Jason Aldean’s Highway Desperado tour coming to PittsburghVideo
Country singer Jason Aldean is bringing his Highway Desperado tour to the Pittsburgh area next year. Aldean, whose new album “Highway Desperado” was released Nov. 3, will play the Pavilion at Star Lake on Aug. 10. He’ll be joined by Lauren Alaina, Chase Matthew, Austin Snell and Dee Jay Silver....
Puppet-inspired music video earns international acclaim for Greensburg’s Derek Woods BandVideo
Members of the Derek Woods Band have had to pull some strings over the years while building their reputation as a group, working to establish themselves and gain a fan base beyond western Pennsylvania. The band has performed nationally but embarked on its first coast-to-coast U.S. tour in 2023, a...
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of sexual abuse by 2 more women
NEW YORK — Two more women have come forward to accuse Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual abuse, one week after the music mogul settled a separate lawsuit with the singer Cassie that contained allegations of rape and physical abuse. Both of the new suits were filed Thursday on the eve...
Holiday songs you may not have heard a million times alreadyVideo
The stout-hearted among us can usually hold off until Thanksgiving, but once the turkey has been digested, there’s no keeping the Christmas music away. A new study used Google search results to determine the 100 most popular Christmas songs in the U.S. — and the top three in each state....
Daryl Hall is suing John Oates. Is the Philly-born pop and R&B duo ‘Out of Touch’?
PHILADELPHIA — Daryl Hall is suing John Oates. The pop and R&B duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970 has forged one of the most successful alliances in musical history. In their heyday — between 1974 and 1991 — the partners scored 29 Top 40 hits and six that reached number...
Bush’s Gavin Rossdale on greatest hits album, ‘Glycerine’ and new musicVideo
A career retrospective album didn’t sound that appealing to Gavin Rossdale, the singer and rhythm guitarist for venerable British rockers Bush. “I really didn’t want to have that, because the greatest hits can be seen — it used to be seen for me — as a ‘See you later, I’m...
Public Enemy, R.E.M., Blondie, Heart and Tracy Chapman get nods for Songwriters Hall of Fame
NEW YORK — Everything from rap to yacht rock, country and alt-rock are represented among the nominees for the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame, with nods for Public Enemy, Steely Dan, Bryan Adams, George Clinton, Tracy Chapman, R.E.M., Blondie, Heart and The Doobie Brothers. The ballot also includes “Footloose” singer-songwriter...
Taylor Swift’s Rio tour marred by deaths, muggings and a dangerous heat wave
RIO DE JANEIRO — The deaths of two people, muggings and a dangerous heat wave left legions of Taylor Swift’s Brazilian fans angry and disappointed in the three-day Rio de Janeiro leg of the pop superstar’s Eras Tour, which concludes Monday night. Gabriel Mongenot Santana Milhomem Santos, 25, a fan...
Review: Rock Orchestra pulls off marriage of rock, classical music in Pittsburgh showVideo
It’s been more than 40 years since the likes of AC/DC or Motörhead played the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh. But their songs — albeit in vastly reimagined versions — found new life Monday night at the Benedum Center (formerly known as the Stanley Theatre). In around 90 minutes, a show...
Fan at Taylor Swift concert dies amid Rio De Janeiro’s record heat wave
A fan died at Taylor Swift’s Rio de Janeiro concert Friday night, during a record-breaking heat wave. Ana Clara Benevides, a 23-year-old psychology student, fainted in the front row of the concert and was given 40 minutes of CPR on-site before being taken to the hospital, where she died, her...
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and singer Cassie settle lawsuit alleging abuse 1 day after it was filed
NEW YORK — A lawsuit by singer Cassie containing allegations of beatings and abuse by music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs has been settled, the artists announced Friday, one day after the lawsuit was filed. The settlement was announced in a statement sent by attorney Douglas Wigdor, who represents Cassie, whose...
George Brown, drummer and co-founder of Kool & The Gang, dead at 74Video
NEW YORK — George “Funky” Brown, the co-founder and longtime drummer of Kool & The Gang who helped write such hits as “Too Hot,” “Ladies Night,” “Joanna” and the party favorite “Celebration,” died Thursday in Los Angeles at age 74. Brown died after a battle with cancer, according to a...
Marijuana master Snoop Dogg announces he’s giving up smoking
Pot proponent Snoop Dogg is seemingly dropping his obsessive weed habit. The 16-time Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, announced on Thursday that he’s giving up smoking. “After much consideration & conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this...
Billy Porter hits the dance floor on his 5th album with the goal of ‘trying to heal people’Video
NEW YORK — Billy Porter is strutting off in an entirely new sonic direction on his fifth album. The Broadway, runway and TV star has pivoted to dance music. “I’m a new artist. There’s a transformation that has happened,” the Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy-winner tells The Associated Press. “I’ve been...
John Dyer Baizley of Baroness on creating ‘Stone’ album, artwork and glockenspielVideo
For a band that’s been around for 20 years, Baroness is finally experiencing some lineup stability. Their latest release “Stone,” which came out in September, is the first time in the metal band’s history that the same four members created a second album together. That chemistry allowed the band to...
Conservative Muslims in Indonesia protest Coldplay concert over the band’s LGBTQ+ support
JAKARTA, Indonesia — More than 200 conservative Muslims marched in Indonesia’s capital on Wednesday, calling for the cancellation of a Coldplay concert that night over the British band’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. The protesters, marching about half a mile away from the concert venue in Jakarta where the band...
Pink will give 2,000 banned books to Florida fans, says she’s ‘unwilling to stand by’
Pink wants her fans to read banned books. The Grammy winner announced this week that she intended to give away 2,000 banned books during the Florida leg of her tour. “Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that’s why I am...
Book Review: Rock ‘n’ roller and Rush pioneer Geddy Lee goes deep in his memoir, ‘My Effin’ Life’
Geddy Lee is a rock star, that’s undeniable. But he’s also a polite Canadian to the core. So it’s fitting that the Rush icon picked a not-too-bawdy title for his memoir. “My Effin’ Life” is an engrossing tale of a “classic underachiever” who became a Rock & Roll Hall of...
Bryan Adams returning to Pittsburgh with So Happy It Hurts tourVideo
Chart-topping Canadian singer/songwriter Bryan Adams is bringing his So Happy It Hurts to Pittsburgh next year. Adams, who ruled radio in the 1980s and 1990s with songs like “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Heaven” and “All for Love” among others, will play PPG...
Drake adds 2nd night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh next yearVideo
Drake’s It’s All a Blur — Big as the What? tour is coming to Pittsburgh next year, with a second show added Friday. The Grammy Award-winning singer/rapper will play Feb. 16 and 17 at PPG Paints Arena, with J. Cole opening the show. Drake, who’s known for songs like “Hotline...
Donnie Iris ‘doing great,’ set to return to Pittsburgh stage in 2024Video
Donnie Iris is returning to the stage for his first Pittsburgh concert in more than a year. The veteran Pittsburgh rock band Donnie Iris & the Cruisers will play UPMC Events Center on March 16. The Vindys will be a special guest with more bands to be announced. Iris celebrated...
Move over Thanksgiving, Christmas music is here
Face it: Once the last kid leaves your porch with Halloween candy, it’s Christmas season. Oh, you can try to cover yourself in all things Thanksgiving until after turkey day. But we all know the truth. And streaming music stations know it too. They’re already playing it. SiriusXM officially launched...
SZA leads 2024 Grammy nominations as women outpace men in leading categories
LOS ANGELES — Killing her ex? That’s a bad idea. Writing “Kill Bill” and releasing her critically acclaimed sophomore album “SOS” earlier this year? That was a great one. SZA is the lead contender for the 66th Grammy Awards, with nine nominations announced Friday. “Kill Bill,” her revenge anthem cloaked...
2024 Grammy nomination snubs and surprises: No K-pop, little country and regional Mexican music
LOS ANGELES — With new categories, SZA, and “Barbie” — there’s a lot to discuss regarding the 2024 Grammy Award nominations. Who didn’t make the cut? What were the best surprises of all? Let’s take a look. New blood? There’s a lot to love about the nominations for the 66th...
’90s-era Pittsburgh ska outfit Skankin’ Homer to play rare reunion show on Saturday
Brian Seese returned to his native Pittsburgh in 1996 after two years in Las Vegas with a bug on his mind. “I wanted to start a ska band,” said Seese, now 48, a utility company worker and father of two who’s planning to move from Butler County to Bellevue. “I...
