Month: August 2022

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Sports Daypop

Tyler Reddick wins Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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Tyler Reddick earned a victory in Sunday’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Reddick won in overtime on the road course at Indy to give him two victories in the last five Cup races.

Reddick is having a spectacular July, winning his first Cup career victory and qualifying for NASCAR’s playoffs, as well as signing a big contract with a new team. Reddick earned his first career victory on July 3 at Road America in Wisconsin, announcing just nine days later he was leaving Richard Childress Racing in 2024 to drive for 23XI, the team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan.

Reddick’s win makes him the first RCR driver since Kevin Harvick in 2013 to win multiple races in a season, and multiple victories for RCR in a season for the first time since 2017.

Next up, the Cup Series moves on to Michigan International Speedway for a 400-mile race on Sunday, Aug. 7

Editorial credit: Dawid S Swierczek / Shutterstock.com

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Sports Daypop

Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell dies at age 88

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NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell died on Sunday, his family announced in a statement. He was 88 years old. Russell, and 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, died “peacefully” with his wife Jeannine at his side. No cause of death was mentioned.

Beginning with his junior year at University of San Francisco, Russell won two straight NCAA championships, leading the team to 55 consecutive wins and was twice named an All-American. He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics in Mebourne, and that same year he was drafted to the Celtics where he carried the team to 12 NBA Finals appearances and 11 championships from 1959 to ’66, while also being named league MVP five times in 13 years. He also was a 12-time All-Star, including MVP in 1963.

Russell was also the first Black head coach of any North American professional sports team when he was named the Celtics coach in 1966, leading the team to two championships. He coached the Celtics from 1956-69 then the Seattle SuperSonics from 1973-77 and the Sacramento Kings from 1987-88. His coaching record was 341-290.

Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. The NBA Finals MVP award is named in his honor.

In a statement on Sunday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised Russell as “the greatest champion in all of team sports…I cherished my friendship with Bill and was thrilled when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I often called him basketball’s Babe Ruth for how he transcended time. Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Jeannine, his family and his many friends.”

The Celtics wrote on Twitter that Russell was “a champion unlike any other in the history of team sports…Bill Russell’s DNA is woven through every element of the Celtics organization, from the relentless pursuit of excellence, to the celebration of team rewards over individual glory, to commitment to social justice and civil rights off the court.”

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Categories
Country Daypop

Jake Owen reveals on social media he is 316 days sober

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Jake Owen took to social media to share with fans that he is celebrating ‘316 days sober.’

Owen said on Instagram: “317 days ago I embarrassed myself after drinking too much alcohol one night. It wasn’t the first time either. The next day I told myself, ‘never again.’ I am better than that, and the people I love the most deserve better. My family, my little girls, and my friends. Just wanted to share my journey in case anyone woke up this morning and wants to make a change. None of us are perfect… I’m just trying to be the best version of myself these days.”

The post comes just one day after Owen shared another uplifting video message with fans on social media, writing:  “What I’m trying to tell you guys this morning is, is that somebody out there loves you. And I know you love someone, too. And I’m a little sentimental and emotional this morning.”  Owen said he was emotional as his daughter Pearl is preparing to leave for the summer and then head back to school…“My little girl, Pearl, is about to leave for the summer (and) go back to school, and I just want you all to know how much I love you, how much I appreciate you. … Call someone today. Tell them you love them. Everybody deserves to hear from someone how much they’re loved and appreciated. And I appreciate you guys and I love you, and I’m very grateful for this life I get to live thanks to all of y’all. … Be kind to people, tell them you love them, and it’s summertime, baby, get out there in the sunshine.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Luke Combs grants wish for teenage fan fighting cancer

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Luke Combs granted a special fan a wish of a lifetime, flying 17-year-old Addison Conely and her family to Ohio for his concert at the Buckeye Country Superfest. Conley, who is battling leukemia, got to watch the concert, and hang out with Combs backstage.

Conley’s mom Staci wrote about the experience in a lengthy Facebook post, thanking Combs and calling it a “trip of a lifetime”… “He chatted with Addi and hung on her every word, talked about his beautiful wife, their brand-new baby, his friend who had cancer twice, once in the third grade and then again last year. How they all shaved their heads to stand with him and Addi talked about how all of her brothers, bf and friend’s did too on the same day she lost her hair. He gave so much love as we listened and cried with their stories they were exchanging. This moment made time stand still. She was genuinely happy and so blown away by his kindness, honestly we all were.”

Combs also brought Conley onstage during the show to perform his song “Better Together” for her. Combs shared a video of the special moment, in which he says: “This is my friend Addi that I met today and Addi’s going through some health things at the moment and I came across her on social media. I had been tagged in a few things and her biggest wish was to come out and see a show. So, we flew Addi and her family out from California to be with us in Columbus tonight and I want to give her the experience of what it really feels like to be up here in front of 60,000 people tonight.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

Ana de Armas portrays Marilyn Monroe in the trailer for the Netflix film ‘Blonde’

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Netflix has shared a trailer for the biopic Blonde, featuring Ana de Armas as the late actress and Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. In the trailer, Marilyn (de Armas) explains to Joe DiMaggio (Bobby Cannavale), to whom she was married from 1954 to 1955, how she feels a split between her onscreen personality — Marilyn — and her real self, Norma Jeane.

Blonde is based on the Joyce Carol Oates novel of the same name. An official film synopsis reads: “From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, ‘Blonde’ blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.” 

Blonde is written and directed by Andrew Dominik, and also stars Adrien Brody, Xavier Samuel and Julianne Nicholson.  The film is rated NC-17 for sexual content, and will have its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival ahead of its Sept. 28 debut on Netflix.

Check out the trailer for Blonde – here.

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Entertainment Daypop

Groundbreaking ‘Star Trek’ actress Nichelle Nichols dies at age 89

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Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Uhura on “Star Trek” in a groundbreaking role for Black actresses, has died in Silver City, N.M. She was 89. Gilbert Bell, Nichols’ talent manager and business partner of 15 years, confirmed the news Sunday.

Nichols son, Kyle Johnson, posted in a statement on her Facebook page : “I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”  Johnson said his mother died of natural causes.

Nichols portrayed U.S.S. Enterprise communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura on the “Star Trek” television series from 1966-1969. She also reprised the role in six movies from the iconic sci-fi franchise.  She was one of the first Black actresses to star in a primetime television show, and she and “Star Trek” made history with television’s first interracial kiss in 1968. After she rose to fame on “Star Trek,” Nichols went on to become a recruiter for NASA, playing a key role in helping recruit people of color and female astronauts. Nichols formed the company “Women in Motion,” traveling throughout the country to recruit women and people of color for NASA. In 1978, NASA recruited 35 people, including for the first time, six women and four people of color. Nichols was also the first African American woman to have her handprints immortalized at the TCL Chinese Theatre in 1991.

Nichols suffered a stroke in 2015 and was diagnosed with dementia in 2018. She was married and divorced twice and is survived by her son, Kyle Johnson.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Rock Daypop

Lamb Of God share the official music video for ‘Omens’

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Lamb Of God have shared a music video for their brand new single, “Omens”. The song is the title track to their forthcoming album, which is scheduled to drop on October 7th.

Frontman D. Randall Blythe says of the track: “I think a lot of the messes human beings find ourselves in could be very easily prevented simply by paying attention to obvious repeating patterns, both in our personal lives and in a broader sociohistorical context. What some call ‘omens’ are really just manifestations of the fact that there is nothing new under the sun. It’s foolish to ignore this, but we all do it.”

Watch the video for “Omens” – here.

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Rock Daypop

Take a look at the first trailer for the David Bowie documentary ‘Moonage Daydream’

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Neon has released the first trailer for Brett Morgen’s David Bowie documentary, Moonage Daydream. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this May.  Morgen is a well-established documentarian with work focusing on Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and renowned primatologist Jane Goodall.

The trailer for Moonage Daydream shares a montage of Bowie’s concert performances and iconic interviews.  Moonage Daydream is the first documentary officially approved by Bowie’s estate; and Morgen was granted access to personal footage for use in the film including shots from the Isolar, Serious Moonlight, Diamond Dogs, Outside/Earthling and the Glass Spider tours.

Moonage Daydream hits theaters Sept. 16.  You can check out the documentary trailer – here.

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Rina Sawayama to launch U.S. tour this fall

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Rina Sawayama announced tour dates for the U.S. this November. The first of the 13 shows scheduled will take place in Brooklyn on November 1, with Sawayama also making stops in Boston, Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, Houston, other cities before wrapping the trek in Los Angeles on the 23rd. Tickets are on sale now; for ticket information, head to https://rina.online/.

Hold The Girl, the upcoming second album from Sawayama, is due out 9/2; to pre-order, head here.

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Calvin Harris shares the tracklist for his album ‘Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 2’

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Calvin Harris has revealed the official tracklist for his upcoming album Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 2, set to be released on Aug. 5th.

The DJ and producer has already shared the singles ‘Potion‘ featuring Dua Lipa & Young Thug, ‘New Money‘ featuring 21 Savage, and a collaboration with Halsey, Justin Timberlake, and Pharrell Williams called ‘Stay With Me‘.

In addition to those collaborators, Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 2 also features Pusha T, Tinashe, Offset, Busta Rhymes, Latto, Swae Lee, Snoop Dogg, Lil Durk and more.

To check out the full tracklist, head here.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com