State Champ Radio News
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Dumb Blonde Podcast host Bunnie Xo is firing back against an online troll who criticized her and husband Jelly Roll‘s journey to have a baby through IVF. On her Instagram Stories, Bunnie shared a TikTok video in which a woman is seen saying, “I think [Bunnie Xo’s] now on an IVF journey. Isn’t she 45 […]
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Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone died Monday (June 9) at age 82, and the music community is grieving the groundbreaking funk pioneer.
Questlove, who directed the new documentary Sly Lives (aka The Burden of Black Genius), shared a touching tribute on Instagram.
“Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, left this earth today, but the changes he sparked while here will echo forever. From the moment his music reached me in the early 1970s, it became a part of my soul. Sly was a giant — not just for his groundbreaking work with the Family Stone, but for the radical inclusivity and deep human truths he poured into every note,” he wrote. “His songs weren’t just about fighting injustice; they were about transforming the self to transform the world. He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries, and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths. His work looked straight at the brightest and darkest parts of life and demanded we do the same.”
The Roots drummer also highlighted two lines that “haunt me” as he reflected on his legacy: “We deserve everything we get in this life” from Sly Lives! and “We got to live together” from the group’s 1968 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Everyday People.” “Once idealistic, now I hear it as a command. Sly’s music will likely speak to us even more now than it did then. Thank you, Sly. You will forever live,” Questlove continued.
Public Enemy‘s Chuck D thanked Questlove “for keeping his FIRE blazing in this Century” on X while sharing an illustration of Stone and Questlove. He posted more artwork of the psychedelic soul group while writing, “………and The Family Stone Rest In Beats SLY.”
Trending on Billboard
Legendary record executive Clive Davis, who worked with the group when it signed to CBS Records in 1967, wrote in a statement to Billboard, “Sly was truly one of a kind. I had the very special experience of knowing him when he was at his most creative, his hardest working and his genius flourishing vibrantly. Sly’s artistry influenced so many of our important creative talents. He will be forever missed.”
KISS frontman Paul Stanley remembered seeing Sly and the Family Stone “debut at the Fillmore East in New York City opening for Jimi Hendrix. They were a freight train of bombastic, joyous SouI that would soon climb the charts and change the sound of R&B for so many other artists. Rest In Soul!” he wrote on X.
Holly Robinson Pete also celebrated Stone’s pioneering efforts. “You didn’t just make music—you shifted the culture. As kids in Philly, my brother played Sly, I was Cynthia on my imaginary horn. We lived your music. You gave us the groove & the message. Thank you, genius,” she wrote on X.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame posted an in memoriam tribute thread on X, including a clip of Stone’s acceptance speech during a very rare public appearance when he and the group were induced in 1993. The Rock Hall praised Sly and the Family Stone for making “it possible for Black popular music to burst free on its own terms” and “extending the boundaries of pop and R&B with each new song,” while hailing its 1969 Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” the double A-side single with “Everybody Is a Star,” for helping “create the sonic blueprint for the funk and disco genres that followed.”
On Monday night (June 9), the 2025 BET Awards returned to Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Hosted by Kevin Hart for a second time, BET recruited a bevy of A-listers to steer the show into prime-time excellence, with performances on deck from Lil Wayne, Playboi Carti, Leon Thomas and GloRilla. Along with having some of today’s brightest stars in the room and on the red carpet, BET is honoring several legendary luminaries including Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx and Kirk Franklin at Monday’s show. Along with receiving the Ultimate Icon Awards, which celebrated “their decades of groundbreaking contributions to music, entertainment, advocacy, and community impact,” Snoop, Carey and Franklin will grace the stage with high-octane performances from their decorated catalogs.
The West Coast’s very own Kendrick Lamar leads the nominee pack, walking into the night with an astounding 10 nominations, including a nod in the album of the year category for his highly touted effort GNX and video of the year for his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 record “Not Like Us.” Following Lamar are Doechii, Drake, Future and GloRilla, each with six nods, while SZA and Metro Boomin snagged five of their own.
The BET Awards is also honoring its revered flagship show, 106 & Park, as former hosts AJ Calloway, Free, Julissa Bermudez, Keshia Chanté, Rocsi Diaz and Terrence J will reunite after spending years on the legendary NYC couches counting down hip-hop and R&B classics in front of a live studio audience. There, former 106 host Bow Wow will hit the stage, along with performances from B2K, Amerie, T.I. and Jim Jones.
But before it all went down, the stars took over the 2025 BET Awards red carpet, and you can find the best photos from the night below.
GloRilla
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
GloRilla at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Ciara
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Ciara at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Muni Long
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Muni Long at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Shaboozey
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Shaboozey at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Ravyn Lenae
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Ravyn Lenae at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Mario
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Mario at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Keke Palmer
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Keke Palmer at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
2 Chainz
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
2 Chainz at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Ashanti
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Ashanti at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Snoop Dogg
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Snoop Dogg, Shante Broadus and Jonathan Daviss at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Mya
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Mya at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Lucky Daye
Image Credit: Earl Gibson III
Lucky Daye at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Sandra Denton
Image Credit: Earl Gibson III
Sandra Denton at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Busta Rhymes
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Busta Rhymes at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Doechii
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Doechii at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Jennifer Hudson
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Jennifer Hudson at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Leon Thomas III
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Leon Thomas III at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
MC Lyte
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
MC Lyte at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Warren G
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Warren G at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Jordin Sparks
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Jordin Sparks at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Giveon
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Giveon at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Kehlani
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Kehlani at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
T.I.
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
T.I. at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Da Brat
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
LisaRaye McCoy and Da Brat at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Machine Gun Kelly
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Machine Gun Kelly at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Andra Day
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Andra Day at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Bow Wow
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Bow Wow at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Keyshia Cole
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Keyshia Cole at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Kevin Hart
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Kevin Hart at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Skai Jackson
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Skai Jackson at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
D-Nice
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
D-Nice at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Moliy
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Moliy at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Jermaine Dupri
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Jermaine Dupri at the BET Awards 2025 held at the Peacock Theater on June 09, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Country singer Conner Smith was driving the truck that struck and killed a 77-year-old pedestrian in Nashville on Sunday (June 8), Billboard has confirmed. A release from the Metro Nashville Police Department on Monday (June 9) stated that a 24-year-old man named Conner Smith was behind the wheel during Sunday’s accident. The pedestrian was identified […]
Jonathan Mayers, co-founder of Superfly Entertainment and the co-creator of iconic festivals including Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, has died. His age and cause of death are unknown at this time.
Mayers grew up an hour outside New York City and attended Tulane University in New Orleans, graduating in 1995. He was first introduced to the music business through his work with famed New Orleans venue Tipitina’s and the long-running Jazz Fest celebration. He co-founded promotion company Superfly in 1996 with Rick Farman, Richard Goodstone and Kerry Black and staged its first concert during Mardi Gras with the Meters, Maceo Parker and Rebirth Brass Band. In 2002, the four men launched and sold out the first Bonnaroo after discovering the perfect festival site an hour outside of Nashville in Manchester, Tenn. Partnering with promoter Ashley Capps of AC Entertainment, agent Chip Hooper of Paradigm and manager Coran Capshaw of Red Light — and securing headliners like Trey Anastasio from Phish and Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh and Bob Weir — the men created a 70,000-person festival that would become the blueprint for hundreds of other music festivals across the country.
In 2005, Mayers’ Superfly launched Vegoose in Las Vegas with programming at multiplevenues throughout the city. The first festival brought in approximately 37,000 visitors, and Mayers and his team ran the festival for three seasons before opting to shut it down. Mayers would also partner with Another Planet Entertainment in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2008 to launch Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. In 2017, Mayers led efforts to partner with Viacom and Comedy Central to produce a large-scale indoor/outdoor comedy festival in San Francisco called Clusterfest that included performances by Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Jon Stewart and Trevor Noah.
Trending on Billboard
While working on Clusterfest, Mayers began interfacing with major film and TV rights holders and created a new experience concept allowing fans to “step inside” some of their favorite TV shows on recreated TV sets. Mayers and team licensed rights from shows like Seinfeld, The Office, South Park, Arrested Development, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Daily Show to create immersive fan experiences visited by hundreds of thousands of fans. For the show Friends, Mayers led efforts to create pop-up experiences in multiple cities, including New York, Boston and Atlanta.
Despite his success, Mayers’ relationships with his co-founders at Superfly began deteriorating during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in August 2021, he was terminated from his position at the company. In early 2022, Mayers sued Farman, Goodstone and Black and accused them of civil misrepresentation, breach of contract and fraud for allegedly lowballing him for the value of his shares in Superfly. Also named in the complaint was Virgo Investment Group, a California private equity fund; Mayers alleged that its top executive, Jesse Watson, strung him along for months, promising $5 million in financing before firing him last summer. On Jan. 20, 2023, a New York judge dismissed the lawsuit.
After leaving Superfly, Mayers began work on a new project called Core City Detroit which sought to raise money to invest in a “culturally rich neighborhood anchored by a music campus providing world- class services, infrastructure, and housing for local/national artists & industry along with entertainment experiences for the public,” according to an investment deck on the project. Phase 1 of the Core City Detroit project included a drive-in diner by celebrity chef Kiki Louya and the renovation of an old pickle factory into a music production complex.
Mayers’ longtime friend Peter Shapiro, founder of Dayglo Presents and the Brooklyn Bowl, described him as a creative mastermind who had a deep love for live music and a vision for how it would evolve over the next two decades.
“Jonathan was one of the true real visionaries of the modern concert world and one of the core minds behind Bonnaroo,” Shapiro tells Billboard. “Modern-day festivals are all in some way built off of his vision.”
Company officials at Another Planet Entertainment issued a statement to Billboard following Mayers’ passing. “Jonathan was a bright light, always pushing new and creative ideas in the entertainment space,” they said. “He was a visionary who was integral in the founding and the spirit of Outside Lands. Everyone in the Another Planet family will miss him dearly.”
The 78th annual Tony Awards on CBS on Sunday (June 8) delivered its largest broadcast audience since 2019 (when James Corden hosted), up 38% year-over-year, and its largest livestreaming audience ever on Paramount+, up 208% year-over-year. The show, hosted by Cynthia Erivo for the first time and back in Radio City Music Hall for the […]
