Alice Cooper hosting CoopStock 2 benefit event in April, also featuring Rob Halford, Mike Mills & more

Alice Cooper hosting CoopStock 2 benefit event in April, also featuring Rob Halford, Mike Mills & more
Alice Cooper hosting CoopStock 2 benefit event in April, also featuring Rob Halford, Mike Mills & more
Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

Alice Cooper will host a star-studded charity event dubbed CoopStock 2 – Grooves and Divots on Saturday April 30, at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona, that will benefit for his Solid Rock Teen Centers in Mesa and Phoenix.

The fundraiser will feature a night of music and comedy that will include performances by the shock rocker himself, as well as Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford, R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills, Creed‘s Scott Stapp, Collective Soul‘s Ed Roland, former Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine, No Doubt drummer Adrian Young, Alice Cooper band guitarist Chuck Garric, comedian Larry the Cable Guy, comic/singer Gary Mule Deer and more.

The event also will feature performances by musicians and dancers involved with Cooper’s Teen Centers, as well as live and silent auctions.

Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers provide free music, dance, arts and vocational training programs for young people aged 12 to 20. For more details and to buy tickets to CoopStock 2, visit AliceCooperSolidRock.com.

The fundraiser will takes place after Alice wraps up his upcoming spring North American tour. The new trek kicks off this Friday, March 18 in Mashantucket, Connecticut, and is plotted out through an April 24 concert at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

Buckcherry will open all of Cooper’s shows from a March 19 gig in Hanover, Maryland, through an April 20 performance in Seattle, while founding KISS guitarist Ace Frehley will serve as the support act at the final tree concerts of the tour — April 22 in Reno, Nevada; April 23 in Paso Robles, California; and the LA show.

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Jack White taps The Kills, The Afghan Wigs & more to open Supply Chain Issues tour

Jack White taps The Kills, The Afghan Wigs & more to open Supply Chain Issues tour
Jack White taps The Kills, The Afghan Wigs & more to open Supply Chain Issues tour
Paige Sara

Jack White has lined up a slew of special guests to open his upcoming Supply Chain Issues tour.

In North America, the openers include The Kills, The Afghan Whigs, JD PcPherson, July Talk, Be Your Own Pet, Briston Maroney, Chicago Batman, Cautious Clay, The Backseat Lovers and Geese. In the U.K. and Europe, White’s opening acts will include Yard Act, Larkin Poe and SONS

Visit jackwhiteiii.com/tour-dates and click on “tickets” to see who’s opening for each date. You can also get VIP package information at the same location.

The Supply Chain Issues tour starts April 8 and 9 with two sold-out shows at Detroit’s Masonic Temple Theatre.  As previously reported, White’s first album of 2022, Fear of the Dawn, is out April 8, with the second one, Entering Heaven Alive, arriving July 22.

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Survey shows just 7% of movies in 2021 featured more women than men

Survey shows just 7% of movies in 2021 featured more women than men
Survey shows just 7% of movies in 2021 featured more women than men
Getty Images

While women have made great strides in the movie industry in the past few years, the results of a new study shows there’s more work that needs to be done when it comes to equality. 

The annual report from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University shows just 7% of the movies released in 2021 featured more women than men. The report has kept tabs of female representation in the top 100 domestic grossing films since 2002.

The study, titled “It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World” and written by the center’s executive director Dr. Martha Lauzen, shows that of the films released in 2021, 85% featured more men than women, and male characters outnumbered female by almost two to one. 

Just 31% of 2021’s box office offerings featured sole female protagonists, the study notes — and major female characters dropped from 38% in 2020 to 35% in 2021. Just 8% of the films released in 2021 featured an equal number of male and female characters, according to the report. 

Some bright spots: movies centering on sole female characters bumped up to 31% in 2021, up from 29% in 2020, and the percentage of the top-grossing films in the U.S. that featured female protagonists increased from 29% in 2020 to 31% in 2022. 

However, that news is tempered by the fact that only 34% of all speaking characters in film were female in 2021, down from 36% in 2019. What’s more, gender stereotypes still persisted onscreen in 2021: “Female characters were younger and more likely to have a known marital status than males. Male characters were more likely than females to have an identifiable occupation,” Lauzen also noted. 

“In good times and pandemic times, male characters rule in film,” she concludes.

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Brothers Osborne performing at Grammy Awards

Brothers Osborne performing at Grammy Awards
Brothers Osborne performing at Grammy Awards
ABC

The first round of Grammy broadcast performers has been announced, and one nominated country act has made the list. 

Brothers Osborne will take the stage during the 64th annual ceremony,k where they’re up for two of the night’s awards: Best Country Album, for Skeletons, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for “Younger Me.” 

“You won’t want to miss it…” the Brothers tease on Twitter about the performance. 

The duo performed at the Grammys for the first time in 2018, singing “Tears in Heaven” alongside Maren Morris and Eric Church as part of a tribute to the victims of the mass shooting at Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas.

Brandi Carlile and Lil Nas X are among the other artists who will perform when the Grammy Awards air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 3 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Kelis’ husband dies of cancer at age 37

Kelis’ husband dies of cancer at age 37
Kelis’ husband dies of cancer at age 37
Leon Bennett/WireImage

Kelis’ husband, Mike Mora, has died at age 37.

The singer’s management team confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that Mora passed away of stage 4 stomach cancer.

“Sadly, it’s true that Mike Mora has passed away. We would ask all to respect Kelis and her family’s privacy as of right now. Thank you,” Red Light Management’s Steve Satterhwaite told ET.

Mora, a photographer, was diagnosed in September 2020. He opened up about his cancer battle in a series of posts on social media.

“You always see people post about how life is too short,” he wrote in September of last year. “How you should reach out to those you love no matter where life has taken you. It is the truth. Don’t take your time here, your time with friends, family, for granted.”

Mora and Kelis share a one-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son. Kelis has a 12-year-old son, Knight, with ex-husband Nas.

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Billie Eilish to perform on the Grammys next month

Billie Eilish to perform on the Grammys next month
Billie Eilish to perform on the Grammys next month
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

She already has seven Grammys at home, and Billie Eilish is coming back for more. Variety reports that she’s just been announced as one of the performers on the Grammys telecast April 3.

Billie has seven nominations this year, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, all for Happier Than Ever and its title track.

In addition, Olivia Rodrigo, who also has seven nods, will perform on the show, along with fellow nominees singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, K-pop superstars BTS, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow and country duo Brothers Osborne.

The Grammys, hosted by Trevor Noah, are taking place in Las Vegas on April 3. They’ll air at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.

 

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Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, BTS among first announced Grammy performers

Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, BTS among first announced Grammy performers
Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, BTS among first announced Grammy performers
Amy Sussman/FilmMagic

BTS, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow and Billie Eilish have just been announced as the first group of artists who’ll be performing on the Grammy telecast. 

They’ll all take the stage next month, along with country duo Brothers Osborne and singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, according to Variety.

BTS is up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Butter,” while Billie and Olivia each have seven nominations, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.  Olivia is also up for Best New Artist. Billie’s already won seven Grammys in her young career.

Lil Nas X, who already has two Grammys at home, has five nods, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Jack Harlow’s two nods come from his work on Nas’s Montero album.

The Grammys, hosted by Trevor Noah, are taking place in Las Vegas on April 3. They’ll air at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.

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Will Smith says there’s “never been infidelity” in his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith

Will Smith says there’s “never been infidelity” in his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith
Will Smith says there’s “never been infidelity” in his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith
Steve Granitz/Getty Images

Will Smith is setting the record straight when it comes to the “entanglement” his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, had with singer August Alsina

The 53-year-old actor told CBS Sunday Morning, “There’s never been infidelity in our marriage. Never.”

“Jada and I talk about everything and we have never surprised one another with anything, ever,” he added.

The statement comes nearly two years after Jada, 50, revealed on Red Table Talk that she and the King Richard star had briefly split in 2016 and she then became involved in an “entanglement” with Alsina, 29. 

The admission caused a lot of chatter about the couple’s marriage. So, how does Will deal with it all?

“I have decided that chatter about my life can be of benefit to people,” he shared. “I think that chatter is the first stage to having a real conversation and being able to truly explore if some of the things in your heart are loving or poisonous.”

 

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In Brief: ‘New Amsterdam’ closing shop; More ‘Puss in Boots’, and more

In Brief: ‘New Amsterdam’ closing shop; More ‘Puss in Boots’, and more
In Brief: ‘New Amsterdam’ closing shop; More ‘Puss in Boots’, and more

The NBC medical drama New Amsterdam will end with its previously announced fifth season, according to Deadline. The series stars Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin, who juggles a cancer diagnosis with his new role as the medical director of the oldest public hospital in America. Since being renewed for its third, fourth, and fifth seasons in 2020, the show has seen its ratings steadily decline. New Amsterdam airs Tuesdays on NBC. The season four finale is slated to air May 24…

CODA star Marlee Matlin will make her directorial debut with Fox’s upcoming anthology crime drama Accused. The Oscar-winning actress will helm an episode about “a deaf woman who becomes a surrogate and commits a crime of advocacy and protection,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I could not be more excited for the opportunity to direct, and to work on a project with such esteemed, talented, and skilled producers, writers, cast and crew,” says Matlin. “I’ve never shied away from challenges and having the opportunity to be one of the first female, Deaf directors in television is one I am looking forward to”…

Salma Hayek is set to reprise the role of Kitty Softpaws in the upcoming Puss in Boots sequel The Last Wish, according to DeadlineAntonio Banderas will also return as the titular cat, joined this time by newcomers Harvey GuillénFlorence PughOlivia ColmanWagner MouraRay WinstoneJohn MulaneyDa’Vine Joy RandolphAnthony Mendez and Samson KayoThe Last Wish follows the daring outlaw Puss in Boots as he discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll, per Deadline. The original 2011 film — a spinoff of Shrek — followed Puss’ adventures prior to his debut appearance in Shrek 2. The film earned more than $149 million stateside and close to $555 million worldwide…

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Russia-Ukraine live updates: Two killed in Russian strike on Kyiv neighborhood

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Two killed in Russian strike on Kyiv neighborhood
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Two killed in Russian strike on Kyiv neighborhood
Scott Peterson/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”

Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance, coming within about 9 miles as of Friday.

Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Mar 15, 7:51 am
Two killed in strike on Kyiv neighborhood

Two people were killed on Tuesday morning after Russian forces shelled residential areas in Kyiv, officials said.

The sound of large explosions echoed across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes. The shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in the Svyatoshyn neighborhood.

Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station.

Mar 15, 5:51 am
Residents protest in Russian-occupied cities: UK military

Residents of Kherson, Melitopol and Berdyansk, cities occupied by Russian forces, have held “multiple” demonstrations protesting the occupation, the U.K. Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

Protests in Kherson came as Russia may be making plans for a “referendum” to legitimize the region as a Russian-backed “breakaway republic,” similar to Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, the Ministry said.

“Further protests were reported in the city yesterday with Russian forces reportedly firing warning shots in an attempt to disperse peaceful protesters,” the Ministry said.

Russia is likely to “make further attempts to subvert Ukrainian democracy,” the update said.

“Russia has reportedly installed its own mayor in Melitopol following the alleged abduction of his predecessor on Friday 11 March,” the update said. “Subsequently, the Mayor of Dniprorudne has also reportedly been abducted by Russian forces.”

Mar 14, 9:56 pm
Latest talks with Russia went ‘pretty good,’ will continue tomorrow, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy updated the status of negotiations with Russia in his latest address Monday, saying the latest talks went “pretty good” and will continue tomorrow.

Zelenskyy also addressed Russian troops, telling them they would be treated “decently” should they surrender.

“On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance — chance to survive,” Zelenskyy said. “You surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treated. As people, decently.”

Zelenskyy also thanked the producer at a Russian state news channel who appeared on camera behind an anchor and held up an anti-war sign. She was later arrested.

“I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth,” he said. “To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones. And personally to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war.”

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