Longtime Kansas violinist and vocalist Robby Steinhardt sadly passed away in July of this year, but not before recording his debut solo album, a star-studded collection of songs titled Not in Kansas Anymore, which was released posthumously this week.
Described as a “Prog Rock Opera,” the album features guest appearances by Jethro Tull‘s Ian Anderson, Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs guitarist Steve Morse, former Toto singer Bobby Kimball, Rolling Stones touring keyboardist Chuck Leavell, Pat Travers, longtime Billy Joel drummer Liberty DeVitto, former Rolling Stones backing singer Lisa Fischer, acclaimed jazz drummer Bill Cobham, and many others.
Not in Kansas Anymore includes a new rendition of Kansas’ classic 1978 hit “Dust in the Wind.” The album was produced by Michael Franklin, who also worked on former Yes singer Jon Anderson‘s similarly star-packed 2019 solo effort, 1000 Hands: Chapter One.
Not in Kansas Anymore is available for purchase now on CD and digital formats at RobbySteinhardtOfficial.com or SolarMusic.com. You also can pre-order a vinyl LP version of the record, which is due out in December.
In the only interview he gave about Not in Kansas Anymore, Robby explained to PBS about the album’s title, “It’s no slight against the band, no never! My time with Kansas defined a big part of my life, of which I am very proud of. Ever since The Wizard of Oz, those words have become an American axiom for moving forward, you can never go back etc. I guess it has a special meaning when it is fixed to me.”
Steinhardt died on July 17 from complications of pancreatitis. He was 71.
Here’s the full Not in Kansas Anymore track list:
“Tempest”
“Truth 2 Power”
“Mother Earth”
“Rise of the Phoenix”
“The Phoenix”
“Prelude
“Dust in the Wind”
“Pizzacato”
“Tuck Tuck”
“Not in Kansas Anymore”
“A Prayer for Peace”
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for TOM FORD: AUTUMN/WINTER 2020 RUNWAY SHOW
NFL star Russell Wilson didn’t allow a recent injury to stop him from celebrating wife Ciara‘s 36th birthday Monday.
The Seattle Seahawks quarterback was sidelined from Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints after undergoing hand surgery. However, he made the night very special for his Grammy-winning spouse. Wilson rented the top two floors of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle observation tower and restaurant, which was filled with rose petals, candles, flowers and balloons.
“Perfect in every way. God made you for me. He made you to fit perfectly in my arms. Made you to be the amazing woman and mother you are. God made you to entertain the world with your gift to sing & dance!” he commented on Instagram.
“Awe baby. You are my everything!,” Ciara replied. “Thank you for making me feel special today, and everyday. I’m a better woman because of you! I love you so much!”
With the music of Sade‘s “No Ordinary Love” in the background, Ciara was amazed, constantly repeating, “Oh my God!”
“Wow Babe @DangeRussWilson. Thank You for loving me the way you do!,” she commented. “I didn’t have much growing up, but I can say I had a lot of love. That feeling made me feel like I could conquer the world. That’s how you make me feel. Like a little girl all over again. I love you so much!”
As Ciara enjoyed the breathtaking view of the city, the Super Bowl winner told her, “We have a special date night tonight, me and you. A little dinner on top of Seattle….We’ll have some dessert, and more dessert later. I love you.”
The couple celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in July. They have two children together: four-year-old daughter Sienna and one-year-old son, Win.
(GROVELAND, Fla.) — More than 70 years after four Black men were accused of raping a white woman in 1949, Florida State Attorney Bill Gladson has filed a motion to posthumously clear the “Groveland Four” of their criminal records.
“Even a casual review of the record reveals that these four men were deprived of the fundamental due process rights that are afforded to all Americans,” Gladson wrote in his motion filed Monday. “The evidence strongly suggests that a sheriff, a judge, and prosecutor all but guaranteed guilty verdicts in this case.”
Ernest Thomas, Charles Greenlee, Samuel Shepherd and Walter Irvin, all young Black men, were accused of raping a 17-year-old white woman in the central Florida town of Groveland. Following the accusation, an angry mob shot and killed Thomas before he could be arrested. Records show that the indictment against him was never dismissed by the court, according to Gladson’s motion.
Greenlee, Shepherd and Irvin were all put to trial and convicted.
Greenlee, who was 16 years old at the time, received a recommendation of mercy from the jury and received a life sentence. He did not appeal the verdict.
Irvin and Shepherd were sentenced to death and successfully made an appeal. In 1951, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated their convictions and ordered a new trial for each. Following the new indictment, Florida Sheriff Willis McCall shot and killed Shepherd and attacked and injured Irvin. Shepherd’s indictment, like Thomas’, was never dismissed. Irvin was retried, convicted and again sentenced to death, but later had his sentence commuted to life in prison.
Gladson filed the motion to dismiss the indictments of Thomas and Shepherd, and set aside and vacate the judgments and sentences of Greenlee and Irvin.
Several pieces of troubling information highlighted the problematic nature of their charges and convictions. Gladson argues that the state never had Irvin’s pants tested for the presence of semen, even though they could have, and instead left the jury with the impression that Irvin’s pants contained evidence of the rape.
The qualification of the prosecution’s star witnesses, who made shoe and tire casts from the scene, has also been called into question. One of the defense’s expert witnesses stated in the second trial that one of the casts was manufactured to falsely link Irvin to the scene.
Gladson also noted an email from the grandson of the state attorney who prosecuted the Groveland Four case that says state attorney Jesse Hunter and trial judge Truman Futch knew at the time of the second trial that there was no rape.
Now, if the court grants the Gladson’s motion, the legal presumption of innocence for these four men would be restored.
“While we are thankful the Florida Legislature apologized and the Board of Executive Clemency granted pardons, full justice depends on action from the judicial branch,” Carol Greenlee said in a statement. “I hope this motion will result in that full justice for my father Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, and Ernest Thomas.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis granted posthumous pardons to the men in 2019.
This isn’t the first time Black men may have been falsely or unfairly convicted for similar incidents.
In 1972, Federal District Judge Charles R. Scott vacated the convictions of Robert Shuler and Jerry Chatman, two Black men who were convicted of raping a white woman in Florida. The retrial was ordered when the woman hinted the assault may never have been committed.
In the 1980s, the Exonerated Five, previously known as the Central Park Five, were a group of Black and Hispanic teenagers who were convicted and later exonerated in connection with the rape and brutal assault on a white female jogger in New York.
Travis Scott announced his star-studded Astroworld Festival lineup on Tuesday and it consists of 20 acts, including a legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band.
“November come won’t you pop out at the fest. 3rd annual Astroworld Fest line is now here. Welcome to Utopia,” La Flame wrote on Instagram. “We morphed the grounds into a new universe. This year can’t wait for y’all to see it. And I’m bringing some avengers wit me.”
He added, “PS show is sold out, but I finessed a bit more for y’all.”
Young Thug, SZA, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Roddy Ricch, Baby Keem, Bad Bunny, BIA, Don Tolliver and Master P are among the acts set for the two-day event, taking place on Friday, November 5, and Saturday, November 6, at Houston’s NRG Park. Plus, the iconic Earth, Wind & Fire, now in their sixth decade, will also perform.
After holding the fest in 2018 and 2019, Travis was forced to cancel the 2020 event due to COVID-19. Fifty-thousand people attended the one-day event in 2019. One-hundred thousand are expected for this year’s two-day fest.
In addition to music, the festival will feature an amusement park with more than 30 custom carnival games and rides, including a roller coaster, a Ferris wheel and bumper cars. Jordans from Nike, and tickets to Houston Astros home games will be among over 100 prizes that will be awarded.
The theme for the Astroworld Festival 2021 is “Open Your Eyes to a Whole New Universe.” Tickets are now on sale at AstroworldFest.com.
Netflix’s hit show Emily in Paris is teaming up with French makeup brand Lancôme for a new beauty collection inspired by the series.
The collection features makeup, skincare and fragrance products. The centerpiece of the collab is the 12-shade Emily in Paris eyeshadow palette that comes in a heart-shaped design with an Eiffel Tower motif. Other products include mascara, lipstick, a serum and the Idôle Eau de Parfum in a limited-edition bottle.
“This is the first time Lancôme has teamed up with a highly popular and super aspirational Netflix show to create a beauty collection,” Lancôme global brand president Francoise Lehmann says in a statement.
She adds, “With this new collection, Lancôme celebrates the Parisian joie de vivre and the charm of Emily in Paris. It is the perfect way to re-create that distinctive French girl beauty and interpret it your way at home, bringing French glamour & sophistication to all women around the world.”
The collection will be available at Lancome-USA.com at the end of November. Season two of Emily in Paris, starring Lancôme ambassador Lily Collins, hits Netflix on December 22.
Monday was Katy Perry‘s 37th birthday, and her partner Orlando Bloom celebrated her on Instagram on Tuesday with a sweet tribute.
Orlando posted a photo of the two of them at a birthday dinner, where Katy’s wearing a birthday tiara and looking at a plate of desserts with a candle in it. Orlando captioned the photo, “We do life we do love and it’s fun. I’ll celebrate you today and everyday. I love you.” Awww.
For her part, Katy posted a video of her Monday appearance guest-hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and captioned it, “A very productive 37 so far.” She then ticked off all the things she did on the show, including “Traded hats with Luke Bryan” and “danced like only a couple million folks were watching.”
Katy also gave away two tickets to her upcoming Las Vegas residency show, PLAY.
It’s well known that years before Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake were chart-topping pop superstars, they appeared on the Disney Channel’s All-New Mickey Mouse Club together. But other kids who were on the show went on to have pretty solid careers, too, like Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. So what does Felicity and The Americans star Russell think about what her old pal Britney is going through now?
“I just hope she’s happy, whatever that means,” Russell told Page Six on Monday night at a screening for her new movie, Antlers. “I don’t know if any of us really know how her life really is, but I just hope she’s happy.”
Russell was on All-New Mickey Mouse Club from 1991 to 1993, while Britney, Christina, Justin and Ryan appeared from 1993-1994.
The next court date in Britney’s ongoing conservatorship case is November 12, and it’s possible that a judge will agree to end the 13-year conservatorship on that day. In her latest Instagram post, she’s dancing to Whitney Houston‘s “I’m Your Baby Tonight.”
“I danced my little heart out yesterday … yes … old school … but the best voice of all time … Whitney…. rhymes with B !!!!!!” Britney captioned the video, adding, “ok so I was feeling myself… it’s fun to be sassy sometimes!!!!”
Bravo is bringing in a mixed bag of veteran stars and new talent for the upcoming season of Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Originally reported by Variety, Bravo has also shared the season 14 cast lineup, which includes season 13’s Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore and Drew Sidora. Former Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Shereé Whitfield is set to return, along with longtime friend of the show, Marlo Hampton, who was promoted to official cast member. New to the reality series will be track star Sanya Richards-Ross — a four-time Olympic Gold medalist — who will receive a coveted Georgia peach.
The casting news comes after Porsha Williams and Cynthia Bailey confirmed their exits from RHOA last month.
While Bailey has pretty much moved on from the network after she announced her departure in a heartfelt Instagram post, Williams has shared she has other plans. In addition to remaining a co-host of Bravo’s Chat Room, the reality star has unveiled her new series, Porsha’s Family Matters, an upcoming spinoff based on her family.
“PORSHA’S FAMILY MATTERS ❤️🔥🙌🏾 Official Super tease trailer! Here we go!,” Williams captioned the trailer on Instagram. “(( Don’t miss the premiere dropping Sunday, November 28th – only on @BravoTV )).”
(LONDON) — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II will not travel to Scotland next week as planned as she continues to follow doctors’ advice to rest.
The queen had been scheduled to attend an evening reception next Monday at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, in Glasgow.
Instead, Queen Elizabeth, 95, will stay at Windsor Castle and deliver an address to attendees via a recorded video message, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Tuesday.
The palace noted the queen was “disappointed not to attend” and said she has been “undertaking light duties” at Windsor Castle and “following advice to rest.”
The queen spent one night in the hospital last week for “preliminary investigations.” She was released the next day, on Oct. 21, and was back at her desk at Windsor Castle that afternoon, a palace spokesperson confirmed last week.
The queen made her first public appearance since her hospitalization on Tuesday, when she held a virtual audience at Windsor Castle to receive South Korea’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Gunn Kim.
The queen, wearing a yellow dress and a pearl necklace, spoke with the ambassador via video link from the royal residence in England’s Berkshire county, where she has been staying since her hospitalization.
Last week, Queen Elizabeth hosted a reception at Windsor Castle for a global investment summit where she met with leaders, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and U.S. climate envoy John Kerry.
Just prior to her hospitalization, Queen Elizabeth was also forced to cancel a trip to Northern Ireland under orders from her medical team to rest.
(ATLANTA) — A statue of a Confederate soldier holding a rifle in a park less than a mile from the Georgia courthouse where three white men are on trial for killing Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, has been hidden in plain sight, wrapped in sheets of plastic apparently to protect it from vandalism.
The monument that has stood for 119 years in the center of Hanover Square in Brunswick, Georgia, has become a lightning rod for discourse in the Glynn County community since Arbery was allegedly chased down and fatally shot in 2020 while, according to prosecutors, he was out for a Sunday jog.
Brunswick City Manager Regina McDuffie said the marble statue was wrapped in plastic by a local resident.
“A private citizen wanted to try to ensure the statue was not damaged since we just started the trial in the Arbery case,” McDuffie told ABC Jacksonville, Florida, affiliate WJXX. “It is not the city’s plan. We don’t have anything to do with it as far as how long it will stay [wrapped].”
The Brunswick City Commission voted in November 2020 to remove that statue, but no timeline was set. A Georgia Court of Appeals ruling in August that denied a motion to block the removal of Confederate monuments paved the way for the city to uproot the statue.
The statue was vandalized last year, spray-painted with the letters BLM (Black Lives Matter) on its pedestal.
The murder trial of the three men who prosecutors allege chased down and shot Arbery to death on Feb. 23, 2020, in the Satilla Shores neighborhood near Brunswick began last week with jury selection.
The accused are Gregory McMichael, 65, a retired police officer, his son, Travis McMichael, 35, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 52.
The three men have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
The jury selection phase of the trial went into its sixth day on Tuesday. No jurors have been selected yet for the high-profile trial, which is expected to last a month.
About 1,000 Glynn County residents received jury-duty summonses in the case. Attorneys are attempting to whittle that number down to a pool of 64 qualified prospective jurors, of which 16, including four alternates, will be seated to hear the case. As of Tuesday afternoon, 32 would-be jurors have been chosen for the qualified pool.
Bryan’s attorney Kevin Gough claimed in court on Tuesday that protests occurring outside the courthouse are having undue influence on potential jurors. Gough asked Chatham County Superior Court Judge Timothy R. Walmsley, who was appointed to preside over the Glynn County trial, to “ban all protest or First Amendment activity from this area until the conclusion of this trial.”
