A recording of Bruce Springsteen recording a passage from John Steinbeck‘s classic book The Grapes of Wrath is featured in a new Italian documentary titled Ants, about the plight of African and Asia migrants trying to make their way to Europe to find a better life.
A segment of Springsteen’s spoken-word soliloquy can be heard in a new trailer for the film that got its exclusive premiere at Variety.com.
In the clip, interspersed with scenes of various migrants in the midst of their journeys, we hear The Boss read, “The great companies did not know that the line between hunger and anger is a thin line…On the highways the people moved like ants and searched for work, for food. And the anger began to ferment.”
Ants producer Davide Azzolini tells Variety that he reached out to Springsteen via his manager, David Landau, to see if Bruce would do the reading, which he felt would give the film a “more universal” appeal.
The Grapes of Wrath, of course, was written during the Great Depression and focuses on people who left their homes in the Dust Bowl region of the U.S. to travel to California seeking a better future. Springsteen’s song “The Ghost of Tom Joad” was inspired by the novel’s main character.
Azzolini says he wasn’t hopeful about Springsteen agreeing to the request, but a few weeks later, he was informed that Bruce “would tape [the reading] in his studio.”
A few days later, Azzolini says he was emailed “two different takes of his recordings.”
Ants, which was directed by Italian journalist and filmmaker Valerio Nicolosi, features footage shot on rescue vessels, in crowded migrant camps on the Greek island of Lesbos, and in the Balkans. The movie currently is being submitted to international film festivals.
Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Wednesday marks Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s 25th wedding anniversary, and Tim marked the occasion on social media by recounting the day they got engaged.
That day was actually the last in a string of several marriage proposals he gave to his fellow country superstar wife, Tim reveals: He’d asked Faith to marry him several times in the past, but she kept saying no.
“She said, ‘I’m not gonna get involved with another country singer. It’s just not gonna work out,’” he recalls. But something was different on that fateful day, when the couple were at an outdoor country festival in a trailer, and Tim was getting ready for his set.
“I had this…case that had this big mirror in it,” he explains. “She’s standing there, and we’re talking, and I said, ‘Look, let’s get married.’ And she says, ‘You’re asking me to marry you at a country music festival in a trailer house.’ I said, ‘Well, it’s pretty apropos, if you think about it.’”
Faith didn’t give Tim an answer then, and he went off to play his set. But when he returned to his trailer, he realized she’d finally accepted his proposal.
“Faith wasn’t there, but I looked at the mirror, and in lipstick, it said, ‘Yes! I’m gonna be your wife,’” he continued. “And we still have that mirror. It was the best day of my life, that’s for sure.”
Faith and Tim made it official on October 6, 1996, and have been inseparable ever since. The country superstar couple have since become parents to three daughters: Audrey, Maggie and Gracie.
25 years later and it’s still the best day of my life. Thanks for going on this journey with me. Love you @FaithHill ❤️ pic.twitter.com/DmxXCDnOH3
Ed Sheeran and Elton John have collaborated onstage, but never on record — until now.
The U.K.’s Official Charts Company reports that while speaking to NPO Radio 2, Ed revealed the news that he and Elton, whose company used to manage him, are teaming up for a Christmas single.
Ed explained that Elton called him up last December 25 to say Merry Christmas, but also to say that he wanted Ed to join him to do another holiday song, because his festive classic “Step Into Christmas” had returned to the British top 10.
No word yet on what the song’s title is, or when it will be released. However, the race to have the so-called “Christmas number one” — the song that’s at the top of the charts on December 25 — is a big deal in the U.K., and Official Charts now predicts that this song, whatever it is, will be a strong contender for the title.
Elton is set to release his album of collaborations, The Lockdown Sessions, on October 22, while Ed is putting out his new album, = (Equals), on October 29. While this Christmas single hasn’t appeared on either of those projects’ track listings, perhaps it’ll be added to the digital version of the releases.
Ray J is reportedly in Miami hospital battling pneumonia.
“Family with me. Just can’t be n here too much sickness,” the former Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood told Hollywood Unlocked. Previously, Ray J commented, “I been in here all by myself for a week,” and added that “no family members came to see me not even my wife.”
Ray J married Princess Love in 2016. They have two children: Melody, 3, and Epik, 1. Love filed for divorce in May 2020, but they called off the proceedings in March.
Last week, the 40-year-old rapper/actor showed love to his sister, Brandy, with an arm tattoo in her image. However, since then, he’s deleted all his Instagram posts.
Two weeks ago, Ray J’s former manager, Wack 100, claimed he has a second sex tape of him with Kim Kardashian that “was more graphic and better than the first one,” which was titled Kim Kardashian, Superstar. But Kim’s attorney, Marty Singer, says a second sex tape doesn’t exist.
“The claim that there is an unreleased sex tape is unequivocally false,” Singer told Page Six. “It is unfortunate that people make these statements to try and get their 15 minutes of fame
No guitarist? No problem. Chris Stapleton dropped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night to perform “You Should Probably Leave,” and when his guitar player couldn’t make it to the stage, the late-night show host himself stepped in as a replacement.
“I got a text last night from Chris,” Jimmy Fallon told the show audience, explaining that Dave Cobb — Chris’ producer and the guitar player booked to join him for the performance — had an earache and wasn’t able to travel.
“He couldn’t fly on the plane — he’s fine, he just couldn’t fly,” Jimmy went on to say. “[Chris] said, ‘I need a guitarist.’ And I said to Chris, ‘Say no more.’”
With that, Jimmy pulled a black electric guitar out from behind his desk, much to the excitement of the audience. “We actually got on the phone and FaceTimed last night, and [Chris] tried to teach me the lick and the chords of the song. I’m gonna try my best,” he added.”
Jimmy then joined Chris onstage, alongside Chris’ wife and backup singer Morgane Stapleton, and they launched into a rendition of “You Should Probably Leave.” The FaceTime lesson paid off, as Jimmy kept up with the musicians throughout the song, even taking a quick solo during the bridge.
“You Should Probably Leave” comes off the track list of Chris’ latest album, Starting Over.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) In a feature in the October/November issue of AARP The Magazine, Ricky Gervais talks about fame at 40, keeping sharp at 60, and how, he says, most people can no longer take a joke.
The writer, actor and comic didn’t find fame until the British version of The Office debuted when he was 40 — an age considered old by Hollywood standards. He recalled a conversation then with Jane Fallon, his partner since 1982.
“I…remember sitting around in a tux, drinking wine. I said to Jane, ‘Why didn’t I do this earlier?’ She said, ‘Because you wouldn’t have been any good.'”
Gervais’ The Office spawned international versions, including the Emmy-winning American one, and led to him hosting the Golden Globes five times, where he became notorious for his acerbic commentary.
“These aren’t rooms full of wounded soldiers,” Ricky huffs. “These are billionaires and the heads of massive media conglomerates. If you can’t punch at the richest, most privileged people, who can you have a go at?”
On that note, Ricky explains, “Every joke…somebody will get upset. I did a joke on Twitter that sums it up. ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’ Answer: ‘F*** you. My chicken was run over yesterday!’ What can you do?”
Gervais, whose After Life will return to Netflix for its third and final season in 2022, explains, “At 60, I’m like an old classic car. There are a few dings and dents….But my body is just a chassis. My brain is what I care about.”
“I want to stay sharp…I’ll find Albert Einstein on YouTube explaining the theory of relativity or I’ll listen to a podcast about the deep reaches of space. It almost makes me forget that when I play tennis now, my body hurts for three weeks, not three minutes.”
Adam Levine is changing up his look — and adding yet another tattoo to his extensive collection.
The Maroon 5 frontman is sporting a blue buzz cut and some brand-new neck ink, which he proudly showed off on Instagram. The tat is of a butterfly in a spider’s web, and Adam implied he got the ink done during the Facebook and Instagram outage earlier this week.
“Wise man once said…’when Instagram goes down…tattoo your throat…’ his name was @nathan_kostechko,” Adam captioned the pic, shouting out his tattoo artist.
The artist showed off the new ink on his own Instagram page, writing, “@adamlevine really went for it on this one.”
Adam has been slowly covering his body in tats for a while now. Back in August he showed off his massive leg tattoo that took 13 hours to complete.
(LOS ANGELES) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the “Momnibus Act” into law on Monday to address racial disparities in maternal and infant health, a victory especially for families of color.
The law will create a fund to grow and diversify the midwifery workforce, extend California’s Medicaid coverage for doulas — trained professionals who support mothers through pregnancies — and extend Medicaid eligibility for mothers experiencing postpartum depression from two to 12 months.
The law is part of a sweeping effort to change stark numbers in the state.
Black women in California are four to six times more likely to die within a year of pregnancy than white women, according to data from 2014 to 2016 compiled by the California Department of Public Health. Nationally, Black and American Indian women are two to three more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared with white women, according to a 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
In California, even though the state’s infant mortality is lower than the national average, Black babies still die at more than double the statewide average, lawmakers said in the bill.
Mashariki Kudumu, director of maternal and infant health initiatives for the March of Dimes in Los Angeles, helped work on “Momnibus.”
“We know in California, there’s about nine counties that don’t have an obstetric provider, areas known as maternity deserts. Especially during COVID, we’re seeing hospitals shut down their maternity units. Getting care has been a barrier for a lot of people during this time. And so being able to have more midwives that can provide prenatal care throughout the state, especially in these maternity deserts, will be a great benefit,” Kudumu said.
“Everyone deserves a healthy and joyous and dignified pregnancy birth. And this bill really does help do that,” she added.
The bill was authored by Democratic Sen. Nancy Skinner with support from statewide maternal health and racial justice groups.
A major part of the “Momnibus Act” is to have a committee improve data collection and reviews of maternal deaths in the state, including interviews of affected family members affected, to better study what contributes to maternal and infant mortality rates. The committee plans to publish findings and recommendations every three years.
Some of the bill’s provisions already had been included in the 2021-22 state budget, including the establishment of a guaranteed income pilot program for pregnant low-income Californians and extensions of Medicaid coverage.
The legislation applies to all women who need but can’t afford the services, regardless of immigration status.
Tiffany Sagote, an obstetric medical assistant in San Francisco who’s pregnant with her third child, told ABC News the law is “super special for women of color who have often been overlooked in health care, professionally and emotionally, during such a beautiful milestone in our life.”
“The most exciting thing,” she added, “is receiving an extension of postpartum management with Medi-Cal, like mental health services, which at times are often cut short for women of color … there is an idea in the Black community where, like, needing help is kind of taboo or a sign of failure. But in reality, it is the best thing to help us maintain a solid foundation and give our children the best version of ourselves.”
She said having diverse doulas and midwives will help expectant mothers be able to advocate for themselves, especially when they aren’t listened to.
“I have unfortunately experienced it myself, seen and dealt with racism and mistreatment in the health care field that leads to the statistics among black mothers and infants,” Sagote continued. “Having more access to Black and Indigenous doulas will help mothers not feel intimidated to stand up for themselves in a medical setting.”
Kudumu said the bill’s services will lessen stress among mothers of color or those who come from low-income backgrounds.
“We know Black women have a preterm birth rate that’s higher than other women in California. Adjusting some of the reasons behind that — in terms of stress, in terms of racism, economic opportunities — is important,” she said.
Nourbese Flint, executive director of the Black Women for Wellness Action Project, joined the signing ceremony with her 7-week-old baby and called the bill signed on Monday her “second baby.”
While she called the law “a win,” she said that “there’s still more work to do.”
Stacey Stewart, president and CEO of March of Dimes, said the organization is pushing for a federal version of California’s “Momnibus,” a version of which was reintroduced this session with the support of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
“California passing its ‘Momnibus’ is also a model for what other states can do as well. And we hope we hope other states will look to California for that leadership,” Stewart said. “If fully implemented, and fully funded [on a federal level], we should have every expectation that there should be a significant increase in health outcomes for moms and babies of color.
After Verzuz teased their next battle with silhouettes that fans quickly identified as Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One, it’s now confirmed. The two New York City hip hop icons will square off on October 17 at Barclays Center in NYC.
“One time for the Culture!!!” Kane wrote on Instagram with a poster for the event. “I hope you’re ready!!! This one is for Hip-Hop!!! Verzuz commented.
During the summer, the “Ain’t No Half Steppin'” rapper told HipHopDX that he wanted to go up against KRS, whose birth name is Kris Parker.
“KRS is a battle rapper, so it’s going to be me and him,” Kane said. “I think we should do the music for the fans but also do a few rounds of battle rap.
Kane is celebrating 35 years in hip hop after launching his career in 1986 as a member of The Juice Crew. He performed a tribute to his late friend, Biz Markie, on the BET Hip Hop Awards, which aired Tuesday night.
KRS-One also began his career in the ‘80s. He was a member of Boogie Down Productions, and began the Stop the Violence movement after his partner, Scott La Rock, was shot and killed in 1987. Tupac and Eminem are among the many rappers who praised him as one of their strongest influences.
Fat Joe and Ja Rule starred in the previous Verzuz, held on September 14 at Madison Square Garden in NYC, where Nelly, Ashanti, Jadakiss and Remy Ma were among the featured performers.
Tickets for the Big Daddy Kane/KRS-One battle are now on sale on the Barclays Center website. You can also watch on VerzuzTV.com.
Tame Impala has announced a deluxe version of The Slow Rush.
The Kevin Parker-led group’s latest album, which was released in February 2020, will be available as an expanded box set on February 18, 2022. The collection includes the original record spread over two vinyl LPs, two 12-inch discs of remixes, and a seven-inch B-sides single.
Additionally, you’ll find various photos and artwork, as well as a Slow Rush-themed calendar for the year 2050, should the Earth make it that long.
Should you not want to splurge for the whole box set, the collection of remixes and B-sides will be available as a standalone digital release. That’ll be out February 18, as well.
Meanwhile, rumor has it that Tame Impala will be collaborating with the one-and-only Diana Ross. That’s according to the U.K. tabloid The Sun, which claims that the iconic singer will be collaborating with Parker and company on a song off her upcoming new album.
