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Def Leppard’s sophomore album, ‘High ‘n’ Dry,’ celebrates its 40th anniversary this weekend

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Def Leppard‘s second album, High ‘n’ Dry, was released 40 years ago this Sunday, July 11.

The album helped establish the band in the U.S. in advance of its massive 1983 breakthrough, Pyromania, peaking at #38 on the Billboard 200.

The best-known song from High ‘n’ Dry is “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak,” which garnered the band a lot of attention in the States when a performance video for the tune went into heavy rotation on MTV.

The album also featured the song “Let It Go,” which reached #34 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Both “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” and “Let It Go” were co-written by frontman Joe Elliott and guitarists Steve Clark and Pete Willis. Willis, who struggled with alcoholism, was fired from the group in 1982 and replaced by Phil Collen.

“‘Bringin’ On the Heartbreak’…when that came out on MTV, I think that kind of blew the doors off the place,” Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen tells ABC Audio. “If anything, that record really set up Pyromania perfect. And then…once Pyromania came out, you know, with MTV and everything that was going on at that time, I think that was a big reason for our success. But…I think that was probably one of the most important songs off of [High ‘n’ Dry].”

Allen adds that he also was a fan of the rocking “Let It Go,” which he says was “the closest we’ve ever got to sounding like AC/DC.”

A remix of “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak,” with new guitar parts by Collen replacing Willis’ original licks, was released in 1984, and made it to #61 on the Billboard Hot 100.

High ‘n’ Dry went on to sell over 2 million copies in the U.S.

Here’s the full High ‘n’ Dry track list:

“Let It Go”
“Another Hit and Run”
“High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night)”
“Bringin’ On the Heartbreak”
“Switch 625”
“You Got Me Runnin'”
“Lady Strange”
“On Through the Night”
“Mirror, Mirror (Look into My Eyes)”
“No No No”

‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ spin-off ‘The Patrick Star Show’ debuts today

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Fans of SpongeBob Squarepants, rejoice: The Patrick Star Show debuts today on Paramount+.

Bill Fagerbakke [FOG-ger-bahk] reprises his voice role as the titular pink starfish. The show also features Tom Wilson voicing Patrick’s dad, Cecil Star, and Cree Summer as Patrick’s oddball mom, Bunny. There’s also Patrick’s genius grandfather, GrandPat, voiced by Dana Snyder, and Patrick’s kid sister Squidina, who’s played by Jill Talley.

Patrick and Bunny gave ABC Audio a hint about the new series, which has him becoming a TV personality.

Patrick says, “Well, I just like to do whatever my bossy little sister tells me what to do, because she gets so mad, so we do a show every night! And we have fun…And my mom gives me sandwiches, and there are these two old guys in the house that I always forget who they are.”

Bunny interjects, “That’s your dad and your grandfather, dear. But I understand they’re hard to recognize — they change their clothes.”

Fagerbakke has voiced Patrick Star since SpongeBob Squarepants launched on Nickelodeon in 1999. He tells ABC Audio it’s “beautiful” to have had the job for this long.

“To be able to have something with such continuity and to have personal relationships with people you work with for over 20 years. That’s something one never expects,” says Fagerbakke. “And man, do I appreciate it.”

Summer adds, “This SpongeBob universe is so beloved that it…just keeps going and keeps growing. And so to be a part of something that is loved this deeply is just an honor.”

Other members of the SpongeBob Squarepants gang also appear in the new series, the second small-screen spin-off from the flagship show created by the late Stephen Hillenburg, who died of ALS at age 57 in 2018.

Tropical Storm Elsa hammers East Coast with heavy rain and wind: Latest forecast

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — More than 50 million Americans remain under a flash flood watch on Friday as Tropical Storm Elsa moves up the East Coast, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds.

After making landfall in Florida and pummeling the southeastern United States, Elsa is heading north with the eye of the storm sweeping over the coastlines of Delaware, New Jersey and New York on Friday morning before it is expected to reach Massachusetts by the afternoon, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.

As of 8 a.m. ET, Elsa was moving to the northeast at 31 miles per hour with its center located about 90 miles southwest of Montauk Point in New York. The deadly storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour.

The National Weather Service said it doesn’t anticipate a significant change in Elsa’s strength through Friday and that the storm, which has weakened from the first hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic season, is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone by nighttime. Elsa is expected to move offshore from the northeastern U.S. coast by late Friday afternoon before heading to Canada’s Atlantic provinces by late Friday night and Saturday.

Flash flood watches are still in effect for the mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions, from Virginia to Maine. That includes several major cities, such as Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. The storm’s current track shows it hugging the northeast coastline, with those areas expected to see the heaviest rainfall.

Much of the northeast is forecast to receive 2 to 4 inches of rainfall through Friday, with up to 6 inches possible in parts of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. That could trigger “considerable flash and urban flooding,” the National Weather Service warned.

Tropical storm warnings also remain in effect for a large swath of the East Coast, from North Carolina’s Outer Banks to Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, a “tornado or two” will be possible over parts of New York’s Long Island and southeastern New England through early Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Severe weather has already disrupted flight schedules at LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City’s Queens borough. New York City has also closed its mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics through Friday due to the forecast.

New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority said there were system-wide delays for buses due to Elsa and the storm could impact service along some subway and rail lines. Meanwhile, empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks are banned on the seven bridges and two tunnels that the MTA manages until at least noon on Friday due to the weather.

Billie Eilish opens up about the downside of fame in creepy new single “NDA”

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Billie Eilish dropped her dark and moody new single “NDA” Friday, the fifth song off of her highly anticipated album Happier Than Ever.

Eilish, 19, doesn’t mince words about her thoughts regarding her diminishing privacy and, in the accompanying music video, uses chaotic imagery of cars racing up and down a roadway to symbolize her distress.

“NDA” is the Grammy winner’s way of venting about the negative aspects of fame and how it makes her wish she could “disappear.”

The gloomy song opens with Eilish reliving one of the most troubling moments of her life, where she dealt with a “stalker walkin’ up and down the street.”

“Did you think I’d show up in a limousine?/ No, had to save my money for security/ Got a stalker walkin’ up and down the street/ Says he’s Satan and he’d like to meet,” Eilish expresses in her opening lines, setting the overall tone for her vulnerable and unsettling single.

Other secrets Eilish divulges are how she “bought a secret house when I was 17” that she hasn’t partied in, which leads to her revealing she once invited over a “pretty boy” but made him sign an NDA before he left.

The young singer also admits she hates going outside and that she dreams of “switching to “a new career/ somewhere in Kaua’i where I can disappear.”

The eerie music video, which Eilish says was filmed in one take, features her walking along a dark highway as numerous cars speed past and circle erratically around her. In addition, a growing crowd of people walk behind her but vanish as soon as she turns around.

The music video ends with an exhausted Eilish knowingly staring into the camera.

Happier Than Ever is due out July 30, which is available for pre-save.

In passionate message, Madonna says Britney Spears’ conservatorship is a “violation of human rights”

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Madonna is speaking out about Britney Spears‘ controversial conservatorship, deeming it a “violation of human rights.”

Taking to Instagram stories on Thursday, Madonna passionately defended her “Me Against the Music” collaborator. “Give this woman her life back,” she declared while sharing a photo of herself wearing a throwback Britney shirt. “Slavery was abolished so long ago! Death to the greedy patriarchy that has been doing this to women for centuries.”

The Queen of Pop continued, “This is a violation of human rights” and promised, “Britney we coming to get you out of jail!”

Madonna and Britney famously collaborated on the 2003 hit song “Me Against the Music,” which they performed at the MTV Video Music Awards — that was when Madonna infamously kissed both Britney and Christina Aguilera.

Christina previously spoke out against Britney’s conservatorship, calling it “the most depleting, devastating and demeaning thing imaginable.”

Numerous celebrities, such as Justin Timberlake, Cher and Mariah Carey, have also come forward to support Britney following last month’s bombshell testimony, during which the “Toxic” singer asked to end her 13-year conservatorship. She also leveled serious accusations against her conservators and members of her family.

“I am traumatized. I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry, it’s insane. And I’m depressed. I cry every day,” Britney said in her explosive 23-minute statement.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 14.

In passionate message, Madonna compares Britney Spears’ conservatorship to “slavery”

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Madonna is speaking out about Britney Spears‘ controversial conservatorship, deeming it a “violation of human rights,” and likening it to “slavery.”

The Queen of Pop continued, “This is a violation of human rights” and promised, “Britney we coming to get you out of jail!”

Christina previously spoke out against Britney’s conservatorship, calling it “the most depleting, devastating and demeaning thing imaginable.”

“I am traumatized. I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry, it’s insane. And I’m depressed. I cry every day,” Britney said in her explosive 23-minute statement.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 14.

Jennifer Coolidge reflects on ‘Legally Blonde”s 20th anniversary, teases third film

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jennifer Coolidge has a lot to say about Legally Blonde‘s 20th anniversary, which is July 13. The actress, who played the lovable and hilarious Paulette Bonafonté, has some thoughts on how the movie should celebrate its milestone.

“I’m curious if there will be fireworks,” Coolidge, 59, joked to Entertainment Tonight. “I don’t know what they will do. I feel like it will be a big deal.”

The actress continued, “It’s going to be like a giant jet ride to somewhere really far away and I think there must be a party in some big castle or something… At least that’s what I will be hoping for.”

As for how she feels about Legally Blonde turning 20, Coolidge quipped, “All I had to do was age 20 years and I am at the anniversary. I mean, I didn’t even have to work for this. Twenty years went by and then you get credit for being alive and making it to 20.”

“You see, all of the other girls when we made Legally Blonde were, like, 11,” she teased. “My journey was much harder.”

Coolidge was also asked about the upcoming third Legally Blonde movie, but refused to reveal anything.

“I have not seen the script,” Coolidge confessed. “I am told Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon are talking about it and I hear it is going to be finished soon. I heard it is close but I haven’t seen it, I really haven’t,” then joked, “I hope I am alive by then.”

Legally Blonde 3 is set to arrive in theaters in 2022, a little under 20 years since the franchise’s second installment — Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde — hit the box office.

Legally Blonde, also starring Witherspoon, Luke Wilson and Selma Blair, hit theaters on July 13, 2001.

Twitter extends partnership with NFL

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The NFL and Twitter announced a new game plan on Thursday.

The league extended its partnership with the social network in a multi-year deal, which will include the use of Twitter Spaces, Twitter’s new live audio feature.

“The commitment to Twitter Spaces represents another innovative step forward in the longstanding partnership between the NFL and Twitter,” Blake Stuchin, the NFL’s vice president of digital media business development, said in a statement. “We’re excited to bring NFL fans a new way to engage with live audio ahead of our biggest events of the year and every week throughout the NFL season.”

The league plans to host more than 20 Twitter Spaces for the upcoming 2021 season. They will “include participation from current NFL players and other NFL talent to discuss season matchups and insights,” the NFL said.

“We’re excited to super-serve NFL fans with even more of what they love to see on Twitter, including epic touchdown highlights all season long,” Twitter’s head of U.S. sports partnerships, TJ Adeshola, said in a statement. “In addition to fueling the timeline with the best moments from each game in real time, we’ll be doubling down on innovation by leveraging our live audio format, ‘Spaces’, to bring fans even closer to the game.”

The lightning flash in the middle: AC/DC’s Bon Scott would’ve turned 75 today

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Late AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott would’ve celebrated his 75th birthday today.

Born Ronald Belford Scott on July 9, 1946, the rocker replaced original AC/DC vocalist Dave Evans in 1974, and sang with the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famers up until his tragic death in 1980 at age 33.

Scott’s tenure with AC/DC was among the band’s most prolific periods, having produced six albums in five years, including the classics High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Highway to Hell. His studio output was matched by a tenacious live presence, and he’s now considered to be among the greatest frontmen in rock history.

“Fond memories of our ‘lightning flash in the middle’ Bon, who would be 75 today,” says AC/DC guitarist Angus Young, referencing Scott’s assertion that he was represented by the lightning bolt in the middle of the band’s now-iconic logo.

Following Scott’s death, a distraught AC/DC considered calling it quits but ultimately decided to press on, and found a new singer in Brian Johnson. Their first album with Johnson was the instantly legendary Back in Black, which became one of the best-selling albums in history. Johnson remains AC/DC’s vocalist to this day.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Scott’s birth, his family has launched a dedicated website, BonScottOfficial.com, that includes testimonials, history, merchandise and more.

“This is an invitation for Bon’s fans and friends to gather and share their memories and observations of him and his music,” the Bon Scott Estate says. “His legacy lives in the hearts and minds of those who love him.”

Also in conjunction with Scott’s birthday, a Spotify playlist has premiered featuring all of his available recordings with AC/DC, as well as with such pre-AC/DC groups as The Valentines and Fraternity.

Allyson Felix and Athleta team up to cover childcare costs for athlete moms

July 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Allyson Felix is the most decorated athlete in the world and she’s on the brink of striking more gold at this year’s Olympics.

In addition to being the all-star athlete that she is, she’s also a devoted mom who’s passionate about empowering other fellow women athletes.

Aligning with that passion, Felix has teamed up with apparel company Athleta and the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) to launch The Power of She Fund: Child Care Grants.

This new $200,000 grant program has made a commitment to cover childcare costs for professional mom-athletes traveling to competitions.

The first group of recipients, including six that are also headed to the Tokyo Olympics, will receive $10,000 each.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the families of Olympic athletes, unfortunately, won’t be able to travel to Tokyo. Only nursing children will be allowed to join their moms for the upcoming games.

The Power of She Fund: Child Care Grants is aiming to help provide resources to empower mom-athletes to compete without limitations.

“This is going to make a huge difference in their lives,” Felix told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “Childcare is one of the huge barriers that we have to overcome.”

She continued, “I really do hope also that this spurs an industry-wide change, and we look to support women holistically.”

While this won’t be Felix’s first time at the Olympics, it will be her first time competing as a mom to her 2-year-old daughter Camryn.

“As a mom and an athlete, I know firsthand the obstacles women face in sports,” said the six-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion in a statement.

She added, “It was important to me and to Athleta that our partnership reflects that I am more than just an athlete. In fact, part of my contract includes provisions for my daughter, Camryn, to join me whenever I am competing. But not everyone has access to this type of support from a partner or sponsor. These grants are about showing the industry that all mom-athletes need this same comprehensive support to be able to participate in their athletic endeavors.”

One of this year’s grant recipients, sitting volleyball player Lora Webster, who is a mother of three — ages 10, 8 and 5 — shared in a statement that she doesn’t have family nearby to help with child care. She said a lot of her training happens at home with her kids.

“There have been many instances where we simply can’t justify the cost of a babysitter on top of the cost of the gym and training site, so my training falls by the wayside,” she said.

Webster added, “This money has given us such a big breath of relief in the past few weeks.”

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