Jay-Z makes history, reaching ‘Billboard’ top 10 in four consecutive decades

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Jay-Z has set another chart record: He’s reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in four consecutive decades.

The Roc Nation CEO is featured on Drake’s “Love All,” from the Certified Lover Boy album, which debuted this week at number ten. Hova joins Mariah Carey as the only artist to earn top-ten singles in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and now the 2020s, according to Chart Data. His top tens include “Heartbreaker” in 1999 with Mariah, “Empire State of Mind” in 2009 with Alicia Keys, and “Holy Grail,” featuring Justin Timberlake, in 2013.

Jay is also one of only eight artists to achieve ten number-one albums on the Billboard 200. He has 14 number ones, second to The Beatles, who continue to hold the record, with 19.

As previously reported, the 51-year-old sports and entertainment mogul personally recorded his wife Beyoncé singing “Moon River” for the new Tiffany ABOUT LOVE campaign.

In other news, it’s rumored that Jay, who is a consultant to the NFL, is in talks to become pro football’s first Black owner. Front Office Sports reports that he’s among the potential suitors to buy the Denver Broncos for an estimated $4 billion.

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‘More Than a Voice’: Kenny Chesney part of SEC documentary series

Danny Clinch

Kenny Chesney continues to fuel his passion for football in the upcoming film, More Than a Voice.

As part of the long-running sports documentary series SEC StoriedMore Than a Voice spotlights famous SEC broadcasters including John Ward, the sportscaster at University of Tennessee that the country superstar grew up idolizing in his native Knoxville.  

“Within the SEC, I think everyone has that voice,” Kenny shares in the trailer for the 90-minute film that he also executive-produced. 

“It was important for me to be a part of this film because John Ward was such a big part of my life growing up and loving sports in east Tennessee. With his voice and his words, he painted a picture of Tennessee football that captured my imagination and the imaginations of so many,” Kenny explains in a statement. “Meeting him was one of the highlights of my life — and I’m thrilled to be a small part of this film that sheds light on his genius and so many of the other voices who have made the Southeastern Conference really special.”

More Than a Voice premieres on September 26 at 7 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

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Mastodon announces fall tour with Opeth

Credit: Clay Patrick McBride

Mastodon has announced a U.S. tour for this fall.

The trek, which will be a co-headlining run with Opeth, is set to kick off November 16 in Asheville, North Carolina, and will wrap up December 5 in Denver. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 17, at 10 a.m. local time.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit MastodonRocks.com.

Mastodon will be touring in support of their upcoming album, Hushed and Grim, which arrives October 29. The record includes the single “Pushing the Tides.”

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Cole Swindell’s mother has passed away

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Cole Swindell‘s mother, Betty Carol Rainey, has passed away. 

The singer announced the news on his Instagram Stories on Monday night, posting a photo from the sky in an airplane as he was flying back to his home state of Georgia.

“Took this on the flight home to Georgia this afternoon. Lost my sweet Mom today. I know she’s up there. Gonna miss her so much. Love y’all,” Cole writes alongside the photo, which shows the sun shining through the clouds.

He did not provide specific details on her passing.  

Betty Rainey’s death comes eight years after Cole’s father, William Keith Swindell, passed away suddenly at the age of 65. He served as the inspiration for Cole’s hit 2015 single, “You Should Be Here.”

Cole is currently opening for Thomas Rhett on the Center Point Road Tour.

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Jon Bon Jovi to be honored at NYC’s Salute to Freedom Gala in November

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for LOVE ROCKS NYC/God’s Love We Deliver

New York’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will honor Jon Bon Jovi this November at its 2021 Salute to Freedom gala.

Jon will receive the 2021 Intrepid Lifetime Achievement Award for his Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which helps low-income individuals and veterans find affordable housing and shelter.  The Foundation also runs three JBJ Soul Kitchen community restaurants that allow diners to work to pay for their meal, or give other diners the chance to pay for others’ meals.

In addition, Jon is being honored for opening the Walter Reed veterans housing facility in 2019, which provided homes for 77 veterans.  The other honoree is music industry executive Bob Pittman, who helped found MTV.

In a statement, the president of the Intrepid Museum says, “This year’s honorees go above and beyond for the important causes they care so deeply about, [such as] Jon Bon Jovi’s continued service to our country’s military heroes and those suffering food and shelter insecurity…We are honored to recognize the great work of these trailblazers, and we thank them for their immeasurable contributions.”

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Report: Rolling Stones members weren’t able to attend Charlie Watts’ funeral due to COVID-19 restrictions

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Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts was laid to rest last week but, according to U.K. newspaper The Sun, his band mates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood were not able to attend the funeral because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The paper reports that small private ceremony for Watts was held in Devon, U.K., but because the band was in Boston rehearsing for The Stones’ upcoming U.S. tour, they weren’t allowed to travel back to their home country for the services.

The Sun also reports that it was the wishes of Watts’ family that the funeral took place secretly, without much attention.

According to the newspaper, an inside source said that The Rolling Stones plan to pay tribute to Watts at their upcoming concerts, and also are organizing a celebration of his life that will be held in the U.K. later in 2021.

Watts died on August 24 at the age 80. As previously reported, before his death, Charlie had handpicked lauded session drummer Steve Jordan to step in for him on the band’s forthcoming trek.

The Stones’ 2021 No Filter Tour of the U.S. kicks off September 26 in St. Louis and is mapped out through a November 20 show in Austin, Texas.

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Selena Gomez’s ‘Only Murders in the Building’ picked up for season two

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Selena Gomez’s murder-mystery Hulu series, Only Murders in the Building, has been picked up for season two.

The series, in which Selena stars alongside comedy greats Steve Martin and Martin Short, debuted as the most-watched Hulu Original comedy on its premiere day on August 31. It was also the most-watched comedy on premiere day across all streaming video-on-demand titles ever on the platform.

Only Murders in the Building has been a critical success as well, maintaining a 100% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score.

“So ready for this!! Season 2!!!” Selena wrote on her Instagram Story Tuesday.

Only Murders in the Building follows three true crime-obsessed strangers who come together when a crime occurs in their own apartment building. A new episode debuts today.

And in other singers who are also actors news, Olivia Rodrigo’s Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series has been picked up for season three.

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Listen to the new Five for Fighting song “Blood on My Hands”

Courtesy of Five for Fighting

Five for Fighting has released a new single called “Blood on My Hands,” inspired by the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

John Ondrasik, who records under the Five for Fighting name, wrote the song the day when 13 U.S. soldiers and more than 60 Afghans were killed by a suicide bomber, and he’d talked to a friend who was organizing the evacuation of civilians from the country.  “It was a highly emotional call and moment of clarity,” he says in a statement.

While John says he wasn’t motivated politically to write the song, he notes that, “like all Americans,” he was “stunned and horrified” by the images of people trying desperately to leave the country before the Taliban took over.

“I am deeply troubled by the plight of Afghan women forced to live under the return of Taliban rule, and felt great sadness when reading a story about a popular folk singer…being dragged from his home and shot by the Taliban,” says John.

He continues, “There is a great tradition of artists speaking their minds and calling out their leaders for answers. Many of those have been inspirations to me. I understand that this song might be perceived by some as a political attack, but those who follow me know I am an American with a history of calling out both sides.”

“After hearing ‘Blood on My Hands,’ a friend said that he found the song to be politically neutral, but morally-forward,” he adds.”My hope is that this song helps demand accountability, so the American promise is not forsaken.”

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Reese Witherspoon shares status update on ‘Legally Blonde 3’

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Reese Witherspoon is letting fans know that they have to wait a little while longer to watch Elle Woods and company return to the big screen in Legally Blonde 3. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the actress said that the movie is still very early in its planning stages.

“We don’t have a script yet!,” she exclaimed of the script that is currently being penned by Mindy Kaling, before assuring, “Mindy’s busy. Mindy’s working hard on it.”

“I know she is. And she and I just love each other,” she continued. “We have a great laugh just thinking about, ‘What would Elle Woods be doing right now?'”

Jennifer Aniston, who joined Witherspoon for the interview to promote their upcoming second season of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, also noted that her co-star is also “a little busy.” But the Friends alum appeared intrigued by what a potential Legally Blonde 3 plot would look like, and asked Witherspoon what Elle Woods would be up to nearly 20 years after the second sequel: Red, White and Blonde.

“So many things have changed, but then some things are just so similar,” Reese replied rather cryptically, but refused to delve further.

That led to a hilarious exchange with the possibility of Aniston making a cameo in the upcoming comedy, which ended with her remarking, “I’ll be illegally blonde.”

Legally Blonde was released in 2001, followed by Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde in 2003. A release date for the third Legally Blonde film, which was confirmed by Witherspoon in 2018, has not yet been announced.

  

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SCOTUS allowing Texas to mostly ban abortions ‘very bad’ but not political: Justice Breyer

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(NEW YORK) — Justice Stephen Breyer said Tuesday the Supreme Court’s recent 5-4 decision allowing Texas to effectively ban abortion across the state was “very bad” but not politically motivated.

“We don’t trade votes, and members of the court have different judicial philosophies,” Breyer, the court’s most senior liberal justice, told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“Some emphasize more text. … Some, like me, probably emphasize more purposes. And the great divisions are probably much more along those lines than what we would think of as political lines,” Breyer said.

“I thought that was a very bad decision and I dissented,” he said.

The court’s denial of the request from Texas abortion providers to temporarily put state law SB8 on hold also drew sharp criticism from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote in dissent that the court chose to “ignore its constitutional obligations … the sanctity of its precedents and of the rule of law.”

Breyer explained that “a rule of law means you sometimes follow decisions you don’t like.”

The 83-year-old justice has published a new book — “The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics” — defending the Supreme Court as a nonpartisan institution whose power depends on credibility among Americans of all viewpoints.

“That’s a treasure, and it’s been built up over many many years,” Breyer told Stephanopoulos.

“I am worried if people don’t understand it,” he said, “they won’t have trust in our institutions. And if they don’t have trust in institutions, it becomes difficult if not impossible to live in a society of 331 million people of tremendous diversity.”

Breyer, the court’s oldest member, has come under intense pressure from progressives to step down while Democrats control the Senate and White House.

He told GMA that he is thinking about retirement but has not yet made a decision on timing.

“There are many different considerations,” Breyer said. “I do not intend to die there on the court; I hope not.”

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