Luke Bryan’s Georgia Bulldogs fandom runs deep — so deep, in fact, that he blew out his voice cheering on his team.
Luke, a Georgia native, helped cheer the Bulldogs to victory during the National Championship college football game on Monday night (Jan. 10), and it paid off. His team beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18.
But there were consequences: Within days, the singer was on vocal rest, recuperating in order to be back in singing shape by the time his sold-out Crash My Playa festival kicks off next week.
Luke poked fun at his vocal woes on Twitter, telling fans to check out his new music video for “Up” while also asking them to “pray for my voice.”
The singer’s wife, Caroline Boyer, also got a laugh at her husband’s expense. She posted a photo on her Instagram showing herself smiling and holding tape over Luke’s mouth.
“He’s on vocal rest after his EXCESSIVE screaming at National Championship game…can’t say I’m too unhappy about it!” Caroline wrote. “I plan on talking nonstop and annoying the hell out of him.”
Evidently, Rod Stewart, Snoop Dogg and Heidi Klum is the musical trio we didn’t know we needed.
Heidi, who’s not known as a singer, has teamed up with rap icon Snoop Dogg for a dance track called “Chai Tea with Heidi,” produced by L.A.-based producer duo WeddingCake. In the track, Snoop raps, while Heidi sings the hook — which is lifted from Rod’s 1983 hit “Baby Jane.”
Specifically, Heidi sings the song’s chorus: “When I give my heart again I know/ It’s gonna last forever/ No one tell me where or when I know/ It’s gonna last forever.”
“I’m most honored that these Super Stars have included ‘Baby Jane’ in this memorable song,” says Rod in a statement.
Heidi adds, “I am still pinching myself to make sure this really happened. It was truly an honor to work with Snoop Dogg and WeddingCake to create this fun and upbeat song that will hopefully make you want to get up and dance. This would not have been possible if [the] iconic Sir Rod Stewart didn’t give us approval to use melody and lyrics to his ‘Baby Jane.'”
As for Snoop, he notes, “I know that all of Europe will be hearin this in tha clubs til 6 in tha mornin. Lookn forward to getting back overseas n performing it live ya dig?!?!”
As for why the song is called “Chai Tea with Heidi,” at one point, Snoop raps, “Girl, you’re hot and you’re sweet like chai tea/ After the show we can kick it like tai chi/ Me and you in the mood, that’s likely/ Get your dance on, baby, entice me.”
Wonder what Heidi’s ex-husband — Grammy-winning singer Seal — thinks of his former wife’s foray into music?
While Hollywood wonders who will get the tap to host the 94th Annual Academy Awards, Variety says at least one name that has been bandied about “likely won’t” be behind the podium: Pete Davidson.
The trade does confirm that reps for the Saturday Night Live cast member, and King of Staten Island star have been in touch with the Oscars’ producers, but it’s precisely his link to SNL that would likely leave him out of the running.
Davidson is “too closely linked to NBC,” posits the trade, whereas another interesting choice is already in the Disney/ABC family: Only Murders in the Building stars Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short. Disney is the majority owner of Hulu, on which the comedy streams.
“[T]hey are an iconic trio,” Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment president Craig Erwich previously told Variety.
“They have mass appeal. Everybody loves them. They’d be a dream,” Erwich said, adding the caveat, “That said, there’s a lot of incredible talent we’re considering.”
For the record, at least Short and Martin — who along with Gomez were just nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for their show — are so far not interested.
ABC Audio recently asked Short if he’d be up for the job. “No, not particularly,” he explained, adding of Martin, “That night we are performing in Stamford, Connecticut, actually. We have a show. [Hosting is] not on the table.”
The 94th Annual Academy Awards will air March 27 on ABC.
Britney Spears is not through criticizing Jamie Lynn Spears following her baby sister’s tell-all interview with ABC News’ Juju Chang. The singer sent off a fiery tweet Friday condemning Jamie Lynn’s so called “crazy lies.”
In the interview, Chang mentions an incident Jamie Lynn describes in her book, in which, Chang says, “Britney takes a knife, says she’s scared and locks you and herself into a room.” Chang then asked Jamie Lynn why she decided to share that story.
“It’s important to remember that I was a kid in that moment — I was scared. That was an experience that I had,” Jamie Lynn explained.
In a tweet on Friday, Britney wrote, “Jamie Lynn … congrats babe ! You’ve stooped to a whole new level of LOW. I’ve never been around you ever with a knife or would I ever even think to do such !!!…so please please stop with these crazy lies for the Hollywood books!!!”
Britney went on to imply that Jamie Lynn is a “scum person” and noted, “I’m actually very confused about you making that up because it’s honestly not like you at all!!!” She added, “Congrats on introducing your older sister [to] the concept of getting LOW, LOWER, LOWEST…because you win on that one, babe!!!”
Britney previously referenced Jamie’s tell-all interview on Thursday, but did not reference the alleged knife incident. The following day, Jamie Lynn responded and said her sister’s “accusatory posts” are causing her family to receive death threats.
Tim Allen will reprise his role from The Santa Clause movies in a limited series for Disney+.
1994’s The Santa Clause had Allen playing Scott Calvin, a divorced dad who has to contractually fulfill the role of Santa Claus after a mishap leads the death of the real McCoy in the line of duty. The movie was followed up with 2002’s The Santa Clause 2, and 2006’s The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.
This time around, the Toy Story and Home Improvement vet will portray Calvin as he’s nearing retirement age as the Man with the Bag, with a family seeking a normal life.
“With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole,” the announcement teases.
The Disney+ series will re-team Allen with his Last Man Standing producer, executive producer and showrunner Kevin Hench. Jack Burditt, who backed Emmy winners like Frasier and 30 Rock, and the Emmy-nominated hit The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, is also producing.
(CHICAGO) — Students are walking out of their classes in Boston, Chicago and other cities across the country in protest of in-person learning conditions as COVID-19 rages on.
Public school students in Boston left their classrooms at 10:30 a.m. Friday to demand that local leaders take more initiative in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in schools and implement a two-week period for remote learning.
“We will then stand there for exactly 10 minutes, one minute for every hundred thousand new COVID-19 cases found on the 2nd of January,” according to a post from the student-run Massachusetts COVID Walkout Instagram page.
Following the walk-out, students held a webinar to discuss their fears about the handling of the pandemic in schools. Students at the virtual event recounted their urge to take action and keep their fellow students, teachers and staff safe.
They are demanding a two-week remote learning period, proper Personal Protective Equipment for teachers, adequate technology for remote learning and the cancellation of some standardized testing.
In a statement to ABC News, Boston Public Schools said it “believes deeply in students advocating for what they believe in.”
“We further believe it is critically important that we encourage and support them in expressing their concerns, beliefs and positions to their leaders,” the statement said. “We will continue to listen to our students and families as we navigate this latest surge and the impacts it has on our ability to remain in person and deliver a quality education.”
In spring 2021, Massachusetts officials said remote learning would no longer count toward required learning hours. Any school-wide remote learning days must be made up by students and teachers at the end of the year.
Boston Public Schools has reported 3,483 COVID cases as of Jan. 5, according to the district website.
Students in Chicago also walked out of their classes Friday and chanted demands that schools address COVID-19 safety concerns.
As they walked en masse on the streets and toward the administrative offices of the Chicago Public School district, students yelled, “Si se puede,” or “Yes, we can,” as well as “No more oppression, change is now in session!”
Chicago Public Schools’ Radical Youth Alliance, a student-run advocacy group, also sent a letter of demands to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, CEO of Chicago Public Schools Pedro Martinez, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady.
The students asked for transparency and accuracy in the school’s COVID-19 data, youth participation in decision-making and accountability for “mistakes.”
“As you consistently prove yourself and your leadership to be incompetent, we as Black and Brown young people are the common denominator of being the most harmed and impacted,” the letter read. “We are tired, exhausted, and frustrated.”
The group also backed the Chicago Teachers Union, which narrowly accepted a new agreement on COVID-19 safety precautions.
Chicago Public Schools had 10,928 cases among its students and staff since the start of the 2021-2022 school year, according to the district website.
In a statement, Chicago Public Schools said it “remains committed to fostering learning environments that allow students to respectfully deliberate issues with evidence and an open mind – and safely participate in civic action.”
According to the CPS website, students are required to wear masks in schools and answer a self-screener symptom questionnaire before school. Testing is optional.
Protests in New York, California and other states have highlighted the growing concerns that school leaders are failing to address COVID-19 and its impact on education and health in schools.
(NEW YORK) — Martin Shkreli became infamous, and earned the nickname “Pharma Bro,” after he hiked the price of a potentially lifesaving antiparasitic medication in 2015. On Friday, a federal judge ruled he should pay $64 million for his actions.
The judge said Shkreli should pay the financial penalty, equivalent to the profits from his scheme, and receive a lifetime ban from participation in the pharmaceutical industry.
Shkreli earned widespread condemnation in 2015 when he raised the price of Daraprim — an anti-malaria medication often prescribed for HIV patients — by 4,000% and initiated a scheme to block the entry of generic drug competition so that he could reap the profits from Daraprim sales for as long as possible, the judge said.
Through his tight control of the distribution of Daraprim, Shkreli prevented generic drug companies from getting access to the quantity of Daraprim they needed to conduct testing demanded by the Food and Drug Administration. Through exclusive supply agreements, Shkreli also blocked access to the two most important manufacturers of the active pharmaceutical ingredient for Daraprim.
Through these strategies, the judge said, Shkreli delayed the entry of generic competition for at least 18 months. Shkreli and his companies profited over $64 million from this scheme.
“Envy, greed, lust, and hate, don’t just separate, but they obviously motivated Mr. Shkreli and his partner to illegally jack up the price of a life-saving drug as Americans’ lives hung in the balance,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office sued with several other attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission.
Shkreli is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence after being convicted of securities fraud in August 2017 related to his work at hedge funds MSMB Capital Management prior to founding Turing Pharmaceuticals. He had called the trial a “witch hunt” and blamed his increase in the cost of Daraprim for making him a target of federal investigators.
In May 2020, Shkreli petitioned for an early release from prison, saying he wanted to research a potential cure for COVID-19. The request was denied.
Blake Shelton claims the number-nine spot in the top 10 list of highest-earning musicians for 2021, according to a report from Rolling Stone.
He’s the only country star to make the cut, raking in $83 million for the year. $50 million of that comes from a catalog sale that previously went unreported, plus he padded that salary with an eight-figure income from his role as a coach on NBC’s The Voice.
Blake’s new album, Body Language, further bumped up his earnings for the year. Plus, his tour brought in $14.5 million, Rolling Stone reports, despite the challenges of selling tickets amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Though Blake’s the only true country figure to make the list, Taylor Swift came in just behind him in earnings with $80 million, in part due to her Taylor’s Version releases of country albums like Red and Fearless.
Both Blake and Taylor came in at the tail end of the list of highest-earning stars, with comparatively modest salaries compared to artists like Ryan Tedder, who brought in $200 million, and Kanye West, who earned $250 million.
The highest-paid musician of all in 2021? That would be Bruce Springsteen, who earned a whopping $590 million in 2021 after selling his publishing copyrights and master recordings to Sony at the end of the year. With a $550 million price tag, it was the largest sale of a solo catalog ever.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Robin Hood Foundation
Rolling Stone has unveiled its list of the 10 highest-earning music artists for 2021, and the tally is made up mostly up veteran acts who sold the rights to their music catalogs last year.
Topping the list is Bruce Springsteen, who earned a whopping $590 million last year, $550 million of which came from the sale of his publishing copyrights and master recordings to Sony, the parent company of his longtime label. The Boss’ 2021 earnings also included money he made from his Springsteen on Broadway performances, the Spotify podcast he did with Barack Obama, and the book that emerged from the podcast.
Landing at #3 on the tally was Paul Simon, who enjoyed a $260 million payday in 2021. Simon also sold his entire music catalog to Sony Music Publishing last year, including his solo compositions and those he wrote for Simon & Garfunkel.
Also in the top 10 of the list were The Red Hot Chili Peppers at #6 with $145 million in earnings, Lindsey Buckingham at #7 with $100 million and Mötley Crüe at #8 with $95 million in income. All three acts sold the rights to their music publishing and/or master recordings in 2021.
Discussing the wave of music catalog acquisitions that’s been taking place recently, Josh Gruss, CEO of Round Hill Music, notes, “These are almost like pieces of art — there’s a finite number of real, super-high-quality hit songs from the past — and there’s this sort of all-out grab to own those rights…It’s a very steady stream of revenue that’s there.”
Only three artists in the top 10 didn’t sell their music rights last year — Jay-Z, Kanye West and Taylor Swift.
Here are the 10 artists who made the most money in 2021
1. Bruce Springsteen — $590 million
2. Jay-Z — $470 million
3. Paul Simon — $260 million
4. Kanye West — $250 million
5. Ryan Tedder — $200 million
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers — $145 million
7. Lindsey Buckingham — $100 million
8. Mötley Crüe — $95 million
9. Blake Shelton — $83 million
10. Taylor Swift — $80 million
Michael Bublé is starting off the year with brand new music and, on Friday, revealed when you’ll be able to hear his next single.
Taking to Instagram, the “Haven’t Met You Yet” singer shared a brief video of him hyping up the song, revealing its title to be “I’ll Never Not Love You,” and discussing the inspiration behind it. Michael admits the track’s name may fudge the rules of grammar slightly because it “is a double negative,” but says he chose it because “I think it makes you feel positive.”
“The waiting is the hardest part! I’m so excited to share this song with all of you. I’m so proud of it and I hope that you will love it as much as I do,” the Canadian singer added in the caption. “The wait is over, January 28th!”
The song was originally set for release today, January 14, but it appears it required a few more tweaks before earning Michael’s full seal of approval.
Michael further excited his fans by raving about how his friends and family adore the song — a claim that was bolstered by pal Josh Groban, who praised in the comments, “I’m never NOT (did I do it right?) gonna be listening to this on repeat!”
The uplifting love song, which arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day, is available to pre-save now.
Michael’s new album is due in 2022 and, as he hinted with his upcoming song, he feels his next album may be the best one yet. The Grammy winner will support the studio effort when taking over Las Vegas for a brief residency that runs from April 27 to May 7 at Resorts World.
