Terry Tolkin, Veteran A&R Exec for Elektra Records and Others, Dies at 62

Betty Davis, a soul and funk singer of the 1960s whose growling, raspy vocal style and unapologetically explicit lyrics would influence future performers from Prince and Erykah Badu to Outkast, died today of natural causes at her home in Homestead, Pennsylvania. She was 77.

Island Of Love – you can hear the four-piece’s new single ‘Songs Of Love’ below.The Jack White-owned label expanded their operations to London last summer and opened a record store in Soho in September.Third Man London have announced this afternoon (February 9) that their first signing is the London band Island Of Love.The quartet will release the ‘Songs Of Love’ EP via Third Man on March 18 digitally, with a physical release – a limited edition 7″ – set to follow on July 1. Pre-order is available now from here.You can hear the EP’s title track below.Third Man co-founder Ben Swank, who is said to have offered Island Of Love a deal 30 seconds after they got off stage following a gig at Third Man London, said in a statement: “I grew up a working class kid in Ohio, coming of age in the early 90s… did Island Of Love’s songs immediately strike a note of familiarity to the heart strings of this former teenaged lo-fi obsessed anglophile? Yes they did.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVeteran executive LaTrice Burnette, who was named president of the relaunched 4th & Broadway Records in 2020 — has been appointed executive VP of Def Jam Recordings while retaining her post at 4th & Broadway, new Def Jam chairman & CEO Tunji Balogun announced Tuesday.The 4th & Broadway roster — which, along with Burnette, was formerly with sister Universal label Island Records — includes Young Devyn, Lil Migo, Pap Chanel, Chiiild, and Kidd Kenn; the label’s core staff will move over to Def Jam as well. Burnette will remain based in New York and will report directly to Balogun.“LaTrice is a proven leader, a consummate professional, and someone who’s work and reputation I’ve admired for a long time,” said Balogun.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorChris Huvane, a partner and manager at Hollywood firm Management 360 and former magazine editor and PR executive, died Sunday night. He was 47.The cause was an apparent suicide, according to Deadline.

Julian Fowles, a longtime film and television producer for broadcasting station KCET and Esparza/Katz Productions, died in Miami, Florida on Saturday while recovering from a stroke. He was 76 years old.

Robin Herman, who broke a significant barrier when she became one of the first female journalists to gain access to players in National Hockey League locker rooms, has died. She was 70 and died Tuesday at home in Waltham, Mass. from ovarian cancer, according to her husband.

Warner Records UK has signed Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock to a solo record deal. This follows the group’s announcement that they are “taking a break” in December.Pinnock’s first solo material emerged just before Little Mix announced their hiatus, as part of the film ‘Boxing Day’, in which she played a pop star.

Tuesday night’s Botched was a big first for the show. Even casual fans of the show know all people bring in is horror stories of their mistreatments and maimings. It’s all shocking stuff.

The Walking Dead spin-off Tales Of The Walking Dead.As revealed via Deadline, Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Parker Posey (Lost In Space), Anthony Edwards (Inventing Anna), Poppy Liu (Hacks) and Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street) have been revealed as the first cast members for the anthology series.Deborah Kampmeier (Star Trek: Picard), Tara Nicole Weyr (The Wilds) and Haifaa al-Mansour (Motherland) will each direct one episode, while The Walking Dead producer Michael Satrazemis will helm the remaining three episodes of the season.Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of The Walking Dead franchise, said: “Anthony, Jillian, Terry, Parker and Poppy are the first wave of singular talents who will further expand The Walking Dead Universe into harrowing, hilarious, heartfelt, and horrifying new realms and we couldn’t be happier to welcome them to the family, along with these terrific directors.

Congratulations are in order for Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock, who's signed a solo deal with Warner Records.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Tales of the Walking Dead” anthology series at AMC has added its first five cast members.Terry Crews (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Poppy Liu (“Hacks”), Parker Posey (“Lost in Space”), Anthony Edwards (“Inventing Anna”), and Jillian Bell (“Rough Night”) have all joined the episodic anthology, which will consist of six standalone stories featuring both new and established characters from “The Walking Dead” universe. Details on the characters the five will play are being kept under wraps.“We’ve worked hard to create unique, interesting and unexpected characters for both old and new TWD fans, and I’m thrilled that these are the actors who will bring them to life. I can’t wait for you to see the depth, drama, terror and, yes, humor they bring to the screen,” said series showrunner Channing Powell.

The initial cast has been announced for Tales of the Walking Dead, AMC’s new spinoff series set in The Walking Dead universe. Anthony Edwards (Inventing Anna, WeCrashed), Parker Posey (Lost In Space), Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Poppy Liu (Dead Ringers) and Jillian Bell (Rough Night) have been tapped to star in the AMC Studios-produced episodic anthology series.

John and his wife Toni Terry have given a glimpse inside their relaxing romanic getaway to members' club Soho Farmhouse. The 41 year old former England footballer and his wife Toni, who recently jetted to Switzerland for a skiing holiday, looked every inch the happy couple as they enjoyed a getaway to the luxurious Soho Farmhouse in Chipping Norton which is set in 100 acres of Oxfordshire countryside. John, 41, who married Toni in 2007 and shares children Summer Rose and Georgie John, both 15, shared a sneak peek inside the getaway with his 6.4 million Instagram followers.

Meek Mill has aired a number of grievances against his label Atlantic Records, saying they were delaying the release of his new music against his wishes.He said he was “blackballed” by the label during the release of his last album ‘Expensive Pain’ and accused them of “outsmarting young black kids taking advantage and calling it business.”Meek also said that Atlantic cut him out of managing Roddy Ricch while he was in jail after he introduced the label to the rapper, saying it was the “same thing” that had happened with him and Rick Ross years earlier. NME has reached out to Atlantic Records for a response.“So look I made Atlantic records 100’s of millions and let them rape me out out [sic] Roddy a artist they came to me about in jail,” Meek wrote.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIsland Records has named Mike Alexander general manager, it was announced by new label co-CEOs Imran Majid and Justin Eshak. Alexander will continue to be based in New York and report jointly to Majid and Eshak.A nearly two-decade veteran of Island’s parent company Universal Music Group, Alexander has for the past year been an executive VP at Island, overseeing the operations for the label including releases by Shawn Mendes, the Killers, Demi Lovato and others. He previously served as executive vice president of international for UMG, a position that jointly encompassed Island Records, Def Jam Recordings and Republic Records.

Even though she’s grown up in the spotlight, the world will finally get to know Janet Jackson through her A&E/Lifetime documentary project, Janet. The first two installments air Friday (Jan. 28) and cover her life as the younger sister of the Jackson 5 to when she broke out on her own with 1986’s Control and 1989’s Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, per Billboard. Janet’s success on those two landmarks albums is due in no small part to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Ethan Shanfeld Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and producer Astn, who went viral on TikTok for his R&B remix of Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” has signed with Warner Records.The R&B breakout star, whose real name is Austin Sanders, dropped his debut EP as Astn, “Tell Your Friends,” in 2017. Today marks the release of his first song with Warner, titled “Gradually.”“The song poses the question: Is it more agonizing to see someone you love vanish from your life all of the sudden, or slowly detach from you over time?” Astn said in a statement.

Morgan Stevens, who played numerous roles on television before a tragic confrontation with police derailed his career, was discovered dead at age 70 in his home today as part of a police wellness check. No information on the cause of death was released by police.