Month: September 2024

In the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Patti Scialfa- musician and wife of Springsteen – revealed that she was diagnosed with early stage multiple myeloma in 2018. Scialfa has been noticeably absent from much of the E Street Band’s latest tour.

Scialfa, 71, shared in the documentary (which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday night) that she is doing well, but the disease impacts her immune system. “I have to be careful where I go and what I do,” shared Scialfa. “That’s my new normal right now.” Scialfa added that her presence during the 2023-2024 tour with Springsteen was diminished due to her illness (via People): “every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs onstage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that impacts plasma cells, which are type of white blood cell found in the bone marrow. Plasma cells help the body fight infections by producing antibodies. In myeloma, abnormal plasma cells multiply uncontrollably and crowd out normal blood cells, interfering with the production of healthy blood cells and antibodies. This can lead to weakened bones, kidney problems, anemia, and a weakened immune system.

Scialfa joined the E Street Band in 1984 as a back-up vocalist shortly before the start of the Born in the USA tour. She and Springsteen began dating in the late 1980s before they were married in 1991. Scialfa took off eleven years off to focus on their family and raising their children before returning to touring with the E Street Band in 2004.

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will debut Oct. 25 on Hulu.

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Elton John said he is on the road to recovery after a severe eye infection left him with limited vision.

Elton shared in a message on social media that he had “been dealing with a severe eye infection” over the summer, leaving him with “only limited vision in one eye.”  Elton expressed his gratitude towards the ‘excellent team of doctors and nurses who have taken such good care of [him] over the last several weeks,’ adding: “I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye. I have been quietly spending the summer recuperating at home and am feeling positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery thus far.” John also underwent knee replacement surgery in January, with his husband David Furnish telling The Sun back in March that John was “doing amazing,” with surgery scheduled for his other knee that same month.

John’s announcement came just before his appearance at the premiere of the “Elton John: Never Too Late” documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival. Never Too Late is said to feature “never-before-seen concert footage” of John over his 50-year career, as well as “hand-written journals and present-day footage of him and his family.”

Elton had also recently announced that the documentary is slated to premiere on Dec. 13 on Disney+, writing on Instagram: “Very excited to share the first look at the key art for Elton John: Never Too Late! This documentary is such a special journey through the memories, music, and moments that have shaped my life. Mark your calendars for 13 December when it lands on @disneyplus ”

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Kendrick Lamar will headline the NFL’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show, set to take place at The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9, airing on Fox.  The NFL posted on its social media: @kendricklamar. #AppleMusicHalftime. NOLA. 2.9.2025. #SBLIX @applemusic @rocnation @nflonfox”

The Grammy-winning rapper captioned a video clip of himself on social media “Super Bowl LIX. New Orleans. February 2025. #AppleMusicHalftime”. In the clip, Lamar – on an Astroturf field with a large American flag as backdrop – shares: “What it doing everybody? My name’s Kendrick Lamar and I’ll be performing at Super Bowl 59. Will you be pulling up? I hope so. You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos. Let’s get it, boom!  I wouldn’t want you to miss it. Meet me in New Orleans February 9, 2025. Wear your best dress, too, even if you’re watching from home. Let’s go! Now we can get to it for real!”

Lamar, 37, said in a statement following the announcement: “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”  Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter added: “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”

Seth Dudowsky, head of music at the NFL, said in a statement: “Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar. Time and time again, Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop. We’re excited to collaborate with Kendrick, Roc Nation, and Apple Music to deliver another unforgettable Halftime Show.”

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FX announced that Ryan Murphy‘s new 10-episode horror/drama series “Grotesquerie” will premiere Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. on FX. Grotesquerie is written and created by Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken; the series centers on “a series of heinous crimes” in a small community, with detective Lois Tryon (Niecy Nash-Betts), feeling the crimes “are eerily personal, as if someone — or something — is taunting her.”

Per a show synopsis, Lois (Nash-Betts) is struggling at home with “a strained relationship with her daughter, a husband in long-term hospital care and her own inner demons,” and teams up with Sister Megan (Micaela Diamond), a nun and journalist with the Catholic Guardian:  “Sister Megan, with her own difficult past, has seen the worst in humanity, yet she still believes in its capacity for good. Lois, on the other hand, fears the world is succumbing to evil. As Lois and Sister Megan string together clues, they find themselves ensnared in a sinister web that only seems to raise more questions than answers.”

“Grotesquerie” stars Niecy Nash-Betts as Detective Lois Tryon, Courtney B. Vance as Marshall Tryon, Lesley Manville as Nurse Redd, Micaela Diamond as Sister Megan, Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Father Charlie, Raven Goodwin as Merritt Tryon and NFL star Travis Kelce in an undisclosed role.

FX first shared a teaser for the series (seen here) and later released the official trailer, with Kelce saying in the introduction: “Check out the trailer for FX’s Grotesquerie. That’s right. You might see some familiar faces.”

Grotesquerie premieres Sept. 25 on FX at 10 p.m. EDT and will stream on Hulu the next day, Sept. 26.

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Sony Pictures released the promo for director J.C. Chandor‘s feature film ‘Kraven the Hunter,’ starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott and Russell Crowe. Kraven the Hunter centers on the Spider-Man villain who debuted in the comics in 1964.

The film follows Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff, who is left for dead by his hunter father (Crowe) after a lion attack. The animal’s bite then appears to give superpowers to Sergei, who becomes known as Kraven the Hunter and uses violence to protect the animal kingdom.

The trailer for the film opens with a panorama of a snowy landscape, and a man’s voice saying, “My son, we are hunters, the greatest the world has ever known.”  The voice belongs to Kraven’s father, Nikolai Karvinoff (Crowe), and it echoes throughout clip.

Kraven the Hunter premieres Dec. 13; take a look at the trailer: HERE.

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