In a series of videos posted on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s official YouTube channel, some of this year’s newly-minted inductees into the Hall share their reactions to the honor.
“The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is the Holy Grail as far as I’m concerned, in terms of your peers, who you’re in there with, the history, what they all had to go through to get here,” ravedLionel Richie. He added, “To be able to join this group is ‘Check!’ That was a bucket list check, right there!”
Pat Benatar, who’s being inducted with her husband and musical partner Neil Giraldo, emphasized that being in the Hall won’t change their lives. However, she added, “It’s just really nice for your children, for the legacy, for the fans, that’s what I think.”
Giraldo added that the biggest honor he and Pat will ever receive is the fact that fans tell them their music changed their lives.
Meanwhile, Carly Simon was enthusiastic about the fact that she’ll now be in the Hall with some of her favorite artists, like Bob Dylan, Todd Rundgren, The Doobie Brothers and Robert Johnson.
“It’s like you join the list of your favorite singers,” she said. “…[Y]ou’re up there, it’s a collection of names — but it’s an honor. And it’s like any other honor: you got something to show for it in your dreams for the rest of your life…and you’re gonna feel maybe silently proud, you pat yourself on the back.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Gala will take place November 5 at LA’s Microsoft Theater and air on HBO and HBO MAX at a later date.
Lil Durk is taking his moniker “The Voice” to an entirely new level.
Before wrapping up his 7220 Tour in a sold-out show at Chicago’s United Center on Monday, Durk, aka Durkio, aka Smurk, gave back to the community that raised him in an impactful way.
By way of his Neighborhood Heroes Foundation, the 29-year-old “Backdoor” rapper announced the launching of an HBCU program, designed as a resource to expose young Black students to different career paths.
A statement posted to the Foundation’s Instagram reads, “Yesterday, we launched our foundation’s Career Readiness program as we’re investing time, money, and resources into young Black Neighborhood Heroes from the South Side of Chicago to help bring their passion to life.”
In celebration of the trailblazing program, Durk invited 20 students from the South Side to the White Sox- Angels baseball match-up on Monday, where the teens watched him throw out the game’s ceremonial first pitch and enjoy all the perks of a luxury stadium suite.
In response to the reason behind his give-back effort, Durk said, “We ain’t eva had it growing up…I’m just tryna be different.”
Fresh off a high that is 7220‘s number one placement on the Billboard 200 chart — twice — and his engagement to long-time girlfriend India Royale, Durk is constantly showing that he’s just warming up.
“I feel the energy of going #1 I appreciate the world for locking in wit me – THE voice,” he said.
(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken tested positive for COVID-19 via a PCR test Wednesday afternoon, the State Department said.
Blinken, who is vaccinated and boosted, is experiencing mild symptoms.
Blinken attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, where President Joe Biden was in attendance.
The State Department said Blinken hasn’t seen Biden “in person for several days, and the President is not considered a close contact according to guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Don’t hide the wine from Carly Pearce, especially if it’s a bottle of Cabernet!
In her 2017 hit, “Hide the Wine,” the singer references bargain wine brand Charles Shaw and its signature “Two-Buck Chuck” that ranges from Cabernet Sauvignon to Chardonnay. While Carly isn’t picky when it comes to wine, she does admit that Cabernet is her “favorite.”
“I like full-bodied red wines. There’s a line in my song ‘Hide the Wine’ that goes ‘Two-Buck Chuck or the high-dollar good stuff,’ so I’ll give you one of each,” she divulges to Kitchn.
She also has tips for those looking for a deal, citing Conundrum as her favorite grocery store brand wine. As for a more advanced palette, she recommends purchasing a bottle of Silver Oak when splurging on Cabarnet.
Interestingly enough, the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year winner wasn’t always a fan of wine. In fact, she spilled to Wine Spectator that she didn’t like wine when she first started drinking when she turned 21, and that it took her a couple years to acquire a taste, soon learning that she had a “strong liking” of red wine.
Carly also shares that she one day hopes to have her own wine brand, and possibly a vineyard, like fellow country singer Kix Brooks, who co-owns Arrington Vineyards in Tennessee.
“I genuinely want to learn more about wine, because it’s something that I’m really passionate about and something that I love,” she says.
Following today’s news that Judas Priest will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year as recipients of the Musical Excellence Award, ex-Priest guitarist K.K. Downing shared his feelings about the legendary metal group finally achieving the honor.
Referencing the fact that Judas Priest was passed over for induction twice, after receiving nominations in 2018 and 2020, Downing explained to eonmusic, “[W]hen you get nominated that amount of times and don’t win, when you actually do win, it takes the edge off it a bit, because you’ve failed a lot of times. But it’s better to score the goal at the end of the game!”
Downing, who was a member of Judas Priest from 1970 to 2011, has had a strained relationship with his ex-band mates since exiting the group. That being said, Priest frontman Rob Halford told Billboard Wednesday that all of the band’s former members who will be inducted “have every right to be a part of the event,” adding, “I’m very pleased for everybody. There’s no bitterness. There’s no angst.”
For his part, Downing says he’s “not sure” if he’ll reunite with the band at the ceremony, which is scheduled for November 5 in Los Angeles.
“I think it’s just a question of seeing how everything lies when it comes to them, really, because a lot of things can happen between now and then, the 70-year-old rocker noted. “[A] lot of things could get better, but they could get worse, or stay the same.”
Downing said he’s particularly happy that two of Priest’s former drummers, Les Binks and the late Dave Holland, also will be inducted.
“They were an integral part [of the band] for a long time,” K.K. said.
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Pink is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month and, in a new Instagram video post, she talks about suffering from “pretty awful panic attacks” when she was “in her early 20s.”
“I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t have anybody to talk to about it and I didn’t know what to do,” the “Just Like Fire” singer admitted. She said her attacks felt “like I was having strokes, like, stroke symptoms. It was terrifying.”
Pink said she went to the hospital for help during these attacks, but said she was always told, “You’re fine. There’s nothing wrong. You’re imagining it all. It’s all in your head.” Pink didn’t take that as a final answer and sought out a therapist to learn what was causing her issues.
“I started learning all these steps on how to take care of myself,” she revealed. “I’d never been taught how to take care of myself.”
Pink says she turned to meditating, eating healthy, surrounding herself with the right people and using a “spiritual toolbox” that she keeps under her bed to help her manage these attacks. But she says music has helped the most.
“Writing songs is the probably the thing that has saved my life,” she admitted.
“I will tell you — from being a very, very afraid seven, eight, 13, 23, 31, and now 42-year-old woman — it does get better and there are beautiful moments waiting for you,” encouraged Pink. “And there are beautiful people waiting to love you, and one of those people is yourself!”
Pink is partnering with Child Mind Institute to promote its Dare to Share campaign, which encourages children to be open about their own mental health.
Katy Perry was a true damsel in distress at Monday night’s Met Gala when she needed rescuing after a shoe snafu.
The hilarious moment was captured by journalist Derek Blasberg, who had been filming model Karlie Kloss because she was using her knee brace like a clutch. “The accessory of the year is a couture gown with a knee brace,” Kloss remarked before the attention turned to Katy as several men rushed toward her.
As it turns out, the “Roar” singer’s $650 Aquazurra heels became stuck in a grate and, making matters more hilarious, Karlie jokingly narrated, “She’s beauty and she’s grace… She’s also got her foot stuck in a vent!” She also dramatically shouted, “Oh no! Oh no! I can’t [move]!”
Blasberg, who zoomed in on Katy’s caught heel, then turned the camera to himself to quip, “Never a dull moment!” He also captioned the video, “The #metgala is a full contact sport.”
Thankfully, Katy was freed and was able to enjoy the rest of the gala without issue. The singer wore an Oscar de la Renta gown to the event and was named among the night’s best dressed.
This isn’t the first time Katy’s wardrobe betrayed her. Prior to her heel getting stuck in a vent, the Grammy nominee toppled out of her chair because she was dressed up like Ariel from The Little Mermaid when filming the most recent American Idol episode.
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Three alleged gang members have been charged with multiple counts of murder stemming from a mass shooting last month in downtown Sacramento, California, that left six people dead and a dozen wounded, authorities said.
Two of the suspected gunmen are in custody, while the third suspect is still being sought by police, officials said.
“What we know is that this was clearly gang related. There was a gunfight between multiple gang rivals,” Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert identified the murder suspects as Smiley Martin, 27, his 26-year-old brother, Dandrae Martin, and 27-year-old Mtula Payton.
Smiley and Dandrae Martin have been in custody since the shooting occurred.
Payton remains on the run and Lester said a team of police officers is doing everything they can to locate him and bring him to justice.
Schubert said the three suspects are each charged with three counts of murder stemming from the killings of “innocent bystanders” — Melinda Davis, 57, Johntaya Alexander, 21, and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21.
Schubert said the three other people killed in the shooting — Sergio Harris, 38, Devazia Turner, 29, and Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32 — participated in the gun battle.
“The evidence shows and will show that these individuals armed themselves with guns,” Schubert said.
Citing California law, Schubert said if “individuals are involved in a gun battle and they kill innocent bystanders, all participants in that gun battle are responsible for the deaths of those innocent bystanders.”
“It doesn’t matter whose bullet killed who. What matters is that this was a gun battle between rival gang members who came armed to this scene in downtown Sacramento and innocent bystanders died,” Schubert said.
Schubert said the investigation is ongoing and more charges will likely be filed, including attempted murder charges.
On April 3, the shooting broke out around 2 a.m. at the corner of 10th and K Streets in a popular nightlife area of Sacramento, just blocks from the State Capital Building. Lester said 70 to 80 people were in the vicinity of the gunfire and many were caught in the cross fire.
Harris, Turner or Hoye-Lucchesi were identified as having weapons when they were shot dead, Schubert said.
Lester said investigators believe there were a total of five shooters.
Schubert declined to say if Harris, Turner and Hoye-Lucchesi were among those identified as having opened fire.
She said more than 100 shell casings were collected at the crime scene.
Schubert said Smiley Payton faces an enhancement charge of being in possession of a fully-automatic 9mm firearm with an extended magazine.
In addition to murder, the Martin brothers and Payton are also charged with being convicted felons in possession of weapons. Because they are each charged with multiple slayings, they all face capital murder enhancements that could make them eligible for the death penalty, Schubert said.
MORE: 3rd shooting near youth sports field in 7 days leaves several hurt
At the time of the shooting, Payton was free on $50,000 bail, stemming from a January 2020 arrest for allegedly being a felon in possession of a firearm, Schubert said.
Lester said more than 40 detectives were involved in the investigation, 12 of them full-time. The FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive are assisting in the investigation.
“This act of violence devastated families and made members of our community concerned for their safety,” Lester said. “And as I said the day this happened, we are resolved to find those responsible and to secure justice for those victimized.”
Tyler Hubbard, one half of the currently defunct superstar duo Florida Georgia Line, has signed a new deal with EMI Nashville as a solo act.
The singer is expected to start debuting new music soon, Billboard reports, with private listening sessions beginning at Universal Music Group’s Nashville offices this month.
Tyler and his FGL duo partner, Brian Kelley, announced that the band was going on hiatus in February. “I think ‘taking a break’ is the proper term, as opposed to breaking up,” Tyler told Peopleat the time.
As they parted ways, both members of FGL indicated that they had plans for solo pursuits: Brian put out his debut solo project, Sunshine State of Mind, months before the initial announcement, and he’s currently on a solo tour. He also formed his own label, called Nashville South Records, which is expected to be the home for his future releases.
Meanwhile, Tyler said that he hoped to concentrate on songwriting. He co-wrote Little Big Town’s current single, “Hell Yeah,” as well as his Thomas Rhett-led collab with Russell Dickerson, “Death Row.”
FGL fans still have a handful of chances to see the duo share a stage this year: They’ve got seven festival dates booked, including the upcoming Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City Beach, Florida next month.
Justin Bieber has shared his struggles with his mental health and how he unfairly leaned on wife Hailey Bieber when they first got married.
“I remember when I first got married, I hit a little bit of an emotional breakdown because I thought marriage was going to fix all my problems and it didn’t,” Justin told Apple Music’s Ebro Darden. “It just kind of was a reflection of like, man, you’re a bit of a hypocrite, man. You want your wife to do something that you’re not doing.”
Justin said he forced himself to discover what was causing his inner turmoil. “It’s hard sometimes to look in the mirror and really have to realize, man, maybe you’re not the person that you necessarily thought that you were,” he said. “And that’s just a result of trauma and life circumstances.”
Justin says he’s now leaning on his faith to overcome these struggles. “Just the idea that I’m forgiven and that [Jesus’] walking me through this journey and day by day, I get to just get better and better and not be too hard on myself,” he said, adding his faith encourages those to “be the best versions of ourselves.”
“That perspective has really changed everything,” Justin confessed.
He also spoke out about maturity and setting a good example for the younger generation. The “Stay” singer said he was “embraced by the older generation” when he first entered the industry and he’s now paying it forward to the younger crowd.
“It’s fulfilling to be able to embrace these young cats and help get their music out there because I know what it’s like to have this vision and want people to hear your music,” said Justin, adding it’s “an honor” to be able to help young artists.
