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19 Jan 2023

David Crosby: Life in Photos

David Crosby, the influential folk-rock icon behind The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, has died at 81, Billboard confirmed Thursday (Jan. 19).

His career began in 1964 with The Byrds, with whom he earned two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits in “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season).”

In 1968, he joined forces with Buffalo Springfield’s Stephen Stills and The Hollies’ Graham Nash to form Crosby, Stills & Nash. The trio released their self-titled debut album in 1969 and earned the best new artist award at the Grammys — which remains Crosby’s lone Grammy win, of 10 nominations. Neil Young joined the group for a series of live performances and recordings, with that iteration called Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

In his lifetime, Crosby earned 22 top 40-charting albums on the Billboard 200 through his solo and collaborative work, including 10 top 10s and a trio of No. 1s, all with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970’s Deja Vu, 1971’s 4 Way Street and 1974’s So Far).

Crosby was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, for his work with The Byrds and with Crosby, Stills & Nash.

He was MusiCares’ inaugural person of the year recipient in 1991 and is one of only two individuals in Grammy history to have received two nominations for best new artist. He was nominated for that award as part of The Byrds (1965) and won as part of Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969). The only other individual to be twice-nominated in that category is Carl Palmer, who was nominated as part of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1971) and again as part of Asia (1982).

Below, find photos throughout Crosby’s life and career, from the mid-1960s to now.

19 Jan 2023

David Crosby, The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash Founder, Dies at 81

Two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby, has died, sources confirm to Billboard. He was 81. Cause of death is unknown.

Crosby was a seminal figure in the folk-rock scene for more than six decades as a member of The Byrds,  Crosby, Stills & Nash and then Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. He also had a prolific solo career, especially in recent years, releasing new music at an almost frenetic pace. 

Crosby, a Los Angeles native and son of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby, joined the Byrds in 1964 and in 1965, the band, known for its jangling guitars and layered harmonies, took two songs to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: the Bob Dylan-penned “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn!Turn!Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season).”

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Due to infighting with his bandmates Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman,” Crosby left the Byrds in 1967. In 1968, after meeting Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, the trio formed Crosby, Stills & Nash, appearing at Woodstock in August, 1969, for only their second gig. 

Their self-titled debut album spawned two top 40 Hot 100 hits — “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” (No. 21) and “Marrakesh Express” (No. 28) — and the trio won the Grammy for best new artist in 1969. Neil Young was an informal fourth member for occasional live performances, when the group would go by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The core trio stayed active through 2016.

In 2019, Cameron Crowe produced a documentary about the cantankerous rock icon called Remember My Name. In an interview about the warts-and-all doc, Crosby explained to Billboard why it made sense that his Byrds bandmate Roger McGuinn called him “insufferable.”

“I can be contentious. Opinionated. I’m comfortable with that,” Crosby conceded. “When you’re in a relationship like that in a band, it’s like a marriage… you start out, you love each other, you love each other’s music. You’re thrilled that you’re doing this, and every time you play music, you feel brotherhood with the other guys. In CSNY with Neil [Young] and Graham [Nash] and Stephen [Stills], we were a competitive band. Not cooperative/competitive. We were also very shitty to each other over and over and over again, unkind and disloyal.”

Crosby earned 10 Grammy nominations in his lifetime — including a best music film nod for Remember My Name — but the CSN best new artist prize was his lone win.

19 Jan 2023

Kelly Clarkson Is ‘Looking for a Little Romance’ in Chris De Burgh Kellyoke Cover

Kelly Clarkson started the Thursday (Jan. 19) episode of her talk show with a rendition of Chris de Burgh‘s “The Lady in Red.”

Backed by her house band Y’all, the singer belted the overly earnest love song, singing, “Never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight/ Never seen you shine so bright/ Never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance/ They’re looking for a little romance, given half a chance/ I have never seen that dress you’re wearing/ Or the highlights in your hair catch your eyes, I have been blind/ Lady in red/ Is dancing with me, cheek to cheek.”

Released as the second single from de Burgh’s 1986 album Into the Light, the ballad served as the British-Irish artist’s international breakthrough and hit No. 1 throughout the world, though it ultimately topped out at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of ’87.

After singing the track, Clarkson invited Bryan Cranston to the couch, where she promptly played a recently unearthed video dating service ad the Breaking Bad star filmed sometime in the 1980s. Then, Rita Wilson joined the pair to dish on the “sing for your supper” parties she throws with Tom Hanks for their celebrity pals.

Other Kellyoke numbers Clarkson has chosen to cover recently include Joji’s “Glimpse of Us” (with not one, but two pianos!), The Offspring’s “Come Out and Play (Keep ‘Em Separated),” Blink-182’s “All the Small Things” and Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World.”

Watch Clarkson power through “The Lady in Red” below.

19 Jan 2023

Madison Square Garden Entertainment Promotes Josephine Vaccarello to EVP of Live

Josephine Vaccarello, a 25-year veteran of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., has been promoted to the role of executive vp, live.

 In the new role, Vaccarello will lead MSG’s live entertainment bookings business at all the company’s venues, which include New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre. Vaccarelllo takes on the new role after serving as senior vp, MSG Live, in which she booked concerts, comedy, special events and residencies including Billy Joel, Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden and Jerry Seinfeld’s Beacon Theatre residency.

She will also be responsible for booking residencies at the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, which is set to open in the second half of 2023. Vaccarello started at the company in 1998 as an administrative assistant.

“Throughout my 25 years at this Company, I’ve had unique opportunities to grow and evolve my career within the organization, and I’m honored to take on this elevated leadership role, particularly as MSG Entertainment expands its live entertainment business. We have a lot of big ideas for the future that will make an indelible mark on live entertainment and I’m looking forward to continuing to create iconic moments with artists for our fans in New York, Chicago and soon, Las Vegas,” Vaccarello said. 

She will report to James Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of MSG Entertainment, in addition to his position as executive chairman of AMC Networks. 

“Over her tenure at MSG Entertainment, Josephine has been instrumental in growing our live event business by pursuing innovative opportunities including multi-night bookings and unique residencies, and bringing unforgettable events featuring the world’s biggest artists to our venues,” Dolan said. “In this new leadership role, I am confident she will continue to raise the bar within the live entertainment industry by leveraging her unparalleled relationships and expertise across our portfolio and in booking our newest venue – the state-of-the-art MSG Sphere.” 

This story was originally published on THR.com.

19 Jan 2023

Madonna Adds 13 New Dates to Celebration Tour

Madonna is booked and busy. On Thursday (Jan. 19), the pop star announced the addition of 13 dates to the North American leg of The Celebration Tour due to popular demand.

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The original, 35-date tour has expanded to include second shows in Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, as well as a third show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

The North American leg of the tour will kick off Saturday, July 15, at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver and will make additional stops in Phoenix, Detroit, Atlanta, Toronto, Montreal and more before concluding at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 8. The tour’s European leg will pick up with a pair of dates at The O2 arena on Oct. 14-15 and will make stops in Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Berlin and more before concluding in Amsterdam on Dec. 1 at the Ziggo Dome. As previously announced, Bob the Drag Queen will be a special guest on the tour.

Tickets for the new concert dates will go on sale starting this Friday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m. local time. Phoenix, Denver, St. Paul, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Washington and Atlanta will go on sale Friday, Jan. 27, at 10 a.m. local time, with Citi cardholders getting earlier access to tickets starting Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. local time.

In a recent feature with Vanity Fair, Madonna discussed her creative process and return to the stage, as well as her biopic in the works. “I’m about to create another show, and I’ve been working for several years on the screenplay about my life,” the singer told the magazine. “This is a good time for me — I’m gathering ideas, getting inspired, hanging out with creative people, watching films, seeing art, listening to music.”

See the full list of dates, with the newly added ones bolded, below.

THE CELEBRATION TOUR NORTH AMERICAN DATES: 

Sat Jul 15 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Tue Jul 18 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Wed Jul 19 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena – JUST ADDED
Sat Jul 22 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
Tue Jul 25 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Thu Jul 27 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
Sun Jul 30 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Wed Aug 02 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Sat Aug 05 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Mon. Aug 07 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Wed Aug 09 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Thu Aug 10 – Chicago, IL – United Center – JUST ADDED
Sun Aug 13 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Mon Aug 14 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena – JUST ADDED
Sat Aug 19 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Sun Aug 20 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre – JUST ADDED
Wed Aug 23 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Thu Aug 24 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sat Aug 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden – JUST ADDED
Wed Aug 30 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Thu Aug 31 – Boston, MA – TD Garden – JUST ADDED
Sat Sep 02 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Tue Sep 05 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Thu Sep 07 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Sat Sep 09 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena
Sun Sep 10 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena – JUST ADDED
Wed Sep 13 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Thu Sep 14 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center – JUST ADDED
Mon Sep 18 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Tue Sep 19 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center – JUST ADDED
Thu Sep 21 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Fri Sep 22 – Austin, TX – Moody Center – JUST ADDED
Wed Sep 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Thu Sep 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena – JUST ADDED
Mon Oct 02 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Wed Oct 04 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Thu Oct 05 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center – JUST ADDED
Sat Oct 07 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
Sun Oct 08 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena – JUST ADDED

THE CELEBRATION TOUR EUROPE DATES: 

Sat Oct 14 – London, UK – The O2
Sun Oct 15 – London, UK – The O2 – JUST ADDED
Sat Oct 21 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis
Tue Oct 24 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena
Sat Oct 28 – Stockholm, SE – Tele2 Arena
Wed Nov 01 – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Jordi
Mon Nov 06 – Lisbon, PT – Altice Arena
Sun Nov 12 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
Mon Nov 13 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
Wed Nov 15 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena
Thu Nov 23 – Milan, IT – Mediolanum Forum
Tue Nov 28 – Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena
Fri Dec 1 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome

19 Jan 2023

Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera Notch First No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs Chart With ‘Bebe Dame’: ‘We Didn’t Know It’d Be This Big’

Both Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera celebrate their first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart as “Bebe Dame,” their second collaboration, powers from 3-1 on the Jan. 21-dated ranking.

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“We were aiming for a hit, but we didn’t know it’d be this big,” Fuerza Regida’s lead singer JOP tells Billboard.

“Bebe Dame” rises to the summit in its fourth week on the multimetric tally — which blends airplay, streaming data and digital sales — with gains across all metrics, and takes home the Greatest Gainer/Sales & Streaming trophy for registering the biggest gains of the week.

Streaming contributes the most to the song’s ranking, with a robust 26% increase, to 14.1 million official U.S. streams earned in the week ending Jan. 12, according to Luminate. The sum yields a 20-11 surge on the all-genre Streaming Songs list and a second week at No. 1 on Latin Streaming Songs.

While sales rise with a 17% gain, to 2,000 downloads in the same period, “Bebe Dame” is pushed down 1-2 on Latin Digital Songs, as Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” debuts atop with a little over 2,000 sales.

Fuerza Regida’s new No. 1 song arrives a week after scoring a dual achievement: the group’s latest albums Pa Que Hablen and Sigan Hablando launched in the top 10 on Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican Albums charts (dated Jan. 14). “Bebe Dame” from Sigan Hablando, and which debuted at No. 3 on the same chart week on Hot Latin Songs, earns both Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera its first champ there.

“It was definitely challenging,” JOP adds about working with Grupo Frontera. “We went out of our comfort zone with this track, but the energy, the vibe, was always there. It was recorded in one take!”

Elsewhere, “Bebe Dame” earns Fuerza Regida its first entry on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart. Grupo Frontera, meanwhile, secures its highest ranking as the song bows at No. 31.

Further, Grupo Frontera claims its highest ranking on the Global 200 list as “Bebe Dame” jumps 46-22 in its second week. Previously, the group reached a No. 31 high with “No Se Va” in Oct. 2022. On the Global Excl. U.S. chart, the track rockets 102-45 in its second week.

Feid Clocks Second Champ on Latin Rhythm Airplay: Over on Latin Rhythm Airplay, Feid generates his second ruler with “Normal,” which rallies 8-1 in its 27th week with a 33% gain in audience impressions, to 8 million, earned in the U.S. during the Jan. 6-12 tracking week. It’s the longest trek to the penthouse since the chart begun in 2005.

“Normal” becomes the Colombian’s first champ as a soloist, unaccompanied by any other act. His first Latin Rhythm Airplay domination landed through “Porfa,” with the all-star team comprising J Balvin, Maluma, Nicky Jam, Sech, and Justin Quiles in Aug. 2020.

On the all-genre Latin Airplay recap, “Normal” soars 16-4, Feid’s second top 10 there.

19 Jan 2023

After Taylor Swift Donation, Tennessee Animal Shelter Names 4 Puppies After Her Songs

Taylor Swift got a sweet shout-out from a Tennessee animal shelter this week in the form of four puppies named after some of her latest tunes.

“We recently received a generous donation from legendary singer-songwriter Taylor Swift,” the Williamson County Animal Center wrote in a touching Facebook post. “While all Swifties know Taylor loves cats, we hope she won’t mind that we named our newest adoptable puppies after her songs: ‘Carolina,’ ‘Bejeweled,’ ‘Midnight Rain’ and ‘Willow.’”

The Franklin-area center, based just outside Nashville, went on to share that two of the black-and-white, mixed breed pups — who all happen to be female —have already been adopted by local families, but that 3-month-old Carolina and Bejeweled were both still available as of Tuesday.

“We are very grateful for Taylor’s support of our shelter, which serves the pets of Williamson County through adoption, spay & neuter, enforcement, microchips, rabies clinics, and paw pantry,” WCAC concluded in its post.

Swift’s latest smash hit, “Anti-Hero,” just became her longest-running leader on the Billboard Hot 100 as it marked an eighth non-consecutive week at No. 1 on the chart dated Jan. 21.

Last week, the singer made a surprise appearance at The 1975’s tour stop at London’s O2 arena to perform “Anti-Hero” for the first time, and her live cover of the band’s “The City” caused its streaming numbers to spike. Next, she’s set to collaborate on a track, titled “The Alcott,” from The National’s upcoming album First Two Pages of Frankenstein.

Get a look at the adorable Swift-named pups below.

19 Jan 2023

Apple’s New HomePod Promises ‘Next Level’ Sound: Here’s How to Pre-Order the Speaker Online

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Apple promises to deliver a ground-breaking listening experience with its new HomePod. The second-generation HomePod, announced on Wednesday (Jan. 18), features “next level acoustics” with enhanced Siri capabilities packed in a slender, space-saving design.  

The new HomePod ($299) offers rich, deep bass, natural mid-range and clear, detailed highs for streaming Apple Music and more. Room sensing technology allows it to recognize sound reflections from nearby surfaces and adapt to its environment by determining if it’s freestanding or positioned against a wall. HomePod 2.0 easily integrates into the Apple ecosystem, seamlessly pairing with iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4k and other Apple products.  

“Leveraging our audio expertise and innovations, the new HomePod delivers rich, deep bass, natural mid-range, and clear, detailed highs,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With the popularity of HomePod mini, we’ve seen growing interest in even more powerful acoustics achievable in a larger HomePod. We’re thrilled to bring the next generation of HomePod to customers around the world.”

Other features include a custom-engineered, high-excursion woofer with a powerful motor driving a 20mm, a built-in bass-EQ mic, a beamforming array of five tweeters and a S7 chip combined with system-sending technology that offers upgraded computational audio.

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HomePod can also listen for smoke and carbon dioxide alarms and will send a notification to your iPhone if it detects something. With the redesigned Home app, users can navigate, view and organize accessories, control your smart home and more with categories for climate, lights, security and includes a new multicamera view.

HomePod is available to pre-order online at Apple.com and in the Apple Store app and will begin shipping out on Feb. 3.

How to Pre-Order the New Mac Mini & MacBook Pro

Earlier in the week, Apple unveiled new Mac Mini and MacBook Pro laptops, all of which are available for pre-order now. The new Mac Mini is more powerful than ever with faster performance, enhanced unified memory and advanced connectivity and an M2 chip designed to deliver pro-level performance.

You can use Mac Mini for a myriad of tasks, including music production and other creative projects. Pre-order the Mac Mini and MacBook Pro below.

Amazon

Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad

$799.00

Amazon

Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M2 Pro chip with 12‑core CPU and 19‑core GPU: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display,

$2,499.00