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02 Dec 2023

U2 Remembers Pogues’ Shane MacGowan With Moving ‘A Rainy Day in Soho’ Cover

U2 is remembering fellow Irish musician Shane MacGowan.

The veteran U.K. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers paid tribute to the late Pogues singer with a moving rendition of the Celtic band’s “A Rainy Day in Soho” during their Las Vegas residency on Friday (Dec. 1) at the Venetian’s Sphere venue.

“Sing with us, for Shane McGowan,” Bono told fans at the show as U2 performed the somber acoustic cover.

During the song, Bono altered the lyrics to reflect the death of MacGowan, who passed away Thursday (Nov. 30) following a recent hospitalization. He was 65.

“McGowan’s song is never over, but we may never find out what it means,” he sang. “You’re the measure of my dreams.”

This isn’t the firs time Bono has performed “A Rainy Day in Soho.” The 63-year-old singer previously performed the 1986 Poguetry in Motion track alongside actor Johnny Depp during MacGowan’s 60th birthday party in Dublin in 2018. The bash was also attended by such legendary artists as Nick Cave and the late Sinéad O’Connor.

Earlier in the week, the Pogues confirmed the passing of their notoriously hard-living singer, whose yearning, howling vocals and gritty rose-from-concrete lyrics super-charged the Pogues’ meld of traditional Irish music and punk rock spirit on such beloved songs as “The Old Main Drag” and “A Pair of Brown Eyes.”

U2 was among numerous artists to honor MacGowan after his passing. “Shane MacGowan’s songs were perfect so he or we his fans didn’t have to be…,” Bono captioned an illustration on X of MacGowan and lyrics to to “A Rainy Day in Soho.”

See U2’s “A Rainy Day in Soho” tribute here.

02 Dec 2023

Jussie Smollett’s Disorderly Conduct Convictions Upheld by Illinois Appeals Court

An appeals court upheld the disorderly conduct convictions Friday (Dec. 1) of actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and lying about it to Chicago police.

Smollett, who appeared in the TV show Empire, challenged the role of a special prosecutor, jury selection, evidence and many other aspects of the case. But all were turned aside in a 2-1 opinion from the Illinois Appellate Court.

Smollett had reported to police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two men wearing ski masks. The search for the attackers soon turned into an investigation of Smollett himself, leading to his arrest on charges he had orchestrated the whole thing.

Authorities said he paid two men whom he knew from work on Empire, which filmed in Chicago. Prosecutors said Smollett told the men what slurs to shout, and to yell that he was in “MAGA Country,” a reference to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign slogan.

A jury convicted Smollett in 2021 on five felony counts of disorderly conduct, a charge that can be filed in Illinois when a person lies to police.

He now will have to finish a 150-day stint in jail that was part of his sentence. Smollett spent just six days in jail while his appeal was pending.

Lawyers for Smollett, who is Black and gay, have publicly claimed that he was the target of a racist justice system and people playing politics.

“We are preparing to escalate this matter to the Supreme Court,” Smollett spokeswoman Holly Baird said, referring to Illinois’ highest court and also noting that the opinion at the appellate court wasn’t unanimous.

Appellate Justice Freddrenna Lyle would have thrown out the convictions. She said it was “fundamentally unfair” to appoint a special prosecutor and charge Smollett when he had already performed community service as part of a 2019 deal with Cook County prosecutors to close the case.

“It was common sense that Smollett was bargaining for a complete resolution of the matter, not simply a temporary one,” Lyle said.

Special prosecutor Dan Webb was appointed to look into why the case was dropped. A grand jury subsequently restored charges against Smollett in 2020, and Webb concluded there were “substantial abuses of discretion” in the state’s attorney office during the earlier round.

Smollett was not immune to a fresh round of charges, appellate Justices David Navarro and Mary Ellen Coghlan said in the majority opinion.

“The record does not contain any evidence that (prosecutors) agreed Smollett would not be further prosecuted in exchange for forfeiting his bond and performing community service,” they said.

01 Dec 2023

Guy Philippe, Haitian Coup Leader & Drug Trafficker, Deported

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Guy Philippe, a leader of a rebellion in Haiti and a convicted drug trafficker, was deported from the United States to his homeland this week. Philippe is just one of thousands deported to the troubled nation since President Joe Biden was sworn into office back in 2021.

The Miami Herald reports that Guy Philippe, 55, was deported on Thursday (November 30) from Alexandria, La. along with over a dozen other individuals. Philippe was a former commander in the Haitian police force who led an armed rebellion in 2004 to overthrow President Jean Bertrand Aristide. From there, Philippe got involved in a scheme with Colombian cocaine traffickers, assisting in a money-laundering operation for the group.

In 2017, after dodging capture by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Philippe was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in the scheme. Philippe pleaded guilty to the charges but claimed innocence.

Philippe’s return to Haiti has been in process since September after he was released from a federal facility and moved into immigration custody. According to the Herald‘s report, Philippe attempted to get his sentence reduced since the sentencing.

The turn of Guy Philippe is a cause of concern for some as the country has yet to rebound from the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Philippe, despite his criminal record in the United States, won a seat in the Haiti Senate in 2016 while campaigning alongside Moïse. Just before he was set to be sworn in, Philippe was arrested and handed over to the DEA.

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Photo: JAIME RAZURI / Getty

01 Dec 2023

Georgia vs. Alabama: Where to Stream the 2023 SEC Championship Game for Free

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Who will win the 2023 SEC championship? Football fans will find out when the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs take on the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday (Dec. 2).

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The highly anticipated game will go down at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (get tickets here and here).

Keep reading for streaming details.

How to Watch Georgia Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide: Time & Channel

The Georgia vs. Alabama game will broadcast live on CBS at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday. If you don’t have cable or an antenna like this one from Amazon, you can stream the game on Paramount+, DirecTV or Fubo.

Subscribe to Paramount+ with Showtime and you’ll get live access to CBS, for $3.99/month for three months. The streaming plan is usually priced at $11.99/month but the streaming deal saves you 67% off the regular price. The limited offer ends on Dec. 3

Besides live sports, Paramount+ features exclusive shows and movies such as Good Burger 2, Lawmen Bass Reeves, Frasier, Special Forces: Lioness, South Park: Joining the Panderverse, 1883 and Ink Master.

Looking for another way to stream live television for less than the cost of cable? Watch live sports and more with Fubo TV.

Streaming plans start at $54.99/month (reg. $74.99/month) after a free trial for seven days. The cheapest plan, Fubo Pro, comes with 185 channels including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBS, ESPN, FX, FS1 and NFL Network.

DirectTV Stream offers 75+ channels for $69.98 for two months when you get the Entertainment package and DirecTV Sports Pack (NFL Red Zone, NFL Network, SEC Network, CBS Sports Network, Big Network and more).

ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, NBC, ABC, CBS, FX, HGTV, and Univision are included in the streaming plan along with unlimited DVR.

You can also stream on unlimited devices in your home and enjoy premium channels such as Max, Showtime, Starz and MGM+ for free for three months. If you need to access streaming platforms from outside of the U.S., use ExpressVPN.

Sling TV is another cost-effective way for football lovers to watch live television. From sports to movies and must-watch TV shows. The streamer slashed its price to just $20 for the first month. Join here.

01 Dec 2023

Billy Porter Embraces His Music Moment With ‘Black Mona Lisa’: ‘The World Was Not Ready for This in 1997’

Billy Porter has always blazed his own trail in Hollywood. And now, the music world is finally catching up.

In a new interview with Billboard News‘ Tetris Kelly, the actor/musician talks about his latest album, last month’s Black Mona Lisa, and why now was the time to release his most ambitious music project yet.

“The world was not ready for this in 1997,” Porter tells Billboard News, referencing the year he put out his debut self-titled solo album. “And I understand that, and I am so grateful that I have been blessed to live long enough to see the day when my authenticity has become my superpower.

“There was no place for me and there were energies and forces in the business, gatekeepers, that made sure that I didn’t cross over,” he adds.

He also looks back at people telling him along the way to “just be himself” as he fought for a career in Hollywood and in music.

“We throw around this ‘authenticity’ thing,” Porter says. “‘Oh just be who you are. Just be who you are!’ It’s easy to ‘be who you are’ when what you are is what’s popular. What what do you do when the ‘who you are’ is reviled or rejected and there’s no place or space for you? You make the place and the space for yourself.”

That’s what he’s done with Black Mona Lisa, which includes a duet with Lady Blackbird and co-writing from Grammy-nominated songwriter Justin Tranter. Watch a behind-the-scenes video for the title track below, and watch Billboard News‘ full interview with Porter above.

01 Dec 2023

Billy Porter on the Meaning of ‘Black Mona Lisa,’ Telling Billy Strayhorn’s Story & More | Billboard News

Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning actor and singer Billy Porter explains the meaning of his album Black Mona Lisa, the important themes his album tackles, why he wants to tell Billy Strayhorn’s story on stage, how he uses fashion as a way to express himself and more.

Billy Porter:
I stayed in it. I did it anyway. Whatever the “it” is right. So I get to come back now. And all of this is on my own terms. Hey, everybody, this is Billy Porter, and you are watching Billboard News.

Tetris Kelly:
Hey, it’s Tetris with Billboard News, and look who I have here! Mr. Billy Porter. Hi.

Billy Porter:
Hi, how are you?

Tetris Kelly:
You got a lot to talk about your magnum opus. You released this album Black Mona Lisa.

Billy Porter:
Yeah.

Tetris Kelly:
Why did you refer to it as that and how was this project different?

Billy Porter:
You know, we were writing. I was in the writing process with Justin Tranter and his team, and you know, we probably ’bout six, eight months into the process — we had written a bunch of other stuff, and the themes and the tone were forming. I don’t remember where “Black Mona Lisa” came from, I just kind of say, it kind of fell out of the sky. And everybody in the room was like …

Tetris Kelly:
That works.

Billy Porter:
Did that just happen? Like there was like a, you know, like, time stood still for about a good 20 seconds, and then like, maybe even 30. And then 20 minutes later, the song was written. It’s referencing the original Mona Lisa. And that painting is relevant, always — past, present and future. And that’s my goal with my legacy.

Watch the full interview above!

01 Dec 2023

Demi Lovato, Cyndi Lauper & More Artists Join Climate Change Human Rights Campaign

As the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference begins in Dubai, a crew of music artists are putting their support behind a campaign that links climate action and human rights.

As part of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, artists including Demi Lovato, Cyndi Lauper, Carole King and Annie Lennox have released statements urging leaders at the climate summit to support climate justice goals. The campaign will benefit from the artists’ combined social media followings of more than 300 million, with the goal to build support for United Nations Human Rights climate justice goals. Rob Thomas will add his voice to the campaign in the coming days.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance addresses climate change through the lens of human rights, coalescing input from human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action to preserve the future of humanity and the planet. The organization is partnered with the United Nations Human Rights, one of the U.N.’s major divisions.

All four artists released statements supporting the campaign via Instagram.

“By working together and supporting rights-based climate action for people and the planet,” Lovato wrote, “we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all.”

“Climate change is the SINGLE BIGGEST HEALTH THREAT FACING HUMANITY,” Lennox wrote. “The impacts are already harming health through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, food insecurity, and pressures on mental health. Every year environmental factors take the lives of 13 million people… Climate change is a huge challenge, yet there ARE MANY SOLUTIONS. These solutions can deliver economic benefits while improving our lives and protecting the environment.”

“The impacts of climate change are now being felt in all countries, yet not all people are being impacted the same way,” wrote Lauper. “Climate change is hitting the poorest and most vulnerable women, children and marginalized people of the world most.”

“By working together and supporting inclusive, rights-based climate action for people and the planet,” wrote King, “we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all.”

The social media campaign precedes a press conference from the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and United Nations Human Rights in Dubai at COP28 on Dec. 8. The press conference will include Recording Academy president Panos A. Panay and Chantel Sausedo, the Recording Academy’s vp of artist relations, who together will discuss the organization’s goals of using music to promote climate justice and rights-based climate action.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit will be held at the University of Oxford from Sept. 11-14, 2024 and end with the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Concert. The lineup for the event will be announced at a later date.

01 Dec 2023

Kelly Clarkson Ex Owes Her $2.6M, New Music From Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey & More | Billboard News

Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock is ordered to pay $2.6 million dollars to her over “unlawfully procured” business deals. Country group Lady A test their knowledge and see how well they know each other. New music from Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey, Dove Cameron, Wisin and Young Miko and Jeymes Samuel. Former Fifth Harmony bandmates Ally Brooke and Dinah Jane reunite for their new Christmas cover. Billy Porter explains the meaning behind his recent album title ‘Black Mona Lisa,’ how he expresses himself through fashion, shares when people can expect him back on Broadway and more.

Tetris Kelly
Beyoncé surprises the world with a new track. Plus, so many more new Friday releases. Kelly Clarkson is getting big money from her ex. We sit down with Billy Porter and get to know Lady A a little more. This is Billboard News for Friday, December 1st.

Tetris Kelly
She did it again! Beyoncé surprised the Beyhive with new music with no teases or prior warnings. Queen Bey dropped “My House” ahead of the opening weekend of her ‘Renaissance’ concert film — more new music updates to come. But here’s our top story.

Tetris Kelly
Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock has been ordered to pay Kelly back $2.6 million. Kelly Clarkson has won a legal ruling that her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock owes her more than 2.6 million in commissions she paid to him for procuring business deals while he served as her manager. California’s labor commissioner ruled that Kelly’s ex procured several deals for Kelly that should have been handled by her talent agents at CAA, violating a California law that bans anyone other than licensed talent agents for procuring work for artists. Brandon must pay back commissions earned on four deals: over $1.9 million for Kelly’s role on The Voice, just north of $280,000 to promote Norwegian Cruise Lines, $450,000 to promote Wayfair, and $93 to host the Billboard Music Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Kelly filed for divorce from Brandon in June 2020. The case was finalized in 2022, with the singer agreeing to pay $45,000 a month in child support for their two children plus a one-time payment of just over $1.3 million. Attorneys for both sides did not immediately return requests for comment.

Watch the full video above!

01 Dec 2023

iHeartMedia Shares Pop on BMI Sale News, Music Stocks Mixed Overall as Markets Reach 2023 Highs

Shares of iHeartMedia got a boost from the sale of its stake in BMI, rising 7.9% to $3.00 and making the radio giant the best-performing music stock of the week. 

The company announced on Monday (Nov. 27) that it expected to receive approximately $100 million from the sale of BMI to New Mountain Capital. With a current market capitalization of just $423 million, the $100 million pre-tax windfall could provide a boost to a stock that has fallen 51.1% this year. iHeartMedia’s announcement said the company plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, “which may include the repayment of debt.” At the 2023 Wells Fargo TMT Summit on Wednesday, CFO Rich Bressler told investors, “You should assume that we will reduce debt with it.” 

The BMI sale follows iHeartMedia’s announcement in its third-quarter earnings that it has paid off $519 million of debt since the second quarter of 2022. In the third quarter, the company retired $89 million in principal balance for $65 million cash, according to its Q3 2023 investor presentation. Debt reductions to date are expected to save the company about $43 million in annual cash interest. Additional debt redemptions aided by the BMI sale will further reduce interest expenses and help its bottom line while the advertising market recovers. “I think we’re in terrific shape from the liquidity generation and free cash flow,” Bressler said on Wednesday, “and also in terrific shape to be able to take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace to improve the capital structure.”

The Billboard Global Music Index dropped 0.2% to 1,449.08 as nine of the 20 stocks finished the week in positive territory, 10 stocks posted losses and one was unchanged. Year to date, the index has gained 24.1%. 

The week was notable for the unremarkable movements — either positive or negative — in most stock prices. In the absence of earnings results or major news releases, the biggest companies on the Billboard Global Music Index were confined to a narrow band of results. Warner Music Group shares rose 3.8% to $34.59, Universal Music Group gained 1.5% to 24.60 euros ($26.80), Spotify fell 0.5% to $180.75 and Live Nation dropped 3.9% to $84.23.

Anghami, the Abu Dhabi-based music streamer, had the index’s largest drop, diving 18.1% to $2.30. Still, the company’s share price is up 44.2% year to date and has gained 129% since receiving a notification, from the Nasdaq Stock Market in October, regarding its stock’s closing price falling under the $1.00 per share threshold for 30 consecutive days. Companies whose stocks fall below $1.00 for extended periods face being de-listed from the exchange.

While music stocks dropped slightly, some major indexes finished the week at new highs. On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 0.8% to 4,594.63, its highest mark of 2023 and its best showing since March 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, a collection of 30 blue-chip companies, rose 2.4% to a new all-time high of 36,245.50. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.4% to 14,305.03 — nowhere close to its all-time record of 16,057.44 set in 2021 but close to its 2023 high of 14,446.55 set on July 19. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 gained 0.5% to 7,529.35. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index grew 0.3% to 2,505.01. 

01 Dec 2023

Sublime Performing With Bradley Nowell’s Son Jakob — Will He Join the Band?

It’s been more than 27 years since Sublime performed its final show with Bradley Nowell, but recent moves by the late frontman’s family have paved the way for the band’s possible return with Nowell’s son Jakob Nowell as the famed Long Beach punk-ska-reggae trio’s next generation singer.

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Jakob Nowell — who was 11 months old when his father died in 1996 — has been performing and touring for more than a decade, and this year signed a record deal with Epitaph Records for his group Jakob’s Castle and made a surprise appearance with Stick Figure at Coachella. On Dec. 11, he will perform at a benefit concert for Bad Brains frontman H.R. at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles alongside Sublime’s original members, bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh, for the first time ever. The trio are not calling themselves Sublime for the benefit show, but Jakob’s manager Kevin Zinger with Regime Music Group and musician-turned-executive Joe Escalante have already been selected by the original band members, along with Bradley Nowell’s wife (and Jakob’s mom) Troy Dendekker Nowell, to manage the rights and intellectual property for Sublime.

Kevin Zinger

Kevin Zinger

Fabrice Henssens

Zinger and Escalante have been hired to manage the “legacy assets, the licensing and all the business in Sublime going forward for Jake, Troy, Bud and Eric,” Escalante tells Billboard. “The guys plan to jam together in support of H.R. at the Teragram Ballroom on Dec. 11. Beyond that we’re not prepared to make any announcements.”

Zinger is a veteran music executive and documentary filmmaker whose clients include House of Pain, Tower of Power, Everlast and Steele Pulse. Escalante is bassist for the famed Orange County punk band The Vandals, as well as a music executive and Hollywood showrunner.

News of a relaunched Sublime has generated significant interest from festival talent buyers who have already begun submitting offers for festival bookings, Zinger tells Billboard. But for now, he says, the three men remain focused on rehearsing for the Dec. 11 show.

Joe Escalante

Joe Escalante

Aki Yamazaki

“We’re patiently waiting and doing the right thing,” says Zinger. “If the vibe’s there, the vibe’s there.”

Wilson is also a member of Sublime with Rome, a popular touring outfit led by singer Rome Ramirez that plays songs from Sublime’s catalog as well as Ramirez’s originals. The name Sublime with Rome was created as legal a compromise between Ramirez, Wilson and Troy Dendekker Nowell in 2010 after Nowell sued to stop the men from touring under the name Sublime.

Further complicating matters for Sublime relaunch with Jakob Nowell is that Sublime With Rome have a New Zealand tour and a number of big festivals booked in 2024;, as does Jakob’s Castle, who’s opening for G Love & Special Sauce on a tour running through the end of March.

Tickets are still available for Positive Mental Attitude: A Benefit For HR of Bad Brains at the Teragram Ballroom on Dec. 11, priced at $30 apiece. There is also a GoFundMe set up to benefit H.R. here.