america’s got talent
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NBC’s America’s Got Talent is kicking off its 18th season on Tuesday (May 30), and Billboard is looking back at the 17 talented winners who made history on the series so far. Created by former American Idol judge, X Factor mastermind and Syco Entertainment founder Simon Cowell, the global talent competition premiered in the U.S. […]
Weezer has toured the globe, sold millions of albums and written some of the greatest pop-rock anthems of the modern rock era. But the one thing the Rivers Cuomo-led band has never done is get a thumbs-up from Simon Cowell. But on Tuesday night (Feb. 28) the band popped in for a guest slot on America’s Got Talent, where they ripped through two songs and got high praise from the notoriously cranky reality TV judge.
The mini-set kicked off with a run through the SZN: Autumn track “What Happens After You?,” with the group performing the charging track in front of a giant wall of TV monitors as the judges politely clapped along. Then, in a surprise shift, the iconic drumroll kick-off to the band’s 2005 hit “Beverly Hills” swelled up and the Detroit Youth Choir charged to the stage, clapping their hands and chanting, “gimme gimme, cuz we the next big thing!/ Can you feel me, I know you hear me/ DYC the next big thing.”
While Cuomo strummed and sang the song’s first verse the choir busted out some high-energy choreo and made the chorus swell with their gospel-y backing vocals as judge Howie Mandel said, “I love this song.” After the stage exploded in confetti streamers, Mandel, Cowell and Heidi Klum gave the combined group a standing ovation.
Cuomo told host Terry Crews that performing withe choir was “super fun,” calling their background vocals “beautiful.” Cowell could not have agreed more, dubbing the performance “absolutely brilliant,” while thanking the band for the “magic” they brought to the stage.
Watch Weezer on AGT below.
America’s Got Talent singer Zuri Craig has died. The vocalist and member of the Craig Lewis Band passed away at age 44 on Friday according to a note from his family, who did not provide a cause of death.
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“It is with profound sadness that we announce the transition of our beloved son, brother and friend, Zuri Craig. We thank you in advance for your prayers. Please honor our privacy at this unimaginable time of mourning,” they wrote in a tribute; the family said more information on Craig’s funeral is forthcoming.
Craig appeared on AGT during season 10, performing with Jeffrey Lewis as part of the Craig Lewis Band, which made it to the finals in 2015 thanks to killer covers of James Brown (“This is a Man’s World”) and Mary J. Blige (“I’m Goin’ Down”); the group finished fifth that year. The singer was also a regular in films from Tyler Perry, appearing in Medea’s Big Happy Family and A Medea Christmas in 2011 and singing in 2013’s Medea Gets a Job.
According to The Wrap, Craig was discovered after he posted a cover of The Brady Bunch theme song on YouTube in 2008, catching the ear of Perry, who then invited Craig and Lewis to appear in his stage show, Medea’s Big Happy Family. They then took the stage at AGT — earning a Golden Buzzer from guest panelist Michael Bublé — and released their 12-track full-length Must Be Love album in 2016.
Craig continued to appear on stage after his AGT run, including in The Perfect Pastor, The Truth About Black Men and The House That Misery Built. His production company, ZoReMi Entertainment, recently announced an upcoming live stage production of the beloved 1997 romantic drama Soul Food. At press time AGT had not reacted to Craig’s death.
Check out the announcement of Craig’s death and watch his Golden Buzzer moment below.
The Voice contestant Nolan Neal died due to a fatal overdose involving fentanyl, according to a spokesperson from the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s office.
The late singer, who was vocal about his struggle with substance abuse, was pronounced dead at age 41 after being found in his apartment on July 18.
A spokesperson told Page Six that the singer suffered “acute combined drug toxicity.” In addition to fentanyl, morphine, methamphetamine and acetyl fentanyl were also present in Neal’s bloodstream, according to his autopsy report.
The member of the rock band Hinder shared that he relapsed after joining, citing his own internal pressures to fit in with the members. The singer also revealed he was battling substance abuse during his time on The Voice in an interview with WBIR in 2020. “I remember I got clean in 2010; May 15, went to rehab. Stayed clean,” Neal told WBIR in July 2020. “I joined the rock band Hinder, they were all about drinking and partying.”
Nolan also gained popularity on America’s Got Talent, appearing on season 15 and wooing audiences with his live performance of single “Send Me a Butterfly.”
Both The Voice and America’s Got Talent expressed their condolences to Neal’s family on social media. “We are heartbroken by the passing of Nolan Neal,” the shows’ statement read. “His incredible talent will always be remembered. Our sincerest sympathy goes out to his family and friends during this time.”
America’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell also expressed his condolences in an interview with People. “Unfortunately, it happens too much over the years. I was thinking about this the other day. People [who] passed too soon,” said Cowell. “Every time it happens, because you’ve gotten to know them, it’s horrible.”
We are heartbroken by the passing of Nolan Neal. His incredible talent will always be remembered. Our sincerest sympathy goes out to his family and friends during this time. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aaXN90HzT5— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) July 19, 2022