Jem Aswad Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Tracy Hurley Martin — co-founder and CEO of the Morbid Anatomy Museum, comedy booking agent, film producer and publicist for Prince, George Michael, Depeche Mode, the Cure and others — has died following a two-year battle with cancer, her brother in law Michael Pagnotta confirmed to Variety. She was 53. She is survived by her husband of 20 years, Depeche Mode/ Yaz/ Erasure cofounder Vince Clarke (pictured above with her in 2016); a son, Oscar; a niece, Isabelle Pagnotta; and her identical twin sister, author and screenwriter Tonya Hurley. Clarke’s Erasure bandmate Andy Bell posted a tribute to Martin on social media: “There are no words.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Taylor Swift made up 1.7% of the entire U.S. recorded-music market in 2023, according to the year-end report from Luminate, the industry data partner formerly known as SoundScan. The news does not come as a surprise after a year in which Swift staged a world-beating global tour and was seemingly ubiquitous in nearly every form of media — the report estimates one in 78 on-demand audio streams in the U.S.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye has donated to the Los Angeles based organization School on Wheels, which will support more than 1,000 students experiencing homelessness from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The artist has donated several million dollars to charitable organizations in recent years, including humanitarian efforts in Gaza, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Covid relief and more. According to the announcement, the mission of School on Wheels is to enhance educational opportunities for children who are the most disadvantaged in the city.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music FOMO is such a strong human emotion that it defies logic, especially when looking at photos or video from Studio 54 or a Beatles concert or Truman Capote’s Black-and-White Ball… or, as “Indie/Seen,” veteran photographer Piper Ferguson’s new photo book demonstrates, the indie-rock scene of the early ‘00s. LCD Soundsystem, Coachella 2016 (Photo: Piper Ferguson) It’s a time capsule of the era dominated by the Strokes, the Killers, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the White Stripes, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, the Rapture and many now-obscure acts from that scene, and even though the photos were taken 20-odd years ago, the artists are presented so vividly that it’s hard not to wish you were there.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music As streaming has returned the music industry to health over the past decade, with year after year of growth, people have not wanted to admit that, since the pandemic, that growth has slowed down significantly. While we saw double-digit revenue increases for several years in the latter half of the 2010s, the average number of subscriptions through the first six months of 2023 grew just 6% to 95.8 million , compared with a growth of 10% to 90 million for the first half of 2022, according to the RIAA.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Ariana Grande, who recently posted that she’s completed her long-awaited seventh studio album, announced on Sunday morning that the first single from it will arrive on Friday. The song is apparently titled “Yes, And?,” a playful progression from her Grande’s 2019 semi-autobiographical single and album, “Thank U, Next.” While the singer has been featured on several hit singles in recent years — most notably the Weeknd’s remixes of “Save Your Tears” and “Die for You” — she hasn’t released an album or even a single under her own name since her sixth full-length, “Positions,” dropped in October 2020.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music In what has become an annual tradition, in the closing days of each year, veteran artists quietly release bootleg-quality recordings in order to preserve their copyrights, owing to a not-entirely-clear European Union ruling stating that artists must “use or lose” (i.e. officially issue) sound recordings within 50 years of their creation.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Fat Joe, Jelly Roll and Wyclef Jean will team up with Power to the Patients for an event in Washington, D.C. on January 10 at Hamilton Live to advocate for a more affordable and equitable healthcare system through price transparency. With Congressional leaders and government officials in attendance, the artists “will shed light on the injustices created by a healthcare system that hides its prices, stifling competition and evading accountability for overcharges and price gouging,” according to the announcement.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music N.W.A, Laurie Anderson, Gladys Knight, Donna Summer, Tammy Wynette and the Clark Sisters will receive 2024 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Awards during this year’s Special Merit Awards ceremony, the Academy announced today. Also being honored are longtime Linda Ronstadt/ James Taylor producer/manager Peter Asher, hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc and veteran attorney (and longtime Academy executive) Joel Katz with Trustees Award recipients; Tom Kobayashi and Tom Scott with Technical Grammy Awards; and “Refugee,” written by K’naan, Steve McEwan, and Gerald Eaton (a.k.a.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Morrison Hotel Gallery is expanding its archive of rock n’ roll imagery into fine art photography: On January 13, the gallery will launch “The New Wave,” a collection of oceanic imagery inspired by and in association with HBO’s Emmy-winning documentary series “100 Foot Wave,” produced by Amplify Pictures, Library Films, and Topic Studios. Photo: Helio Antonio- Kai Lenny A combination of ocean and music-themed works, “The New Wave Collection” was curated by Morrison Hotel Gallery’s creative director Timothy White and showcases previously unreleased photographs by Tim McKenna, Fred Pompermayer, Helio Antonio, Laurent Masurel, Erik Aeder, and others.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Elton John and Brandi Carlile apparently have recorded a new album together, according to an interview with Elton’s longtime friend, the Who’s Pete Townshend, that was published by Clashmusic late last month. Speaking about Elton’s plans now that he’s retired from touring, Townshend said, “Elton is so fraught with loss at not knowing what to do next.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Les McCann, the legendary jazz pianist who has been sampled countless times and is perhaps best known for the protest song “Compared to What,” died Friday at a Los Angeles area hospital, his manager confirmed. No cause of death was announced, although he had been hospitalized last week after contracting pneumonia; he was 88. The news was first reported by NBC Bay Area.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Kesha has parted ways with both her label and management, a source close to the situation tells Variety. The news comes six months after the singer settled multiple lawsuits with her former producer and label owner Dr. Luke, which stretched over nearly 10 years but were settled out of court in June.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music A gold or platinum record doesn’t just happen: Even if an album, single or EP passes 500,000 (gold) or 1,000,000 (platinum) sales or their streaming-age equivalent, it must be certified by the Recording Industry Association of America, which is a whole process that involves submissions and research and certification and other bureaucratic official-ness. It’s something most commonly associated with chart-topping acts, but as years and sales and streams accumulate, some unexpected artists and albums pass that threshold… including an album and a group that were hardly met with open arms by the record industry establishment when they debuted in 1979: the influential and controversial San Francisco-based punk quartet the Dead Kennedys and their debut album, “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables,” which was certified gold by the RIAA on Friday, some 43-plus years after its October 1980 release.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Jack Harlow, Range Media Productions and Media.Monks, in partnership with Meta, are producing an immersive VR concert and behind-the-scenes VR documentary called “Jack Harlow No Place Like Home: A VR Concert.” The show takes a behind-the-curtain look at his record-breaking, sold-out third annual “No Place Like Home: The Kentucky Tour” in his home state, leading up to the finale concert in Lexington. Tune-in exclusively in Meta’s Horizon Worlds with a Meta Quest VR headset. Jack Harlow No Place Like Home: A VR Concert will premiere in VR on Thursday, January 4 at 5 p.m.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The last “Saturday Night Live” of the year is always a special occasion, and 2023 was no exception: Billie Eilish performed the television debut of “What Was I Made For?,” written and recorded for Greta Gerwig’s summer blockbuster “Barbie.” Eilish was accompanied by her brother/ collaborator Finneas and jazz bassist Christian McBride, as well as a six-piece string ensemble. “What Was I Made For?” was introduced by Gerwig who appeared on stage alongside this week’s host (and “Barbie” costar) Kate McKinnon in a joyful embrace.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Variety Hitmaker of the Year SZA, Karol G and Peso Pluma are among the big honorees in the Recording Industry Association of America’s year-end tally and its “Class of 2023,” recognizing the top albums, singles and first-timers who earned their first Gold & Platinum certifications in 2023. Highlights include: SZA has the most certifications with 15 titles, including the Top Album with 3x Platinum SOS and Top Single with 5x Platinum “Kill Bill” Peso Pluma scored the highest album certification for a first-time artist with his Platinum collection, “Génesis” Karol G scored the top Latin album with 5x “Platino Mañana Será Bonito,” while Carin Leon & Grupo Frontera’s collaboration “Que Vuelvas” is the top Latin single.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music As expected, Ariana Grande has signed with Brandon Creed and his new Good World Management firm, sources close to the situation confirm to Variety. The news comes four months after sources confirmed that the singer had parted ways with longtime manager Scooter Braun who, apart from a period of several months in 2017, had managed her since the release of her debut album a decade ago.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Singer-songwriter Enrique Iglesias and music rights platform Influence Media Partners have announced a new major partnership deal spanning his professional career along with name, image, and likeness rights to expand future licensing opportunities. Bloomberg reports that the deal, which is the first NIL deal for Influence Media, was for nine figures; reps declined comment on the financials. “My songs hold immense significance for both my fans and me.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Denny Laine, the British singer-guitarist best known for his work with Paul McCartney & Wings and the Moody Blues, has died after a long battle with interstitial lung disease, according to a social media post from his wife. He was 79.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music If there is a bible for the music industry, it’s Donald Passman’s book, “All You Need to Know About the Music Business.” Since the first edition came out more than 30 years ago, it has guided countless musicians and executives, and has prevented many of them from making decisions they’d later regret. Considering the deep detail Passman gets into about contracts, royalties and other complicated business arrangements, his tone is remarkably conversational, and he makes sure readers don’t miss the important stuff: The section on business managers begins with him saying “Listen to me!!!” in italics with several exclamation marks.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music While it includes some of the most iconic Christmas songs of the past 60 years — most notably Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) — if there was ever an album with a problematic history, it’s “A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector.” Spector was the hottest producer in the world at the time of the album’s release, but it dropped on Nov. 22, 1963 — yes, the day President John F.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye will direct $2.5 million toward emergency humanitarian efforts in Gaza, which equates to 4 million emergency meals that could feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks, according to the announcement. Tesfaye, a United Nations World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador, will contribute the money from his XO Humanitarian Fund. Since the Israel-Hamas violence launched on Oct.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Billie Eilish and her brother and collaborator Finneas O’Connell have received Grammys, an Oscar and just about every award and honor and tribute and kudo young recording artists can imagine in the six years since her debut EP in 2017, but even they can still be awed by a tribute from a respected influence. That happened at Variety’s Hitmakers celebration in Los Angeles on Saturday, when Elton John’s lyricist of 56 years, Bernie Taupin — who has written the lyrics for everything from “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” to “Bennie and the Jets” and “Candle in the Wind” — paid tribute to their songwriting partnership when rewarding them with the Film Song of the Year honor for “What Was I Made For?,” their song from the summer blockbuster film “Barbie.” Before an audience that included Boygenius, Joan Baez, Olivia Rodrigo, Victoria Monet and many others (SZA hadn’t arrived yet), the following exchange took place: Taupin’s tribute and Eilish’s response (Finneas just said “Thanks guys!”) follows in full.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Taylor Swift will earn more than $100 million from Spotify in 2023, according to calculations based on her leading number of streams for the year posted by the streaming giant in its year-end “Wrapped” tally. Based on the 26.1 billion streams she has accumulated since the beginning of the year, and using an average of $0.0035 cents per stream (an inexact calculation, but close enough to speculate), she would have earned around $104 million through November alone (“Wrapped” cut off late last month).

SZA spoke to Variety for a new cover story published on Thursday and talk turned to the music she likes to listen to. SZA reeled off an eclectic list of her favorite artists, naming everyone from Stevie Wonder to King Krule via Fever Ray.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music How does a six-year-old song become a hit? In 2023, of course the short answer is TikTok, but it takes a lot more than that to make a song into a genuine hit single — let alone take the longest climb to No. 1 for a non-holiday song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. That’s the story of the Weeknd’s “Die for You” — No.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music A Nashville judge has temporarily blocked John Oates’ proposed sale of his share of the Hall & Oates business partnership to Primary Wave until a private arbitrator hears the case, according to a Billboard report on Thursday. The move is the latest in the ongoing, rather mysterious legal battle between the estranged longtime musical partners.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music It’s obvious from SZA’s music that she has a wide range of influences, from classic R&B to Joni Mitchell, jazz to pop-punk and beyond. But just how far those influences range becomes dramatically clear when she talks about the music in her house and at school growing up, and best of all, when starts looking at the playlists in her phone. For much more from this remarkable interview, see our “SZA: Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year” article. What kinds of music were playing in your house when you were growing up? My mom has a lot of church music; my dad has a lot of jazz and abstract music; my sister plays a lot of melodic hip-hop and rap. And I love classical music, I love jazz, I love music with color.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Whether it’s a soundtrack, a score or a song placement, there are countless wrong ways to do music for film and so few ways to make it feel right. There’s very little leeway, which is why it can be so challenging for even the most successful hitmakers to make the transition to film music — especially with a major film event like “Barbie.” To say that the music for the summer blockbuster has been a success is a vast understatement: Not only is the film’s companion album Variety’s Hitmakers Soundtrack of the Year, the music from the film scored a whopping 11 Grammy nominations across seven categories — including song and record of the year — and four of the five entries nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media.