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How to Watch Elton John’s Archival Concert Footage With ‘Classic Concert Series’
With the coronavirus pandemic still largely keeping people in their homes around the world, many are wondering when they’ll get to see their favorite acts live again. For fans of Elton John, a creative new solution is on the horizon. On Wednesday (July 1), John announced his brand new “Elton John: Classic Concert Series.” Premiering on John’s YouTube channel every Saturday for the next six weeks, the new series will see the singer releasing full footage from some of his most iconic performances throughout his career for the first time ever. All proceeds from the new series will go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and their continued efforts in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The first edition of the series, set to premiere on Friday, July 3, will be footage of Joh...
How to Watch the ‘Face the Music: The Fight for Criminal Justice Reform in America’ Livestream Panel
Billboard and Vibe are hosting today (July 1) “Face the Music: The Fight for Criminal Justice Reform in America,” a powerful and crucial panel discussing police reform. The event will go live at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m PT simultaneously on Billboard.com, Vibe.com and on Billboard‘s Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter channels. Datwon Thomas, vice president of cultural media at Vibe/MRC Media will be joined in the discussion by advocate for the wrongfully convicted and Lava Records founder Jason Flom; Grammy-nominated artist Aloe Blacc; Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture and Achieve Inspire Motivate program board member and trial attorney Justin Moore; U.S. Congressman for the Eight District of New York Hakeem Jeffries; and formerly incarcerated moderat...
John Prine Posthumously Named First Honorary Poet Laureate of Illinois
John Prine has received a very special posthumous honor. The late country folk legend has been named the first honorary poet laureate of Illinois, his home state. “John Prine leaves behind an unparalleled musical legacy and was beloved by family and millions of fans who hope that in Heaven he finds Paradise waitin’ just as he longed for,” comments Governor J.B. Pritzker in a statement. Prine is the first Illinoisan to receive the honorary designation, which commemorates his and celebrates his writing and musical contributions. “John had a great respect for Writers of all kinds. He regarded Poets as being among those whose work carried weight, relevance and elevated craft,” comments Fiona Whelan Prine, the celebrated singer and songwriter’s widow. “It is such an honor for me, our...
5 Highlights From RCA Records & Human Rights Campaign’s Pride Benefit Concert
On Tuesday (June 30), RCA Records teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign for their 2020 Pride Benefit Concert. The one-hour livestream operated as a fundraiser for the HRC, with some of the organization’s supporters stopping by to speak to their mission, while RCA provided tunes courtesy of their talented roster. Stars like Walk the Moon, Isaac Dunbar, Cam, Shea Diamond, Citizen Queen, Christian French, Saygrace and more joined the stream to offer up special performances to raise money for HRC — here’s just a few of our favorites: [embedded content] Isaac Dunbar kicks things off with “Boy” Kicking off the livestream, 17-year-old rising pop singer Isaac Dunbar stopped into the stream to deliver a moving rendition of his song “Boy.” The melancholy love song sees Dunb...
Bob Dylan, Lamb of God & Neil Young Launch in Top 3 Spots on Top Rock Albums Chart
“Rough and Rowdy Ways,” “Lamb of God” and “Homegrown” all arrive. Bob Dylan bows atop Billboard‘s Top Rock Albums chart dated July 4 with Rough and Rowdy Ways, followed by Lamb of God, whose self-titled album debuts at No. 2, and Neil Young‘s “Homegrown,” which starts at No. 3. Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan’s first album of all original material since 2012’s Tempest, opens with 53,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 25, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Dylan adds his fifth Top Rock Albums No. 1 and first since 2015’s The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12: 1965 – 1966, The Best of the Cutting Edge. (The chart began in the mid-2000s.) The new set also debuts atop Americana/Folk Albums, marking Dylan&#...
Ringo Starr Plans All-Starr 80th Birthday Benefit, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, & More Set to Perform
To ring in the big 8-0, Ringo Starr plans on celebrating online with an all-Starr broadcast benefit called “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show” next Tuesday, July 7. Starr traditionally spreads peace and love outside of Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, Calif. for his birthday, but he’s not letting the coronavirus pandemic stop him from doing so. He recruited fellow living Beatles member Paul McCartney, Ringo Star & His All-Starr Band guitarist Joe Walsh, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Sheila E. and Ben Harper will host at-home performances and feature never-before-seen concert footage. Proceeds raised during “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show” will benefit these four organizations: Black Lives Matter Global Network, the David Lync...
Lenny Kravitz Announces ‘Let Love Rule’ Memoir
Lenny Kravitz announced on Tuesday (June 30) that his upcoming memoir, Let Love Rule: A Memoir, will be arriving this fall. The book, written alongside co-author David Ritz, will cover the first 25 years of the multi-hyphenate’s life, as he worked through tough struggles at school and extreme tension at home, and found salvation in music. He eventually turns down multiple record deals until he finds his true voice. The story stretches through his experiences in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant, Los Angeles’ Baldwin Hills, Beverly Hills and finally France, England and Germany. “I am pleased to announce the release of my book ‘Let Love Rule,’” Kravitz said in a statement. “Writing this memoir has been a beautiful and interesting experienc...
What’s the Best Latin Collab of June 2020? Vote!
The first half of the year is already gone, wrapping up in yet another month with great Latin collaborations. With the last day of June here, Billboard highlights the team-ups that were featured throughout this month’s First Stream Latin playlists. The poll includes 16 bops such as Abraham Mateo and Becky G’s infectious “Tiempo Pa’ Olvidar,” Manuel Medrano’s funk pop “Cielo” featuring Nile Rodgers, the summer-ready “Bésame” by Play-N-Skillz, Daddy Yankee and Zion & Lennox, and “Por Siempre Manuel” by Gerardo Ortiz and Virlan García, to name a few. In May, Anuel and Enrique Iglesias nabbed the title with “Fútbol y Rumba,” part of Anuel’s Emmanuel album. Feid took the crown in April with his Sky Rompiendo-assisted song “Relxjxte.” Chino & Nacho’s comeback track “Raro” nabbed the titl...
Kenny Chesney Extends Record For Most Country Airplay No. 1s With ‘Here and Now’
The song is his 31st leader. Kenny Chesney’s “Here and Now” ascends 2-1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart dated July 4. In the week ending June 28, the song increased by 18% to 29.8 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Chesney adds his record-extending 31st Country Airplay leader. Dating to the list’s January 1990 launch, Tim McGraw ranks second with 29 No. 1s, Blake Shelton places third with 27 and Alan Jackson and George Strait follow with 26 apiece. “I remember cutting ‘Here and Now’ and how great it felt,” Chesney tells Billboard. “But I also hoped it might remind really busy people what matters is, be in the moment. I always try to cut songs that lift people up, or say something about how...
The Dead South Sparkle With ‘Diamond Ring’ Performance at 2020 Juno Awards: Watch
The Dead South were very much alive and kicking at the 2020 Juno Awards, with the four-piece snaring a trophy and delivering a punchy performance. The folk-bluegrass act’s LP Sugar & Joy won the Juno for traditional roots album of the year, and the audience at home won with the Dead South’s performance of “Diamond Ring.” Nate Hilts and Co. brought an energy and sparkle with “Diamond Ring,” lifted from their award-winning third album. Speaking ahead of its release last October, the Regina, Saskatchewan-based band explained how FAME Studio-trained producer Jimmy Nutt turned the record into gold. “We’re really proud of the instrumentation on our new album,” the band said. “With the first two records, we were still figuring out how to fit it all together. With the help of Jimmy...
Fabolous vs. Jadakiss in ‘Verzuz’ Battle of New York Heavyweights: See Billboard’s Scorecard and Winner For the Showdown
It was Freddy versus Jason once again. Fabolous and Jadakiss served as the latest battle as part of Swizz Beatz and Timbaland‘s Verzuz series, as the New York veteran duo faced off for an Instagram live audience in the hundreds of thousands on Monday night (June 29). With more than four decades in music between the pair of rap titans, fans have had their calendars marked and Timberlands laced since the highly anticipated matchup was announced last week. There’s no bad blood here either, as the prolific MCs remain close friends and also released their underrated Friday on Elm Street joint album back in 2017. Instead of looking at it as more of a heavyweight bout, Fab and Jada see saw as a chance to showcase the depth of their decorated discographies, which range from underg...
Pearl Jam Remember the 2000 Roskilde Festival Tragedy: ‘Nothing has Been the Same Since’
Pearl Jam have paid tribute to the lives lost on the 20th anniversary of the Roskilde Festival tragedy. The Seattle rock legends shared a solemn post to mark 20 years since that fateful day, when nine young men were crushed to death during their set at Roskilde, held near Copenhagen in Denmark. “A normal festival show day…show up 5 hours ahead. Wait for your slot. I barely remember it…” the post reads. “Sunny, I think. Lou Reed played, I think. Then rain and wind. But nothing has been the same since.” An accompanying clip features nine flames set to a black background, soundtracked by a live snippet from Pearl Jam’s “Love Boat Captain,” a 2002 song which references the tragedy. In the live cut, frontman Eddie Vedder tweaks the lyric to reflect the march o...
