The Jackson 5 video mixes puppets and traditional animation, with the Marvin Gaye video featuring more sepia-toned and artistic sketches, to match the somber lyrics about a prisoner of war longing to return home to his family.

Other songs getting animated videos this holiday season: Bing Crosby’s “The Little Drummer Boy,” Burl Ives‘ “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Nat King Cole‘s “O Come All Ye Faithful,” Dean Martin‘s “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and Ella Fitzgerald‘s “Sleigh Ride.”

John Legend to bring ‘Phantom of the Opera’ to New Orleans in modern-day retelling

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

John Legend is about to give Phantom of the Opera a modern twist. The “All of Me” singer has teamed with partner Mike Jackson and producer Harvey Mason Jr. to take the famous tale out of France and set it in New Orleans, Louisiana.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie’s working title is Phantom and the trio will produce the film for Universal Studios.

John and Mike have tapped their fellow partner at their Get Lifted Film Company, Ty Stiklorius, to executive produce.

The script was written by John Fusco, whose previous works include Crossroads, Hidalgo and The Highwaymen. The screenwriter says he wanted to set the classic 1910 Gaston Leroux novel — not the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical — in modern day New Orleans.

“I have long wanted to explore The Phantom of the Opera in a contemporary and new way and in a French Quarter setting,” he told THR. “New Orleans is not only known as America’s most haunted city, but the music, Creole culture, voodoo mystique and the pageantry of Mardi Gras, inspire a natural adaptation of the original Paris setting.”

A release date has not yet been announced. The movie will join Universal’s revival of its collection of black and white monster movies, such as The Mummy and The Wolf Man. Universal previously adapted the novel in 1925 as a black and white silent horror film, which went on to become a box office success at the time.

Ex-Flyleaf singer Lacey Sturm releases new song, “Awaken Love”

December 10, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Former Flyleaf frontwoman Lacey Sturm has released a new solo single called “Awaken Love.”

The track was co-written by Skillet‘s Korey Cooper. You can download it now via digital outlets.

“Awaken Love” is Sturm’s second song of 2021, following February’s “State of Me.” She released her first and, so far, only solo album, Life Screams, in 2016.

Sturm sang on Flyleaf’s first three albums before leaving the group in 2012. She was replaced by vocalist Kristen May, who then left Flyleaf in 2016. The band’s been on hiatus since.

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