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Zak Starkey has added another chapter to his ongoing saga with The Who, claiming that his firing occurred after turning down the opportunity to tour with a reformed Oasis.
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For those having trouble keeping up with the current state of Starkey’s drumming gigs, trouble first began in April when a spokesman for The Who claimed that “the band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall,” referring to a pair of gigs the month prior.
Starkey later issued a statement noting he was “surprised and saddened” by the news, though guitarist Pete Townshend later claimed Starkey was back in the band following the resolution of “communication issues.”
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In May, however, Townshend seemingly walked back this announcement, taking to social media to announce, “After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change,” and welcomed Scott Devours to the lineup for their final shows.
In an attempt to clarify the situation, Starkey claimed just a week later that he hadn’t been “fired” from the band, but rather “‘retired’ to work [on] my own projects.”
Now in a new interview with The Telegraph, Starkey has provided some further insight into the circumstances that led to his leaving The Who. “What happened was I got it right and Roger got it wrong,” Starkey explained.
According to a report from The Who’s Royal Albert Hall shows, newly knighted vocalist Roger Daltrey had stopped several songs mid-performance, citing difficulty hearing the band over the drums. Per Starkey’s recollection, the group played the rarely-performed “The Song is Over,” and a lack of rehearsal meant that Daltrey “came in a bar early.”
The result was a call from band manager Bill Curbishley who shared the bad news with Starkey. “He says, ‘It’s my unfortunate duty to inform you’,” Starkey remembers. “‘That you won’t be needed from now on. Roger says you dropped some beats.’”
Forced to admit he had indeed dropped some beats, Starkey says he was welcomed back to the group, only for the announcement of his retirement to be made soon after. “I don’t blame anyone. I blame The Who because they’re unpredictable, aggressive and f–ing insane,” Starkey explains.
However, the drummer also revealed that a major issue surrounding his axing relates to a role behind the kit with Oasis. Despite having been a member of The Who since 1996, he also served as a touring drummer for Oasis between 2004 and 2008.
Per his latest interview, Starkey claims that he had in fact turned down the position of drumming for the reunited Manchester group due to his commitments with The Who. Instead, Starkey’s position in Oasis will be filled by the prolific Joey Waronker.
“He’s the best and we’re lucky to have him,” Liam Gallagher recently said of Waronker’s addition. “I’ve enjoyed all our drummers but this guy is special.”
Despite Starkey’s other focus being Mantra of the Cosmos (a supergroup of sorts featuring members of Happy Mondays and Oasis’ Andy Bell), its members’ touring commitments means he’s likely being left with a clear schedule in 2025.
However, Starkey did close by noting he’d recently spoken to Daltrey, who reportedly told him, “‘Don’t take your drums out of [The Who’s] warehouse yet in case we need you.’”
Nezza, a Latin pop singer of Colombian-Dominican origin who grew up in the Bay Area of California, was invited to perform the U.S. national anthem at this weekend’s Dodgers vs. Giants game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Instead of singing in English, as she was apparently instructed to do, Nezza performed a Spanish-language rendition of the national anthem — “para mi gente [for my people],” she said on Sunday (June 15).
The vocalist, dancer and content creator, whose full name is Vanessa Hernández, posted a videoonsocialmedia, showing her perspective of what happened at the L.A. event.
“We are gonna do the song in English today. I’m not sure if that wasn’t relayed,” an off-camera voice can be heard telling Nezza, whose crestfallen expression and body language show the singer’s dismay. The clip goes on to show footage of Nezza on the baseball field, overcome with emotion as she belts the last line of “The Star-Spangled Banner” — “El Pendón Estrellado” — en español.
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“Para mi gente,” Nezza wrote in the caption, “I stand with you. Yesterday was easily one of the scariest days of my life. I sang ‘El Pendon Estrellado’ the OFFICIAL Spanish star spangled banner (commissioned by President Roosevelt) at the Dodgers game after being told I couldn’t. And I’m so proud that I did.”
“Stay safe. Stay strong. I love you,” said Nezza, who is expected to release her debut full-length album this year.
In a follow-up video uploaded to TikTok, she spoke to the camera and reflected on the experience, her teary eyes still red: “Bear with me, ’cause I’m still very shooken up and emotional.” Of the Spanish translation of the national anthem, “El Pendón Estrellado,” she explained, “It was officially commissioned in 1945 by the U.S. State Department as a part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s good neighbor policy to foster a better relationship with Latin America.”
“I didn’t think I would be met with any sort of ‘no,’ especially because we’re in L.A., and with everything happening … I just could not believe when she walked in and told me ‘no.’ I just felt like I needed to do it,” Nezza said.
She went on to call out the widely protested raids by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) that have been occurring in the U.S. under the Trump administration, stating, “Everything I do is out of love, good energy. I’m proud of myself for doing that today because my parents are immigrants. They’ve been citizens like my whole life, at this point. They got documented really early.”
“I just can’t imagine them being ripped away from me. Even at this age, let alone like a little kid. What are they doing?” Nezza said.
Billy Ray Cyrus is celebrating Father’s Day with a trip down memory lane. The “Achy Breaky Heart” star posted several family photos in honor of the day on Instagram and X, and wished a “Happy Father’s Day” to all those around him.
The mini picture collection includes snapshots of Billy Ray and family members throughout the years. One cute highlight is a very young Miley Cyrus giving the camera quite a serious gaze while riding a pink, toddler-sized trike with handlebar tassels.
“‘My Grandfather told my Father’… and luckily he taught me ….when your lost …. ‘Stand Still’. Happy Father’s Day to everyone ! Mothers… sisters ….brothers ….friends included !” Cyrus captioned the picture slideshow on Sunday (June 15).
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Apparently not shown in the country singer’s Father’s Day post is son Trace, who’s seemingly had a fraught relationship as of late with Billy Ray, whom he recently said is “the lamest man ever to walk planet earth.” The Metro Station musician referred to him as a “delusional, evil person” last week — claiming he skipped the funeral of his “Mammie,” the late mother of Tish Cyrus, back when Billy Ray was still married to Tish. His comments came upon seeing that Billy Ray “flew to Italy for a fashion show” (with girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley). “This man is so hungry for fame it’s pathetic,” wrote Trace on June 10.
Miley’s had more positive thoughts to share. In an interview with The New York Times, the Something Beautiful singer shared candid remarks on her father’s current relationship with the English actress. “As I’ve gotten older, I’m respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents,” she said.
“My mom’s really loved my dad for her whole life, and I think being married to someone in the music industry and not being a part of it is obviously really hard,” Miley explained. “And so I think I took on some of my mom’s hurt as my own, because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult, and so I owned a lot of her pain. But now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad, who I completely adore, and now that my dad, I see him finding happiness, too — I can love them both as individuals instead of as a parental pairing.”
“I’m being an adult about it,” she added. “At first it’s hard, because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, ‘Yes, that’s your dad, but that’s just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy.’ My child self has caught up.”
See Billy Ray’s Father’s Day post on Instagram here.
J-hope and GloRilla‘s “Killin It Girl” tops this week’s new music poll.
In a poll published Friday (June 13) on Billboard, music fans chose the collaboration between the BTS member and the Memphis MC as their favorite new release of the past week.
“Killin It Girl” brought in 87% of the vote, beating out new releases from artists like Lil Tecca (Dopamine), Mark Ronson and RAYE (“Suzanne”), Zara Larsson (“Midnight Sun”), Brandon Lake (King of Hearts) and Gunna (“Won’t Stop”).
“Killin It Girl” features an entrancing hip-hop flow that conveys the enchanting pull of love at first sight, with GloRilla taking on the persona of the irresistible baddie. “He said I be killin’ it, I said I do this everyday,” Big Glo brags on the lust-filled track.
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This new single follows a busy year for the K-pop star, who also released hits like “Sweet Dreams” with Miguel and “Mona Lisa.”
“’Sweet Dreams’ featuring Miguel — an artist I’ve long respected — has a smooth, soulful vibe that feels deeply personal. On the other hand, ‘Mona Lisa’ brings a hip-hop-driven performance energy,” j-hope told Billboard in May.
He added, “Both tracks are easy to connect with, yet they offer a glimpse into the broader, more evolved musical world I’m building. This is just the start — I have plenty more musical experiments in store.”
The BTS member toured across North America as part of his HOPE ON THE STAGE tour, including a pair of sold-out concerts at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in March. He concluded the global trek on Friday (June 13), with a performance at South Korea’s Goyang Stadium.
The “other” category placed second in the poll with 10% of the vote, while Lil Tecca’s fifth album, Dopamine, came in third, earning nearly 1%.”
Check out the full results of this week’s poll below and visit Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear releases.
Shakira is opening up about her experience as an immigrant living in the United States under President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
In a new interview with the BBC, the 48-year-old Colombian-born superstar reflected on how the country has changed since she first moved to Miami as a teenager in the mid-1990s to pursue a music career.
“I was only 19 when I moved to the U.S., like many other Colombian immigrants who come to this country looking for a better future,” Shakira said, noting that she read works by Leonard Cohen, Walt Whitman and Bob Dylan to learn English and understand the craft of songwriting.
A longtime advocate for social justice, the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer also addressed the challenges facing the Latin community following Trump’s return to the White House. Since stepping back into office earlier this year, the president has intensified efforts to combat alleged immigration violations, prompting protests in Los Angeles and across the country in response to raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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“It means living in constant fear,” Shakira told the BBC when asked what it’s like to be an immigrant in the U.S. today. “And it’s painful to see.”
She added, “Now, more than ever, we have to remain united. Now, more than ever, we have to raise our voices and make it very clear that a country can change its immigration policies, but the treatment of all people must always be humane.”
In early February, while accepting the Grammy Award for best Latin pop album for 2024’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira dedicated the honor to “all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country,” adding, “You’re loved, worth it and I will always fight with you.”
Shakira is among a growing number of musicians speaking out against federal immigration raids in Southern California. Following President Trump’s early June deployment of National Guard troops to L.A., artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler, The Creator, Finneas, The Game, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Kehlani, Tom Morello, Reneé Rapp and Rebecca Black have publicly condemned the administration’s actions.
“I’ve lived in LA my whole life and I’m deeply upset about these violent deportations of my neighbors under the current administration,” Rodrigo wrote on her Instagram Story on Saturday (June 14). “LA simply wouldn’t exist without immigrants. Treating hardworking community members with such little respect, empathy, and due process is awful. I stand with the beautiful, diverse community of Los Angeles and with immigrants all across America. I stand for our right to freedom of speech and freedom to protest.”
The 22-year-old pop star and actress also shared a photo from what appeared to be a protest featuring a poster with a crossed-out crown and the words “in our USA,” a likely a reference to the “No Kings Day” demonstrations held on June 14 in response to Trump’s 79th birthday military parade in Washington, D.C.
Olivia Rodrigo is adding her voice to the growing outcry over federal immigration raids in Southern California. The 22-year-old pop star and actress, who grew up in Temecula, Calif., before moving to Los Angeles in middle school to star in the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark, took to social media on Saturday (June 14) amid widespread […]
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If we’ve learned one thing about Kendrick Lamar over the last year and change it’s that he ain’t never scared when it comes to his drama with Drizzy, so when the man took his and SZA’s Grand National Tour to Drake’s hometown of Toronto, Canada, y’all knew he wasn’t going to play it humble.
Last night (June 12), social media was abuzz with videos of Kendrick Lamar performing at the Rogers Centre in Toronto (a place that even Drake has never performed at) interestingly enough, the crowd went wild when K. Dot performed his now classic diss track “Not Like Us.” While we all know it’s one of the most popular songs to have ever hit the Hip-Hop scene, many thought that Drake’s hometown would’ve been lukewarm to Kendrick Lamar performing his biggest hit to date, but instead, we saw a crowd seemingly rejoice and join in on the festivities as Kung-Fu Kenny once again went for Drake’s jugular on stage in his hometown.
The crowd was in such a frenzy over the performance that they actually started to chant “One more time!” in hopes of getting Kendrick to perform “Not Like Us,” one more time.
Yeah, we’re sure Drizzy wasn’t too happy to see his constituents side with his rap rival to this extent. He might cancel OVO Fest 2025 over this or something.
Still, the man does have his hardcore loyalists who parked themselves outside of the Rogers Centre and took issue with Kendrick Lamar performing and proclaimed Drake the King of the North even though their fellow countrymen were inside the venue egging on Kendrick’s unrelenting slaughter of their hometown hero.
Drake’s about to bless everyone there with exclusive OVO merchandise or something.
What do y’all think about Kendrick Lamar performing “Not Like Us” in Drake’s hometown of Toronto? Fair or foul? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Let the games begin with Mariah Carey — if you don’t mind a little danger. Mimi can make a man disappear with an on-brand quip and a simple shrug, a talent she casually demonstrates in her new “Type Dangerous” music video, featuring a surprise cameo from MrBeast. Carey sings all about how she’s “never been […]
NEEDTOBREATHE‘s Bear Rinehart is speaking out following allegations of childhood abuse made by his brother Bo Rinehart.
On Thursday (June 12), 43-year-old Bo, the former guitarist for NEEDTOBREATHE, shared a statement on social media alleging that he was sexually abused by multiple people during his childhood, including his older brother Bear, 44, the rock band’s lead singer.
“This is Bo. I am an alcoholic. I am a sinner, but I am a believer. I believe in God’s grace, and I believe that his mercy has shown that he is consistent, even though we don’t deserve it,” Bo wrote on Instagram. “I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I’ve been sexually abused by a Camp counselor. I’ve been sexually, physically and emotionally abused by my brother. And I’ve been abused by my youth pastor.”
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He continued, “I believe that God has bigger plans for me and part of those plans are telling my story because it’s so hard for anyone to tell stories like these. Even when my faith has been crushed, I know that God still has provisions for me. If you’re out there and you’re thinking, nothing can be done, no one can help, there’s no way out… I’m with you… but I believe in a God who always finds a way. Don’t give up and don’t lose hope.”
Bo, who left NEEDTOBREATHE in 2020, later shared a photo of Bear with the caption “Sexual Abuser” in a since-deleted Instagram Story, according to Relevant Magazine.
On Saturday (June 14), Bear responded to his brother’s allegations with a lengthy post on the Instagram account for Wilder Woods, his solo musical project outside of NEEDTOBREATHE.
“I feel the need to comment on the deeply hurtful and misleading accusations that my brother Bo made the other night on social media,” Bear wrote. “I love Bo deeply and I always will. Since his departure from the band over five years ago, we have done everything in our power to treat him with respect and privacy. I would never choose to disparage him, especially at a time where he is clearly in pain. But as a father and husband, I must protect my family from claims that misrepresent the truth.”
He continued, “Until now, I had chosen to not share this publicly — not because I’m ashamed, but because I’ve wanted to protect my family. I have three young boys, and I wanted them to hear about my story from me directly, when the time is right and not through social media or online speculation. Bo’s post has now made it impossible for me to remain private about this period of our childhood any longer. I can only hope that God has a plan for this down the road. I have always respected Bo’s right to speak about his own story, but I cannot allow him to misrepresent mine.”
Bear went on to claim that “my brother and I were both sexually abused at the age of 8 and 6 by a teenage counselor” at a Christian camp where they grew up in South Carolina. “Neither of us received support for these events until well into adulthood and were both left to navigate the rest of childhood and adolescence with deep pain and confusion,” the musician wrote, adding that he later “found freedom” after counseling and support from loved ones.
“Bo’s recent accusation of me conflates our shared experience of abuse with a childhood incident he misrepresents,” Bear continued. “While going through a two day intensive counseling session with Bo five years ago, I learned that he was hurt by things that happened in our early teen years as well. At that counseling session I took full responsibility for any part I played in that pain. We processed those moments of shared trauma in detail and left with an understanding that we were two young boys trying to cope with the unimaginable. To now label me an abuser in such a heartless way is not only deeply painful, but is also wildly misleading and feels intentionally harmful.”
Bear concluded his message by expressing hope that he and Bo can reconcile someday. “I truly do pray for this healing,” he wrote. “I believe that all of us are broke and in need of a savior. My brother and I are no different.”
Billboard has reached out to NEEDTOBREATHE’s representatives for further comment.
In a 2023 interview with People, Bo opened up about coming to terms with his experience of sexual abuse as an adult, revealing that it was perpetrated by three different individuals. He did not provide further details.
“It takes time,” Bo said at the time. “At some point in our lives, we get to this stage — and it’s generally with survivors of childhood sexual abuse, it’s in their late 30s or early 40s — where it starts to surface whether you want it to or not. You’ll start to see how your life’s kind of breaking down.”
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Roger Daltrey was among the notable figures recognized in King Charles III’s Birthday Honours list.
The Who frontman, 81, was celebrated for his outstanding contributions to music and his long-standing charitable work — particularly with the Teenage Cancer Trust, where he has served as a patron since 2000.
“It is a wonderful honour for me and especially for Teenage Cancer Trust,” Daltrey said in a statement shared in Instagram. “I accept this award not only for myself but on behalf of all the unsung heroes who have given their energy towards making the Teenage Cancer Trust the success it has become.”
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Over the past two decades, the iconic rocker has played a key role in organizing the charity’s annual concert series at London’s Royal Albert Hall, which has raised more than £36 million (approximately $48 million).
He went on to acknowledge individuals who have supported the Teenage Cancer Trust over the years. “The likes of The Who and their fans, Angie Jenkison, Lindsay Hughes, Des Murphy, Rob Ballantine and the late Chris York are some of many who have done so much to elevate the charity, to the point where it now has 28 specialist units in NHS hospitals across the U.K.,” he said.
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In recognition of his work, Daltrey was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). “It’s kind of weird… It’s a dream come true for me, but it’s especially a dream because the charity means so much,” the musician told the Press Association.
The Who shared their own tribute to Daltrey. “Sir Roger is a true inspiration and we salute him and all the other honourees from the worlds of music and the creative arts for enriching our lives with their brilliant human artistry and achievements,” the band wrote.
Other prominent recipients of knighthood in this year’s list include actor Gary Oldman and retired soccer star David Beckham. Additional honorees included Steve Winwood, 10cc’s Graham Gouldman, actress Elaine Paige and Love Island star Georgia Harrison, according to the BBC.
Winwood — known for his work with the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith, as well as a successful solo career — was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
“I am immensely grateful that I am considered for recognition of my services to music,” Winwood said in a statement on Instagram. “I am a proud upholder of British culture and values, and am extremely honoured to be rewarded in this way, and wish to thank all those who made the recommendation, and those who’ve supported my music over the years.”
