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Richard Chamberlain, who died on Saturday (March 29) night at age 90, will be remembered as a TV icon, but he was a hot recording artist for a time. His debut album, Richard Chamberlain Sings, released on MGM Records, made the top five on the Billboard 200 in 1963.
In addition, he had three top 30 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Theme From Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight” (No. 10 in 1962), a cover version of the Elvis Presley smash “Love Me Tender” (No. 21 in 1962) and a cover version of the Everly Brothers smash “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (No. 14 in 1963).
He was also the first artist to record “They Long to Be Close to You,” a Burt Bacharach/Hal David song that went on to become a pop standard when it was recorded by the Carpenters. The duo’s version was Billboard’s Song of the Summer for 1970 and received a Grammy nod for record of the year. Chamberlain’s version, conducted by Bacharach, went relatively unnoticed. It was featured on the B side of his Hot 100 single “Blue Guitar” (No. 42 in 1963).
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Chamberlain died in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications from a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.
Chamberlain received a Grammy nomination in 1972, but not for his music. He was nominated for best spoken word album for an RCA Recordings recording of a production in which he played Hamlet.
While Chamberlain’s recording career was short-lived, his status as a TV star spanned decades. He starred in Dr. Kildare from 1961-66. The medical drama ranked in the top 10 in the Nielsen ratings in its first season and remained in the top 20 for its second and third seasons.
In 1975, he received his first Primetime Emmy nomination for starring in The Count of Monte Cristo. He was nominated for outstanding lead actor in a special program (drama or comedy).
In the early 1980s, Chamberlain gained a reputation as the king of the miniseries for his starring roles in Shogun, The Thorn Birds and Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story. He received Primetime Emmy nods for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or a special for all three productions.
Chamberlain also acted in film and on Broadway. His first attempt at Broadway — in a legendarily troubled 1966 production of a musical adaptation of the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Mary Tyler Moore — ended when producer David Merrick pulled the plug on the musical after only four preview performances in New York. (Happily, both stars survived the high-profile flop.)
Chamberlain went on to star on Broadway in revivals of The Night of the Iguana (1976-77), Blithe Spirit (1987), My Fair Lady (1993-94) and The Sound of Music (1999).
Born George Richard Chamberlain in Los Angeles on March 31, 1934, Chamberlain was named after his grandfather but was always called Dick or Richard. Chamberlain was gay, which was known in the industry but kept from the public in the years he was a romantic leading man. He came out in 2003, at age 68, in his memoir Shattered Love: A Memoir.
Chamberlain’s fears of rejection by his fans proved unfounded. “Everyone has been so supportive, so positive,” he told The Los Angeles Times in an interview to promote the book. “In New York, people walked up to me in the street, and in theaters. Strangers gave me the thumbs up, wished me well, said, ‘Good for you.’ I’m just awestruck by the change in the way I feel about life now.”
Morgan Wallen has left the building.
The 31-year-old country star appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on March 29, alongside host Mikey Madison, who won best actress for her role in Anora at the 2025 Oscars.
After performing a pair of songs from his forthcoming album, I’m the Problem, Wallen briefly joined the SNL cast at the end of the show, as is customary on the long-running sketch comedy series. He then whispered something into Madison’s ear, gave her a hug and abruptly walked off the stage at Studio 8H.
Soon after the incident, Wallen shared a photo on his Instagram Stories from his private plane, with the caption “Get me to God’s country” written over an image of the runway.
Billboard has reached out to Wallen’s representative for comment.
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During his March 29 appearance on SNL, Wallen performed the title track from his upcoming album and later delivered the post-heartbreak anthem “Just in Case.” I’m the Problem is set for release on May 16.
The singer-songwriter previously appeared on SNL in December 2020, performing “7 Summers” and “Still Goin Down” from Dangerous: The Double Album, which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Wallen was originally scheduled to appear two months prior but was replaced at the last minute for breaking SNL‘s strict COVID-19 safety protocols at the time. During his debut appearance, Wallen also appeared in a sketch poking fun at the controversy surrounding him when he was photographed partying and not wearing a mask in Alabama.
This week’s SNL episode follows Lady Gaga’s appearance on March 8, where she performed double duty as both host and musical guest. Past season 50 musical guests have included Tate McRae, GloRilla, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish, among others.
In the upcoming weeks, Lizzo, Elton John, and Brandi Carlile are set to perform on episodes hosted by Jon Hamm and Jack Black.
Morgan Wallen returned to Saturday Night Live, performing two songs from his upcoming album.
The 31-year-old country star made his second appearance as the musical guest on March 29, joining host Mikey Madison, who recently won an Oscar for best actress for her role in Anora.
Dressed in a denim jacket, blue jeans and a baseball cap, Wallen opened his performance with the title track of his fourth studio album, I’m the Problem. Backed by a full band, the singer-songwriter delivered the song — which currently sits in the top 10 of Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart — against a set design adorned with scrapbook-like photos and articles about the artist.
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Wallen returned later in the episode to perform his post-heartbreak anthem “Just in Case,” set against a more somber, dimly lit backdrop featuring a vintage television with the words “Morgan Wallen Broadcast Corp” displayed on the screen.
He previously appeared on SNL in December 2020, performing “7 Summers” and “Still Goin Down” from Dangerous: The Double Album.
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I’m the Problem is set for release on May 16. The new project follows Wallen’s successful albums, 2021’s Dangerous: The Double Album — which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — and 2023’s One Thing at a Time, which accumulated 19 weeks at the top spot. In anticipation of I’m the Problem, he has previewed several tracks, including the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Love Somebody,” as well as “Lies Lies Lies” and “Smile.”
This week’s SNL episode follows Lady Gaga’s appearance on March 8, where she performed double duty as both host and musical guest. Past season 50 musical guests have included Tate McRae, GloRilla, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish, among others. In the upcoming weeks, Lizzo, Elton John, and Brandi Carlile are set to perform on episodes hosted by Jon Hamm and Jack Black.
Watch Morgan Wallen’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Looks like running — and playing Forrest Gump — runs in the Hanks family. In the “You Better Run” music video for Chet Hanks’ band Something Out West, the singer tapped his famous father Tom Hanks to re-create scenes from Forrest Gump more than 30 years after the actor starred in the iconic film. The […]
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With the massive success of Wicked in 2024, Elphaba and Glinda are more popular than ever with the promise of its second part, Wicked: For Good, due in theaters this November. While the musical is available to stream online, you can also get ready for part 2 with new Wicked journals and notebooks.
With prices starting at $11.99 on Amazon, publishing company Insight Editions has a wide selection of Wicked-branded journals and notebooks, so you can take a bit of the hit movie musical with you in the classroom, coffee shop, or even the conference room.
They feature fun designs that show off popular characters from Wicked, including Elphaba, Glinda, The Wizard and more. In fact, there’s even a notebook with a Shiz University design, so you really feel like you’re a student at the magical institution of higher learning.
Scroll down and shop our recommendations for the best Wicked journals and notebooks on Amazon.
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Wicked: Wizard’s Balloon Sculpted Journal
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Wicked: Shiz University Softcover Notebook
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Wicked: Elphaba & Glinda Reversible Sculpted Journal
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And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can order now and Wicked journals and notebooks will be delivered to your home in less than two days once it’s released, thanks to Prime Delivery.
Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming and Amazon Photos; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market; access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and much more. Learn more about Amazon Prime and its benefits here.
The Wicked journals and notebooks from Insight Editions start at $11.99 on Amazon. Want more? Shop additional selections from the very popular movie musical, below:
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Morgan Wallen is taking the Saturday Night Live stage once again as musical performer, alongside best actress Oscar winner Mikey Madison as host. The duo appear in a hilarious new promo on Thursday (March 27) alongside cast member Chloe Fineman. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Mikey, […]
As the first person to ever win American Idol, Kelly Clarkson walked a lonely road for several years as other stars in the music industry had mixed feelings about her then-unorthodox route to success.
On the latest episode of Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast posted Thursday (March 27), the “Stronger” singer revealed that some of her now peers initially judged her for getting her start on Idol — something that wouldn’t be so ironic if some of those same stars didn’t end up serving as coaches on offshoot competition series The Voice. “I had no one,” Clarkson began. “I was the first winner. It was hard.”
“People were really mean,” she continued without naming names. “People that were really mean have been coaches. You know what I’m saying? Like, hated talent shows, and they ended up being on The Voice.”
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Clarkson won season one of American Idol in 2002, a victory that propelled her to a successful career in music marked by three Billboard Hot 100-topping hits and three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 so far. Ever since the flagship show premiered, numerous other competition series inspired by Idol have sprung up over the years — one of which, The Voice, saw Clarkson stepping into the coaching role for seasons 14-21 and 23.
But while televised talent shows are all the rage now, the three-time Grammy winner added that 20 years ago, “people were really cruel at first.”
“They didn’t like it,” she told Kelce. “It took the industry kind of by storm, the talent shows. It was a very unlikable thing in the industry concerning the populous. Now there’s so many.”
One advantage of starting out on Idol, however, was Clarkson’s ability to empathize with the contestants back when she was a coach on The Voice. The same applied to fellow coach Jennifer Hudson, who competed on Idol in 2004 before joining The Voice panel on seasons 13 and 15.
“People like us who have been there in that audition process, and just being so judged instantaneously, on maybe not your best performance but you know you can do better … it’s a grueling thing,” Clarkson said of herself and the Dream Girls star. “And it’s unforgiving in a lot of ways, and a lot of pressure for these artists that I don’t think a lot of artists that sell tons of records would be able to handle. It’s a different thing.”
Listen to Clarkson reflect on Idol critics on Not Gonna Lie below.
Evanescence has stepped into the animated world of Devil May Cry.
The rock band has contributed the new track “Afterlife” to the upcoming Netflix animated series based on the popular Capcom video game. From showrunner and executive producer Adi Shankar, the show’s description reads that “sinister forces are at play to open the portal between the human and demon realms. In the middle of it all is Dante, an orphaned demon-hunter-for-hire, unaware that the fate of both worlds hangs around his neck.”
Evanescence’s Amy Lee wrote “Afterlife” with Mako (real name Alex Seaver), and while she wasn’t familiar with the Devil May Cry series before, she tells Billboard, “I absolutely love the show, art and story.”
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She adds, “I have always loved good anime. Right from the first scene of the show, I knew it was going to be good. Creative and thought-provoking, horrific and beautiful, classic.”
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As for “Afterlife,” Lee says she wanted to capture a particular feeling through the Mako, Nick Raskulinecz and Tyler Demorest-produced track. “For me, the song is both the pain and the resolve. From the perspective of someone who has lost so much, and will always carry the marks of that, but also someone who has reached the point of being past the fear. No trepidation, no hesitation in your quest when you have committed to the fight and have nothing left to lose.”
Shankar, meanwhile, knew immediately that Evanescence was the perfect fit for the Devil May Cry musical universe. “Amy and her squad own this space. Evanescence sculpts entire emotional landscapes,” he says. “Their sound is alchemy — gothic grandeur meets raw vulnerability, a fusion of cinematic and anthemic. Amy Lee is a frequency that cuts straight to the soul. The way Amy Lee’s voice carries pain, power, and transcendence in a single note is exactly what Devil May Cry needed. To me, it wasn’t about picking a band—it was about recruiting the only band that could make this moment immortal.”
Shankar describes Devil May Cry as a “melancholic rock & roll Shakespearean tragedy — an operatic dance between fate, loss, and the relentless pursuit of redemption,” noting that “Afterlife” resonates with “two pivotal narrative threads” leading up to “several” season 1 plot twists. “Trauma is not just an event; it is an imprint, a fracture in time that the psyche never stops trying to mend,” the showrunner says. “When part of the child dies through heartbreak, the adult self is sentenced to an unending quest — seeking to reclaim what was lost, to heal a wound that has shaped them in ways they may never fully understand. In that sense, ‘Afterlife’ is not just a song in the story; it is the echo of a soul reaching for what once was, and perhaps, what could still be.”
Watch the “Afterlife” music video exclusively via Billboard below. Devil May Cry premieres April 3 on Netflix.
When Lady Gaga makes a cameo on your show, you best believe it’s not going to be any ordinary day on set.
According to Jenna Ortega, the producers of Wednesday all but rolled out the red carpet for Mother Monster when she came overseas to film her part on the Netflix series’ upcoming second season — but it was all gone as soon as Gaga’s parts were over.
On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night, the 22-year-old actress recalled working with the “Disease” singer, saying, “I remember showing up to set and they completely changed everything.”
“We had a normal functioning set, and I remember pulling up to work the day of, and suddenly there was like truck after truck after truck,” she continued. “They had, like, rolled out this walkway for her to exit from the trailer to the tents. I went to my tent to hang out, and they replaced my dirty tent with, like, brand-new tents. I had a barber’s chair. They gave me fancy water. Everything. We really did it up for her guys. We really wanted to impress her.”
Ortega added while laughing, “And then the next day, I went back to my dusty setup. … I wanted her to be on set even more, but part of it was because the water was really nice.”
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Though season 2 will mark Gaga’s debut on the show, the 14-time Grammy winner first unofficially entered the Wednesday universe when her 2011 track “Bloody Mary” experienced a renaissance after fans started pairing it with Ortega’s iconic dance sequence from the first season. The phenomenon sparked a TikTok dance trend in 2022 that Gaga herself took part in; two years later, it was announced that she’d be joining the show’s cast.
Earlier this month, the Scream star teased the musician’s role in Wednesday, saying, “She’s great in the show, and I don’t think she’s what people expect her to be.”
On Colbert, Ortega added, “She is so sweet, so humble, just a normal person, and it’s beautiful and amazing … It’s intimidating when someone is so talented but cool at the same time.”
Watch Ortega recount her time filming Wednesday with Gaga on The Late Show above.
Mikey Madison and the Saturday Night Live writers still have a little more work to do before the Anora star makes her hosting debut this weekend.
In a new promo video for the episode posted Wednesday (March 26), Madison sits in cast member Sarah Sherman’s eclectic dressing room and points out an intriguing prop: a dark-haired, bikini-clad woman sprouting eight wax candles. “Oh! The Anora Menorah!” Sherman says, revealing that it had been used in a scrapped SNL skit prior to Madison’s visit.
“Yeah, no, I heard about that!” the actress says excitedly. “Did people think it was funny?”
“Yeah, it killed,” Sherman replies unconvincingly after flashing back to a cringe-worthy clip of the cut sketch, in which Andrew Dismukes bombs while showing off the kitschy menorah. “Definitely, people were laughing.”
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That prompts Sherman to show off an entirely-different-but-not-really sketch idea for Madison’s episode: the Anora Fedora, the prop for which finds a similar figure of the Scream star piercing through a black hat. “You guys will have other ideas, right?” Madison then asks after a nervous pause.
Not featured in the teaser is Morgan Wallen, who will appear on Madison’s episode as this week’s musical guest. The country star — who is currently gearing up to release new album I’m the Problem on May 16 — previously made his performance debut on SNL in 2020, singing “7 Summers” and “Still Goin Down” from Dangerous: The Double Album, which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
This week’s episode follows Lady Gaga playing double duty as host and musical guest March 8, with past Season 50 musical guests being Tate McRae, GloRilla, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish and more. In the weeks following the March 29 installment, Lizzo, Elton John and Brandi Carlile will also perform on episodes hosted by John Hamm and Jack Black.
Madison’s hosting debut will follow a spectacular awards season for Anora, for which the leading lady won best actress at the 2025 Oscars earlier this month. The film picked up a total of five awards at the ceremony, including best picture, best director, original screenplay and editing.
Watch Madison’s new SNL promo video above.