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Taylor Swift Guitar, Christine McVie Piano, Items From Harry Styles, Paul McCartney & More Up For 2024 MusiCares Auction

The annual MusiCares Charity Relief Auction will take place live for the first time ever from the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles (and online) on Feb. 4. The event that will unfold on the same day as this year’s Grammy Awards will feature a stellar selection of one-of-a-kind items from many of this year’s nominees, as well as some other past Grammy-winning stars.

Among the more than 75 unique collectibles on the list are late Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVie’s Yamaha C3 “Songbird” baby grand piano (estimate: $20,000-30,000), which she played on stage for two decades during the band’s concert encores. Bidding will also take place on a Baby Taylor Swift model acoustic guitar (estimate: $5,000-$7,000), a signed hardcover edition of Paul McCartney’s two-volume The Lyrics: 1965 to Present (estimate: $1,000-$2,000) and Metallica singer/guitarist James Hetfield’s signed black ESP LTD Vulture electric flying V guitar (estimate: $4,000-$6,000).

Other items on the auction list include:

— Harry Styles’ 1999 Gretsch White Falcon hollow-body electric guitar, signed and dated 2023 with a heart and swirl drawing

— Cure singer Robert Smith’s black RS-1000 Stage Artist Edition signature Schecter acoustic guitar — played on stage at the band’s May 2023 Hollywood Bowl show

— A pair of Dr. Dre’s all-white Nike Air Force 1 Low ’07 signed sneakers

— Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh’s signed 2015 Fender Hot Noiseless Stratocaster guitar from his personal collection

— Bad Bunny signed 2011 Schecter Diamond Series model T S/H-1 semi-hollow body guitar

— Lionel Richie’s gold sequined performance bomber jacket featured “All Night Long” in white Swarovski crystals across the back

— Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash’s signed 2023 Gibson Les Paul Anaconda Burst guitar with green flame maple top with Slash’s “Scully” doodle

— Coldplay singer Chris Martin’s colorful handwritten setlist from the band’s show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in Oct. 2023

The auction will also feature signed “Cleopatra” lyrics from the Lumineers, Eagles guitarist/singer Don Felder’s 2010 Gibson guitar, DJ Khaled’s signed Les Paul studio guitar, Willie Nelson and Friends signed 2023 Martin D-10 acoustic guitar (featuring the signatures of Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Bob Weir, Snoop Dogg, Beck, Tom Jones and more), Jon Batiste’s signed Hohner Instructor 32 melodica and James Brown’s custom-tailored navy jacket with blue and black floral brocade lining and an embroidered label featuring the late soul singer’s name, plus more items to be revealed in the coming weeks.

There are four ways to bid for the items, including online and live in real time here, over the phone, in person at the auction site and an advance absentee bid available here. In addition to the Julien’s and MusiCares sites, the livestream will fun on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram Live.

All auction proceeds will benefit the MusiCares program, which provides the music community with services in physical and mental health, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief.

The 2024 Grammy Awards are set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Busy Phillips Says BFF Michelle Williams ‘Felt a Connection’ With Britney Spears Memoir

Michelle Williams is a five-time Oscar nominee. But for many Britney Spears fans, the Fablemans actress deserves all the awards on the planet for her dramatic work narrating the singer’s best-selling The Woman in Me memoir.

And to hear Williams’ longtime friend Busy Phillips tell it, taking the audiobook gig was a no-brainer. “We lost it,” Mean Girls co-star Philipps said on Tuesday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live. “She was like, ‘I have to do this, right?’ I was like, ‘Yes! Obviously!’ And she’s like, ‘I really do, Biz.’ She really felt a connection.” The two actresses have been close since working together on Dawson’s Creek.

Phillips, 44, further explained that she and Williams, 43, “came up in a very particular time in this industry — that’s what the majority of my memoir [2018’s This Will Only Hurt a Little] is about — as young women, and we were subjected to a lot. I think that there was a lot that was, sadly, very relatable to all women in Britney’s book. But I thought that Michelle doing it was just incredible and really beautiful. Britney deserves our respect.”

When host Andy Cohen vehemently agreed and said the singer deserves some “peace and happiness” as well, Phillips seconded that emotion, adding, “yes, that’s what I wish for her.”

Williams’ narration has earned widespread praise, with one section in particular — her recounting of an allegedly awkward early 2000s interaction between Spears’ then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake and “Pony” singer Ginuwine — gaining a lot of attention.

Watch Phillips on WWHL below.



Marisa Abela Mesmerizes in First Amy Winehouse ‘Back to Black’ Biopic Trailer

The first trailer for director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black, dropped on Thursday morning (Jan. 11), in which Industry co-star Marisa Abela fully embodies the brightly burning, troubled British R&B singer who died in 2011 at 27 of an accidental alcohol overdose after years of substance use struggles.

The 70-second trailer is cued to the title track from Winehouse’s second, and final, studio album, playing out over the beloved song co-written by the singer and album producer Mark Ronson. “I don’t write songs to be famous, I wrote songs because I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t,” Abela says in an interview as Winehouse in the opening shot of the preview in which the up-and-coming actress perfectly captures the Grammy-winning star’s distinctive London accent.

As a crowd shouts “Amy, Amy, Amy!,” the camera focuses in on a shot of Winehouse from backstage — with the singer’s distinctive, towering beehive hairdo, glittering short dress and cat-eye makeup on full display — before cutting to a shot of a pre-fame Winehouse strutting confidently down a Camden street smoking a cigarette and listening to music.

The clip then turns to Winehouse beginning to assemble her iconic stage look — including her many tattoos — and spotting future ex-husband and partner in debauchery Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O’Connell) in an audience as the singer begins her ascent. “You gotta remember, I ain’t no Spice Girl,” Winehouse says as the chronicle of her meteoric rise to fame becomes increasingly hectic.

The Studio Canal film written by Matt Greenhalgh (Nowhere Boy) was made with the support of the Winehouse estate, Universal Music Group and Sony Music Publishing and will feature a number of the singer’s most beloved hits.

The trailer’s description promises that the movie will be a “celebration of the most iconic – and much missed – homegrown star of the 21st century… painting a vivid, vibrant picture of the Camden streets she called home and capturing the struggles of global fame… [and honoring] Amy’s artistry, wit, and honesty, as well as trying to understand her demons. An unflinching look at the modern celebrity machine and a powerful tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent.”

Back to Black will open in the U.S. on May 10.

Watch the Back to Black trailer below.



Stephen Colbert Tells Donald Trump to Move, Get Out the Way After Ex-Prez Bashes ‘Ludacris’ N.Y. Fraud Case

Donald Trump tried to lash out at N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud case against him in a post on his social media platform on Tuesday, but the often spelling-challenged one-term former president accidentally shouted out a famous rapper instead.

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“Even my Political Opponents Have Spoken Against the Ludacris Demands of NYS AG Tish James,” the four-times indicted former reality TV star wrote in a comment about the civil fraud case in which Trump is accused of wildly inflating his net worth to fraudulently obtain favorable financing for his properties.

Of course the internet had plenty of jokes, as did the crack music parody team at The Late Show, who rolled out a hilarious spoof in Wednesday night’s (Jan. 10) cold open about the adjectively hilarious mix-up. The spoof response set to Luda’s beloved 2002 hit “Move B–ch,” went a little like this: “Oh no!/ Incorrect!/ Somebody turned off spell check!/ Your cranium is a hollow dome/ Need to brush up on homophones/ Doofus!/ Mixed up the way/ To call one cray/ With my sobriquet/ Stupid!/ My friend José/ Would probably say ‘no hablas inglés’.”

The jokes kept coming, including one from democratic U.S. Rep Jared Moscowitz, who tweeted “@ludacris he forgot to tag you,” as well as another X user who posted a long list of the twice-impeached Trump’s other potential demands, including “move b–tch,” “get out the way,” “get out his bizness his biznass” and, naturally, “get back get back you don’t know him like that.”

The Trump video also had the current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination thanking his supporters for speaking out against what he deemed the “radical-left, Soros-backed” James, a phrase referencing a popular right-wing antisemitic conspiracy theory tied to Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros’ prolific support for Democratic candidates and causes.

At press time it did not appear as if Luda himself had responded to Trump’s verbal gaffe.

Check out the Late Show video and Luda memes below.



Kelly Clarkson Reflects on Being ‘Young’ With Miley Cyrus Cover

Kelly Clarkson got nostalgic on her talk show on Wednesday (Jan. 10), taking on Miley Cyrus’ reflective power ballad, “Used to Be Young,” during her popular Kellyoke segment.

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“You tell me time has done changed me / That’s fine, I’ve had a good run / I know I used to be crazy / That’s ’cause I used to be young,” Clarkson belts in the chorus of the track.

“Used To Be Young,” released in 2023, marks Cyrus’ first piece of new music since the release of Endless Summer Vacation back in March. The album, her eighth studio effort, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and also arrived alongside its own Backyard Sessions via Disney+. 

“These lyrics were written almost 2 years ago at the beginning of my ESV. It was at a time I felt misunderstood,” Cyrus wrote about the song over the summer. “I have spent the last 18 months painting a sonic picture of my perspective to share with you. The time has arrived to release a song that I could perfect forever. Although my work is done, this song will continue to write itself everyday. The fact it remains unfinished is a part of its beauty. That is my life at this moment ….. unfinished yet complete.”

Watch Kelly Clarkson’s Kellyoke cover of “Used to Be Young” below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=0ri5Tl7k-SY&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

KCON Expands to Hong Kong in 2024

KCON just keeps getting bigger.

Entertainment company CJ ENM announced on Wednesday (Jan. 10) this year’s plan for the K-Pop and K-culture festival, including its first ever stop in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong date will kick off the festival series, taking place at AsiaWorld-Expo on March 30 and 31. The 10,000-capacity arena will host create the multi-faceted KCON Hong Kong 2024 with concerts from top artists and a full convention celebrating Korean culture.

KCON will then return to Japan from May 10 to 12, and Los Angeles from July 26 to 28. KCON also plans to hold events in Europe and Saudi Arabia in the second half of 2024, with more details to be revealed at a later date. 

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“KCON has not only promoted artists’ global expansion, but also led small and medium-sized businesses to advance overseas, and has become a festival venue where K-culture and K-lifestyle can be promoted and experienced,” Joon-beom Sim, head of music entertainment at CJ ENM, said in a press statement. “As the platform that unites and interacts with global K-POP fans, KCON this year will continue building on its legacy as a K-POP festival that reflects K-POP’s current status and proposes newness.”

Last year, KCON toured four regions: Thailand, Japan, Los Angeles and Saudi Arabia. KCON LA 2023 was one of KCON’s biggest events, holding three full shows over the course of the festival’s weekend.

Reneé Rapp Calls Out Jo Koy for ‘Making a Bunch of Jokes About Women’ at the Golden Globes

Jokes at the expense of women are “out” in Renée Rapp’s book.

The Mean Girls superstar joined her co-stars — Angourie Rice, Avantika and Bebe Wood — at Today with Hoda and Jenna on Wednesday (Jan. 10), where the group took part in the TikTok trend of revealing what is “in” and “out” for 2024.

“My outs… First is the man that yelled at me this morning at 8 a.m. and told me to smile. Go to hell,” Rapp said. “And also my out was the man that was making a bunch of jokes about women last night at the Golden Globes.”

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Rapp seemed to refer to Golden Globes host Jo Koy‘s opening monologue at the ceremony on Sunday (Jan. 7), where he made several quips towards Taylor Swift and the Barbie film. Koy’s joke about Swift centered around how often the NFL’s cameras cut to reaction shots of the singer when she attends boyfriend Travis Kelce’s games. “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” the comic joked as cameras cut to Swift, who reacted with pursed lips before casually sipping from her champagne flute.

Koy also joked that Barbie is “based on a plastic doll with big boobies,” despite the film’s powerful message about self-actualization and the toxicity of the patriarchy.

Watch the TikTok below.

Olivia Rodrigo Talks ‘Incredible’ Oscar Buzz & Champagne-Filled 21st Birthday Plans

You may not be able to catch her now, but the Oscars just might be able to.

As awards season kicks into high gear, Olivia Rodrigo has her sights set on the Academy Awards. At the Academy’s 14th annual Governors Awards on Tuesday, the Grammy-winner dished on the Oscar chances for her song “Can’t Catch Me Now” from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and her plans for her upcoming 21st birthday.

“It’s so incredible,” Rodrigo gushed to Access Hollywood of her Hunger Games prequel track making the Academy’s shortlist for best original song. “There’s just so many people on that list who I’m inspired by, so many songs that I think are incredible, so it’s an honor.”

Rodrigo, alongside go-to collaborator Dan Nigro, co-wrote and performed “Can’t Catch Me Now” for the box-office-topping Hunger Games prequel starring Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer and Tom Blyth. The haunting Americana-inflected track reached No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100. At the 2023 Hollywood Music in Media Awards, “Can’t Catch Me Now” won best original song in a sci-fi, fantasy or horror film.

In addition to “Can’t Catch Me Now,” other notable songs on the Academy’s shortlist include Billie Eilish‘s “What Was I Made For?” (from Barbie) — which won the equivalent Golden Globe Award on Sunday — Fantasia‘s “Superpower (I)” (from The Color Purple), The Osage Tribe’s “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” (from Killers of the Flower Moon) and Jon Batiste‘s “It Never Went Away” (from American Symphony).

Although she finds herself among stiff competition, Rodrigo didn’t write her Hunger Games track with the intention of entering the Oscar race. “I think that if I was writing a song and thought about how other people were gonna hear it, I just would be so overcome by anxiety that I couldn’t write at all,” she told Access Hollywood. “So I try to kind of block that all out and just write for me.”



Later on the red carpet, the “Traitor” singer spilled her birthday plans to Entertainment Tonight. “It is a big birthday,” she said. “I think I’m gonna have a party with my friends and pop some champagne, you know? It’s the 21st!” The multihyphenate turns 21 next month (Feb. 20), but she says Vegas isn’t quite in her line of sight yet. “I’ll save that. I’ll save that for later,” she said.

Shortly before her birthday, Rodrigo will enjoy the 66th annual Grammy Awards, where she boasts six nominations, including in album of the year (Guts) and record and song of the year (“Vampire”). The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum already has three Golden Gramophones to her name; she took home best new artist, best pop vocal album (Sour) and best pop solo performance (“Drivers License”) at the 2022 ceremony.



Pete Davidson Says He Was High on Ketamine at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral

Pete Davidson is reflecting back to some difficult moments in his life.

In his new Netflix comedy special, Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli, the 30-year-old star recalled being under the influence of ketamine while attending the 2018 memorial service of the legendary Aretha Franklin alongside his then-fiancée Ariana Grande. “It’s embarrassing when you’re not on ketamine anymore, though,” Davidson admitted. “I’m embarrassed. I was out and about like that. That’s not cool, you know?”

“Yeah, I have to live with that,” he continued. “[Aretha] will never know, but still, that’s not the point. You know what I mean?”

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Davidson added that while in his intoxicated state of mind, he made a joke to Franklin’s family. “I’m so high, I thought it would be a good idea to go up to her family and go, ‘Hey, I’m just here to pay my R-E-S-P-E-C-Ts,’” he recalled, referencing Franklin’s classic track, “Respect.”

The Saturday Night Live veteran often speaks openly about his mental health struggles and past drug use. He has suffered from PTSD after, at the age of seven, losing his father, firefighter Scott Davidson, in the 9/11 attacks, and as an adult has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Selena Gomez to Play Linda Ronstadt in Upcoming Biopic

It’s so easy to see Selena Gomez in her next role. The singer/actress is set to portray Linda Ronstadt in an upcoming biopic, according to the website of Great Eastern Music, a music publisher founded by John Boylan, the “Blue Bayou” singer’s manager.

“The long-rumored Linda Ronstadt biopic is now up-and-running. Selena Gomez is attached to play Linda,” reads the announcement on the website’s “Projects” page. “The two recently spent a few hours at Linda’s home discussing the project and getting to know each other.”

According to Great Eastern Music, the film will be produced by James Keach (who also produced the Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line and the Grammy-winning Ronstadt documentary The Sound of My Voice) along with Boylan. A title for the film was not revealed.

The “You’re No Good” singer also appeared to confirm the news on her Instagram account, sharing screenshots of Variety and Rolling Stone‘s reports that Gomez will be portraying her to her Stories. On her verified Facebook page, she also shared one of those reports, captioning it, “It all started with a simple dream.”

Billboard hadn’t heard back from reps for Boylan or Gomez at press time.

Fan speculation about Gomez’s new role kicked off Tuesday (Jan. 9) after the “Single Soon” singer shared a photo of Ronstadt’s book Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir to her Instagram Stories. An hour later, the Only Murders in the Building star announced on the same platform that she was going to take a little break from social media to focus on “what really matters,” with the message written over an image of boyfriend Benny Blanco.

It’s not hard to see why Gomez would be a good fit for the role. According to the star herself, she bears a resemblance to the 11-time Grammy winner. “I always used to get told that I look like her,” Gomez previously shared during a 2015 appearance on On Air With Ryan Seacrest. “And I started listening to her music because of that.”



Ronstadt announced her retirement in 2011, citing her Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, but later sharing that she actually has a brain disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy, which resembles Parkinson’s. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2016. During her decades-long career, she earned 10 top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits, with “You’re No Good” reaching the summit in February 1975. Other top five hits include “Don’t Know Much” (featuring Aaron Neville, No. 2), “Somewhere Out There” (with James Ingram, No. 2), “When Will I Be Loved” (No. 2), “Blue Bayou” (No. 3), “It’s So Easy” (No. 5) and “Heat Wave/Love Is a Rose” (No. 5).