music
IRS Says Prince’s Estate Undervalued by $80 Million, Owes $32.4 Million in Taxes
When Prince died in 2016, he not only left a massive hole in the world of entertainment, but a complicated financial situation. The rock legend left no will, leaving it to his estate to wade through some messy legal waters. Now, the IRS has said the executors of Prince’s estate undervalued it by over $80 million and owe a substantial sum in federal taxes. As NBC News reports, the IRS has determined Prince’s estate to be worth $163.2 million — nearly double the $82.3 million valuation put forth by the estate. Court documents put the balance of the discrepancy largely on music publishing rights and “recording interests.” As a result, the IRS is seeking an additional $32.4 million in federal taxes, as well as a $6.4 million “accuracy-related penalty” for “substantial” assets undervaluation. C...
Miley, Taylor, Dua, And More Proved 2020’s Pop Nostalgia Machine Is Potent As Ever
By Katiee McKinstry With the release of her latest album, Plastic Hearts, in late November, Miley Cyrus completely reinvented herself as a glam-rock icon, diving into the past as she cleared a path forward in the pop-rock sphere. Expertly wielding the collective power of nostalgia to appeal to even the most casual of listeners — its final tracks include a reworked version of standout single “Midnight Sky” featuring Stevie Nicks and covers of the classics “Zombie” and “Heart of Glass” — Cyrus also mined key moments from her own career to generative new results. And this year, she was not alone. Prior to the drop of Plastic Hearts, Cyrus announced the launch of MileySpace, essentially an updated version of what her MySpace page would look like in 2020, hosted on her own website. Cyrus relaun...
Miley, Taylor, Dua, And More Proved 2020’s Pop Nostalgia Machine Is Potent As Ever
By Katiee McKinstry With the release of her latest album, Plastic Hearts, in late November, Miley Cyrus completely reinvented herself as a glam-rock icon, diving into the past as she cleared a path forward in the pop-rock sphere. Expertly wielding the collective power of nostalgia to appeal to even the most casual of listeners — its final tracks include a reworked version of standout single “Midnight Sky” featuring Stevie Nicks and covers of the classics “Zombie” and “Heart of Glass” — Cyrus also mined key moments from her own career to generative new results. And this year, she was not alone. Prior to the drop of Plastic Hearts, Cyrus announced the launch of MileySpace, essentially an updated version of what her MySpace page would look like in 2020, hosted on her own website. Cyrus relaun...
MF Doom, Prolific Masked Underground Rapper, Dead At 49
Daniel Dumile, the hip-hop artist who performed in a metallic mask under the moniker MF Doom for decades, has died, his family announced on Thursday (December 31). According to a note posted to his social media accounts, Doom died on October 31; no cause was given. His wife, Jasmine, penned the statement that began, “Begin all things by giving thanks to THE ALL!” and was addressed to “Dumile.” “The greatest husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover and friend I could ever ask for,” it reads. “Thank you for all the things you have shown, taught and given to me, our children and our family. Thank you for teaching me how to forgive beings and give another chance, not to be so quick to judge and write off. Thank you for showing how not...
MF Doom, Prolific Masked Underground Rapper, Dead At 49
Daniel Dumile, the hip-hop artist who performed in a metallic mask under the moniker MF Doom for decades, has died, his family announced on Thursday (December 31). According to a note posted to his social media accounts, Doom died on October 31; no cause was given. His wife, Jasmine, penned the statement that began, “Begin all things by giving thanks to THE ALL!” and was addressed to “Dumile.” “The greatest husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover and friend I could ever ask for,” it reads. “Thank you for all the things you have shown, taught and given to me, our children and our family. Thank you for teaching me how to forgive beings and give another chance, not to be so quick to judge and write off. Thank you for showing how not...
R.I.P. Gerry Marsden, Frontman of Gerry and the Pacemakers Dead at 78
Gerry Marsden, frontman of Gerry and the Pacemakers, has died at the age of 78. Marsden’s death was announced by UK broadcaster Pete Price, who wrote: “It’s with a very heavy heart after speaking to the family that I have to tell you the Legendary Gerry Marsden MBE after a short illness which was an infection in his heart has sadly passed away.” Gerry and the Pacemakers were early contemporaries of The Beatles, as both groups hailed from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. The Pacemakers’ career began with a fury in 1963, as their first three singles — “How Do You Do It?”, “I Like It”, and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” — all debuted at No. 1 on the UK singles chart. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was later adopted by fans of Liverpool F.C. and bec...
R.I.P. Gerry Marsden, Frontman of Gerry and the Pacemakers Dead at 78
Gerry Marsden, frontman of Gerry and the Pacemakers, has died at the age of 78. Marsden’s death was announced by UK broadcaster Pete Price, who wrote: “It’s with a very heavy heart after speaking to the family that I have to tell you the Legendary Gerry Marsden MBE after a short illness which was an infection in his heart has sadly passed away.” Gerry and the Pacemakers were early contemporaries of The Beatles, as both groups hailed from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. The Pacemakers’ career began with a fury in 1963, as their first three singles — “How Do You Do It?”, “I Like It”, and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” — all debuted at No. 1 on the UK singles chart. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was later adopted by fans of Liverpool F.C. and bec...
UK Man Drunkenly Changes Name to Celine Dion, Has No Regrets
Celine Dion (né Thomas Dodd, photo via Instagram/@thomasdodd1) and Celine Dion (photo by Amanda Koellner) Because he loved Celine Dion so much, a UK man decided to give himself a happy xmas by revisiting one of the Canadian singer’s holiday concert specials. When a new day came, he discovered his incredible fandom had reached a level of immortality, as he’d drunkenly filed to legally change his name to Celine Dion. While the memory of filling out the application didn’t all come back to him then, he decided that’s the way it is, and the name change will go on. That is the power of his love. Okay, now that the Dion song title word play is out of the way, here’s the story: 30-year-old Staffordshire, England native né Thomas Dodd indeed got drunk on Christmas Eve and discovered some days later...
UK Man Drunkenly Changes Name to Celine Dion, Has No Regrets
Celine Dion (né Thomas Dodd, photo via Instagram/@thomasdodd1) and Celine Dion (photo by Amanda Koellner) Because he loved Celine Dion so much, a UK man decided to give himself a happy xmas by revisiting one of the Canadian singer’s holiday concert specials. When a new day came, he discovered his incredible fandom had reached a level of immortality, as he’d drunkenly filed to legally change his name to Celine Dion. While the memory of filling out the application didn’t all come back to him then, he decided that’s the way it is, and the name change will go on. That is the power of his love. Okay, now that the Dion song title word play is out of the way, here’s the story: 30-year-old Staffordshire, England native né Thomas Dodd indeed got drunk on Christmas Eve and discovered some days later...
R.I.P. Steve Brown, Producer for Elton John, Manic Street Preachers, and The Cult Dead at 62
Steve Brown, a veteran record producer known for his work with Elton John, Manic Street Preachers, The Cult, and Wham!, has died at the age of 62. Brown collaborated extensively with Elton John early on in his career, working with the UK musician on his debut album, 1969’s Empty Sky, and its follow-ups, 1970’s Elton John, 1970’s Tumbleweed Connection, and 1973’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. In the 1980s, Brown produced records for The Cult (1985’s Love, 1987’s Electric) and Wham! (1983’s Fantastic). The following decade saw him collaborate with Manic Street Preachers on their first (1992’s Generation Terrorists) and third (1994’s The Holy Bible) studio albums. He also helmed The Pogues’ final album, 1996’s Pogue Mahone. “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of legendary producer Ste...
R.I.P. Steve Brown, Producer for Elton John, Manic Street Preachers, and The Cult Dead at 62
Steve Brown, a veteran record producer known for his work with Elton John, Manic Street Preachers, The Cult, and Wham!, has died at the age of 62. Brown collaborated extensively with Elton John early on in his career, working with the UK musician on his debut album, 1969’s Empty Sky, and its follow-ups, 1970’s Elton John, 1970’s Tumbleweed Connection, and 1973’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. In the 1980s, Brown produced records for The Cult (1985’s Love, 1987’s Electric) and Wham! (1983’s Fantastic). The following decade saw him collaborate with Manic Street Preachers on their first (1992’s Generation Terrorists) and third (1994’s The Holy Bible) studio albums. He also helmed The Pogues’ final album, 1996’s Pogue Mahone. “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of legendary producer Ste...
R.I.P. Alto Reed, Longtime Bob Seger Saxophonist Dead at 72
Alto Reed, the longtime saxophonist for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, has died from colon cancer. He was 72 years old. Seger himself announced the sad news in a Facebook post. “Alto has been a part of our musical family, on and off stage, for nearly 50 years,” Seger wrote. “I first starting playing with Alto in 1971. He was amazing – he could play just about anything…he was funky, could scat and play tenor sax and alto sax at the same time.” Reed’s two daughters, Chelsea and Victoria, also shared a joint statement alongside Seger (via Ultimate Classic Rock). Issued by Seger’s publicist, the statement read, “Our hearts are deeply broken by this enormous loss, but also filled with gratitude as we reflect on his legacy and how incredibly lucky we’ve been to get to call such a special ...
