Funk Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis may soon by the topic of a biopic.According to reports from Deadline Hollywood, Universal Pictures has optioned Kiedis’ 2004 autobiography, ‘Scar Tissue’. According to Deadline‘s report, the film is currently in the early development stages at the studio, and will see Kiedis as a producer, alongside Brian Grazer through Imagine Entertainment and Guy Oseary.A tentative release date for the film has yet to be announced, nor has its director and cast.Kiedis’ ‘Scar Tissue’ chronicles his relationship with his father, their addiction to drugs, the death of founding Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak of a heroin overdose, how he and Flea kept the band alive and more.Universal Pictures, per Deadline Hollywood, is promising that its silver screen adaptation of Kiedis’ memoir that will be “a shockingly candid portrait of an artist, addict, and ringleader”.Kiedis has been candid about his regrets in writing the memoir, telling The Sun in 2016: “I did regret the book for a while as there was some pain caused.

Chromeo have announced a world tour across the UK, Europe and the US in 2024 – find all the details below.The Canadian electro-funk duo will kick off the first phase of their ‘Adult Contemporary’ world tour – in support of their forthcoming new album of the same name – in Europe and the UK this May, before heading to North America for a lengthy run across September and October.The dates will kick off at Vega in Copenhagen on May 28, and will be followed by stops in Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin and more ahead of the UK leg, which begins at Project House in Leeds on June 9. They’ll also play in cities including Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol and London.From there, they have one North American date on planned for June 21 at the Pepsi Center WTC in Mexico City, before transitioning into their autumn ‘Chrome Nights’ co-headline tour with The Midnight.

Jungle have announced a one-off headlining show at London’s O2 Arena which will take place later this year.The London duo – comprised of Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson – will be taking over the famous arena on Thursday, September 12 in support of their fourth LP ‘Volcano‘. Tickets for the show will go on sale on Friday, February 2 10am local time.

Stevie Wonder and Meat Loaf, along with also founding the duo Milli Vanilli – who were hit by scandal in 1989 when it emerged that they lip synced their songs.From https://t.co/ayzUSreenw ® we are sad to announce the death of the creator and producer of Boney M., Frank Farian.According to family reports, Frank passed away peacefully in his apartment in Miami, Florida.#RIP Frank Farian pic.twitter.com/eODfxk8mNw— BoneyM.es® (@BoneyM_es) January 23, 2024While a cause of death has not been revealed, Farian had reportedly experienced ill health in recent years. He underwent heart surgery in 2022 and had a pig heart valve inserted.He told German tabloid Bild in a translated statement: “My heart valve works wonderfully.

Faith Fanzine on X/Twitter today (December 18), with various other news sources reporting that the artist passed away overnight.“Faith are saddened to hear that Amp Fiddler has passed away. The king of the new era of Detroit Soul. RIP,” the zine wrote.“Our thoughts are with his family friends and all the musicians and producers who knew him.”Faith are saddened to hear that Amp Fiddler has passed away.

Kool & the Gang’s drummer and founding member George “Funky” Brown had died, aged 74.A representative for Kool & the Gang issued a statement to TMZ announcing the news yesterday (November 18) and revealing that Brown died on November 16 following a long battle with cancer. Brown was reportedly diagnosed with lung cancer three years ago.The statement read: “George Brown died November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer.

TMZ that he was hospitalised in mid-October after his blood sugar was at a “scary level” due to his diabetes.While receiving dialysis in the hospital, Blout suffered a stroke and went into cardiac arrest. He’d been hospitalised ever since.A family member confirmed the news of C-Knight’s death to TMZ after he was left in an unresponsive state from the stroke and cardiac arrest.Blout was a founding member of the Long Beach, California-based hip-hop trio The Dove Shack along with rappers Bo-Roc and 2Scoops.The Dove Shack are synonymous with the West Coast G-funk movement of the ’90s and are best known for their 1995 hit ‘Summertime In The LBC’.Bo-Roc had commented on C-Knight’s health problems in a social media post last month, saying that he was praying for “one of my closest friends in the world”.The rapper has since posted to Instagram, writing that his bandmate’s death is a “nightmare”.“This is like fucking nightmare I swear this shit hurt different and I don’t want to talk about shit to nobody so please just let me be and pray for us… On my soul I love you bro and I already don’t know what the fuck to do wit u being gone…,” he wrote.The Dove Shack released two albums, 1995’s ‘This Is The Shack’ and 2006’s ‘Reality Has Got Me Tied Up’.

Nile Rodgers & Chic have announced a UK tour for summer 2023 with special guest Sophie Ellis-Bextor – find all the details below and purchase tickets here.Rodgers and his band will be performing five shows across the UK next year starting at The Piece Hall in Halifax in June 16.From there they will play Southampton Summer Sessions on June 23rd, followed by Bedford Summer Sessions on July 7, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod on July 11, and Dreamland Margate July 13.“Thrilled to announce we’re bringing the ‘Good Times’ back across England and Wales in 2024!” Rodgers shared in a social post today (October 23). “Mark your calendars because we’re gonna light up the night, celebrate life, and dance like there’s no tomorrow.”Alongside Ellis-Bextor, Deco will also be joining the tour as special guests.General sale tickets go live this Friday, October 27 at 9am BST, and you can purchase yours here.

The Comet Is Coming have announced that they will no longer be playing their last ever live show, in support of Palestine.The London-based jazz-funk band were set to play their final show in Bratislava tonight (October 20), however, have announced to fans that this will no longer be taking place due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.“We have decided to cancel our concert tonight in Bratislava. We stand in solidarity with the global call to strike by our Palestinian brothers and sisters who are in the midst of a genocidal assault,” they wrote on X/Twitter earlier today, confirming the cancellation just hours before the gig was due to start.“This was to be our final show.

Isley Brothers has died, aged 84.The group took to social media to announce the news, writing: “Heaven has gained another angel. Our hearts are heavy as we announce the passing of our beloved brother, Rudolph Isley. As we navigate through this deep sorrow, we kindly ask for understanding and respect for our family’s privacy during this challenging time.

NME about returning to their funk roots, working with La Roux, indie sleaze and creating their "most honest record to date"Chromeo have shared their latest single ‘Personal Effects’ and have announced their sixth studio album ‘Adult Contemporary’. Check it out below, along with our interview with frontman Dave 1.The Canadian electro-funk duo – made up of David “Dave 1” Macklovitch and Patrick “P-Thugg” Gemayel – teased a new era with the release of ‘Words With You’ earlier this year.

Jungle are set to play a huge gig at Manchester Castlefield Bowl after being announced as headliners for Sounds Of The City 2024.The London duo – Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson – will perform a bill topping set at the Manchester venue on July 11 2024 as part of the live music series.Tickets are due to go on sale 9:30am BST this Friday (September 22), and you can purchase yours here.You asked for more uk shows

Isley Brothers will be heading to court over the rights to the Isley Brothers band name.The brothers – Rudolph and Ronald Isley – have been in a legal dispute over owning the rights to their band’s name since earlier this year. As reported by Billboard, in a ruling handed down on Wednesday, August 23, Judge Thomas M.

John Carroll Kirby has shared a new song called “Sun Goes Down,” the second single from his forthcoming LP, Blowout. It follows the album’s lead single and opener, “Oropendola,” which arrived alongside the record’s announcement earlier this month.

Kamille has spoken to NME about her Ivor Novello win, her latest single ‘Muscle Memory’, working with Nile Rodgers and Little Mix, and her thoughts on music created by AI.The artist spoke of how she was “blown away” that she had been honoured with the Outstanding Song Collection at the Ivors ceremony in London today (Thursday May 18).“Being amongst winners like Queen, U2, Noel Gallagher — I’m like, ‘Really? This is ridiculous,’” she said. “I think I’m the youngest Black women to win the award as well, which is mad. I’m here for it and I’m so grateful to be honoured in this way.”A friend of the Ivors Academy, Kamille was enthused by the variety of music celebrated by the awards.

Facebook page of the Otis Redding Foundation – the family’s charity in Macon. She also added: “Please keep our family in your prayers at this time and please respect our privacy as we consume this huge loss.”Otis Redding III and his brother, Dexter, along with a cousin, Mark Lockett, formed the funk band The Reddings in the 1980s, who went on to record six albums.

Sly Stone, the famously elusive former frontman of the legendary funk band Sly and the Family Stone, has announced his first memoir, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). Co-written with Ben Greenman, who’s worked with George Clinton and Brian Wilson (among others) on their own autobiographies, it’s scheduled to arrive October 17 in the U.S.

Sly Stone is set to release a new memoir later this year, featuring contributions from Questlove.The upcoming book is set to be released on October 17 and will provide a never-before-seen insight into the funk icon’s personal life. It will also feature a foreword by legendary American musician, Questlove.Entitled Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir, the book will dive into a firsthand account of the musician’s personal life, and share anecdotes from his 50-year-long tenure in the music industry.“For as long as I can remember folks have been asking me to tell my story, I wasn’t ready,” he said.

Parliament Funkadelic vocalist Clarence ‘Fuzzy’ Haskins has died at the age of 81.Haskins’ former bandmates confirmed the news that he had passed away on Friday (March 17) on their official social media. “Resting on the verge of getting it on, Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins (born June 8, 1941-March 17th, 2023) of Parliament-Funkadelic!” they wrote.

Chaka Khan has apologised for hitting out at Rolling Stone’s ‘200 Best Singers Of All Time’ list, saying that she is committed to “empowering all artists”.The US funk and soul singer was ranked at number 29 on the viral list which was published on January 1, 2023.Topped by Aretha Franklin, the likes of Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday and Mariah Carey round out the Top Five.Khan, however, responded by calling the magazine editors “blind bitches”.“They need hearing aids,” she said on on Andrew Goldman’s ‘Originals’ podcast. “These must be the children of Helen Keller!”The ‘I Feel For You’ singer also criticised the artists who ranked above her, including Carey.

Coachella, suggesting the organisations should “work together”.Goldenvoice, the organisation that operates Coachella, accused Moechella’s Justin Johnson and Kelsye Adams of creating “intentionally trading on the goodwill of the Coachella name” by using such a similar name to the festival, as well as using a “strikingly similar” logo.The suit also cited an incident that occurred at Moechella that allegedly caused “reputational harm” to Coachella. A 15-year-old boy was killed and three other people were shot at an “unpermitted Moechella event” in Washington DC on June 19, 2022, which, it was argued, was “even more concerning tham the trademark infringement itself.”According to the Washington Post, Coachella is asking “for an injunction against use of the name and logo as well as any profits made using the term Moechella, plus punitive damages, attorney’s fees and compensation for ‘corrective advertising’.”In response, Johnson told Billboard that he’d been surprised to learn of Coachella’s lawsuit because he said he’d already agreed with their lawyers that he would “pivot away” from the “Moechella” name and had been continuing to do so.“These events are protests that have spawned out of the gentrification of D.C.

Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer has opened up about the band’s producer Rick Rubin, saying he was “more a hindrance than help” on their 2011 album.Klinghoffer was asked in a new interview to reflect on the two albums he made with the Chili Peppers – 2011’s ‘I’m With You‘ and 2016’s ‘The Getaway’, the former of which the interviewer called one of the band’s “best records” – when he addressed Rubin’s work.“I feel like this could be a long answer. Perhaps we can do a sit-down tell-all someday.

Thundercat show got awkward after a would-be singer tried to have her fifteen minutes of fame and perform for the artist’s crowd.Fan-filmed footage of Thundercat’s show at College Street Music Hall in New Haven, Connecticut, on Tuesday August 16, shows the artist and the unknown woman sharing a hug on stage. After breaking away from Thundercat – aka Stephen Bruner – the woman readjusted his microphone before addressing the crowd: “Well, I’m here.

Nile Rodgers & Chic have shared details of two ‘End Of Summer Party’ gigs in London and Manchester for later this year.The funk and disco legends will play the O2 Academy Brixton in London on September 19 and the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on September 21.Tickets go on sale this Friday (August 5) at 10am BST here.Nile Rodgers said: “After the blues of COVID we’ve had an incredible summer in the UK getting up front and close with all of our incredible fans. What better way to celebrate the last day of summer and the first day of autumn than with our final UK shows of the year at Brixton and Manchester.”He added that he wants the England Women’s football team to join them after their Euros 2022 victory against Germany on Sunday (July 31).

Miles Davis for a year in 1968, died today (February 9) of natural causes, close friend Danielle Maggio confirmed to Rolling Stone.Davis’ self-titled debut album arrived in 1973, which she then followed up the following year with ‘They Say I’m Different’. Her third and final studio album, ‘Nasty Gal’, was released in 1975.Though not commercially successful at their time of release, Davis’ music has gone on to be hugely influential in funk circles in the decades to follow.Born Betty Mabry, she appeared on the cover of Miles Davis’ 1968 album ‘Filles de Kilimanjaro’, and was the inspiration behind his song ‘Mademoiselle Mabry’.“RIP Betty Davis, the original (and only) nasty gal, famed for being one of music’s greatest muses, but more importantly, one of the funkiest to ever do it,” journalist and author Jeff Weiss wrote in tribute to Davis.“Her first 3 solo records are sleazy, soulful and raw.

Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ appears alongside Nocentelli’s original material on ‘Another Side’.

George Clinton has announced his final UK tour set to take place in spring 2022 – see the full list of dates below.The Parliament-Funkadelic legend announced his retirement from the road almost two years ago, but due to the coronavirus pandemic his UK farewell tour was put on hold.“This has been coming a long time,” Clinton said in a statement at the time.

Chromeo have announced the release of a new live album called ‘Date Night: Chromeo Live!’.The first-ever live LP from the Canadian electro-funk duo – comprising David “Dave 1” Macklovitch and Patrick “P-Thugg” Gemayel – will feature 20 tracks recorded at various stops on their pre-pandemic 2019 North American headlining tour.Due to arrive on June 25 via Last Gang Records/eOne, it will feature tracks spanning their entire discography, such as ‘Hot Mess’, ‘Fancy Footwork’, ‘Night By Night’, ‘One

Lion Babe are looking ahead to summer with the release of their sun-kissed new single ‘Frida Kahlo’ – listen to it below.The track comes on the heels of the alt-R&B/soul duo – comprised of singer-songwriter and performance artist Jillian Hervey and producer/DJ Lucas Goodman – announcing the release of their upcoming third album, ‘Rainbow Child’.Combination funk, hip-hop and electronic sounds, the breezy ‘Frida Kahlo’ draws on Hervey’s enduring appreciation for the iconic Mexican artist, as well