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Chances are you didn’t see Joker: Folie à Deux over the weekend because the much-hyped sequel to the Oscar-winning 2019 Batman-adjacent film vastly underperformed expectations with an estimated $40 million opening frame; by comparison the original raked in more than $96 million and ended up grossing more than $1 billion. But even if you were […]
Riot Fest issued a statement over the weekend in response to the death of a 58-year-old fan who was injured at the Sept. 20-22 event in Chicago’s Douglass Park. “We are heartbroken to share that a festival attendee passed away yesterday. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly challenging time,” the statement read in reference to the recent passing of Stephen Shult from injuries sustained at the festival.
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“The health, safety, and well-being of our fans and community have always been our top priority. We are aware of the various speculations surrounding this tragedy, including claims that it may be linked to the Slayer crowd,” the statement continued, seemingly referencing online reports claiming that Shult was trampled during a set by the speed metal band.
“However, we want to clarify that this is not the case. The on-site medical team responded to this medical incident, near the Ferris Wheel area, prior to Slayer’s performance. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not be sharing further details,” it concluded.
Prior to his passing, Shult’s daughter, Jen Eaton, started a GoFundMe to help pay for the cost of her father’s treatment, saying that she and her dad attended the festival on Sept. 22 as a “typical father daughter, music festival activity. After separating for the last band, my Father never met up at any of our designated meet up spots and was reported missing. After posting on the Riot Fest FB page for any tips locating him, we were soon able to find him, thanks to that amazing community.”
She said her dad was then brought into the neurology ICU with “head trauma, under the wrong name. By the time we were able to locate him, he had undergone a craniotomy due to brain swelling and a brain bleed. He has since been in the Neuro ICU.” At the time, Eaton said doctors remained “hopeful” about her dad’s prognosis.
Then, on Sunday, she announced her father’s death. “Yesterday at 1:48pm we lost our Dad. His recovery initially was going wonderfully. Over the weekend he began to decline with minor issues but by Tuesday night changes were happening rapidly for the worst. When we arrived Wednesday they suspected he was in a natural coma and had little to no brain activity. We were put in the position to determine the next steps. After more testing and another day of waiting for those results it was confirmed he would not have any decent quality of life moving forward if he recovered and we collectively as a family, made the decision to let him be at peace. It was the hardest decision my family and I have ever had to make. Once made comfortable and removed from breathing machines he passed very quickly.”
This year’s Riot Fest lineup featured headliners Fall Out Boy, Beck, Pavement and Slayer, who closed out the event’s final night. Other acts who performed included: The Offspring, the Marley Brothers, Sum 41, Cypress Hill, New Found Glory, NOFX, St. Vincent, Spoon, Rob Zombie, Sublime, Tierra Whack and more.
See the statement from Riot Fest below.
Charli XCX is flipping the calendar from Brat Summer to Brat Fall. The singer whose Brat album became the event of the summer has finally revealed the full list of guest stars slated to appear on her cameo-packed Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat remix album. The collection due out on Friday […]
Luke Combs, Eric Church, James Taylor and Billy Strings have organized Concert for Carolina, a benefit for Hurricane Helene relief that will take place Oct. 26 at North Carolina’s Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.
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Combs, Church and Taylor all grew up in North Carolina, while Strings has spent considerable time performing in the Tarheel state. Concert for Carolina will be hosted by ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley and presented by Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. More artists are expected to be added.
Tickets go on sale Thursday (Oct. 10) at 10 a.m. E.T. on the Concert for Carolina website. The website also says a raffle and auction are coming soon.
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Western North Carolina has been decimated by Hurricane Helene, which swept through Sept. 27 and destroyed multiple mountain towns. The death toll from the hurricane has surpassed 225 in North Carolina and the surrounding states, including Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Virginia.
All proceeds from the event will be split evenly between Combs’ charitable endeavors and Church’s Chief Cares Foundation to administer to organizations they choose to support relief efforts across the Carolinas and the Southeast.
Combs’ portion will be distributed among Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, as well as one more organization still to be announced.
Church’s Chief Cares is focused on helping established charities and organizations that can expedite aid directly to the families affected by Hurricane Helene.
The event’s organizers called David Tepper — who owns the Carolina Panthers NFL team, Charlotte FC soccer team and Bank of America Stadium — and his wife Nicole, who immediately offered the venue for the concert, according to a press release.
Sponsors include T Mobile, Jack Daniel’s, Whatburger, Miller Lite and Blue Cross/Blue Shield North Carolina.
Taylor, one of North Carolina’s most famous native sons, moved to the state when he was three, while Combs was born outside of Charlotte and raised in Asheville. Church was born in Granite City. Both Combs and Church attended Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. Although he is a Michigan native, Strings has performed at major venues across the state including an upcoming six-night run at Asheville’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena this winter.
Additionally, Church released new song “Darkest Hour” on Friday (Oct. 4) and is signing over all of his publishing royalties from the song to the people of North Carolina affected by the disaster.
At that time, Church said in a statement, “From Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, Upstate South Carolina, parts of Georgia and even Florida which took a direct hit, there are so many places that were impacted. Specifically in the area that I’m from, the mountains of Western North Carolina, were devastated. There are places that are just biblically gone. These are our family members, they’re our friends, they’re our neighbors – and they’re in dire need of help.”
The Living Legends Foundation (LLF) celebrated its 33rd anniversary with a star-studded slate of honorees and guests at its annual awards dinner and gala at Hollywood’s Taglyan Cultural Complex on Oct. 4. Leading the parade of honorees was Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason jr., who was presented with the A.D. Washington Chairman Award.
Noting that “the room was filled with legends from celebrities to executives,” Living Legends Foundation chairman David C. Linton added, “On behalf of our board of directors, it’s an honor to bring together the music and entertainment industries for an important cause benefiting the executives that have poured so much into the industry and, more importantly, the culture. Congratulations to this year’s honorees. Thank you for making us proud.”
Upon accepting his award from Linton later in the evening, Mason — who recently re-upped to serve four more years as CEO — said, “I’m proud of the work that we are doing at the Recording Academy because what you all see is the trophies … the celebration, the nominations. But what you don’t see is the work that goes on with the organization. The [award] show gives us the money; the money then comes back into our community. The one thing I recognized when I took on this role is that there’s more work needed to be done around the Black music community. So a lot of effort has gone into using the resources, platform and the ability of the [Recording] Academy to continue to help all genres of music, but specifically some of the underserved communities.”
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Longtime music executive Ed Eckstine was the recipient of the Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by LLF chairman emeritus Harris and singer/actress Vanessa Williams. Williams, who sent a video message, was one of the artists that Eckstine, son of legendary jazz vocalist Billy Eckstine, signed and mentored during his tenure as president of Mercury Records — the first African American to be appointed president of a major non-Black owned record company.
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Paying tribute to mentors Quincy Jones and Clive Davis, Eckstine said in part, “I do not have the words to describe the charmed life properly or adequately I led under the guidance and tutelage of ‘Q’ [while serving as GM at Quincy Jones Productions]. He taught me so much about life, music, production, the chess game called the music business, global hustle, what and what not to do and say. My 20 months doing A&R … and working for Clive exposed me on a corporate level to activities and events I had not previously been privy to … After having attempted to grow and expand beneath the shadow of two very tall trees in Q and Clive, my life was forever changed.”
After being presented with the first-ever Impact Player Award from LLF board member Shannon A. Henderson, Joi Brown — founder/CEO of the organization Culture Creators and former record label senior executive — said, “We’re not just here to create culture; we’re here to shape the future … It is our responsibility to ensure we occupy space — not to rely solely on company policies or DEI initiatives to make room for us. We belong here. We must stand tall among giants, not as guests, but as equals.”
The evening’s additional honorees included: pioneering radio/television broadcaster Donnie Simpson (Jerry Boulding Radio Award); NorthStar Group chairperson/entertainment attorney L. Londell McMillan (Kendall A. Minter Entertainment Advocate Award); B. Lifted Up! Inc. founder/CEO Gwen Franklin (Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award); veteran label executive/radio broadcaster Mike Kelly (Music Executive Award) and The Chamber Group founder/CEO Chris Chambers (Media Executive Award). All of the honorees’ acceptance speeches can be viewed here.
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Among the presenters and special guests spotted inside the Taglyan Cultural Complex were Epic Records chairman/CEO Sylvia Rhone, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, The Time’s Jerome Benton, Sugar Ray Leonard, artists Ray Parker Jr., Chanté Moore and Johnny Gill, legendary radio PD Melvin “Cookin’” Jones, MRC Live & Alternative exec. vp of creative Stephen Hill, playwright/filmmaker David E. Talbert and additional LLF dignitaries, including: general counsel Dr. Denise J. Brown, president Azim Rashid and board members Skip Dillard, Sheila Eldridge and Vivian Chew.
Radio personality Skip Cheatham of Dallas R&B outlet Majic 94.5 (KZMJ) hosted the gala, with entertainment provided by DJ Battlecat. Former LLF honorees Tracey J. Jordan and Lionel Ridenour served as this year’s dinner chairpersons. For additional information about the Living Legends Foundation, visit the website.
Celine Dion has long been the exquisite image of pop opulence. The singer known for her peerless vocals and warehouse full of bespoke, bedazzled gowns is the definition of musical elegance. Which is why it makes perfect sense that she helped introduce Sunday Night Football’s classic NFL grudge match between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers for the teams’ first primetime showdown since 1982; and their first game against each other since Super Bowl XXX in 1996.
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To the strains of her 1996 Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 hit “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” Dion waxed poetic about her love for the game as the camera panned past a bouquet of roses atop a grand piano. “I think my favorite thing about this game is its power to connect who we are, to who we were,” she said. “To prove that our most powerful memories, our most enduring loves, can stay with us forever.”
Strolling into the recording studio in an uncharacteristically dressed-down look accented by Chuck Taylor high tops and a grey sweatshirt commemorating the 1996 Super Bowl, Dion smiled at the camera and said with a mischievous grin, “You know what I’m talking about, right? Sometimes, some nights, it all just comes back.”
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Cue throwback footage of past classic Steelers/Cowboys match-ups featuring such stars of yore as Cowboys QB Roger Staubach and Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw, while Dion waxed rhapsodic over “their love affair — well, maybe not love the way I usually sing about it, but still, you know, work with me here.” Dion then quoted a few lyrics from her power ballad — ‘When you touch me like this. When you hold me like that’ — over NFL Films footage of huge hits and testy exchanges,” adding comically, “It kind of fits, no?”
Flashing forward to more recent times, Dion added, “But really what beautiful passion it produced, what painful heartbreak it revealed so, so long ago. Like so many old flames it always feels right when they’re back together. Don’t you think? Like tonight evoking the kind of magic they once produced. the Cowboys and the Steelers, a timeless classic on Sunday night.”
Her arms resolutely crossed, Dion got viewers ready for the game by invoking the majesty of Sunday Night Football amid a slow-motion montage of the teams’ coaches getting celebratory Gatorade baths as the strains of her ballad rose to a crescendo. Oh, and she got totally doused with a double Gatorade shower at the end that left her pumping her fists in joy.
Dion has recently begun to come out of the shadows after a few years off the radar during her battle with Stiff-Person Syndrome — chronicled in this year’s I Am: Celine Dion documentary — which resulted in her cancelling all of her 2023 and 2024 tour dates. She eased back into the spotlight this summer when she performed at the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Watch Dion’s SNF kickoff video below.
After reportedly becoming a billionaire last year thanks to her juggernaut Eras Tour, Taylor Swift is now putting some distance between herself and other musical moguls. According to Forbes magazine Swift, 34, has surpassed Rihanna to become the world’s richest female musician with a net worth estimated at $1.6 billion. The financial magazine said after […]
It’s been a busy week for Coldplay. On Friday (October 4) the British band released their 10th album, Moon Music, and then hopped on to shopping channel QVC to flog it to viewers. They kept the roll going on Saturday night they appeared as music guests on SNL to help the show celebrate its 50th season.
Now, they’ve shared a deluxe edition of Moon Music entitled Full Moon Edition, which features bonus tracks and three new original songs. You can see the full tracklist below for the new release.
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Moon Music (Full Moon Edition) is out now on all platforms https://t.co/C4o1q2EncoOriginal album + 10 BLUE MOONS including The Karate Kid, Man In The Moon and 👋MOON MUSiC1. MOON MUSiC2. feelslikeimfallinginlove 3. WE PRAY 4. JUPiTER5. GOOD FEELiNGS6. 🌈7. iAAM8.… pic.twitter.com/IRYGyGgmUf— Coldplay (@coldplay) October 6, 2024
The Chris Martin-led group’s deluxe edition includes unheard tracks “The Karate Kid”, “Angelsong” and “A Wave”, the latter stylised as a waving hand emoji on streaming services. The Full Moon Edition includes alternative and live versions of some of the album’s tracks. “Feels Like I’m Falling In Live” is a version recorded live on their record-breaking Music Of The Spheres global tour, while “We Pray – Be Our Guest” removes Little Simz’ verse to encourage the listener to do their own vocal take.
Moon Music hosted an array of collaborators including super-producer Max Martin, Nigerian superstar Burna Boy, electronic musician Jon Hopkins and even a contribution from ambient pioneer Brian Eno, who produced the band’s fourth studio album, 2008’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The latest LP is a companion to their 2021 album Music Of The Spheres, which charted at No.4 on the Billboard 200.
Amidst the promotion for the new album, Martin has again discussed his vision for the band to only record 12 studio albums. Speaking to NME in 2021, Martin said “it’s a lot to pour everything into making them. I love it and it’s amazing, but it’s very intense too.”
In a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Martin pointed towards the limited oeuvre for The Beatles, Bob Marley and the Harry Potter books and films. “Having that limit means that the quality control is so high right now, and for a song to make it, it’s almost impossible, which is great,” he said.
Elsewhere the band recently announced a new U.K. leg of stadium tour dates in London and Hull, including 10 sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium. The U.K. shows – their only in Europe in 2025 – will include a donation to the Music Venues Trust to support the grassroots music scene.
Janice Combs, mother to Sean “Diddy” Combs, has released a statement on behalf of the Combs family amid ongoing sex crime allegations against the music mogul.
Combs was indicted by federal prosecutors in mid-September on racketeering and sex trafficking charges and denied bail.
In a statement released Sunday (Oct. 6) through attorney Natlie G. Figgers, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Combs’ mother said Diddy is not guilty of the allegations against him: “My son is not the monster they have painted him to be, and he deserves the chance to tell his side.”
“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” reads her statement, which comes five days after it was reported Diddy will face lawsuits from 120 additional accusers for alleged incidents dating as far back as 1991. “To bear witness [to] what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”
Indictment documents unsealed on Sept. 17 said, “For decades, Sean Combs … abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct. To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and the influence of his multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled.”
Combs was denied bail. If convicted of the charges, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life behind bars.
On Sunday, his mother said, “I am not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not. He has made mistakes in his past, as we all have.”
She referenced the lawsuit Combs settled last year from singer and ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who accused him of rape and abuse. Combs had denied her allegations, but when video surfaced of him physically assaulting her in a hotel, issued an apology.
“My son may not have been entirely truthful about certain things, such as denying he has ever gotten violent with an ex-girlfriend when the hotel’s surveillance showed otherwise,” Janice Combs said in her statement. “Sometimes, the truth and a lie become so closely intertwined that it becomes terrifying to admit one part of the story, especially when that truth is outside the norm or is too complicated to be believed. This is why I believe my son’s civil legal team opted to settle the ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit instead of contesting it until the end, resulting in a ricochet effect as the federal government used this decision against my son by interpreting it as an admission of guilt.”
She said this does not make him guilty of the multiple “repulsive allegations and the grave charges leveled against him.”
“Many individuals who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated had their freedom taken from them not because they were guilty of the crimes they were accused of, but because they didn’t fit the image of what this society considers to be a ‘good person.’ History has showed us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes,” she said.
“It is truly agonizing to watch the world turn against my son so quickly and easily over lies and misconceptions, without ever hearing his side or affording him the opportunity to present his side,” she added.
“These lies thrown at him are motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice,” reads the statement. “These individuals saw how quickly my son’s civil legal team settled his ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit, so they believe they can receive a quick payday by falsely accusing my son. False allegations of sexual assault thwart true victims of sexual violence from getting the justice they deserve. To make matters worse, the federal government is now using these lies to prosecute my son. This injustice has been unbearable for our family. The worst part of this ordeal is watching my beloved son be stripped of his dignity, not for what he did, but for what people choose to believe about him.”
Sabrina Carpenter shared Taylor Swift‘s massive stage before embarking on her own fall arena tour. The Short n’ Sweet singer is now sharing what it’s like to be in the pop idol’s presence, and to have her support, in a new interview with CBS This Morning.
“You just watch her, like, walk in a room and it’s very easy to understand that she’s so composed, she’s graceful, she’s gracious,” Carpenter, who was one of Swift’s Eras Tour openers, said in the CBS segment that aired Sunday morning (Oct. 6).
Asked about the advice Swift has given her on handling fame, the 25-year-old artist explained, “I wouldn’t say it’s, like, a verbal thing as much as just, like, she’s very supportive of me and knows who I am as a person and is very supportive of that. So I’m grateful for that.”
Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet album returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated Oct. 12, Billboard reported Sunday afternoon, making it four nonconsecutive weeks that the set has topped the list since its release on Aug. 23.
On the Hot 100, Carpenter is the first artist this decade to spend five weeks with at least three simultaneous top 10s on the chart, with hit singles “Espresso,” “Please, Please Please” and “Taste” all securing spots.
It’s quite the feat for the singer-songwriter who’s been working on her craft since she was a kid, uploading YouTube videos of herself covering songs like Swift’s before landing a record deal and the lead role on the Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World as a teen.
On the fame that comes with the success she’s experiencing now, Carpenter noted, “I think, again, if we’re talking about how to deal with it all, I think everyone has such an individual, unique experience that there’s no kind of blanket statement or advice on how to not let it rattle you. You just kind of have to exist and figure out what you can handle and what you don’t want to deal with.”
“You find the people that you surround yourself with that make you feel safe and go from there,” she added.
Watch Carpenter’s CBS This Morning interview clip below. She’s currently on the road in North America for the Short n’ Sweet Tour, with dates scheduled through mid-November. Carpenter will bring the show to Europe in March 2025.
Sabrina Carpenter reflects on Taylor Swift’s influence, noting her composure and support, and reflects on surrounding yourself with supportive people while navigating fame: “You kind of just figure it out along the way. https://t.co/sGO4dlvPXm pic.twitter.com/B2W32orJr5— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) October 5, 2024
