News

20 Dec 2022

The 25 Best Latin Songs of 2022: Staff Picks

Latin music experienced another incredible year, and to highlight the genre’s global appeal, Billboard compiled 25 of the best songs released this year, according to our Latin editors.

The coveted year-end list brings to the forefront how experimental some artists got in 2022, led by Bad Bunny with his eclectic dembow “Tití Me Preguntó.” Currently No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, the MAG-produced combination of dembow and reggaetón perfectly embraces Dominican culture and the teteo lifestyle. Manuel Turizo matched him, though, showcasing how the Colombian pop-urban star dipped his toes in the bachata genre with his No. 1 Tropical Airplay hit “La Bachata,” helmed by Latin hitmaker Edgar Barrera.

Karol G and Rauw Alejandro are other great examples of artists who have stepped outside their comfort zones this year, and released bangers as a result — the former with her Ovy on the Drums-produced electronic track “Provenza,” and the latter with his alternative new-wave song “Dime Quien????” Música Mexicana is also well-represented on our list, including Camilo and Grupo Firme’s clever “Alaska,” Natanael Cano’s unapologetic “Que Me Importa” with newcomer Victor Cibrian, and Carin León’s heartfelt country-tinged track “ “No es por acá,” to name a few.

And of course, we couldn’t leave behind those certified hits that, fueled by their success on TikTok, have rocketed onto the Billboard charts this year, such as Lasso’s pop rock hit “Ojos Marrones,” Grupo Frontera’s norteño cover of Morat’s 2019 “No Se Va” and Yahritza y Su Esencia’s “Soy El Unico,” which earned the then 15-year-old lead vocalist, Yahritza Martinez, the title of the youngest Latin artist to have a Hot 100 hit.

Here are our 25 favorite Latin songs from this year, in alphabetical order.  

20 Dec 2022

Twitter Defends Plus-Size Model Ashley Graham Amid Body Shaming, Fans Want Lizzo To Get Same Support






Ashley Graham Defended From Fatphobia, But What About Lizzo?
























Ashley Graham and Lizzo

Ashley Graham, a plus-size model, received an outpouring of support after being body shamed by a public figure.

Journalist Sameera Khan: ‘The Fat Positivity Movement Is Getting Out Of Hand’

It all began after Sameera Khan—a journalist and beauty pageant titleholder—issued a now-deleted tweet on Sunday night.

Sameera specifically uploaded two photos of Ashley wearing a dainty dress, and she wrote, “The fat positivity movement is getting out of hand.”

She also mom-shamed Ashley and went as far as to dub her as a “(fat) wh*re.”

Sameera went on to allege that “poor, stressed-out men prefer fat women like Ashley Graham.”

Twitter Sides With Ashley Graham, Who Sparked An Empowering Trend

Once Sameera’s tweet began to pick up traction, it swiftly became the talk of the timeline, and Sameera was getting eaten up!

People went in on the journalist, with one supporter saying she must’ve “caught her man looking at Ashley Graham’s IG.”

Some users shared that the attempt at shaming Ashley was a full-on flop and basically backfired.

Others disregarded the hate and showered the model in love.

Ashley herself soon chimed in as well, though she chose to take the high road and sparked a trend that unapologetically celebrated body positivity.

Swiftly, others began to share photos of themselves embracing their bodies. As a result, Sameera’s tweet only inspired people to be take “fat positivity” even further!

Where’s The Love For Lizzo, Though?

Amid the support for Ashley, however, some began to question whether those “whose ‘plus-size’ bodies don’t conform to societal standards of beauty” would get the same validation.

Lizzo in particular was brought up, as many felt that people wouldn’t have the same positive energy for the “Rumors” singer.

Despite this, many fans relished in the fact that Ashley Graham and Lizzo stay living in critics’ heads rent-free. In the words of Nicki Minaj, “F**k them skinny b***hes!”

What do you think about the matter?



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20 Dec 2022

‘Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer’: How a Holiday Gag Became a Christmas Standard

At first, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” made three people laugh.

One was Randy Brooks, nephew of the late comedian Foster Brooks, who wrote the song but couldn’t convince his own group to play it. The others were Elmo Shropshire, a veterinarian, and his wife, Patsy Trigg, a bluegrass duo that performed at casinos in the Southwest under the name Elmo & Patsy. Brooks met them outside a Lake Tahoe hotel in 1979 and wound up playing them the song. Elmo & Patsy performed it as part of their act, then booked studio time and recorded it as a single.

Then it took off — first on KSFO in San Francisco, which played it as a lark, then at more and more radio stations around the country. Trigg’s parents published “Grandma” through their Tennessee gospel-music company, Kris Publishing, which meant Brooks made money every time it sold. But Shropshire, who owned the master-recording rights, turned out to be an aggressive DIY record man, recording a full-on album containing “Grandma” and lining up distribution through big drug-store chains. In 1983, it hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Christmas Songs chart, then graduated to toys, films and TV shows. Today, it’s a holiday standard. 

“It was an amazing rush,” says Trigg of the early “Grandma” days, before she and Shropshire divorced in 1985. “It was probably one of the most exciting times I’ve ever experienced.”

Billboard estimates the song’s publishing has generated $800,000, but the original Elmo & Patsy master-recording version has brought in $2.5 million through record sales and streaming over the years, all in the U.S. Much of that goes to Sony’s Epic Records, to which Shropshire signed a distribution deal in the early ’80s — meaning the veterinarian lost control of the master recordings and a lot of potential income. So Shropshire pulled a Taylor Swift-before-there-was-a-Taylor Swift and re-recorded the track under the name Dr. Elmo. His version generated an additional $7 million-plus. And that’s not even counting TV, film and toy licensing.

So the track has a happy ending — for everybody but Grandma.

“We did it all ourselves,” says Shropshire, 86, of Novato, Calif., in a phone interview between gigs performing the song at New Jersey soup kitchens and psychiatric hospitals. “We were working constantly. But it was fun. There’s something [that’s] great fun about being an entrepreneur.”

How did you come to be the performer on the song but not the songwriter?

Randy brought the song to me in Lake Tahoe. I thought it was provocative and funny. I thought the joke would be over after one or two times. At that point, I wasn’t professional enough to think about any recording business. I was still working at my veterinary hospital. I made a recording of it to give to some friends for a gag Christmas gift. One took it to a radio station in San Francisco and they started playing it. I had no idea. I was driving to work and [KSFO broadcaster] Gene Nelson said, “Well, we just played this song a little while ago, and a whole bunch of people called in and said they hated it. If we get 50 requests for it, we’ll play it again.”

How did it go from that to holiday hit?

In 1979, maybe 1980, when we first came out with the record, it was played a couple times. Right after Christmas, the bottom would drop out. At that time, there were probably 80 [record] companies. I’d send them a copy. I just had a little vinyl 45. They were interested in selling albums. I’d send a letter saying, “This is played on the radio, and I think it’s going to be good.” Almost every one would take the letter I wrote, and they had big Magic Marker on it, saying, “Stop sending me this shit!” In 1983, everybody started taping it from KSFO in San Francisco.

How did you capitalize on the radio exposure?

There were a lot of independent record distributors, but they’d [buy] 100 CDs — and at the end of a season, they’d send back, like, 98. Then we’d have to pay them back, or no money would exchange hands. My wife Pam Wendell — she was a salesperson — had the idea of making CDs and little displays and packaging them in a box and selling them to drugstore chains. We went to Longs Drugs in California. They had about 250 stores. It was different from getting them into record stores, when you usually didn’t get paid — then you’re competing with Elton John and the Eagles and your stuff goes down into the basement. Longs Drugs didn’t sell music, but at Christmas, they would put our displays out. Thirty days later, they would send us a check.

Then what happened?

We went from Longs to Eckerds, in the East. They had 3,000 stores. And we went to Costco and Sav-on — they had about 3,000 stores. Ultimately, we got into Dollar General, and they had 8,000 stores. I would try to do radio interviews. And they liked it. There was always a good angle: “Why did you sing a song where Grandma gets killed at Christmas?” I wasn’t that great of an interview, but it was fun for them and provocative. I would do interviews starting at 3 in the morning so I could be on the 6 a.m. morning shows in the East. I did probably 175 interviews every December. We lined them up every 15 minutes. That was from about 1994 until 2014.

At some point, Sony comes into the story, right? What was the story there?

In 1983, I spent a lot of money making a video. There was a man and wife in Nashville who had a little record company called Nationwide Sound Distributors. They got wind of it and said, “If you’ll sign a deal with us for a year, we’ll press 250,000.” Well, they sold all 250,000 copies, because people were hearing it for about three years, and there was no place to buy it. So the market was there. Billboard had it No. 1, in front of [Bing Crosby‘s] “White Christmas.” That’s when Epic [Records, part of CBS, later purchased by Sony] got involved and said they wanted to distribute it. It was a pretty onerous contract. I made an album of Christmas songs, so they could have an album. It probably cost $10,000 to $15,000. They gave me a $20,000 advance, but they owned everything. They sold a lot of records, and they just did nothing for promotion.

If Epic owned those recordings, you couldn’t sell the album yourself at drugstores, right? Is that why you recorded a different version?

That’s right. I re-recorded my own version of “Grandma.” We used all the same personnel. Even I can’t tell the difference.

You must be aware that’s exactly what Taylor Swift is doing. Have you followed that story?

No, I have not. No kidding! I’m so excited to hear about it.

Her record label was sold, including her original catalog. She didn’t like the people who bought the label and wanted to buy back the catalog but couldn’t. So she re-recorded all the songs and told everybody to buy and stream the new ones instead of the old ones.

I’ll tell you another thing about re-recording. Let’s say somebody wants to use the song in a movie. It’s a one-time payoff. They usually pay, I’m thinking, $25,000 for the publishing part of it to use the composition and another $25,000 for the master sound recording. So anytime somebody wants to put it on TV or a movie, [or] toys, more money comes from that than from record sales. If they use the Sony version, Sony just gives me a pittance. But if they use my version, I get the whole $25,000. This is the same with Taylor Swift.

Ah! I wasn’t even thinking about synchs.

Oh, you would not believe the times somebody would call up and say, “We want to pay X amount of dollars” — usually many thousands — “to use the composition in Jarhead.” And they’d say, “We’ve already contacted Sony and they say we can use their recording.” And I’d immediately call up the person and say, “Don’t use the Sony recording! Use ours!” That’s $25,000 out the window!

So you have to be proactive and make sure music supervisors know to use your version.

We have been on so high alert with that. Sometimes we’d have to talk ’em out of it. They’d say, “Who’s Dr. Elmo?” We’d get them to listen to it and they couldn’t tell the difference and we’d say, “We can give you a better deal.”

Did you ever recoup the $30,000 you spent on the video, and the $10,000 or $15,000 you spent in the studio for that Epic version? 

Yeah, we made it up that year. That and more!

Well, I assume you have another 150 interviews to do today, so I should let you go.

No! We’re not afraid all those CDs will come back to us after the first of the year anymore. Those streams won’t come back to us. We’re not worried about that.

20 Dec 2022

Elton John’s ‘Yellow Brick Road’ Journey in Billboard’s Back Pages: From ‘Silly’ Upstart to Undeniable Icon

Sir Elton John, who recently performed at Dodger Stadium for the final U.S. show of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road trek, is now within striking distance of the Billboard Boxscore record for highest-grossing tour. He says it’s his last. Billboard has charted the Rocket Man’s ascent and journey through the pop culture firmament since his first Hot 100 top 10, “Your Song,” to his latest, “Hold Me Closer” with Britney Spears.

It’s a Little Bit Funny…

Before “Border Song” crossed over to the Hot 100, Billboard took in John’s career-making U.S. debut at the Los Angeles Troubadour for the Sept. 5, 1970, issue and remarked on his “Southern Comfort style” vocals. By the Nov. 28 issue, “Your Song” was climbing the Hot 100, but Billboard wasn’t fully on board. “Elton John faces a major decision in his short career. Does he abandon his valid musical skills in favor of being a ‘stage freak?’ ” sniped one writer, who sniffed at “cheap, silly” antics like “banging the keyboard with his boot.” We hope you don’t mind that we put this down in words, Sir Elton.

Bennie and the Jet Set

By the time the rocker appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in 1973 with “a torrent of homing pigeons” and “none other than Linda Lovelace of Deep Throat fame,” the Oct. 6 issue was more supportive of his “unusually flamboyant” and “high-energy piano-vocal stylings.” In the next issue, an MCA Records executive reported that the double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was enjoying the label’s “biggest initial orders to date.”

Captain Fantastic

By 1976, John was omnipresent. “’Pinball Wizard’ by Elton John I can play once an hour, and half an hour later get four or five phone requests for it,” marveled a Philadelphia DJ in the June 12 issue. In the Aug. 7 issue, a survey of radio listeners who regularly bought records revealed John was “a clear favorite with 27.8% of the respondents.” In the July 31 Billboard, his name was used as shorthand for rock n’ roll itself: “Steve Ford, son of President Ford, is showing up at more rock shows than Elton John these days.”

Still Standing — And Thriving

By the mid-1990s, John had been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and won an Academy Award. And as reported in the Oct. 11, 1997, issue, John’s tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, “Candle in the Wind 1997,” “blew away the previous record for largest SoundScan week” by selling “nearly 3.5 million singles its first week.” The following year, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

In 1992, John started a pioneering HIV/ AIDS nonprofit. Sharing the Oct. 24, 2015, Billboard cover with his friend Lady Gaga, John wrote, “I believe with all my heart that in my lifetime I will have seen the very first day, and also the very last day, of the AIDS epidemic.” Gaga was inspired. “When I’m with him,” she told Billboard, “I just want to be a part of his genius plan to save the world.”

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 17, 2022, issue of Billboard.

20 Dec 2022

James Gunn Responds To Backlash Over Suspect DCEU Decisions

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James Gunn has only been running Warner Bros. DCEU for a few seconds but has already managed to infuriate and even alienate some of their hardcore fanbase with the decisions he’s been making as of late.

From canceling Wonder Woman 3 to pulling the plug on Henry Cavill’s highly anticipated return as Superman, James Gunn has quickly become a villain in the world of DC comic book fans. Naturally, he’s heard all the outrage that’s been pouring out on social media and decided to address all the hate he’s been getting for his decisions (mostly for benching Henry Cavill).

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Taking to Twitter, James Gunn wrote a short thread to explain the reasoning behind his seemingly rash decision making and acknowledged the he actually expected a “certain minority of people online that could be, well, uproarious & unkind, to say the least.” Ya think?! We’re low key surprised the death threats haven’t started, but then again he’s not exactly dealing with the far-right MAGA crowd that’s known for such menacing tactics.

Gunn continued, “Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story & best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years. Perhaps these choices are great, perhaps not, but they are made with sincere hearts & integrity & always with the story in mind.”

Still, even though Gunn acknowledged that he and his partner-in-crime, Peter Safran aren’t too fond of the name calling and harassment, he says “we’ve been through significantly worse.” So all of this is just another day at the office for them.

While Gunn has said that Superman would be priority number one (something Henry Cavill was never considered during his time as the Man of Steel), there’s no word on who the new Clark Kent/Superman might be. The only thing we know is that Jason Momoa is said to be turning in his Aquaman attire for that of the fan favorite interstellar mercenary/bounty hunter known as Lobo.

There’s also talk of integrating Robert Pattinson’s Batman into Gunn’s new DCEU once the reboot is officially underway. As for everything else, guess we’ll have to wait and see as Gunn knows he has his work cut out for him going forward.

If he can lock down a good iteration of Superman, it should be smoother sailing from there.

20 Dec 2022

The 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022: Staff Picks

After a decade of counting down the year’s best K-pop songs at Billboard, 2022 brought refreshing and remarkable shifts in how these lists usually shape up.

Undeniably, this was the year of the girl group. More than half of 2022’s entries are from female troupes who now lead the scene in taste and trends. From established queens like Girls’ Generation and KARA celebrating milestone anniversaries to rising rookies including IVE, NewJeans, and LE SSERAFIM kicking in the industry door, the spectrum for excellence ran the gamut.

That’s not to say the boys weren’t bringing their best. In fact, cuts from BIGBANG, Zico, BTS, plus Ha Sung Woon and Jimin blew up big time without traditional music videos or typical promotional tactics. Even for those tracks riding on a viral trend, these were expressions of the artists that audiences won’t look back on as novelty tracks or cringey viral sensations best left as clips on TikTok.

Not to mention, K-pop has more eyes on it than ever worldwide, and it seemed like the artists delivered knowing the world was watching. Stray Kids and (G)I-DLE shared personal and powerful messages in their biggest singles yet, while BLACKPINK spotlighted how traditional Korean instruments fit inside their latest pop anthem.

2022 was the time for K-pop artists to express themselves vocally, thematically and artistically in ways previously seen, and it undoubtedly paid off in full. Read on to see who we think did it the best with Billboard‘s list of the 25 best K-pop songs of the year.

20 Dec 2022

Meek Mill Leaves Twitter For Good Because Of “Too Many Bots And Weird People”

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Meek Mill announced that he plans to deactivate his Twitter account, and cited a need to find a new platform with “more good vibes.”

The “Dreams & Nightmares” rapper fired off his farewell on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 18), causing a number of fans to raise eyebrows at the move. In that last tweet, Meek explained his motivation to leave the platform. “Ima deactivate Twitter forever and go to a new social where it’s more good vibes based off building, creating and motivation,” he wrote. “Whoever run my shit turn this off forever … ima takeover my YouTube account to replace me interacting with supports! Too many bots and weird people.”

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Shortly after the tweet was sent, the Philly native officially deactivated his account. He still has his YouTube account as well as his Instagram account to connect with the public. Currently, he has 23 million followers engaged with him on that social media platform.

Twitter has been in turmoil since tech billionaire Elon Musk acquired it for $44 billion in October. Meek Mill had notably made a public pitch to Musk to get a stake in the bid to buy the social media platform back in May. “Elon musk let us invest in Twitter with you ‘big homie,’” he wrote on May 5. The South African-born founder of Tesla, who is usually quick to reply on Twitter, didn’t answer Meek’s request. Diddy was later revealed to be one of the investors who helped the acquisition go through.

Meek Mill has also been vocal about his displeasure with Twitter and with Instagram in the past. The MMG artist expressed his frustration in August, claiming that Instagram was “shadow banning” his account in addition to controlling the amount of exposure his posts were getting. “Been on these apps 10 years 7 days a week … you can tell they being controlled,” he wrote at the time. “I could post 10 phones with different account won’t see my post until the next day what is that? And it’s on all my homies pages too?”

20 Dec 2022

Los Angeles District Attorney Is Looking For Megan Thee Stallion’s Former Bodyguard After He Failed To Make Court Appearance






D.A. Is Looking For Meg The Stallion’s Missing Former Bodyguard
























After The Shade Room exclusively reported that Justin Edison, Megan Thee Stallion‘s former bodyguard, failed to make his court appearance to testify about the night she was shot, the Los Angeles County District Attorney is trying to locate him.

Investigators Visited Ex-Bodyguard’s Home Monday, But Were Unable To Locate Him As Cops Begin Search

According to TMZ, “Megan Thee Stallion’s bodyguard remains off the grid — after skipping his scheduled testimony — but the L.A. County D.A.’s Office now has cops out on the hunt for him …”

It’s also reported that investigators visited Edison’s home Monday but were unable to locate him. Now, the Los Angeles County D.A.’s Office has cops out on the lookout for him, the outlet reports.

Edison was supposed to testify Friday in the Tory Lanez trial for allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion, but he never showed up.

Former Bodyguard’s “Disappearance” Raising A Lot Of Eyebrows, Law Enforcement Sources Say

His “disappearance” raised a lot of eyebrows, law enforcement sources told TMZ. The outlet reports that investigators simply want to find out Edison’s availability for testifying after he skipped out last week.

Authorities still have no clue on his whereabouts as of Tuesday.

Edison still is not considered a “missing person,” nor has anyone reported him as missing.

On Monday, Megan’s attorney Alex Spiro told The Shade Room that her team was last in touch with Edison on Thursday evening. At the time, they fully expected he would be in court Friday for testimony they believed could be devastating to Tory Lanez’s trial.

Spiro hinted that there may be witness intimidation occurring in Lanez’s case, and added that prosecutors have launched an investigation into those claims, according to TMZ.

The District Attorney’s office did not offer any statement when asked for comment on Edison.

Edison May Have Crucial Information About Night Of The Shooting, According To Testimony

The Shade Room reported that Justin may have information about the night of the shooting, even though he wasn’t there. Kelsey texted Justin “Help” and that Tory “shot” Megan the night of the shooting, according to testimony.

It’s also reported that Justin went on record and allegedly said Tory apologized to him for shooting the rapper.

After the incident, the former athlete and bodyguard made a statement about the shooting. He wrote on IG:

“If you know me and you know her well enough, not only do you know I wasn’t physically present during [the] events, but you know why. If you don’t know me or her well enough, she good. I’m here now, and she’ll never step foot outside without me plus some n****s who don’t aim at feet present.”

Justin hasn’t uploaded any pics to his Instagram account since December 2nd nor does he currently have any stories posted to his page. It’s unclear if he’s had any contact with family or any of his friends since Thursday.

Even though Justin Edison has not been able to locate, there hasn’t been an official missing person report filed on his behalf.

Roomies, we hope that Justin is found safe. We’ll keep you updated.



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20 Dec 2022

10-Year-Old Who Fatally Shot Mother Over VR Headset Asks For $50K Bail To Be Reduced To Amount In His ‘Piggy Banks’






10-Year-Old Who Fatally Shot Mother Asks For Bail To Be Reduced
























Gavel And Money/Bail

The 10-year-old Wisconsin boy who has been charged as an adult for fatally shooting his mother has a holiday wish. As reported by PEOPLE, the boy is being held at a juvenile detention facility. And is asking for his $50,000 bail to be reduced to $100.

According to the child’s attorneys, $100 is the amount of money he has saved in his “piggy banks.”

Angela Cunningham addressed the court at a hearing last Wednesday.

My team and I have spoken to him about his ability to post anything. He told us about piggy banks with savings that he had from gifts, from birthday gifts, and scavenging through cushions in the couch that he’s been able to save up.

The Fatal Shooting

As The Shade Room previously reported, the boy, whose identity is being held because he is a minor, fatally shot his mother on the morning of November 21. As reported by AP News, the shooting took place after his mother allegedly woke him up too early. And refused to purchase him a virtual reality headset.

The mother, Quianna Mann, 44, was shot at close range, as reported by The Daily Beast.

The bullet entered through the victim’s right eye, traveled through the victim’s brain, and then, bullet fragment(s) exited out the back side of the victim’s head through her skull. The victim’s face had stippling on it, indicating that the gun was fired at the victim at close range.

The boy alleged that the shooting occurred as an accident. And was allowed by authorities to stay at home with his parents. The day after the shooting, the boy logged into his mother’s Amazon account and purchased the virtual reality headset.

The Boy’s Confession

Family members began to suspect that the boy was lying about the shooting. Eventually, he confessed. And admitted to his aunt that he had “aimed” the gun at his mother, as reported by PEOPLE. The boy also shared that his mother reacted when the gun was pointed toward her.

Why do you have that? Put that down.

He later apologized for the crime.

I’m really sorry for what happened. I’m sorry for killing my mom.

Then asked if his Amazon package had arrived.

The Boy’s Mental State And Current Charges

Family members explained to authorities that the boy had experienced “rage issues” his entire life. One incident they recalled is when he set living room furniture on fire, another where he terrorized a puppy while holding it by its tail.

According to PEOPLE,  a family member also told authorities that the boy “has five different imaginary people that talk to him.” The “imaginary people” are described as two sisters, an old lady, and two men.

Lueritha Mann, the boy’s grandmother, explained the boy’s mental state in further detail.

He’s always said that he hears voices. He said that his thoughts and everything starts generating at five or six in the morning. Sometimes four o’clock…

He has an imaginary friend that will tell him to do really bad things.

The 10-year-old has been charged as an adult with first-degree reckless homicide. He also has an alternative charge of first-degree intentional homicide, as reported by the outlet.

According to The Daily Beast, Judge Kristela Cervera has set the boy’s bail at $50,000. And allowed him one phone call per day. The outlet has reported that the boy calls his grandmother’s home every day at 6 p.m.

Lueritha Mann is certain that her daughter would not want her son to be charged as an adult.

She would want us to do everything that we could to help him.

According to Daily Mail, the boy could face up to 60 years in prison if convicted as an adult.



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20 Dec 2022

Terry Hall, Lead Singer of British Ska Revivalists The Specials, Dies at 63

Terry Hall, the charismatic lead vocalist of British ska revivalists The Specials has died at 63. The band announced Hall’s passing on Monday (Dec. 19), revealing that the singer passed after an undisclosed “brief illness.”

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing, following a brief illness, of Terry, our beautiful friend, brother and one of the most brilliant singers, songwriters and lyricists this country has ever produced,” the band said in a statement.

“Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls. His music and his performances encapsulated the very essence of life… the joy, the pain, the humour, the fight for justice, but mostly the love. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and leaves behind the gift of his remarkable music and profound humanity.”

One of the leading lights of the late ’70s British ska revival, the Specials (originally billed as Special AKA) formed in Coventry, England in 1977, with Hall replacing original singer Tim Strickland in the group notable for its multi-racial makeup. Coinciding with the burgeoning Rock Against Racism movement in the UK at the time, the band made a statement in their rude boy two-tone suits and porkpie hats and blasted out of the gate on their Elvis Costello-produced self-titled debut on their 2 Tone label, which featured their signature cover of Dandy Livingstone’s 1967 single “A Message To You Rudy.”

Terence Edward Hall was born on March 19, 1959 in Coventry and began his singing career in local punk bands as a teenager before joining the Specials and splitting vocal duties with the excitable Neville Staple.

On such pointedly political songs as “Concrete Jungle,” “Ghost Town and “Rat Race,” the band mixed Caribbean sway, ska horns, loungey grooves and Jamaican rhythms to form a uniquely uplifting, danceable sound while delivering sharp social critiques about the late 1970s political, racial and economic struggles in the UK. Go-Gos guitarist Jane Wiedlin — who sang backing vocals on the Specials’ 1980 album More Specials — paid tribute to her friend in a touching tweet.

“Gutted to hear of the passing of #terryhall. He was a lovely, sensitive, talented and unique person,” he wrote. “Our extremely brief romance resulted in the song ‘Our Lips Are Sealed,’ which will forever tie us together in music history. Terrible news to hear this.”

The group scored a string of UK top 10 singles in their short initial run (1979-1981), before Hall and co-vocalist Staple and guitarist Lynval Golding split to form the more pop-oriented group Fun Boy Three. Hall then formed the group the Coclourfield in 1984, releasing two albums with that project before pivoting to release an album with his trio featuring actress Blair Booth and jeweler Anouchka Grose: Terry, Blair & Anouchka. He also recorded an album of electro pop songs with Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart as Vegas in 1992 before releasing a pair of solo albums, Home (1994) and Laugh (1997).

Hall returned for a reunion in 2008 and performed on-and-off with the band until his death, appearing on their eight studio album, 2019’s Encore.

In the early 2000s Hall sang on the 2001 Gorillaz song “911” and sat in on the Toots and the Maytals 2004 Grammy-winning album True Love. Though the Specials formed and reformed a number of times over the years with a wide variety of lineups, Hall will be remembered for the indelible mark he left on their first two albums and the long tail of influence in the band’s music, message and style, which was carried on in spirit by everyone from Fishbone to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt, Blur, Sublime, and Operation Ivy/Rancid.

In a moving nod to the Specials’ message of unity, the band noted in its tribute that Hall often left the stage at the end of shows by uttering a signature affirming three-word mantra: “Love Love Love.”

Watch “A Message to You Rudy” and see some tributes to Hall below.