Month: March 2022

Categories
Country Daypop

Hank Williams Jr. reveals 2022 North American tour dates

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Hank Williams Jr. is returning to the road, and has just announced  2022 tour dates, saying “With over 70 million albums sold and 20 RIAA Gold-certified albums, it’s about that time, and you better believe I’m ready brothers and sisters. We’re bringing some blues, some rock and some country back to country.”

The tour’s kick-off is on April 1st in Southaven, MS. Williams wrote on Instagram: “Hank Jr. is back on tour y’all! Tickets on sale NOW in select cities, with additional pre-sales starting tomorrow! Check out details at hankjr.com/tour”

For more details, head to HankJr.com.

Editorial credit: Andrew F. Kazmierski / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Dolly Parton declines 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination

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Dolly Parton has removed herself from consideration as a 2022 nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The nomination was Parton’s first for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, who was nominated alongside artists including Beck, Devo, Kate Bush, Eminem, Rage Against the Machine, Judas Priest, Carly Simon and others.  Country artists who have previously been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame include Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Jimmie Rodgers and more.

Parton posted on social media Monday, March 14th, saying in a statement: “Even though I’m extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out. I do hope the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and will be willing to consider me again–if I’m ever worthy. This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!”

Parton also noted that her husband Carl Dean is a rock n’ roll fan, saying, “He always encouraged me to do one,” and she ended her post, saying:  “I wish all of the nominees good luck and thank you again for the compliment. Rock on!”

Parton has bowed out of other honors and awards; just last year, she requested that Tennessee lawmakers not consider a bill that would allow a statue of the legendary singer-songwriter to be built on the grounds of the state Capitol. Parton also revealed that she was twice offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and had to turn down the offer both times — first because her husband was sick, and the second time she was not able to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dolly Parton Declines Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination: ‘I Don’t Feel That I Have Earned the Right’

Editorial credit: Adam Shanker / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

HBO Max greenlights The Batman spin-off series “The Penguin” starring Colin Farrell

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HBO Max has committed to a limited-series order for ‘The Penguin,’ a spin-off of Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Colin Farrell will reprise his role as The Penguin — otherwise known as underworld kingpin Oswald Cobblepot.  The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, was released in theaters on March 4 and has grossed $134 million at the domestic box office and another $124 million internationally.

Farrell said in a statement: “The world that Matt Reeves created for The Batman is one that warrants a deeper gaze through the eyes of Oswald Cobblepot. I couldn’t be more excited about continuing this exploration of Oz as he rises through the darkened ranks to become the Penguin. Will be good to get him back on the streets of Gotham for a little madness and a little mayhem.”

Added Reeves, “Colin exploded off the screen as the Penguin in The Batman, and having the chance to thoroughly explore the inner life of that character on HBO Max is an absolute thrill.”

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Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Apple TV+ shares first look at Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill in new spy thriller “Argylle”

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Apple TV+ has revealed the first look at Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill in its latest spy thriller movie, Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn and penned by Jason Fuchs. Dua Lipa is also set to provide original music for the film.

Argylle is set to be the first installment of a three-part film trilogy. The film is based on Ellie Conway’s upcoming novel of the same name, and follows a skilled spy who has recently suffered from amnesia, made to believe that he is a successful author who specializes in writing spy novels. After his memories return, we see adventures of the super spy as he goes down a path of revenge against the organization he used to work for.

Starring alongside Cavill and Dua Lipa is a star-studded cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill slow dance in ‘Argylle’ first look

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

ZZ Top announce new album ‘Raw’ and plans to launch U.S. tour

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Legendary Texas rockers have announced U.S. tour dates for their Raw Whisky Tour, and said they will drop a new album, Raw, on July 22.  The album takes its name from the “unfettered and straightforward manner in which the tracks were recorded,” as per a press release. Guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard detailed recording Raw, which according to the liner notes of the album is dedicated “In righteous memory of Dusty Hill “(who died in July 2021).

Billy, Frank and bassist Elwood Francis — the band’s longtime guitar tech who took over for Hill as per his orders — are set to hit the road for the first leg of their Raw Whisky Tour beginning on May 27 in San Diego. Four more California dates will follow, and the tour will make stops in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.  The band then kicks off a Midwest stint on July 1 including Toledo, Ohio; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Fort Wayne, Indiana and Greenville, Wisconsin before wrapping up in Boston and Watertown, New York.

Tickets for most markets on the Raw Whisky Tour are on sale through Ticketmaster.

Editorial credit: Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

Dolly Parton declines 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination

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Dolly Parton has removed herself from consideration as a 2022 nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The nomination was Parton’s first for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, who was nominated alongside artists including Beck, Devo, Kate Bush, Eminem, Rage Against the Machine, Judas Priest, Carly Simon and others.  Country artists who have previously been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame include Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Jimmie Rodgers and more.

Parton posted on social media Monday, March 14th, saying in a statement: “Even though I’m extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out. I do hope the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and will be willing to consider me again–if I’m ever worthy. This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!”

Parton also noted that her husband Carl Dean is a rock n’ roll fan, saying, “He always encouraged me to do one,” and she ended her post, saying:  “I wish all of the nominees good luck and thank you again for the compliment. Rock on!”

Parton has bowed out of other honors and awards; just last year, she requested that Tennessee lawmakers not consider a bill that would allow a statue of the legendary singer-songwriter to be built on the grounds of the state Capitol. Parton also revealed that she was twice offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and had to turn down the offer both times — first because her husband was sick, and the second time she was not able to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Editorial credit: Adam Shanker / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

The film ‘BTS Permission To Dance on Stage’ earns $32M at global box office

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BTS’ latest film, ‘BTS Permission to Dance on Stage,’ debuted in movie theaters, and at the global box office the film brought in $32.6 million from 3,711 cinemas in 75 worldwide theatrical markets.  In North America alone, BTS Permission to Dance on Stage: Seoul earned roughly $6.84 million.

BTS returned to the stage with three highly-anticipated concerts at Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea last week.  The concerts marked the group’s first in-person performance in their home country since October 2019, and the shows on Saturday (March 12) and Sunday (March 13) was made available to fans that could not attemd via livestream.

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Adele concert special ‘An Audience with Adele’ to air March 20 on NBC

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Adele has a new concert special coming to NBC in March.  Titled An Audience with Adele, the special concert was filmed at the London Palladium and aired in November in the United Kingdom; it will air March 20 at 9 p.m. EST on NBC, and will stream the next day on Peacock.

In the two-hour special, Adele performs her greatest hits, including “Someone Like You” and “Hello,” and songs from her most recent album, 30.  The 33-year-old singer also answers questions from the audience, which included actors Idris Elba and Emma Thompson, as well as many other famous faces.

Adele previously headlined the concert special Adele: One Night Only, which was filmed at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and aired on CBS in November. She released her fourth studio album, 30, on Nov. 19. The album features the singles “Easy on Me” and “Oh My God.”

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Categories
News Daypop

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to Rome to meet with Chinese counterpart

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The White House announced on Sunday that U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will travel to Rome on Monday to meet with his Chinese counterpart.

National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement that Sullivan will speak to Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of China’s Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi as part of the United States’ “ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication” between the two countries.  Said Horne:“The two sides will discuss ongoing efforts to manage the competition between our two countries and discuss the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on regional and global security.”   Horne added that while in Rome, Sullivan will also meet with Luigi Mattiolo, diplomatic adviser to the Italian prime minister, “to continue coordinating a storong, united international response to President Putin’s war of choice.”

Sullivan’s visit comes as U.S. officials have criticized China’s response to the war in Ukraine, with Chinese domestic media promoting Russian disinformation and describing the war as a “special military operation.”  On Sunday, Sullivan told CNN’s State of the Union that the United States was prepared to take action against China if it violated sanctions to support Russia.  Said Sullivan: “We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them. We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country anywhere in the world.”

Editorial credit: Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Former President Barack Obama tests positive for COVID-19

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Barack Obama announced he has tested positive for COVID-19. The former President took to Twitter on Sunday to announce the news, saying he was was suffering from mild symptoms for several days but stressed that he is doing well despite the illness.

The 60-year-old Obama wrote: “I just tested positive for COVID. I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise.”

He added that he and wife Michelle Obama “are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative. It’s a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven’t already, even as cases go down.”

Editorial credit: photocosmos1 / Shutterstock.com