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Comedian Richard Lewis dies at age 76

Stand-up comedian Richard Lewis, known for his role in Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, has died at the age of 76. Lewis’ publicist, Jeff Abraham, said in a statement that Lewis died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack. “His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time,” Abraham said in a statement.

Lewis announced in a video posted on X last April he was retiring from stand-up and revealed he had Parkinson’s disease, which he had been diagnosed with two years prior. The comedian said that when he was in the middle of a comedy tour three and a half years ago, he thought to himself, “You know, I’m at the top of my game. After 50 years almost, I’m just gonna call it quits.”

Lewis was a late-night TV staple for decades. His other acting roles included co-starring opposite Jamie Lee Curtis in the ABC series “Anything But Love”, as well as his role as Prince John in “Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights.” He most recently appeared in Season 12 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” currently airing on HBO, and shared that longtime friend and show creator Larry David made accommodations for his illness while filming the final season. Lewis told Vanity Fair earlier this month: “I’ve got to tell you how he took care of me this year. The cast and a crew — just as I’m diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease—made sure that everything was right for me on the set. They assigned a third AD to me [to clear the path]. ‘Richard is coming!’ Everybody was so lovely on the set. It was all really heartwarming.”

Comedy Central named Lewis one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time and he was included in GQ magazine’s list of the “20th Century’s Most Influential Humorists.”  Lewis is survived by his wife Joyce Lapinsky, whom he married in 2005.

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Entertainment Daypop

Adele pauses Las Vegas residency due to health issues

Adele is being forced to pause her Las Vegas residency show due to health concerns.  The 35-year-old postponed dates of her Weekends with Adele residency show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in March, posting on X saying: “I love you, I’ll miss you like mad and I’m sorry for the inconvenience x

A statement read: “Sadly I have to take a beat and pause my Vegas residency. I was sick at the end of the last leg and all the way through my break. I hadn’t quite gotten the chance to get back to full health before shows resumed and now I’m sick again, and unfortunately it’s all taken a toll on my voice. And so on Doctors orders I have no choice but to rest thoroughly. The remaining 5 weekends of this leg are being postponed to a later date. We are already working out the details and you will be sent the information asap.”  The shows affected were to take place March 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30.

Adele first launched her Weekends with Adele residency show in 2022, announcing new dates in March 2023 and a final run of dates for 2024 in October. She said at the time: “This residency, these shows have changed my life. I desperately needed to fall back in love with performing live again, and I have. I needed to reconnect with my songs and remember what they mean to me, and I have! Being on stage over the last year so up close and personal with an audience again after all these years has been a truly extraordinary restorative experience that I’ll never forget.”

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Rock Daypop

Dave Matthews Band, Blink-182, The Killers to headline 2024 Oceans Calling Festival

Blink-182, The Killers, and Dave Matthews Band are set to headline the 2024 Oceans Calling Festival, returning to the Ocean City, Maryland Boardwalk on September 27-29. The Oceans Calling Festival announced on Instagram: “Oceans Calling 2024 🦀 Presale begins this Thursday 2/29 at 10am ET and is your best chance to secure tickets ☀ Sign up now for a presale passcode at the link in bio! A general on-sale will follow on 2/29 at 11am ET if tickets remain.”

The festival brings over 40 acts across 3 stages with additional artists to perform including Cage The Elephant, The Offspring, Mt. Joy, Rebelution, Counting Crows, 311, The Beach Boys, Boyz II Men, O.A.R., Young the Giant, Barenaked Ladies and more.  A special performance from Sublime with original band members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh will also take place at Oceans Calling, featuring Jakob Nowell.

Tickets to Oceans Calling 2024 are available beginning with the pre-sale kick-off. To sign up for a pre-sale code, head here. General on-sale will begin soon via Front Gate Tickets and Ticketmaster.

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Rock Daypop

Take a look at Billy Joel’s video for “Turn the Lights Back On”

Billy Joel is sharing the music video for “Turn the Lights Back On”, directed by Warren Fu and Freddy Wexler. “Turn the Lights Back On” was co-written by Joel along with Wexler, Arthur Bacon and Wayne Hector. Joel returned to the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts for the first time since 1998 since its debut.

The video begins with a shot of the sheet music of “Famous Last Words” – the last song on Billy’s 1993 album, “River of Dreams” – before he starts performing the song in the present day on an empty stage in a theater. Throughout the performance, Joel transforms into how he looked in the ’70s, turns into Billy in his ’80s-era, and is wearing shades as he did in the early ’90s. The clip ends with Billy in the present, as real-life footage of him through the years is displayed.

According to a press release, Joel’s physical transformation through his life in the video was achieved by technology from a company called Deep Voodoo, ‘to show the singer as the 74-year-old man he is today to the man he was in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.’

Check out the video for “Turn the Lights Back On” – here.

Billy Joel releases ‘Turn the Lights Back On’ video

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sued for sexual harassment and assault by record producer

In a new lawsuit, Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused of sexual assault by a former employee. Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a former producer and videographer for Diddy, filed the lawsuit in New York federal court alleging that Combs sexually harassed, drugged and threatened him for more than a year. Jones produced nine songs on Combs’ recent ‘Love’ album from September 2022 to November 2023; he is seeking $30 million in damages.

According to the 73-page lawsuit, Combs’ adult son, Justin; his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram; Universal Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge; and former Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam are also named as defendants. Jones said that while working on the ‘Love’ project, he lived with the Diddy, 54, in various U.S. cities and also also vacationed with him outside of the country. Jones claims that during this time, he “witnessed, experienced, and endured many things that went far beyond his role as a producer on the Love album.”

Jones alleges that due to his role as a videographer, he was “required to constantly record” Diddy, and “as a result, Mr. Jones has secured HUNDREDS of hours of footage and audio recordings of Mr. Combs, his staff, and his guests engaging in serious illegal activity .. throughout his time living with Mr. Combs, Mr. Jones was the victim of constant unsolicited and unauthorized groping and touching” by Mr. Combs. Jones also alleges that on Thanksgiving Day in 2022, the female cousin of Yung Miami (Combs’ girlfriend at the time), sexually assaulted him as well “in the presence of Mr. Combs and his staff.”

Shawn Holley, Combs’ lawyer, responded in a statement: “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines. We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls. We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”

A rep for Justin Combs told TMZ, “Justin Combs categorically denies these absurd allegations. They are all lies! This is a a clear example of a desperate person taking desperate measures in hopes of a pay day. There will be legal consequences for ALL defamatory statements made about the Combs family.”

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Entertainment Daypop

Two men convicted in 2002 murder of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay

Two men have been found guilty on all counts in the Oct. 30, 2002, murder of Jam Master Jay, a member of the pioneering hip-hop group Run-DMC, which was founded in 1983 along with Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons and Darryl McDaniels. Mizell was gunned down in his studio in front of witnesses on Oct. 30, 2002.

The defendants — Karl Jordan Jr., 40, and Ronald Washington, 59, were each charged with one count of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking, as well as one count of firearm-related murder for the fatal shooting of Jam Master Jay (real name was Jason Mizell). Jordan was also charged in August 2020 with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and seven counts of cocaine distribution.  According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, each defendant is facing a minimum of 20 years to life in prison or the death penalty; both defendants had pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors claimed during the trial hat Mizell was murdered by Jordan and Washington (Mizell’s childhood friend) because Mizell was allegedly going to cut them out of a cocaine distribution deal due to the drug dealer, later identified as Ralph Mullgrav, declining to work with Washington. Mullgrav claimed that Mizell “wasn’t a drug dealer,” but had dabbled in drug sales “to make ends meet” — a claim that the DJ’s family disputes.

Attorneys for Jordan and Washington argued during closing arguments that there was no physical evidence linking their clients to the fatal shooting, and drew attention to a third man who was charged in the fatal shooting, who is expected to face trial in 2025.

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Rock Daypop

Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss to headline Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour

Willie Nelson’s 2024 Outlaw Music Festival Tour announced the lineup of headliners, including Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and John Mellencamp with Brittney Spencer, Celisse and Southern Avenue.

Nelson, 90, said in a statement: “This year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour promises to be the biggest and best yet with this lineup of legendary artists. I am thrilled to get back on the road again with my family and friends playing the music we love for the fans we love.” Billy Strings will also join the tour for one show in Washington at The Gorge.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 1 at 10 a.m. local time via OutlawMusicFestival.com.

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Rock Daypop

Judas Priest share new single ‘The Serpent And The King’

Judas Priest have released their latest single ‘The Serpent And The King,’ off their upcoming album Invincible Shield set for release March 8th. The album’s previous singles — “Panic Attack, “Trial By Fire” and “Crown Of Horns” — have been streamed over 15 million times since their release.

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 in an interview: “This Serpent And The King issue couldn’t be more relevant right now, man. I don’t have to talk about current topics on the newswire. But yeah, this is it. This is raging right now, this fight that’s going on. The good news is the battle always ends in the right place, which is: good overcomes evil. Love always wins. Love will always come out on top. No matter how dark, how bleak, how terrible things might be, love will come out, the light will shine, the power will reign, and humanity progresses. This is the context of all of the imagery and fantasy of The Serpent And The King.”

Watch the lyric video for The Serpent And The King here.

JUDAS PRIEST Share Lyric Video For Heavy New Track “The Serpent And The King”

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See Lupita Nyong’o in the trailer for ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’

Paramount Pictures has shared a trailer for the post-apocalyptic horror film A Quiet Place: Day One, featuring Lupita Nyong’o. The film is a prequel to the ‘Quiet Place’ movies directed by John Krasinski, and starring Krasinski and Emily Blunt.

A Quiet Place: Day One takes place in New York hundreds of days before the events of 2018’s ‘A Quiet Place’ on “day one” of the alien invasion that first introduced the blind but hearing-sensitive creatures featured in the Quiet Place films.

The trailer shows Nyong’o’s character fleeing alongside a character played by Joseph Quinn as aliens rain down from the skies and terrorize humans in the streets of New York City. Nyong’o is later seen waking up while covered in dust as she and the Man on Island (Djimon Hounsou), a character first introduced in A Quiet Place Part II, are surrounded by aliens.

A Quiet Place: Day One opens in theaters June 28; take a look at the trailer – here.

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Entertainment Daypop

‘Barbie The Movie: In Concert’ coming to the Hollywood Bowl in July

Mattel has revealed a live-to-film concert experience Barbie The Movie: In Concert is coming to The Hollywood Bowl on July 27. The hit film will be brought to life with live music from The Barbie Land Sinfonietta, from executive producer and orchestrator Macy Schmidt’s all-women orchestra.

Barbie The Movie: In Concert will see the film ‘Barbie’ projected onto a giant LED screen above The Barbie Land Sinfonietta as they perform alongside the film’s award-winning score, conducted by Schmidt.

Mattel chief franchise officer Josh Silverman said in a statement: “Audiences of all ages flocked to theaters last summer to celebrate the joy of the Barbie movie together. Now fans have the opportunity to further celebrate Barbie with an unforgettable live musical experience, led by an incredibly talented all-women orchestra.” 

Subscription packages are now on the Hollywood Bowl’s website, and single tickets go on sale May 7.

‘Barbie The Movie: In Concert’ comes to the Hollywood Bowl

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