MTV Video Music Awards – MTV has announced the full list of performers for the pre-show. Among them: Chloe x Halle; Jack Harlow; Lewis Capaldi; Tate McRae; and Machine Gun Kelly featuring Travis Barker and blackbear. The 90-minute pre-show airs Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT, leading into the VMAs broadcast.
Justin Timberlake — says his 2006 hit ‘SexyBack’ was inspired by David Bowie. Quote: ”I was listening to ‘Rebel Rebel,’ which essentially is about a cross-dresser…I was picturing guys, girls, all iterations of that in a club, singing this to each other…And I was like, ‘What’s the most audacious thing you could possibly say?’ And that was the first line of the song.”
Drake — showed off his huge Kobe Bryant shoe collection on what would have been the late basketball star’s 42nd birthday on Sun. In a video seemingly shot in his Toronto mansion, he exhibited his collection, including his Kobe 5 Preludes, worth around $1,600, as well as multiple versions of the Kobe 8s.
Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur – The rivals are being united for the first-ever dedicated hip-hop auction at a major international auction house. Up for grabs at Southeby’s Sept. 15: The crown worn and signed by B.I.G. during a 1997 photo shoot three days before he was killed, 22 autographed love letters written by Shakur at ages 15-17, and over 120 other hip-hop-related lots.
Dio — A graphic novel inspired by the cover of his debut solo LP “Holy Diver” is in the works for summer 2021. According to his widow/manager Wendy: “[It’s a] story about how you can’t judge a picture by the way it appears, which is what Ronnie wrote many times in his songs.”
Elton John – Saturday, he releases a special deluxe gatefold double-LP edition of his self-titled debut album on what will mark its half-century anniversary. Disc one features the 2016 remaster of the original LP, and disc two will carry a selection of bonus tracks off the 2008 CD Deluxe Edition, plus previously unreleased demos of ‘Border Song’ and ‘Bad Side of the Moon’.
Van Morrison — has called on fellow musicians and industry types to ”speak up” to get full-capacity gigs back up and running again. He insists it’s not ”economically viable to do socially distanced gigs”.
Wynonna Judd – has put together a covers EP while quarantining at her Tennessee farm. Coming Oct. 30, the “Recollections EP” will include her version of John Prine’s ‘Angel From Montgomery’, plus covers of songs by Fats Domino, Nina Simone, the Grateful Dead and Slim Harpo’s ‘King Bee’. (***Hear it HERE: https://youtu.be/pyFHsmzgOq8 )
Darius Rucker — Days after announcing his split from his wife of 20 years, he says that he is working on a new album that might be his most personal yet. He reports that he is “more than halfway done” and fans can expect it “next year”.
