Singer Connie Francis dies at age 87

Burning candles on mirror surface in darkness^ closeup

Singer Connie Francis, best known for her chart-topping hits in the ’50s and ’60s, has died at the age of 87.

Francis’ copyrights and royalties manager, Ron Roberts, in a post on social media: “It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night. I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.”

Although an official cause of death was not announced, Francis had recently revealed that she was “back in hospital” on July 2, telling fans she’d been “undergoing tests and checks to determine the cause(s) of the extreme pain I have been experiencing.”  However, Francis laster wrote in a Fourth of July post on Facebook that she was “feeling much better after a good night,” two days after it was confirmed that she had been hospitalized.

Francis, born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, is estimated to have sold more than 200 million records worldwide in her lifetime. Her first hit song, “Who’s Sorry Now,” debuted in 1958. In 1960, Francis was only 21 when she became the first female artist to get a Billboard Hot 100 No 1 hit, with her song “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.” Francis went on to have 53 hits on the Billboard charts over the course of her decades-long career. n 1964, she was awarded a special Golden Globe for her contributions to the recording world.

Most recently, Francis’s 1962 hit “Pretty Little Baby” had a resurgence after it went viral on TikTok. The song has been used in more than 17 million videos totaling more than 27 billion views globally on the app. Francis said at the time in response to the renewed interest in her music: “My thanks to TikTok and its members for the wonderful, and oh so unexpected, reception given to my 1961 recording ‘Pretty Little Baby.’ The first I learned of it was when Ron called to advise me that I had ‘a viral hit.’ Clearly out of touch with present-day music statistics terminology, my initial response was to ask: ‘What’s that?’ I’m flabbergasted and excited about the huge buzz my 1962 recording of ‘Pretty Little Baby’ is making all over the world To think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is captivating new generations of audiences is truly overwhelming for me.”

According to PEOPLE, in addition to her music career Francis was an advocate for rape victims and those impacted by trauma after she was raped in 1974 and survived a suicide attempt in 1984.  She is survived by her son,  Joseph Garzilli Jr.

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Mel Brooks and Josh Gad to helm sequel film ‘Spaceballs 2’

Mel Brooks at the "If You're Not In The Obit^ Eat Breakfast" Premiere at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on May 17^ 2017 in Beverly Hills^ CA

Filmmaker and actor Mel Brooks and actor-writer Josh Gad officially announced that a sequel to the 1987 Star Wars spoof Spaceballs is officially in the works. Deadline.com reported Brooks, Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis are set to reprise their roles of Yogurt, Lone Star and Dark Helmet.

Brooks said in a video released on social media: “After 40 years, we asked, ‘What do the fans want? But, instead, we’re making this movie. May the Schwartz be with you.”  The words, “The Schwartz awakens in 2027,” then appeared across the screen.

Gad wrote in a separate post: “I was that child who saw Spaceballs before I ever saw Star Wars and then wondered why anyone would do a dramatic remake of the Mel Brooks classic. It is therefore the greatest gift of my life to now help take the reins and work alongside Mel and this incredible group to do a sequel to the movie that first inspired George Lucas.”

Brooks returns as Yogurt (the gold-faced mystic Yoda-esque figure) in the forthcoming Spaceballs sequel, spoofing Star Wars and other films of the era.  Brooks will also produce the film alongside Brian Grazer, Jeb Brody, co-writer Josh Gad, and director Josh Greenbaum.

Gad previously said that Brooks is “incredibly involved” in the creative process for the sequel, and that the film is “a love letter to not only Spaceballs, but to all things Mel Brooks.” The original movie also co-starred Daphne Zuniga and John Candy, who died in 1994, as well as featured the voice of the late Joan Rivers.

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Black Eyed Peas to join Shakira as special guests for LA shows at SoFi Stadium

Shakira performs onstage at Rock in Rio - Lisboa May 21^ 2010 in Lisbon^ Portugal

Shakira will be joined by Black Eyed Peas as the special guest on her two Los Angeles stadium dates at SoFi Stadium on Monday, August 4th (which is sold out) and Tuesday, August 5th, as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.  The Los Angeles shows will mark a special reunion between the band and Shakira, who previously collaborated on two singles – “Girl Like Me” in 2020 and “Don’t You Worry” in 2022.

Shakira had added a second stadium date in Los Angeles to her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour on Tuesday, August 5th at SoFi Stadium, in addition to the previously announced sold-out show on Monday, August 4th.

Shakira officially kicked off the North American leg of her record-breaking Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour with a sold-out stadium show in Charlotte, NC at Bank of America Stadium on May 13th.

The tour first launched in Latin America this February with a sold-out stadium run that drew over 1.3 million fans across 25 shows in 11 cities, including Rio de Janeiro, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Guadalajara.

For ticket information, head HERE.

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Madonna to release long-rumored ‘Veronica Electronica’

Madonna's album Ray of Light compact disk (CD) photo/illustration

Madonna has announced the release of her long-rumored album, ‘Veronica Electronica’, due out July 25th. Additionally, the fan-favorite deep cut “Skin (The Collaboration Remix Edit)” from Veronica Electronica is available now.

The project was originally envisioned by Madonna back in 1998 as an eight-track companion to ‘Ray Of Light’, her seventh studio album. Described as a ‘remix LP,’ Veronica Electronica was shelved following the success of Ray of Light, which hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and went on to sell over 16 million copies globally, in addition to winning four Grammy Awards – including best pop album. Ray of Light included the hit songs “Frozen,” the title track, “The Power of Good-Bye” and “Nothing Really Matters”.

Veronica Electronica will feature rare and unreleased remixes of the songs in the ‘Ray Of Light’ tracklist, including club versions from the late Peter Rauhofer, producer William Orbit, Sasha, BT, and Victor Calderone. It also features an original demo of ‘Gone, Gone, Gone’, a previously unreleased recording produced by Madonna and Rick Nowels.

The album will also be made available on a silver vinyl that includes an exclusive silver mylar lithograph. The latter comes as an extension of Madonna’s ‘Silver Collection’ – a series that sees her re-share parts of her catalogue as collectable, limited-edition vinyl reissues.

Pre-order Veronica Electronica: HERE.

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‘My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman’ renewed for Seasons 6 and 7 at Netflix

David Letterman arrives at the Statue Of Liberty Museum Opening Celebration at Battery Park New York^ NY - May 15^ 2019

Netflix announced that the talk show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman has been renewed for its sixth and seventh seasons. The talk show kicked off in 2018 — three years after Letterman retired from his 33-year tenure as a late-night talk show host across both “Late Night” on NBC and “Late Show” on CBS — with an episode featuring former President Barack Obama.

The streaming service said of that Season 6 is scheduled to arrive before the end of the year; however, did not give a specific premiere date or announce any upcoming guests.

“My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” has run for five seasons plus three specials thus far, totaling 27 episodes. Each episode features an in-depth interview between Letterman and a single subject, with episodes running between 40 minutes and an hour. The show also often features on-location segments in which Letterman travels to subjects’ homes or other locations important to them.

Other notable guests on “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” have included Barack Obama, Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jay-Z, Robert Downey Jr., Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dave Chappelle and Billie Eilish. In Season 5, which spanned between 2024 and 2025, Letterman spoke with Miley Cyrus, Charles Barkley and Caitlin Clark.

“My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” has been nominated for six Emmys. In 2024, the series won the award for hosted nonfiction special or series for its 2024 special that featured John Mulaney.

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Kendrick Lamar earns Emmy nominations for his 2025 Super Bowl halftime performance

Kendrick Lamar performs at Bonnaroo music festival. USA - 06-17-2023

Kendrick Lamar has earned four nominations at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards for his Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance earlier this year, produced by Roc Nation and Jesse Collins Entertainment.

Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez said in a statement: “These four nominations are a testament to the collaboration between all involved in making this performance a reality. Kendrick’s show truly became a cultural moment that elevated the halftime show to new heights. We’re so proud and thankful to Roger Goodell for his continued trust and partnership.”

The Grammy-winning artist’s performance is nominated in the following categories: Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Music Direction, and Outstanding Choreography (Variety/Reality). The rapper will compete with Beyoncé in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category for her halftime performance during the NFL Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game on Christmas Day 2024.

Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance featured appearances from SZA, Samuel L. Jackson, Mustard, and Serena Williams, and drew a record audience of 133.5 million viewers while featuring music from his sixth studio album, GNX.

The Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, will take place Sunday, Sept. 14, at 8/7c, and will be broadcast live on CBS from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Kendrick Lamar earns Emmy nominations for his 2025 Super Bowl halftime performance

Kendrick Lamar performs at Bonnaroo music festival. USA - 06-17-2023

Kendrick Lamar has earned four nominations at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards for his Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance earlier this year, produced by Roc Nation and Jesse Collins Entertainment.

Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez said in a statement: “These four nominations are a testament to the collaboration between all involved in making this performance a reality. Kendrick’s show truly became a cultural moment that elevated the halftime show to new heights. We’re so proud and thankful to Roger Goodell for his continued trust and partnership.”

The Grammy-winning artist’s performance is nominated in the following categories: Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Music Direction, and Outstanding Choreography (Variety/Reality). The rapper will compete with Beyoncé in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category for her halftime performance during the NFL Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game on Christmas Day 2024.

Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance featured appearances from SZA, Samuel L. Jackson, Mustard, and Serena Williams, and drew a record audience of 133.5 million viewers while featuring music from his sixth studio album, GNX.

The Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, will take place Sunday, Sept. 14, at 8/7c, and will be broadcast live on CBS from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Tomorrow X Together to drop ‘The Star Chapter: Together’ album; reveal world tour including U.S. dates

Tomorrow X Together" logo 'TXT'

Tomorrow X Together (TXT) will release their highly-anticipated fourth studio album, The Star Chapter: Together – the final installment of their “The Star Chapter” series – on July 21st.

The Star Chapter: Together marks the quintet’s first studio album since the release of The Name Chapter: Freefall in October 2023. The group shared the three-and-a-half minute album concept trailer (HERE) and also shared the logo reveal for The Star Chapter: TOGETHERHERE.

The eight-track album will feature the lead single “Beautiful Strangers,” as well as the songs “Upside Down Kiss,” “Ghost Girl,” “Sunday Driver,” “Dance With You” and “Take My Half.”

TXT also revealed on the global superfan platform Weverse that they  will embark on their fourth world tour Act: Tomorrow. The tour, said to embody the message of “moving forward together toward a promised tomorrow,” will kick-off in Seoul on August 22-23 at Gocheok Sky Dome and will be available for online live streaming on Weverse.

The group also later revealed the U.S. dates for their tour, which will kick-off the U.S. leg of Act: Tomorrow in San Jose on September 9th, followed by shows in Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium, Dallas, Rosemont, Atlanta, Washington D.C., before winding down with a two-night stand at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.   In total, the group will perform nine shows in seven U.S. cities.  Ticket info can be found via: TICKETMASTER.

Tickets for TXT’s ‘ACT : TOMORROW’ in Seoul go on sale for official fan club members on July 30; while tickets for the general public go on sale on August 1 at 8 PM KST. An online live streaming option will also be available on August 23 for fans.

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Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, and Riley Green to headline 2026 Gulf Coast Jam

Post Malone at Rock in Rio at the Olympic Park. Rio de Janeiro^ Rio de Janeiro^ Brazil - September 3^ 2022

The 13th Annual Gulf Coast Jam revealed their full 2026 lineup, featuring Chris Stapleton, Post Malone, Riley Green and Keith Urban as headliners across the four-day festival. Gulf Coast Jam 2026 will take place from May 28th-31st near Panama City Beach, Florida; taking place across Frank Brown Park’s spacious 22-acre field, located a mile from the beach.

A social post reads: 🚨FULL 2026 LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT🚨 ⚠THIS IS GONNA SELLOUT FAST⚠ Get your tickets now to see this insane lineup of these awesome artists!!! One of our BEST LINEUPS yet!!!
@postmalone
@chrisstapleton
@rileyduckman
@keithurban>
And MANY MORE…..”

Rendy Lovelady, Executive Producer of the Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam shares: “Our four headliners are some of the most high-profile, in-demand artists we’ve ever had in our lineup. I mean, Keith Urban was presented the Triple Crown Award, Chris Stapleton won Male Artist of the Year, Riley Green won Single of The Year, and Post Malone is one of the biggest artists in music, period. We’re beyond excited about 2026!”

COO Mark Sheldon added: “To have our full lineup in place and announced this early is testament to our Jammers giving us amazing feedback and to the incredible work our team puts in year after year to make this one of the top festivals in the country at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We love showing off our home, Panama City Beach!”

Tickets and payment plans available at: www.gulfcoastjam.com.

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See Sterling K. Brown in the trailer for new Hulu series ‘Washington Black’

LOS ANGELES - NOV 07: Sterling K. Brown arrives for the ‘Frozen II’ Premiere on November 07^ 2019 in Hollywood^ CA

Oscar nominee Sterling K. Brown will star in and executive producers the new limited Hulu series Washington Black, based on Esi Edugyan’s bestselling novel.

Hulu has released the first trailer for Washington Black, which follows the 19th-century odyssey of George Washington “Wash” Black, an eleven-year-old boy born on a Barbados sugar plantation, whose prodigious scientific mind sets him on a path of unexpected destiny. When a harrowing incident forces Wash to flee, he is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure that challenges and reshapes his understanding of family, freedom and love.As he navigates uncharted lands and impossible odds, Wash finds the courage to imagine a future beyond the confines of the society he was born into.

In the series, young Washington is played by Eddie Karanja and adult Washington – also known as “Wash” – is portrayed by Ernest Kingsley Jr. Tom Ellis portrays Christopher “Titch” Wilde, an explorer and ambitious engineer who first takes Washington under his wing and helps him escape.

All eight episodes will premiere on July 23 on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally’ see the trailer for Washington Black: HERE.

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