Two days before Post Malone released “F-1 Trillion,” his sixth studio album and his first country record, he made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry. A starry-eyed Brad Paisley introduced him, celebrating Malone for his incredible career accomplishments and “country heart.” When Malone took the stage, beer in hand, he was gracious and grateful … Read more
NEW YORK — Maurice Williams, a rhythm and blues singer and composer who with his backing group the Zodiacs became one of music’s great one-shot acts with the classic ballad “Stay,” has died. He was 86. Williams died Aug. 6, according to an announcement from the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, which did not … Read more
In the 1980s and ’90s, Ron Spitzer played bass and drums in rock bands — Tot Rocket and the Twins, Western Eyes and Band of Susans. He sang and wrote songs, toured the country and recorded albums. When the bands broke up, he continued to make music with friends. But a stroke in 2009 put … Read more
BAYREUTH, Germany — Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson’s phone rang in his Icelandic highlands cabin back in January 2022. Katharina Wagner, the Bayreuth festival director and great-granddaughter of composer Richard Wagner, wanted to get in touch. She invited Arnarsson to create a new production of “Tristan und Isolde” to open the 2024 festival. He listened to Carlos … Read more
MEXICO CITY — In singer-songwriter Ivan Cornejo’s world, regional Mexican music can have pop, ballads and also a bit of melancholic lyrics. His most recent and third studio album, “Mirada,” is a mixture of styles, without neglecting his interest in modern corridos and sad sierreño. Cornejo, 20, is originally from California. His maternal grandfather played … Read more
ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter will be honored next month, ahead of his 100th birthday, with a musical gala at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, The Carter Center announced Thursday. The Sept. 17 event — “Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song” — will feature musicians from a range of genres and celebrity guests. … Read more
NEW YORK — Some years ago, when Sonya Balsara and Adi Roy were in middle school, they were cast in kiddie versions of the musical “Aladdin.” Little did they know it would be very good preparation — for the same roles on Broadway. More than a decade after hitting their marks in the show as … Read more
LOS ANGELES — If you listen to Chrystabell & David Lynch’s new album, there’s a good chance that it will make you dream. Not that “Cellophane Memories,” the latest collaboration between the auteur and his “Twin Peaks: The Return” co-star will put you to sleep — although its moody, ethereal sound might help you chill … Read more
SAN DIEGO — SAN DIEGO (AP) — Comic-Con International, the comic book and pop culture extravaganza, is kicking off in San Diego. The convention, which draws over 130,000 fans annually, opens for a preview night Wednesday and runs through Sunday. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hollywood strikes disrupting past years of the convention either … Read more
Ten years ago, “Weird Al” Yankovic made history, as he is wont to do. “Mandatory Fun,” his 14th and final studio album, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was not only unprecedented for Yankovic, but unprecedented for his genre as a whole: Never before had a comedy album reached the top spot. And … Read more
