Month: February 2024

Categories
Rock Daypop

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

Billy Joel performs in concert at Madison Square Garden on November 21^ 2016 in New York City.

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

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

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

Billy Joel performs in concert at Madison Square Garden on November 21^ 2016 in New York City.

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.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Macy’s shutting down 150 stores by 2026; will expand luxury brands

Macy's Department Store. Macy's^ Inc. is one of the Nation's Premier Omnichannel Retailers Indianapolis; February 2017

Retail giant Macy’s shared in a press release on Tuesday that they will be shutting down up to 150 locations over the next two years.  Macy’s statement said it would be “focusing resources by closing approximately 150 underproductive locations, including approximately 50 by the end of the fiscal year.”

While some branded locations will be shut down, the company plans to keep investing in its 350 other locations. Macy’s CEO Tony Spring said: “We are making the necessary moves to reinvigorate relationships with our customers through improved shopping experiences, relevant assortments and compelling value. A bold new chapter serves as a strong call to action. it challenges the status quo to create a more modern Macy’s Inc.”

The company said it would be “prioritizing investment in approximately 350 go-forward locations and the continued expansion of small-format stores,” and will continue to invest in its subsidiary outlets, including Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury, which the company says have been “outperformers within the Macy’s Inc. portfolio across the broader luxury landscape.”

]The company plans to build out 15 new Bloomingdale’s stores and at least 30 new Bluemercury stores, along with roughly 30 Bluemercury remodels, over the next three years.

Editorial credit: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Sports Daypop

Denver Broncos say they will decide on status of QB Russell Wilson ‘within 2 weeks’

QB Russell WILSON (3) at Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte^ NC. November 25^ 2018

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine at the Indiana Convention Center that they organization will decide on the future of their union with quarterback Russell Wilson ‘within the next two weeks.’

Payton shared that the plans to meet with the Broncos ownership group March 5 and 6 to discuss the decision: “I expect we’re going to know fairly quickly. I said it at the Super Bowl, but more specifically, somewhere of the neighborhood [of] next week.” Payton also hinted that the Broncos’ are focused on finding their next quarterback: “I saw this humorous meme the other day where there was a Broncos fan with a shirt on. There were like eight quarterbacks names that were crossed through. … Our job is to make sure the next one doesn’t have a line through it.”

The 35-year-old Wilson signed a five-year, $242.5 million contract with the Broncos in 2022, which included $124 million at signing. Wilson’s $39 million salary for 2024 is full guaranteed, and he is guaranteed another $37 million if he doesn’t pass a physical in March.

Wilson, who was benched for the final two games of the season, completed 66.4% of his throws for 3,070 yards, 26 scores and eight interceptions through 15 starts last season. Having Wilson sit out the final two weeks of the season potentially avoided a major injury for the quarterback, which could have triggered his injury guarantee. At the time of Wilson’s benching, Payton told reporters that the move was made to give the Broncos offense a “spark.” Wilson said that the Broncos told him he would be benched if he didn’t alter the injury guarantee in his contract.

If the Broncos release Wilson, they will take on $85 million in dead money against the salary cap over the next two years. When asked about the matter of Wilson’s contract, Broncos general manager George Paton said Tuesday in Indianapolis that the Broncos have “moved forward,” and when asked about trade interest in Wilson, he told reporters he hasn’t heard anything from other teams. Said Paton: “I appreciate that, but we’ve moved forward, everything we did was aboveboard. I appreciate Russ, but we’ve moved forward. We have a lot of work to do, we’re here at the combine, with free agency around the corner, we’re focused on bettering our football team.”

Editorial credit: Grindstone Media Group / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Sports Daypop

Tampa Bay Buccaneers release Pro Bowl LB Shaquil Barrett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett (58) during an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium. Nov 10^ 2019; Tampa^ FL USA

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are releasing two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Shaquil Barrett. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said on NFL Network Tuesday: “Shaq has been great for us over the last five years, but these tough decisions have to be made. Who knows we’ll see what happens down the line.”

The 31-year-old Barrett was set to receive a $15 million option bonus next month. he signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the Buccaneers in 2021, but that deal was later restructured. The Buccaneers are designating Barrett’s departure as as post-June 1 cut, which will save them $4.9 million in cap room, running their 2024 cap space to about $48.6 million.

Barrett, a Pro Bowl selection in 2019 and 2021, totaled 400 combined tackles, 289 solo tackles and 59 sacks through his first 131 appearances in the NFL. Barrett’s 45 sacks since joining Tampa Bay in 2019 are tied for the 14th-most in the NFL. However after he tore his Achilles in the 2022 season his production dipped in 2023, registering 4.5 sacks.

Editorial credit: Steve Jacobson / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Jon Pardi and Luke Bryan share video for ‘Cowboys and Plowboys’

Jon Pardi performs onstage during the "All Time High" tour at the Paramount on January 16^ 2016 in Huntington^ New York.

Jon Pardi and Luke Bryan are sharing the video for their hit collaboration, “Cowboys and Plowboys, ” written by Rhett Akins, Jacob Rice, and Cole Taylor. Bryan and Pardi teased news of the video with a live performance clip of the song taken from Luke Bryan’s annual Crash My Playa event in Mexico.

The video, filmed outside of Nashville and in California, was directed by Shaun Silva and features Rodeo Champions including Kyle Lockett, Bert McGill, Dallas Owen, Dakota Eldridge, Jordan Ketscher, Shelby Cole, Jaylee McGill, and Wayce McGill.

Take a look at the video for ‘Cowboys and Plowboys’ – here.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Tim McGraw embarking on 2024 ‘Standing Room Only Tour’ with special guests

Tim McGraw at the Academy of Country Music Awards 2017 at T-Mobile Arena on April 2^ 2017 in Las Vegas^ NV

Tim McGraw will launch his 2024 Standing Room Only Tour this March, and will have a wide array of  supporting artists joining him on the road.   Among his opening acts will be Abby Anderson, Heartwreckers, Randall King, Landon Parker, Peytan Porter, Restless Road, Track45, Timothy Wayne, and The Woods on select dates.  Grammy winning, singer-songwriter Carly Pearce was previously announced as McGraw’s special guest.

Produced by Live Nation and presented by Sports Illustrated), the Standing Room Only Tour kicks-off March 14th, hitting arenas across 45 cities. Planet Fitness, home of the Judgement Free Zone, will join the tour as the sponsor of the McGraw Mobile Gym.

For tickets and other information, head to McGraw’s website.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

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

LOS ANGELES - JUN 26: Sean Combs at the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26^ 2022 in Los Angeles^ CA

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.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

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

LOS ANGELES - JUN 26: Sean Combs at the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26^ 2022 in Los Angeles^ CA

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.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

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

RUN-DMC show memorial piece for Jam Master Jay at the VH1 Best in 2002 Awards^ 12/15/2002^ LA^ CA

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.

Editorial credit: Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com