Tag Archives: pop music

Newsweek reports: Bryan Adams has come under fire for blaming the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on “fucking bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy bastards.” In a post on Instagram Monday, the Canadian singer-songwriter lamented that a number of his gigs being canceled and appeared to suggest the source of the coronavirus could be traced to wet markets that …

Rolling Stone reports: Little Richard, a founding father of rock and roll whose fervent shrieks, flamboyant garb, and joyful, gender-bending persona embodied the spirit and sound of that new art form, died Saturday. He was 87.  Starting with “Tutti Frutti” in 1956, Little Richard cut a series of unstoppable hits – “Long Tall Sally” and “Rip It Up” that same …

Billboard reports: Florian Schneider of German electronic band Kraftwerk has died, Billboard has confirmed. He was 73. In a statement, Kraftwerk co-founder Ralf Hütter confirms “the very sad news that his friend and companion over many decades Florian Schneider has passed away from a short cancer disease just a few days after his 73rd birthday.” Kraftwerk — with its use …

USA Today reports: Madonna revealed that she has tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. “Took a test the other day. And I found out that I have the antibodies,” the singer, 61, said in her latest Madame X-themed “Quarantine Diary” on Instagram Thursday. “So tomorrow,” Madonna added, “I’m just going to go for a long drive in a car, and I’m …

ABC News reports: Everybody’s favorite singing frog has made a special video of one of his beloved classic. The Muppets’ official YouTube page posted a video of Kermit the Frog performing “Rainbow Connection.” The video simply shows the well-known Disney character strumming the tune on his banjo in front of a swampy background as if performing a stay at home …

The Hill reports: A cadre of renowned musicians on Saturday helped raised more than $127 million for the World Health Organization (WHO) and other regional charities working to address the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The massive fundraising haul came via “One World: Together At Home,” an 8-hour virtual concert organized by international advocacy group Global Citizen and Lady Gaga …

Billboard Magazine reports: World Health Organization and Global Citizen are teaming up for their massive worldwide special, One World: Together at Home, on Saturday (April 18) to support and applaud healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19. Curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga, the jam-packed event features Alicia Keys, Amy Poehler, Awkwafina, Camila Cabello, Celine Dion, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, …

USA Today reports: Ticketmaster has updated the wording of its refund policy for postponed events, and customers are not happy. With large gatherings across the nation either canceled or postponed due to the spread of coronavirus, many ticket-holders are seeking refunds for concerts, sports and other events. According to an image captured by the The New York Times, a page …

Rolling Stone reports: John Prine, who for five decades wrote rich, plain-spoken songs that chronicled the struggles and stories of everyday working people and changed the face of modern American roots music, died Tuesday at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He was 73. The cause was complications related to COVID-19, his family confirmed to Rolling Stone. Prine, who left behind …

The Associated Press reports: Lady Gaga and advocacy organization Global Citizen have raised $35 million to fight the coronavirus and will launch a TV special featuring Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Billie Eilish to combat the growing virus. Gaga said on Monday that the money was raised in seven days and will benefit The World Health Organization. The pop star …

Philadelphia’s Fox affiliate reports: Doylestown native Pink revealed that she has recovered from COVID-19 and is donating $1 million in the fight against the virus. The singer took to social media to share the news Friday night.  Pink also expressed her support for the healthcare workers on the front lines and pleaded with the public to stay home. She is …

Billboard Magazine reports: Bill Withers, the former Navy man and commercial aircraft worker who became one of music’s most revered poet laureates, has died. The Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member died Monday (March 30) in Los Angeles from heart complications. He was 81 years old. Arriving front and center on the music scene at …

Variety reports: Vocalist Kenny Rogers, who dominated the pop and country charts in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of sleekly tailored hits and won three Grammys, has died. He was 81. Rogers “passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family,” a representative for the singer said in a …

Vulture reports: There are so few things that bring us together on a global scale, and coronavirus is determined to be the last one standing. For the first time in the competition’s 64-year history, the Eurovision Song Contest is canceled, according to the European Broadcasting Union. The singing competition was originally meant to take place May 12 through May 16 …

CBS News Los Angeles reports: The blockbuster Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is being pushed back six months to October due to concern over the spread of coronavirus. One of the world’s largest music events, this year’s festival was originally set for two successive weekends, kicking off April 12 and April 17 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. …

The New York Times reports: The 34th annual edition of South by Southwest, the sprawling festival of music, technology and film in Austin, Texas, that has become a highlight on the annual global cultural calendar, was canceled by city officials on Friday over fears about the rapid spread of coronavirus. Festival organizers and government officials had come under intense pressure …

Rolling Stone reports: Public Enemy announced they are permanently “moving forward” without Flavor Flav, firing one of hip-hop’s most memorable hypemen after more than 35 years. The abrupt dismissal comes just two days after the rapper sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bernie Sanders over Chuck D’s concert at the campaign’s Los Angeles rally Sunday. “Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio …

NBC News reports: Village People, the American disco group behind the hits “YMCA,” “Macho Man” and “In the Navy,” has given the go-ahead for President Donald Trump to plays its songs at events, despite being “inundated” with requests from fans urging the band to block the president’s use of the music. Trump most recently played Village People’s 1978 track “Macho …

Rolling Stone reports: Neil Young has never hidden his contempt for Donald Trump, but now that he’s officially an American citizen, he’s raising his voice even louder. “You are a disgrace to my country,” Young writes in a long, scathing open letter to Trump on his Neil Young Archives website. “Your mindless destruction of our shared natural resources, our environment, …

Variety reports: It takes a lot to make a performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” before the NBA All-Star Game trend higher on social media than the game itself, but Chaka Khan has managed what Fergie was able to two years ago, with a unique rendering of the National Anthem that threatened to render anything that followed an afterthought. In …