Nearly a year after an auction of personal Madonna items – including the singer’s breakup letter to Tupac Shakur – was halted and thrown into legal limbo, the judge presiding over the case ruled in favor of the auctioneers, allowing the sale to proceed. Bidding on Madonna’s breakup letter to …
Read More »R. Kelly Accused by Woman of 'Grooming' Her for Cult, STD Infection
A Dallas woman who alleges she was “being groomed for R. Kelly‘s sex cult” has filed a police report against the singer over “a sexual assault incident resulting in serious bodily injury.” The woman, who is withholding her identity, claims she was 19 when she first began her alleged 11-month …
Read More »Brandon Flowers on Honoring Tom Petty, Cars at Rock Hall
Killers frontman Brandon Flowers had a big night at Saturday’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. His band opened the show with a passionate rendition of “American Girl” in tribute to the late Tom Petty, and later, he did the honors of inducting the Cars – one of …
Read More »2018 ACM Awards: What Time It Starts, How to Watch, Performers, Nominees
This year’s ACM Awards have a near-monumental task at hand. Marking the first community-wide gathering of country stars in Las Vegas since the October 1st mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest festival, those on hand will seek to thread a needle of respectful remembrance for the victims, while also …
Read More »How Nina Simone Captivated a New Generation
Nina Simone died 15 years ago this month, but judging on influence alone, it’s begun to seem like she never left. Consider Jay-Z’s “The Story of O.J.”: The Grammy-nominated 4:44 track incorporates a sample of Simone’s “Four Women,” and the accompanying video even depicts a cartoon version of the late …
Read More »The Gospel of Robert Finley, Dan Auerbach's Favorite Singer
Earlier this winter, Robert Finley was backstage at Seattle’s Showbox nightclubdiscussing his remarkable personal history when the subject of his age came up. The soul singer said he would be turning 64 soon – on February 13th, in fact. “Robert, that’s tomorrow,” said his friend and bandleader Dan Auerbach, breaking …
Read More »Johnny Marr Talks How Trump, Brexit Inspired New Album 'Call the Comet'
To get into the right mindset to record his forthcoming solo album Call the Comet, Johnny Marr and his band spent nine months holed up in a dark studio above an old factory in his hometown of Manchester, England. “We brought a bunch of old projectors and lights and gadgets …
Read More »Hear Elvis Presley's Rare, Stripped-Back Take of 'Suspicious Minds'
A companion album to HBO’s upcoming documentaryElvis Presley: The Searcherfeatures his hits, as well as some different versions of his best-known songs. One of the more notable rarities is an alternate take of “Suspicious Minds” – the 18th and final Number One single of theKing’s career. Where the single version …
Read More »Dave Grohl's D.C. Hardcore Band Scream Prep Album Reissue
Scream, the beloved Washington D.C. hardcore band that once featured a young Dave Grohl, will reissue their fourth album, No More Censorship, April 27th via Southern Lord. Retitled NMC17 (No More Censorship), the 12-track reissue is available to pre-order digitally, on CD and silver vinyl. The physical versions boast new …
Read More »'The Voice': See Team Blake Members' Soaring Maren Morris Cover
On Tuesday night’s episode of The Voice, contestants Dallas Caroline and Spensha Baker went head to head in the Battle Rounds, performing Maren Morris’ chart-topping Hero cut “I Could Use a Love Song.” The two traded verses throughout their performance, as is typical of the show’s battles, capably making their …
Read More »