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05 Sep 2023

Love & Hip Hop Gives Blackfishing Erica Mena The Boot After Calling Spice A Monkey

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Source: Albert L. Ortega / Getty / Erica Mena

Erica Mena, one of Love & Hip Hop’s long-time cast members, is now out of a job due to her reckless mouth.

Erica Mena and her forehead vein services will no longer be needed on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. Mena got the boot from the VH1 reality show after she called fellow cast member and Reggae superstar Spice a slur during one of those classic LHHATL tense moments.

The reality show announced Mena is not returning for the next season in a statement shared on the show’s official X account.

“The Love & Hip Hop franchise has never shied away from hard conversations in our community. Working hand-in-hand with our partners, viewers will see the impact of Erica Mena’s remarks play out in the final three episodes of the season. Effective immediately, she will not appear in the next season of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” the statement reads.

In the episode, Erica Mena and Spice tried to discuss their differences. Mena was not fond of Spice’s friendship with her ex and the father of her children, Safaree, who is now “dating” Love & Hip Hop: Miami star Amara La Negra.

The conversation goes entirely left when Spice claims that Mena’s 16-year-old son, King, “hates” his mother, leading to Mena literally flipping the table on Spice and fellow cast member Shekinah, who was trying to mediate peace between them.

Social Media Is Lit Erica Mena Up

Before she got fired, social media was on Mena’s ridiculously tanned a**, dragging her for filth on the X (formerly known as Twitter), which probably led to VH1’s decision.

“Erica Mena is a white latino racist cosplaying as black woman. To call THEE Spice BLACK & MONKEY then a BLUE to say she should’ve died? YOU DESERVE EVERYTHING THAT COMES TO YOU!! EVERY SINGLE THING!!,” one X User wrote. 

Another X user wrote, “The irony is, VH1/Viacom/Mona Scott saw this clip months ago and still decided to air it. It should’ve never seen the light of day and Erica Mena should’ve been let go immediately when it happened. They’re only doing this because of the outrage/backlash.” 

You can see more reactions in the gallery below.

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Photo: Albert L. Ortega / Getty

3. Howling

05 Sep 2023

Act Quick! These Top-Rated Noise-Canceling Headphones Are on Sale for Less Than $50

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

The best music is meant to be experienced, and you can’t do that with a lot of noise and distractions buzzing around in the background. That’s why more and more people are switching from their generic wired headphones to a pair of good active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones.

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Most ANC headphones will cost you into the hundreds of dollars, but right now, a surprise Amazon sale gets you the Soundcore by Anker Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones for just $44.99.

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Soundcore by Anker Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones

$44.99 $59.99 25% OFF

The Soundcore by Anker Life Q20 Headphones deliver hi-res music in crisp, clear detail, thanks to the Q20’s 40mm drivers. In terms of over-ear headphones, the brand’s BassUp technology is almost unmatched as it aims to conduct real-time analysis of low frequencies and strengthen bass output as needed. You can also customize your listening experience by double pressing the play button for an amplified listening experience — especially when jamming to genres such as EDM or hip-hop.

Ultimately, what you’re buying these headphones for, though, is their advanced noise-canceling technology. Anker’s headphones feature dual noise-detecting microphones that pick up and filter out up to 90% of ambient sound to ensure that nothing distracts you from your music.

The Anker Life Q20 deliver a whopping 40 hours of playtime in noise-canceling mode. Turn off ANC and get up to 60 hours. Need a quick boost? A short, five-minute charge gets you up to four hours of listening time.

The Anker noise-canceling headphones have a 4.5-star rating (out of five) with more than 47,000 five-star reviews. One shopper has even claimed the design and listening experience makes them “way better than AirPods.

This $45 deal not only gets you the Anker Life Q20 active noise-canceling headphones, but includes ultra-soft memory foam and protein leather earpads, charging cables and a travel case.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best earbuds under $50, celebrity headphones and commuter gadgets.

05 Sep 2023

Seven Weeks for ‘Seven’: Jung Kook & Latto Continue Atop Billboard Global Charts

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, fittingly notches a seventh week at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Sept. 9), encompassing its entire run on each ranking. Upon its debut, the song became the first leader on the lists for a member of BTS as a soloist.

Plus, Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” jumps to No. 2 on each chart; Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, opens at No. 4 on the Global 200; Miley Cyrus’ “Used To Be Young” debuts at No. 6 on the Global 200; and Karol G and Peso Pluma’s “Qlona” climbs 15-8 on Global Excl. U.S. and 12-9 on the Global 200.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

‘Seven’ = 7 Weeks Atop Global 200

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, aptly adds a seventh week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200, with 97 million streams and 12,000 sold worldwide Aug. 25-31. The song is the first of 2023 to debut atop the Global 200 and spend its first seven weeks at No. 1, surpassing Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” which logged its first six weeks on the chart on top beginning in January.

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” rises 3-2 on the Global 200, with 64.2 million streams (up 29%) and 9,000 sold (up 41%) worldwide. It passes “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA (No. 3 peak, May 2021), for her best career rank on the chart.

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” rebounds to its No. 3 Global 200 high, from No. 4.

Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kavey Musgraves, opens at No. 4 on the Global 200 with 38.3 million streams and 11,000 sold worldwide, marking each singer-songwriter’s first top 10. Bryan previously reached a No. 23 best with “Something in the Orange” in October 2022, while Musgraves makes her first visit to the chart. As previously reported, song launches at No. 1 on the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100, while parent album Zach Bryan bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” holds at No. 5 on the Global 200, after reaching No. 3.

Miley Cyrus’ “Used To Be Young” starts on the Global 200 at No. 6, with 39.4 million streams and 27,000 sold worldwide from its release Aug. 25 through Aug. 31. Cyrus scores her third top 10, following “Flowers” (No. 1 for 13 total weeks) and “Without You,” with The Kid LAROI (No. 10, 2021).

Plus, Karol G and Peso Pluma’s “Qlona” charges 12-9 on the Global 200, up 15% to 45.8 million streams worldwide. The pair’s first collaboration marks Karol G’s fifth top 10 and Peso Pluma’s fourth on the tally.

“Qlona” also leaps 15-8 on Global Excl. U.S., gaining by 23% to 34 million streams outside the U.S. It’s Karol G’s sixth top 10 on the chart and Peso Pluma’s fourth.

Jung Kook & Latto Also Lead Global Excl. U.S.

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, concurrently tops the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a seventh week, with 88.2 million streams and 8,000 sold outside the U.S. Aug. 25-31. As on the Global 200, the song is the first this year to begin atop Global Excl. U.S. and spend its first seven weeks at No. 1, besting Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” which led in its first six chart weeks, starting in January.

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” roars 7-2 on Global Excl. U.S., with 39.8 million streams (up 36%) and 2,000 sold (up 64%) outside the U.S. She achieves her highest placement on the chart, surpassing “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA (No. 5, May 2021).

Myke Towers’ “LaLa” dips 2-3 on Global Excl. U.S., after it led for a week in July; Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” climbs to a new No. 4 best, from No. 5; and Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” drops to No. 5 from its No. 3 high.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Sept. 9, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 6, a day later than usual due to the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. yesterday, Sept. 4). For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

05 Sep 2023

Reneé Rapp’s Debut Tour Has Sold More Than 100,000 Tickets Already

When Reneé Rapp’s manager and talent agent began routing the singer-actress’ debut 2023 tour, they opted to break a key rule in the touring business – always play the smaller venues before playing the larger venues.

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It’s a rule WME agent Ben Totis normally agreed with, and yet, Totis and Rapp’s manager Adam Mersel also believed Rapp had developed a special connection with fans as one of four stars on Mindy Kaling’s hit HBO series The Sex Lives of College Girls playing Leighton, an au-pair raised queer sorority princess attending a fictional liberal arts college in Vermont. The popular show created a huge audience for Rapp, especially with Gen Z adult females, and served as a perfect segue for Rapp’s pursuit of a music career. In July, Rapp confirmed she was leaving the show as it entered its third season.

“Original music and pop music has always been her passion,” Mersel said. “Now’s she getting back into the studio, making music and really taking a swing at it.”

While her popularity and name recognition are certainly a major advantage in live touring, the adage in the industry has long been that all artists — even high-profile new artists like Olivia Rodrigo in 2021 and in 2018 — should build their touring business slowly and deliberately, making sure the artist is ready and the early audiences are invested.

“One of the age-old rules of this business is don’t skip steps,” booking agent veteran Tom Windish with Wasserman Music told Billboard last month. Windish, who counts Eilish, Lorde and Alt-J as clients explains “if you sold 500 tickets the last time, maybe you’ll try to sell 1,000 this time. You’re not just bumping up to 2,000 because you have this data that’s indicating there might be more [demand].”

Rapp is not following that strategy. The North Carolina native put tickets on sale for the LA Greek Theatre (5,900 capacity) on Sept. 30 and the Anthem in Washington DC (6,000 capacity) on Oct. 27 two months before she had even released her debut record Snow Angel on Aug. 18 on Interscope.

As Totis and Mersel had hoped, both shows quickly sold out. She quickly sold out the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the Mission Ballroom in Denver and the Roadrunner in Boston (despite penning a breakup song on her new album called “I Hate Boston”). In total, Rapp has sold out 22 of the 30 North America dates on her tour, which begins Sept. 15 at the Bayou Music Center in Houston.

Mersel and Totis said there were plenty of reasons to think Rapp could be the exception to the “no skipping steps” rule. While the 23-year-old was new to the record and touring business, she had been involved in musical theater from an early age – and won best actress at the 2018 National High School Musical Theatre Awards (the Jimmy Awards).

“She grew up singing in North Carolina and that is always what she wanted to do with her life,” Mersel explains. “Musical theater sort of was by accident. She was running around really trying to hustle and make it, especially through high school.”

In December, Rapp released her EP and booked some teaser shows including the Troubador in LA and Le Poisson Rouge in New York “just to get her out there in front of her fans and get her on stage for the first time,” Totis explained.

“They were all just supposed to be small shows, but in New York we had 10,000 people sign up for waitlist because the tickets went so quickly,” Totis said, leading her team to add two more New York shows that same month.

Rapp is planning a four-show “take over” in New York starting Nov. 3 – playing two Terminal Five dates along with Brooklyn’s Avante Gardner and Kings Theater. After New York she heads to Europe where she has sold out five of 15 booked shows in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium before closing out her tour with back-to-back sold out shows March 1 at the famed Hammersmith Apollo in London and a March 4 show at 3Olympia in Dublin.

As for Snow Angel, it debuted at an impressive No. 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the biggest U.S. sales debut for a debut female pop album in 2023

“The music’s great and she’s extremely talented. I don’t think anyone is concerned about her being comfortable on stage knowing where she came from,” Totis said.

05 Sep 2023

Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar Perform ‘America Has a Problem’ Live for First Time on Renaissance Tour

Ring the alarm, America has a problem. For the final show of her three-night Renaissance World Tour run at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Beyoncé brought out surprise guest Kendrick Lamar for an electric performance of their remix of “America Has a Problem,” a fan-favorite track from her Billboard 200-topping Renaissance album.

Typically, Beyoncé performs “America Has a Problem” in a recreation of a news station desk; she relays the news of America’s problem (hint: it’s her) on Channel 4’s KNTY News. At Monday night’s show (Sep. 4), Lamar climbed up from behind the desk and delivered his fiery remix verse as the sold-out stadium went absolutely berserk. The performance marked the very first live rendition of the “America Has a Problem” remix.

But it appeared that audio issues plagued the first half of Kendrick’s verse, according to fan videos. In a coincidental turn of events that doubled as an unintentional tribute to Beyoncé on her birthday, K. Dot’s mic did not start working until he rapped the lyric, “I’m an honorary Beyhive, let’s see why.” Even while Lamar’s mic malfunctioned, the two consummate professionals never let the crowd see them sweat. He rapped through the audio issues and Beyoncé teased the crowd with a bit of vogueing as she prepared to come in on the chorus. To complement Beyoncé’s beloved custom Mugler bee bodysuit, Lamar wore a ‘fit that evoked the neon yellow fashions of construction workers.

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar released the “America Has a Problem” remix back in May. Upon release, the remix helped the song re-enter the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 38, surpassing the No. 69 peak of the original solo version.

The “America Has a Problem” remix is the third collaboration between Beyoncé and Lamar. They first joined forces in 2016 for the Grammy-nominated Lemonade deep cut “Freedom,” which peaked at No. 35 on the Hot 100. The two superstars then reunited for “Nile,” a track from Beyoncé’s 2019 The Lion King: The Gift compilation soundtrack.

Check out some fan videos of Beyoncé and Kendrick lighting up the Renaissance World Tour stage with the first live performance of the “America Has a Problem” remix:

05 Sep 2023

Steve Harwell, Former Lead Singer Of Smash Mouth, Dies At 56

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Steve Harwell, the former lead singer of rock band Smash Mouth, died on Labor Day after dealing with a host of health complications over the years. Harwell retired from public life back in 2021 after a Smash Mouth performance where he reportedly threatened audience members and made obscene gestures.

USA Today obtained an official statement from Smash Mouth’s manager Robert Hayes detailing that Steve Harwell was surrounded by his family and friends in his final days at his home in Boise, Idaho.

From USA Today:

“Steve Harwell passed away this morning Sept. 4, 2023 at his home in Boise, Idaho. He was surrounded by family and friends and passed peacefully and comfortably,” Hayes said in a statement.

“Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve should be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom,” the statement continued. “And the fact that he achieved this near-impossible goal with very limited musical experience makes his accomplishments all the more remarkable.”

Smash Mouth was known for its massive hit “All Star” from the band’s second album Astro Lounge, which sold triple platinum. The band’s debut album, Fush Yu Mang, sold double platinum on the back of the single “Walkin’ On The Sun.”

The band’s last released studio album was Magic, released in 2012. The band also dropped a single, “Camelot,” in 2021 but it was not attached to a full album project.

Shortly after an October 2021 concert appearance where Harwell appeared intoxicated and gesturing violently to the crowd, he retired after citing health concerns.

Steve Harwell was 56.

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Photo: Getty

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05 Sep 2023

All 16 Songs From Zach Bryan’s New LP Debut in Hot 100’s Top 50, Led by No. 1 ‘I Remember Everything’

Zach Bryan has a monstrous week on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Sept. 9).

After releasing his new self-titled album Aug. 25, the set soars in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and all 16 songs from the album debut on the Hot 100, led by “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves, which likewise launches at No. 1.

The first Hot 100 leader for both Bryan and Musgraves raked in 33.7 million U.S. streams, 263,000 radio airplay audience impressions (while not being promoted as an official single) and 10,000 paid downloads in its opening week, according to Luminate. It opens as the most streamed song of the week, starting at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart.

The song also becomes the fourth country hit to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2023. (Country songs are defined as those that have hit or are eligible for Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.) The only year, dating to the Hot 100’s 1958 inception, with more country No. 1s was 1975, when five topped the chart: B.J. Thomas’ “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song”; Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls”; John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”; Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy”; and Denver’s “I’m Sorry.”

“I Remember Everything” also becomes the first song to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts (the lattermost of which began in 2009).

All 16 songs from Zach Bryan debut in the top 50 of the Hot 100, including five in the top 20 and 13 in the top 40. Here’s a recap (all of which are new entries except for two previously-charting songs, as noted below).

Zach Bryan on the Sept. 9-dated Hot 100:

  • No. 1, “I Remember Everything,” feat. Kacey Musgraves
  • No. 14, “Hey Driver,” feat. The War and Treaty
  • No. 17, “Spotless,” feat. The Lumineers
  • No. 18, “East Side of Sorrow”
  • No. 20, “Tourniquet”
  • No. 22, “Overtime”
  • No. 23, “Summertime’s Close”
  • No. 24, “Fear and Friday’s”
  • No. 29, “Ticking”
  • No. 31, “El Dorado”
  • No. 37, “Holy Roller,” feat. Sierra Ferrell
  • No. 38, “Smaller Acts”
  • No. 39, “Fear and Friday’s (Poem)”
  • No. 41, “Jake’s Piano – Long Island”
  • No. 44, “Tradesman”
  • No. 47, “Oklahoman Son”
  • No. 76, “Dawns,” feat. Maggie Rogers (holds in place; peaked at No. 42 in February)
  • No. 88, “Oklahoma Smoke Show” (down from its No. 81 peak)

Bryan is just the second country act to land at least five songs in the Hot 100’s top 20 simultaneously, after Morgan Wallen, who has placed five in the top 20 twice (nine on the March 18 ranking and five on March 25). Overall, Drake holds the record for the most concurrent top 20 entries, with 15 songs in the top 20 in a single week (Nov. 19, 2022).

Bryan is also just the second country act to chart at least 13 Hot 100 hits in the top 40 in a single week, after Wallen (16; March 18). The only other artists to amass at least 13 in the top 40 simultaneously are Drake (a record 21, twice), Taylor Swift, Travis Scott, Post Malone, 21 Savage, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Uzi Vert.

Further, with 18 total songs on the Hot 100, Bryan is just the second country act to log that many songs on the chart in a single frame, after Wallen, who holds the record among all acts: 36, concurrent with the chart debut of his album One Thing at a Time in March.

Before this week, Bryan had sent four songs onto the Hot 100, starting in May 2022: his breakthrough hit “Something in the Orange” (No. 10 peak; it made history as the longest-charting country song – 66 weeks – by a male artist); “Dawns,” featuring Maggie Rogers (No. 42); “Oklahoma Smoke Show” (No. 81); and “Burn, Burn, Burn” (No. 99).

Meanwhile, thanks to their featured appearances on Zach Bryan, husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty and Sierra Ferrell each visit the Hot 100 for the first time. (The War and Treaty’s Tanya Trotter makes a notable return: She tallied one solo entry, “Through the Rain” in 1994, under her maiden name, Tanya Blount.)

The latest Hot 100 also marks another milestone for country, in what has been an especially prominent year for the genre, as 20 country songs place in Hot 100’s top 40 for the first time. Plus, 25 country songs rank in the top 50, matching the record initially established on the March 18 chart, when Wallen’s One Thing at a Time debuted.

05 Sep 2023

Diana Ross Sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to Beyoncé at Star-Studded Renaissance Show

An entire galaxy of stars was in attendance at the Sunday (Sept. 4) Renaissance World Tour show in Los Angeles to help Beyoncé celebrate her 42nd birthday — including none other than Diana Ross, who led the crowd in a dazzling performance of “Happy Birthday.”

The 79-year-old legend first appeared onstage in front of 60,000 screaming fans during one of the Renaissance World Tour’s regularly scheduled intermissions, which features Ross’ 1976 smash “Love Hangover” as an interlude between songs. Usually, it’s Bey’s backup singers who perform the transition — but this time, Ross herself was on hand to do the honors.

Afterward, Bey ran onstage to give the “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” vocalist a tearful hug. Then, encouraging fans to hold up their phone flashlights, Ross led the crowd at SoFi Stadium in singing “Happy Birthday” to the pop star.

Among the 60,000 “Happy Birthday” singers were stars such as Adele, Lizzo, Katy Perry, Normani, Brandy, Chris Rock and Kim Kardashian. Famous couples including Justin and Hailey Bieber were also in attendance, as were Zendaya and Tom Holland; plus, fans spotted Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner kissing in the audience.

Ross wasn’t Bey’s only special guest Sunday night, however. Kendrick Lamar also swung by to assist in performing “America Has a Problem,” surprising fans with a rare live performance of his verse on the song’s May-released remix.

Bey also gave an emotional birthday speech during the show, thanking her fans, family and former Destiny’s Child bandmates for their impact on her life. “I’m thankful to be alive,” she told the crowd, fighting back tears. “I’m thankful to be on stage. I’m thankful to look out and see your faces. I’m thankful to be able to provide a safe space for all of y’all. I’m thankful for music, for the ability to heal myself through music which then heals all of you.”

Watch clips of Diana Ross and Kendrick Lamar making surprise appearances at Beyoncé’s birthday show below:

05 Sep 2023

Gary Wright, ‘Dream Weaver’ Singer Dies at 80

Singer Gary Wright, best known for his 1975 soft rock hits “Dream Weaver” and “Love is Alive,” has died at age 80. Wright’s son, Justin, confirmed to Rolling Stone that his father died on Monday at his Palos Verdes Estates home after battling Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia for the past six years.

Justin Wright said he dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s six or seven years ago before also receiving a dementia diagnosis. “He managed it fairly well for a while. But a few years ago, he needed professional help and home-care nurses and eventually 24-hour care,” Justin told RS.

Wright was born on April 26, 1943 in Cresskill, N.J. and began his career as a child actor in shows included Captain Video and His Video Rangers before joining the Broadway cast of Fanny in 1954. After briefly considering medical school, Wright moved to England in the late 1960s, where he co-founded the blues-rock band Spooky Tooth with four English musicians. After three albums with the band, Wright struck out on his own and releasing two solo albums on A&M Records, Extraction (1970) and Footprint (1971) before signing to Warner Bros. Records for what would be his breakthrough third solo effort.

The Dream Weaver, released in the summer of 1975, peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 album charts in April 1976, with the yacht rock classic title track peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. At the time, Wright, who played the Hammond Organ, clavinet, Moog synthesizers, Fender Rhodes and several other keyboards on the album — in addition to arranging and producing the collection — boasted that it was one of the first all-keyboard albums; it also featured drums from session veterans Jim Keltner and Sly and the Family Stone’s Andy Newmark as well as guitar on “Power of Love” from Montrose’s Ronnie Montrose.

The ethereal “Dream Weaver” became one of Wright’s most beloved songs and a frequent go-to Hollywood soundtrack cut in films including Wayne’s World (for which Wright re-recorded the song), Toy Story 3, Ice Age: Collision Course and The People vs. Larry Flynt, as well as the TV series Glee and Superstore. Wright also dipped his toe into film soundtrack composition for the movies Endangered Species (1982) and Fire and Ice (1986).

Following the chart success of The Dream Weaver Wright released a string of solo albums throughout the 1970s and early 1980s to diminishing sales, including 1977’s The Light of Smiles (No. 172 on BB 200) and Touch and Gone (No. 117), 1979’s Headin’ Home (No. 147) and 1981’s The Right Place (No. 79). In addition to “Dream Weaver” and that album’s other silky pop hit, “Love Is Alive” (No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100), Wright’s other singles chart successes included 1976’s “Made to Love You” (No. 79), “Phantom Writer” (1977, No. 43), “Touch and Gone” (1978, No. 73) and 1981’s “Really Wanna Know You” (No. 16).

Wright also played keyboards on late Beatle George Harrison’s 1970 solo triple-disc album All Things Must Pass — cementing a friendship that lasted until Harrison’s death in 2001 — and sat in on sessions for album by everyone from B.B. King to Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson and Jerry Lee Lewis. He also performed with a reunited Spooky Tooth in the early 2000s, as well as with Starr’s All-Starr Band and continued to release new music as recently as his final solo album, 2010’s Connected.

Over the years, Wright’s compositions also found their way into a number of hip-hop songs, including samples of “Love Is Alive” on songs by Raekwon and 3rd Bass, Spooky Tooth’s “The Mirror” on songs by Fivio Foreign and Atmosphere, “More Than a Heartache” (Nas) and “Heartbeat” (Jay-Z).

Listen to “Dreamweaver” and “Love Is Alive” below.



05 Sep 2023

‘I Am Legend 2’ Starring Will Smith & Michael B Jordan To Go Into Development

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Will Smith Michael B. Jordan I Am Legend 2 sequel Alice Braga

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Sixteen years after Will Smith’s I Am Legend hit theaters (his last sci-fi blockbuster film, After Earth, bombed horribly), it’s finally receiving a sequel and it’ll feature another Hollywood heavyweight to help conjure up some much needed hype.

According to Variety, I Am Legend 2 is going into development and will star Will Smith alongside one of Hollywood’s hottest actors, Michael B. Jordan. Though details about the plot aren’t known, it will be interesting to see what direction the film goes in. By the end of the first film Will Smith had sacrificed his own life to save the lives of his fellow co-star Alice Braga. While there was an alternate ending in which Smith survived, many people didn’t get to see that as it wasn’t included in the theatrical release of the film.

Though the film was based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel of the same name, in the novel, Smith’s character of Robert Neville was the last man alive in a world of vampires and not mutated human beings like in the film. Many felt that the film should’ve stayed true to the vampire material from the book, but writer Avika Goldsman decided to go a different route with the screenplay and ultimately we got mutated humans who acted a fool. Now that he’s signed a multiyear deal with Warner Bros., he’s ready to revisit the mutated world that Robert Neville is stuck in.

Variety reports:

Goldsman revealed that the sequel will follow the ending of Matheson’s novel and the original film’s alternate ending in which Smith’s character survives.

“We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film,” he said. “What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text.”

So, are we finally getting vampires? Will the humans mutate into blood sucking demons of the night? We kinda hope so. Who will Michael B. Jordan play in the film? We have no idea. Naturally, many assume he’ll be Will Smith’s son for obvious racial reasons, but we doubt that will be the case. That’ll just be too cliché for the film. There is a chance we may once again see Alice Braga return as she’s expressed enthusiasm for a return to the franchise once she learned a sequel would be happening.

“I was super surprised and very curious,” Braga said. “I was almost jumping on the phone and saying, ‘Can I please be in it? Can I please be in it? Can I please be in it?’”

We sure hope so.

What do y’all think of I Am Legend 2 going into production? Let us know in the comments section below.

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