State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
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The estate of Johnny Cash has brought a lawsuit accusing Coca-Cola of illegally hiring a tribute singer to mimic the country legend’s voice in a college football advertisement.
The federal court complaint, filed on Tuesday (Nov. 25) in Nashville, is the first high-profile case to be brought under Tennessee’s recently enacted ELVIS Act. Effective last summer, the novel statute expanded the state’s right of publicity to explicitly protect a person’s voice from nonconsensual exploitation.
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The John R. Cash Revocable Trust, which manages the estate of the singer who died in 2003, takes issue with a new song in a Coca-Cola commercial that’s been airing during college football games since August. The lawsuit claims the voice behind the jingle sounds “remarkably” similar to Cash’s signature bass-baritone — and that, in fact, it’s the voice of a professional Cash tribute performer named Shawn Barker.
“Stealing the voice of an artist is theft. It is theft of his integrity, identity and humanity,” wrote a lawyer for the Cash estate, Tim Warnock of Loeb & Loeb. “The trust brings this lawsuit to protect the voice of Johnny Cash — and to send a message that protects the voice of all of the artists whose music enriches our lives.”
According to the lawsuit, the Cash estate regularly licenses out the legendary performer’s intellectual property. For example, his songs “Ragged Old Flag” and “Personal Jesus” have both been featured in Super Bowl telecasts. But the estate says Coca-Cola “never even bothered to ask the trust for a license” before using a voice soundalike in its commercial.
“This case arises from Coca-Cola’s pirating Johnny Cash’s voice in a nationwide advertising campaign to enrich itself — without asking for permission or providing any compensation to the humble man and artist who created the goodwill from which Coca-Cola now profits,” reads the complaint.
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The estate is asking for a court injunction that would take the ad off screens, plus financial damages for Coca-Cola’s alleged violation of Cash’s rights of publicity under the ELVIS Act. Damages are also sought for supposed violations of a Tennessee consumer protection statute and a federal law against false endorsements.
Coca-Cola did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday (Nov. 26). A rep for Barker, who is not a defendant in the lawsuit, told Billboard the tribute singer’s team was “thrilled when we were approached to have Shawn sing vocals for this commercial.”
“Shawn Barker has been performing with his Cash tribute ‘The Man in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash’ for over two decades, touring the world sharing his love of Johnny Cash’s music and stories with fans both old and new,” added Barker’s manager, Joey Waterman.
This is the first major lawsuit to take advantage of Tennessee’s new voice protections under the ELVIS Act, short for the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act of 2024. It’s worth noting, though, that there is no allegation of artificial intelligence-powered voice mimicking in the Coca-Cola commercial, which Tennessee lawmakers were vocal about curbing when they expanded the state’s right of publicity law last year.
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Rather, the Cash estate’s lawsuit follows in the footsteps of historic litigation brought by artists over sound-alike singers mimicking their voices. Bette Midler famously sued Ford over a series of commercials featuring impersonator vocals in the 1980s, winning a precedent-setting victory that established voices as protectable rights of publicity in California.
Midler’s case limited these enforcement rights to the commercial advertising context — that is, advertisements that use a celebrity’s likeness to make it appear they’re endorsing a product. This same limitation applies to most laws in the patchwork of state-level publicity rights throughout the United States. However, the newly minted ELVIS Act is different: It expands liability so that one can sue any individual for trampling their publicity rights in Tennessee.
The Cash estate’s Coca-Cola lawsuit stays in the traditional commercial lane. But now that the ELVIS Act is in effect, it’s possible we’ll see more novel right of publicity lawsuits brought over soundalikes in recorded songs.
Rick Astley waded into this area in 2023, before the ELVIS Act was passed, by suing Yung Gravy for mimicking his voice in the rapper’s breakout hit “Betty (Get Money).” That case, which sparked debate about the commercial limits of publicity rights, settled before a judge could rule on its merits.
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Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne is mourning the loss of his son Ethan, who died Nov. 25 at age 52.
On Wednesday (Nov. 26), the singer-songwriter revealed the death of his son in a Facebook post, writing, “It is with deep sorrow that we share that on the morning of November 25, 2025, Ethan Browne, the son of Jackson Browne and Phyllis Major, was found unresponsive in his home and has passed away. We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time. No further details are available at this moment.”
Ethan Browne was born Nov. 2, 1973. He was known as a model, musician and an actor, with roles in the films Raising Helen (alongside actress/singer Kate Hudson), Hackers, and the television series Birds of Prey. As a musician, Browne also teamed with Cat Colbert to form the duo Alain Zane. They released the 2022 album Right Before Your Eyes and issued songs including “CA State of Mind” and “Kite.”
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In 1974, just six months after he was born, Ethan appeared with his father on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
Phyllis Major and Jackson Browne were wed in 1975; the following year, Major died at age 30 due to an overdose. Jackson Browne wed Lynne Sweeney in 1981 and they welcomed son Ryan in 1982; the couple divorced in 1983.
Jackson Browne is an eight-time Grammy nominee, with his 1977 album Running on Empty earning an overall album of the year Grammy nomination (the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever would take home the trophy). Among Browne’s other Grammy nominations over the years are nods for best Americana album (Downhill From Everywhere) and best rock vocal performance, male (for “Boulevard”). As a songwriter, he’s seen artists ranging from the Eagles to Nico record his songs.
In 2004, Browne was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springsteen. Three years later, Browne was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His 1980 album Hold Out topped the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, while he also earned top five albums on that same chart with 1976’s The Pretender and 1977’s Running on Empty. He earned top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100 with 1972’s “Doctor My Eyes” and 1982’s “Somebody’s Baby.” The latter was recorded for the soundtrack of the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Trending on Billboard Cam’ron and Mase are always roasting someone on It Is What It Is, and on the latest episode of their talk show, the pair of Harlem rappers playfully clowned each other’s wardrobe choices of the past. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Murda brought up Cam’s Epic Records debut album cover, […]
Trending on Billboard Mike Stoller, who co-wrote such legendary songs as “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Charlie Brown” and “Poison Ivy” with songwriting partner Jerry Lieber, has taken another step to ensure his musical legacy lives on. Stoller and his wife, jazz harpist and pianist Corky Stoller, are celebrating the dedication of the Mike & Corky […]
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Shakira continues to break her own record for concerts in Mexico with her historic Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour. Mexican promoter OCESA announced on Wednesday (Nov. 26) that the Colombian superstar has added three more dates to her tour for February 2026, bringing the total to 31 shows for her highly-successful tour in the Latin American country.
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The three new concerts on the tour—the highest-grossing tour by a Latin woman in history—include one at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City on February 27. The Barranquilla native set a milestone this year by performing 12 shows, the most of any single tour at the iconic venue formerly known as Foro Sol, where she sold 65,000 tickets per night, according to OCESA, for a total of 780,000.
Before that, the singer will perform at the Víctor Manuel Reyna Stadium in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, on February 21, and at the Carlos Iturralde Stadium in Mérida, Yucatán, on February 24.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer kicked off the Mexican leg of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour in March with seven dates at the GNP Seguros Stadium. In a second leg, she added five concerts between August and September at the same venue in Mexico City. It’s the biggest tour in the country’s history, with performances that broke all-time records for attendance, ticket sales, and number of consecutive stadium shows.
In July, Shakira reached another milestone by selling one million tickets in Mexico as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, according to figures from OCESA, out of a total of 28 dates completed by September 24.
Currently, the singer-songwriter is completing the South American leg of her tour, with stops in Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina until December 15, before traveling to Hollywood, Florida, where she has three dates scheduled at the Hard Rock Live from the 27th to the 29th.
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Missy Elliott says fans have been urging her to get her song from the Shark Tale soundtrack on streaming.
In a post on X, Missy tagged both Universal Music Group and Geffen Records and pleaded with them to put “Car Wash” — the closing song from the 2004 Dreamworks animated film Shark Tale — up on streaming. The rap legend had responded to a fan who appeared devastated that the song wasn’t available to listen to.
“@UMG @GeffenRecords the fans tagged me wanting to know why the song ‘Car Wash’ on #Sharktale soundtrack not on streaming sites,” she wrote. “Can you please help out because many of them have been asking as you can see and miss it.”
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“Car Wash” closed out the film, and was sung by Christina Aguilera and featured Missy. Most of her bars were of course shark related, including, “Y’all can make your bets, y’all small tuna fish, I’m one big catch/ Shark slayer, bow down player.”
In other news, Victoria Monet recently praised Missy, and said it was beyond time to give the rapper her flowers.
When asked why, Monet explained that Missy can still rock out when she needs to.
“Her show is incredible,” Monet said while walking the red carpet at the Femme It Forward Give Her FlowHERS Gala. “She’s still performing, like, she’s in her 20s, and I feel like we haven’t given her her moment, like, the tribute show and the, you know, events like this where she can get her flowers…I feel like we just need a few more of those for her, because she’s incredible, and she’s done so much, and influenced a lot of our childhoods.”
Check out the tweet below.
.@UMG .@GeffenRecords the fans tagged me wanting to know why the song “Car Wash” on #Sharktale soundtrack not on some streaming sites…Can you please help out because many of them have been asking as you can see and miss it🙏🏾☺️— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) November 25, 2025
Trending on Billboard On the red carpet of the CMA Awards 2025, we caught up with Brett Young, Cooper Alan and many more to debate when they put up their Christmas decorations and whether there is such a thing as “too early.” Rania Aniftos: This is very controversial, so answer carefully: Do you decorate for […]
Trending on Billboard A Los Angeles County grand jury has reportedly heard evidence from prosecutors tied to the death of teenager Celeste Rivas, who was found dead in the trunk of a Tesla registered to singer D4vd in September. According to the Los Angeles Times, an LAPD detective has classified Rivas’ death as a murder […]
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KPop Demon Hunters‘ chart dominance extends into October, as Billboard‘s Top Movie Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), again occupying the October 2025 ranking’s top seven.
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Rankings for the Top Movie Songs chart are based on song and film data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of September 2025. The ranking generally includes newly released films from the preceding three months, with exceptions given to movies whose music is still experiencing a high volume of public interest.
Despite its June premiere, KPop Demon Hunters has remained a pop culture force, paced by its multiweek Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Golden” by HUNTR/X, which also stays at the top of the latest Top Movie Songs ranking. In October 2025, it earned 177 million official on-demand U.S. streams and sold 38,000 downloads, according to Luminate. The track also led the Hot 100 for two weeks that month (Oct. 4-11) and has spent the most recent five frames at No. 2.
The rest of Top Movie Songs’ top seven is occupied by songs from the fictional KPop Demon Hunters groups HUNTR/X and Saja Boys, plus soloists EJAE and Andrew Choi, with Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop” leading the rest of the pack at No. 2 (88.2 million streams, 12,000 downloads).
After KPop Demon Hunters, the top song comes from Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, the Bruce Springsteen biopic that premiered on Oct. 24. Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” appears at No. 8 with 2.1 million streams and 1,000 downloads; it was his first top 20 on the Hot 100 in its day, eventually peaking at No. 5 in 1980.
See the full top 10, also featuring music from Gabby’s Dollhouse and Tron: Ares, below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Film1. “Golden,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters2. “Soda Pop,” Saja Boys, KPop Demon Hunters3. “How It’s Done,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters4. “Your Idol,” Saja Boys, KPop Demon Hunters5. “What It Sounds Like,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters6. “Takedown,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters7. “Free,” EJAE & Andrew Choi, KPop Demon Hunters8. “Hungry Heart,” Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere9. “Sunroof,” Nicky Youre & Dazy, Gabby’s Dollhouse10. “Who Wants To Live Forever?,” Nine Inch Nails & Judeline, Tron: Ares
Green Wednesday is here, and for those of us who indulge, you’re well aware of what the day signifies, but no worries if you don’t, as we’ll educate you. For this year’s Green Wednesday, we have a handful of goods and deals worth checking out, so that “cousin walk” will be a bit more interesting than usual.
With the legality of hemp-derived THC and cannabis products facing a potential industry-shifting ban, there is a bit of a cloud hanging over the industry. Sure, there were plenty of bad actors who exploited the Farm Bill loophole and got products out without any of the regulations necessary to ensure quality and safety. But there are plenty of reputable companies in the space that test their products before pushing them out to the masses.
I personally enjoy THC products, whether hemp-derived or not, and just as I would say for someone who wishes to enjoy alcohol, you should carefully indulge in any product that can produce potential physical effects. Now, enough with my preaching about cannabis use and safety, let’s get on with it.
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Below, we’ll share a brief explainer of Green Wednesday from Weedmaps, one of my favorite ways to find the products I need on the legal market.
From Weedmaps:
Dubbed the Black Friday of cannabis, Green Wednesday is thought to have started in 2017 when a cannabis delivery company noted the drastic rise in cannabis sales the day before Thanksgiving. While the holiday season typically sees a significant uptick in sales, this particular Wednesday draws people to their local retailers in droves, and for good reason.
We’ll also share delivery services and other brands that ship products nationwide. As always, if you decide to purchase any of the products we’re featuring, do so responsibly and obey the laws of your respective states. This stuff is made for folks over the age of 21. Not every brand below has a special going on, and I only included folks that either pitched me, or I remembered to include, so sift through the links to see what’s what.
Happy Green Wednesday and Happy “Danksgiving” to boot.
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Photo: Getty
Alien Labs
Alien Labs is a brand we’ve featured before, and they’re upping the ante in the vaporizer cartridge game with their new Cold Chain offering. Combining two signature methods that they’ve become known for, Alien Labs’ Cold Chain looks to be a game-changer.
Learn more here.
Cantrip
Cantrip is another one of our favorites, and while I haven’t gotten a pitch from them in a while, I still rock with their movement. I love the taste and very manageable effects. Very true to the products they’re purported to be.
Learn more here.
Coast Cannabis Co.
Coast Cannabis Co. got a feature during our Halloween roundup, and we’re glad to feature them again. With a focus on edibles and vaporizer cartridges, the husband and wife team are bringing a quality product to the expanding northeast market.
Learn more here.
Cookies
Cookies is the creation of rapper and legendary cannabis entrepreneur Berner. The brand always has dope deals going on, and for “Danksgiving,” they’re putting on for the people.
Learn more here.
Crescent Canna Co.
Crescent Canna, based in New Orleans, specializes in THC drinks, edibles, and CBD products. The drinks are where the brand excels, with options like Wobble, which combines caffeine and THC, Crescent 9, a THC seltzer, and Zezi, which is non-sparkling THC water. I can personally vouch for Crescent 9 and Wobble being the real deal.
Learn more here.
CQ
CQ bills itself as the first cannabis beverage company, and with that much skin in the game, CQ’s portfolio has expanded to hemp-derived THC drinks. There are also dispensary-only drops at varying dosages, sizes, and flavors.
Learn more here.
DaySavers
DaySavers is all about flower delivery, if you can pick up what I’m putting down. What I mean is that between their pre-roll cones, cleverly named Filla Blunts, filters, and the Perfect Pack rolling machine, they’ve got the accessories game on lock.
Learn more here.
Edibles.com™
Edibles.com™ comes from the people behind the innovative Edible Arrangements brand. However, this service specializes in bringing hemp-derived products to your doorstep. Check out the site to see if they’re available in your neck of the woods.
Learn more here.
FLORA+BAST
FLORA+BAST is a brand we’ve featured before. Their approach to cannabis as it applies to overall wellness is refreshing, and they have products made for intimacy, alertness, and also cannabis-infused skincare.
Learn more here.
Hometown Hero
Finally got a pitch from the homies at Hometown Hero, thank goodness. Hopefully, they can survive the federal government’s overreach into their industry. The brand always has frequent deals and bundles, and this year is no different. They’re also in the CBD space, along with their hemp-derived THC items. Check out that Motherlode Bundle!
Learn more here.
Housing Works Cannabis Co
Housing Works Cannabis Co. is NewYork’s first legal cannabis dispensary, and is owned by the nonprofit organization Housing Works. Housing Works uses funds from sales to aid the organization’s commitment to helping stop the spread of unhoused individuals, putting a premium on available healthcare, and much more.
Learn more here.
LumiBloom
LumiBloom is another Black and woman-owned brand founded by MacKenzie McClain Hill. Focusing on beauty and overall wellness, LumiBloom makes CBD a centerpiece in some of its products, including bath salts, bath bombs, oils, and even hand sanitizer.
Learn more here.
Muha Meds
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Muha Meds has it all with potent pre-rolls, shockingly powerful all-in-one disposable cartridges, concentrates, and more. They’re also in the THCa game as well.
Learn more here.
Nowadays
Nowadays approaches the world of drinkable cannabis by meeting people where they are. With low dose to high dose ranges, you can determine your level with the promise of a gentle ease of a landing once the effects wane. We haven’t tried this one yet, but it does boast an impressive lineup.
Learn more here.
RAW
Most know RAW’s place in the cannabis world as the rolling paper of choice for many, and they’ve also got a large array of accessories and apparel as well. The brand’s Phoenix Lighter comes equipped with a handy wind guard and poker, and is also refillable.
Learn more here.
Oui’d Chef
Oui’d Chef is the creation of Lehua Brands, taking the concept of infused oils and boosting the product with THC. While home chefs have made their own infused oils over the years, Oui’d Chef takes some of the hard work and gives one exactly what they need via their cold-pressed olive oil from California, along with their truffle oil. Sign us up!
Learn more here.
Royal Queen Seeds
Royal Queen Seeds is one of the biggest seed banks in the world and has collaborations with the likes of brands like Tyson 2.0. For home growers and experts, RSQ has plenty of high-end options for those blessed with the green thumb.
Learn more here.
VITAE
Vitae is keeping things classic with glassware by way of its extensive lineup of bongs and dab rigs. While they have several pre-made options available, the company also offers a “build your own” glassware option.
Learn more here.
