Jurors have found Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, guilty of first-degree murder for orchestrating the death of rap legend Tupac Shakur.

The verdict was reached Monday after the roughly two-week trial came to a close three decades after the music icon’s drive-by shooting death in Las Vegas. The decision was read after only hours of deliberations.

The decision comes after weeks of testimony that largely focused on past interviews and other comments about the killing from Davis, a former gang member who is the only person to ever face criminal charges in the 1996 shooting.

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Jurors began deliberations Monday afternoon to consider the case against Davis, who faces one count of murder with a deadly weapon with gang enhancements. The panel of 10 women and six men heard from two dozen witnesses for the prosecution and three for the defense.

During the delivery of jury instructions Monday, the judge noted that Davis was accused in an indictment alleging an open charge of murder. The charge could have included first- or second-degree murder, a decision that was left to the jury.

Now convicted, Davis faces up to life in prison.

Davis isn’t accused of firing the gunshots that killed Shakur at age 25, but prosecutors have portrayed him as a shot-caller who orchestrated the attack as retribution for a casino lobby brawl earlier on the night of Sept. 7, 1996, that involved Shakur, his entourage and Davis’ nephew.

Much of the prosecution’s case focused on the defendant’s own words about the Las Vegas shooting that stunned the hip-hop world. The case remained unsolved for decades before Davis’ public interviews and 2019 memoir helped revive scrutiny of the killing.

“Under California and Nevada law, if you are the shot-caller, if you hand the gun to somebody, even if you didn’t pull the trigger, it’s all the same,” said NBC4 legal analyst Royal Oakes.

Prosecutors revisited those recordings during closing arguments, claiming the case is “drenched in circumstantial evidence.” Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors that Davis acquired a gun and “went hunting” for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight.

Palal acknowledged Davis’ account changed over the years, but insisted a key element remained the same — Davis placing himself in the Cadillac.

Palal also told jurors the drive-by shooting was planned, suggesting premeditation warranting a conviction on a first-degree murder charge. He pointed to testimony and Davis’ accounts that the group initially searched for Shakur before later spotting him on the road and making a U-turn near the Strip.

“It’s a plan, not an impulse,” Palal said.

Prosecutors also played short clips of Davis’ YouTube interviews, during which he implored viewers to buy his book for what he referred to as “the real truth.” In one clip, Davis shared harsh words about Shakur and the attack at the MGM Grand.

Shakur, who was in Las Vegas for a heavyweight fight between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand, was riding in a BMW when a white Cadillac pulled up next to it at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later. The driver of the BMW, Knight, survived.

In a 2008 police interview played for jurors, Davis said he provided the gun and his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, opened fire. The other men in the Cadillac have since died, limiting eyewitness testimony.

“Let’s be clear, Duane Davis did not pull the trigger. But he did plan the shooting in retaliation of the beating of his nephew,” Palal told jurors during opening statements. “Remarkably, you will learn that from Duane Davis himself.

“Now, 30 years later, we’re going to ask you to finally hold Duane Davis accountable.” 

Davis’ attorneys have disputed the statements and fought unsuccessfully to get them excluded. Attorney Michael Sanft told jurors his client’s words did not represent the truth.

During the defense’s closing argument, attorney Michael Sanft described his client’s words as braggadocio meant to make money, not the truth. He pointed to a lack of physical evidence placing Davis in the Cadillac with the shooter.

Davis wasn’t previously charged because law enforcement knew that he was “full of crap,” Sanft said earlier in the trial.

But prosecutors attempted to portray Davis as an influential gang member. Among the final prosecution witnesses to testify was a former Compton gang detective who characterized Davis as a high-ranking “shot caller.”

Davis’ ultimate authority meant younger gang members would not have opened fire on Shakur with Davis present unless he allowed it, said Robert Ladd, a former Compton police officer who investigated gang homicides in the southern Los Angeles County community.

Davis did not testify.

“Very smart move for him not to testify because in this situation the prosecution was unable to come up with any corroborating evidence of his guilt,” Oakes said. “They can’t really establish, really, that he was in Las Vegas, much less that he was in that car.

“Now, he confessed all that in his memoir, to the police in 08 and 09, podcast interviews, but is that going to be enough,” Oakes said. “Critically, there were inconsistencies in the stories he told that allowed the defense to argue he was just makin it up, he wanted street cred.”

The shooting marked a flashpoint in a dispute with roots in the long-running feud between the Mob Piru Bloods, a gang Knight and Shakur were affiliated with, and the South Side Compton Crips, for whom Davis was a prominent leader. Ladd testified that Shakur’s shooting triggered a 10-day war in Compton between the South Side Crips and Mob Piru, resulting in three killings and 10 attempted murders.

Other witnesses called by the prosecution included former law enforcement officers, including the first to respond to the scene of the shooting; the man who snapped what is believed to be the last photo of Shakur before the shooting; and a former Mob Piru member who helped Knight with security.

Shakur remains a cultural icon and is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time. He was nominated for six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

After his death, Shakur and his influence lived on. He received a posthumous star in 2023 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a street named after him in Oakland, and will be a character in the upcoming video adventure game “Stranger than Heaven.”

OCTOBER 2, 3, and 4… are the 2026 dates, and “Peace, Love, and Guacamole” remains the easy-breezy, good-vibes-only call to action. Over 60 bands are expected to appear and at least 15 food vendors, so making a day of it in downtown Carp is a terrific plan. If you do want to be in the snacky swing of things, you can enter the guacamole contest; just be sure to register ahead of time via the festival site. You say you’re just there to shop, browse, and take in the craft scene? That, too, is a major part of the happening. Happy 40th anniversary, California Avocado Festival! In a state that is synonymous with the bumpily icon, you continue to be on a real roll.

According to a press release, the festival was originally scheduled to take place in January 2026 — around her 80th birthday — and was going to feature Parton as a performer and host. Now, it will serve as a celebration of her legacy.

“We had the venue booked and we had the announcement ready to go. And then, in August 2025, Dolly had to take a step back after her initial health challenges. A lot of people always say, WWDD (What Would Dolly Do?), and, well, at this moment, Dollyfest is WDWD (What Dolly Would Do!),” organizer Danny Nozell, founder and CEO of CTK Enterprises, said in a statement.

“We are not discouraging people from celebrating Dolly in the ways they choose. However, as far as a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted,” he continued. “So, instead, it feels more appropriate for us to take a beat, let all the tributes that immediately make sense occur naturally, and then, see through this festival-style concept that was truly dreamed up by Dolly.”

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There was a private service for Parton on Friday attended only by immediate family, The Associated Press has confirmed. There will not be a public ceremony, per Parton’s wishes.

Parton’s great-niece, Lainey Parton, posted a tribute on Instagram on Saturday, writing in the caption: “This is a really hard post for me to make. I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words. From the time I was little, my granny always had a way of making me feel like I was enough. She never made my dreams feel too big or made me feel like I couldn’t do something. She believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself.”

Ticket information and dates for Dollyfest are forthcoming. Fans can sign up to receive additional details at www.dollyparton.com.

Closing arguments were delivered Monday in the Tupac Shakur murder trial after weeks of testimony that largely focused on past interviews and other comments about the killing from the only person to ever face criminal charges in the rap icon’s 1996 shooting death in Las Vegas.

After prosecutors and defense attorney made their final statements, juror began deliberations Monday afternoon in the case of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, who faces one count of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon with gang enhancements. The former gang leader isn’t accused of firing the gunshots that killed Shakur at age 25, but prosecutors have portrayed him as a shot-caller who orchestrated the attack as retribution for a casino lobby brawl earlier on the night of Sept. 7, 1996 that involved involving Shakur, his entourage and Davis’ nephew.

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The panel of 10 women and six men heard from two dozen witnesses for the prosecution and three for the defense.

During the delivery of jury instructions Monday, the judge noted that Davis is accused in an indictment alleging an open charge of murder. The charge may include first- or second-degree murder, a decision that will be left to the jury if they deliver a conviction.

Much of the prosecution’s case focused on the defendant’s own words about the Las Vegas shooting that stunned the hip-hop world. The case remained unsolved for decades before Davis’ public interviews and 2019 memoir helped revive scrutiny of the killing.

“Under California and Nevada law, if you are the shot-caller, if you hand the gun to somebody, even if you didn’t pull the trigger, it’s all the same,” said NBC4 legal analyst Royal Oakes.

Prosecutors revisited those recordings during closing arguments, claiming the case if “drenched in circumstantial evidence.” Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors that Davis acquired a gun and “went hunting” for Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight.

Palal acknowledge Davis’ account changed over the years, but insisted a key element remained the same — Davis placing himself in the Cadillac.

Palal also told jurors the drive-by shooting was planned, suggesting premeditation warranting a conviction on a first-degree murder charge. He pointed to testimony and Davis’ accounts that the group initially searched for Shakur before later spotting him on the road and making a U-turn near the Strip.

“It’s a plan, not an impulse,” Palal said.

Prosecutors also played short clips of Davis’ YouTube interviews, during which he implored viewers to buy his book for what he referred to as “the real truth.” In one clip, Davis shared harsh words about Shakur and the attack at the MGM Grand.

Shakur, who in Las Vegas for a heavyweight fight between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand, was riding in a BMW when a white Cadillac pulled up next to it at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later. The driver of the BMW, Knight, survived.

In a 2008 police interview played for jurors, Davis said he provided the gun and his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, opened fire. The other men in the Cadillac have since died, limiting eyewitness testimony.

“Let’s be clear, Duane Davis did not pull the trigger. But he did plan the shooting in retaliation of the beating of his nephew,” Palal told jurors during opening statements. “Remarkably, you will learn that from Duane Davis himself.

“Now, 30 years later, we’re going to ask you to finally hold Duane Davis accountable,” 

Davis’ attorneys have disputed the statements and fought unsuccessfully to get them excluded. Attorney Michael Sanft told jurors his client’s words did not represent the truth.

During the defense’s closing argument, attorney Michael Sanft described his client’s words as braggadocio meant to make money, not the truth. He pointed to a lack of physical evidence placing Davis in the Cadillac with the shooter.

Davis wasn’t previously charged because law enforcement knew that he was “full of crap,” Sanft said earlier in the trial.

But prosecutors attempted to portray Davis as an influential gang member. Among the final prosecution witnesses to testify was a former Compton gang detective who characterized Davis as a high-ranking “shot caller.”

Davis’ ultimate authority meant younger gang members would not have opened fire on Shakur with Davis present unless he allowed it, said Robert Ladd, a former Compton police officer who investigated gang homicides in the southern Los Angeles County community.

Davis did not testify.

“Very smart move for him not to testify because in this situation the prosecution was unable to come up with any corroborating evidence of his guilt,” Oakes said. “They can’t really establish really that he was in Las Vegas, much less that he was in that car.

“Now, he confessed all that in his memoir, to the police in 08 and 09, podcast interviews, but is that going to be enough,” Oakes said. “Critically, there were inconsistencies in the stories he told that allowed the defense to argue he was just makin it up, he wanted street cred.”

The shooting marked a critical flashpoint in a dispute with roots in the long-running feud between the Mob Piru Bloods, a gang Knight and Shakur were affiliated with, and the South Side Compton Crips, for whom Davis was a prominent leader. Ladd testified that Shakur’s shooting triggered a 10-day war in Compton between the South Side Crips and Mob Piru, resulting in three killings and 10 attempted murders.

Other witnesses called by the prosecution included former law enforcement officers, including the first to respond to the scene of the shooting; the man who snapped what is believed to be the last photo of Shakur before the shooting; and a former Mob Piru member who helped Knight with security.

Shakur remains a cultural icon and is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time. He was nominated for six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

After his death, Shakur and his influence lived on. He received a posthumous star in 2023 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a street named after him in Oakland, and will be a character in the upcoming video adventure game “Stranger than Heaven.”

If convicted, Davis faces life in prison.

Lainey Parton shared an emotional tribute post on Instagram Saturday, writing: “This is a really hard post for me to make. I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words.”

Parton died Aug. 25 following a brief battle with cancer at age 80. At her request, her social media pages had previously said a small private service would be held for immediate family.

Lainey remembered Parton as a loving and inspiring figure who “believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself.”

“Because she couldn’t have kids of her own, she always made us feel like we were hers. She loved us that way, and I’ll forever be grateful for that,” she wrote.

Lainey shared a slew of photos from growing up with Parton, some from childhood and others taken on stage with the country star.

Lainey recalled singing with Parton on her 2024 Smoky Mountain DNA album, which included various Parton family members.

“I was a freshman in high school and SO nervous. But she had a way of making me feel like nothing bad could happen. She made me feel safe, confident, and like I belonged right there beside her,” Lainey recalled.

She said the music icon backed her decision to attend beauty school and helped her fund it.

“She didn’t just tell me to chase my dreams, she helped me get there,” she said.

“I’m so thankful I said yes to the opportunities and memories I got to share with her as my Aunt Dolly, including being in a movie with her. I’m so glad I have those moments to look back on now. I have things I can watch, hear, and hold onto when I miss her,” she continued.

While the family — and the world beyond — mourns Parton’s passing, Lainey said she’s holding on to the precious memories she shared with her “granny.”

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“It still doesn’t feel real that she’s gone. I’m going to miss her voice, her laugh, her hugs, and just knowing she was there. I’m even going to miss those 4 AM calls, and I’d give anything to see her name pop up on my phone again,” she said.

“I feel incredibly lucky that I got to call her my granny. Thank you for always believing in me, loving me, and making me feel like I could do anything. I love you, Granny. Always,” she said concluding her post.

The “Jolene” singer hailed from rural Tennessee, born into a large but tight-knit family. She was one of 12 children, and as her own family expanded, Parton maintained an incredibly close relationship with her siblings, nieces and nephews.

Her death sparked widespread mourning and emotional tributes from her fans, Hollywood and the music industry. The 11-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter was more than just an artist, she was an icon that transcended genre and time, a philanthropist focused on children and poverty, and businesswoman.

Parton was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in 2025, and her parents, Avie Lee Caroline Owens and Robert Lee Parton, Sr.

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Daisy Chain Fields united a women-led lineup boasting queer pop star Chappell Roan, breakout rapper Doechii and riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill behind issues of women’s health, workplace protections and legal rights. Ahead of Saturday’s festival in Irvine, California, Rodrigo announced the show had already raised enough to make a $10 million donation to 10 nonprofit partners including Planned Parenthood, National Women’s Law Center and Black Mamas Matter Alliance.

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates pledged another $10 million through her Pivotal Ventures in a surprise appearance at the start of Rodrigo’s set, calling her “a force” and praising her for “showing a new generation how much their voices matter.”

Rodrigo said the festival’s artists and activists give her hope despite the “regression of women’s rights” today.

“That’s actually why I fell in love with the name ‘Daisy Chain,’” she said Friday. “It served as a reminder of how individual parts can come together to create something strong and unbreakable.”

Rodrigo, 23, has made a name channeling the rage and dissatisfaction of modern romance into chart-topping songs that are equal parts Taylor Swift and Alanis Morissette. Few superstars are better suited, then, to bridge the gap between Gen Z and nonprofits, which have struggled to build relationships with younger donors who tend to prefer informal ways of giving.

The connection is not lost on Daisy Chain Fields attendees.

“People don’t join together and mobilize unless they feel connected to the group that is mobilizing,” said Grace Slevin, 24. “What’s better than music?”

All-star benefit concerts have long been popular for driving millions of dollars toward everything from refugee aid and famine relief to pandemic response and natural disasters. But it’s been decades since a young artist with Rodrigo’s following brought her peers together for gender justice.

That focus comes as President Donald Trump attempts to overhaul family planning grants that reproductive health clinics use to provide birth control and treat sexually transmitted infections. His administration paused $27.5 million last year for such organizations, including some Planned Parenthood affiliates, before officials agreed to restore the money.

For Slevin, an Orange County, California, resident who does anti-sex-trafficking advocacy, Daisy Chain Fields embodies the sentiment of “be who you needed when you were younger.” She loves that attendees are welcome to learn about the beneficiaries’ work in addition to donating.

Nonprofit partners engaged with fans in Daisy Chain Fields’ “philanthropy village.” Festivalgoers collected pins from booths as they learned about health services from Planned Parenthood or pay tribute to caregivers through the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

An art installation by the Guerilla Girls, anonymous artist activists, invited fans to air their grievances on chalkboards. Handwritten responses included “PROTECT QUEER KIDS!” and “Put women in charge and pay us more!!!” as well as “ICE OUT!” and “ABORTION RIGHTS 4 ALL.”

Younger generations expect a level of authenticity beyond a “pseudo-sort-of-progressiveness,” Slevin said.

“They can see just how deeply intertwined the music is with the cause,” she said. “It’s not just, like, a second thought.”

Do you get déjà vu? Rodrigo’s effort recalls ’90s feminist push

Rodrigo took inspiration from Lilith Fair, the all-women festival that raised $10 million for charity from 1997 to 1999. Sarah McLachlan, who founded the show to dispel the music industry’s notion they couldn’t book women consecutively, performed with Rodrigo Saturday.

Planned Parenthood National Director of Arts and Entertainment Caren Spruch recalled working on Lilith Fair. Concert outreach has long been an important tool to reach people “where they are,” she said.

That culture-shifting work grows more important during times like this, she acknowledged, when abortion clinics are closing in restrictive states and anti-abortion groups are pushing the courts to limit access to the drugs used in the most common method of abortion.

Rodrigo, Spruch said, talks about those topics with “no shame or stigma.” As she did with other nonprofits, the three-time Grammy winner appeared in informational videos on Planned Parenthood’s social media.

“All of that does so much to help us normalize the whole range of reproductive health and rights,” Spruch said.

Intergenerational change

Melissa Shaw, 33, is driving to the festival from Tucson, Arizona, with her 8-year-old daughter.

They didn’t plan to spend the day camped out for close-up views. Shaw wanted to let her daughter ask questions as they explored the nonprofits and visited art installations. She appreciates that Rodrigo is not only promoting well-known organizations such as Planned Parenthood, but also groups focused specifically on Black maternal health or baby formula access.

“It’s really important for me as a parent to expose my daughter to celebrities who set that example,” Shaw said.

To her, the lineup seemed intentionally curated to attract multiple generations. Her daughter loves Rodrigo and Roan, and she herself grew up listening to Bikini Kill and fellow performer Santigold. She saw many mother-daughter duos sharing their festival plans online.

The festival’s nonprofit partners were eager to join that multigenerational community of women, too.

“At a time when decisions about our bodies, our health, our safety and our futures are being made for us not by us, a day built around care and community is its own kind of statement,” FreeFrom founder Sonya Passi said in a statement.

National Domestic Workers Alliance President Ai-jen Poo said the festival’s joyful atmosphere serves as a “powerful reminder to women everywhere of all ages that, no matter what, we have each other.”

Her organization works to ensure federal workplace protections for domestic workers, who are disproportionately women and immigrant women. She wants to recruit more young people, many of whom she said are worried they can’t afford to take care of their loved ones or start families.

“The only way change happens is through intergenerational connection and movements in our country,” she said. “This generation of young people has the opportunity to really change how we support caregiving for future generations.”

Philanthropy takes center stage

Organizers vowed to work with nonprofit partners to put the grants toward their most urgent and underresourced needs.

Newer nonprofits also appreciated the opportunity to expand their networks. Black Mamas Matter Alliance co-founder Angela Doyinsola Aina said the nonprofit, just 10 years old, reached people who wouldn’t have otherwise encountered their work on Black maternal health.

For the National Women’s Law Center, the gift offers flexibility to plug their own budgetary holes as they litigate sex discrimination cases. Uma Iyer, the nonprofit’s chief external affairs officer, said the support also boosted staff morale.

“We work on really hard things every day,” she said. “It was really energizing for us and it’s been really uplifting.”

Including both everyday audiences and front-line workers in benefits is key, according to Farm Aid co-executive director Jennifer Fahy. The annual fundraising concerts — launched by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp to raise awareness of family farmers’ challenges —- celebrated their 40th anniversary last year.

“It’s just wonderful to see an artist of that generation, that new young generation, who is embracing that opportunity that exists to do these kinds of events, to share the stage and microphone to highlight issues that are important to the artist,” Fahy said.

___

Associated Press newsperson Abby Lee contributed from Irvine, California.

Lately at work or while running errands, she has seen people wearing Shakur shirts. The late rapper’s presence is everywhere since the Las Vegas trial began, she says, calling it a hopeful sign that answers are coming in the death of her favorite artist.

“His spirit wants this to come out and wants this to get justice,” Williams said.

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Nearly 30 years after Shakur’s death, the trial of the only person ever charged in his killing has drawn fans back to a loss many of them never stopped carrying. For them, the case not only offers the person who may be responsible for Shakur’s death, but a chance for resolution after decades spent keeping his music, message and memory alive.

Former Southern California street gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis has pleaded not guilty to orchestrating the drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

After his death in 1996, Shakur and his influence lived on through fans and pop culture. He received a posthumous star in 2023 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a street named after him in Oakland, California, and will be a character in the upcoming video adventure game “Stranger than Heaven.”

Fans see Shakur as a revolutionary

There’s no official memorial to Tupac where he was shot on the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996. But visitors stop at the intersection and fans gather regularly on his birthday, June 16, adding messages to a utility pole that is covered in remembrances, such as “RIP King,” “Tupac 4 Life” and “Gone but never forgotten.”

They leave balloons, cake or his favorite type of brandy, Hennessy. On a strip of concrete nearby, someone painted a rose with the phrase “the rose that grew from concrete,” a reference to Shakur’s posthumous book of poetry.

Atlanta resident Julie Hardy has been to the memorial three times on Shakur’s birthday to pay her respects.

“People still care, and he has not been forgotten,” said Hardy, 56.

For fans like Hardy, Shakur is more than just a rapper. Hardy categorized Shakur, the son of a Black Panther, among the likes of Black activists such as Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey and Martin Luther King Jr. because he wrote about the “revolution” and the ups and downs the Black community faces, she said.

Shakur’s philosophy that he dubbed T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E, which stood for “the hate U give little infants f—-s everybody,” called for the uplifting of marginalized communities and demanded accountability from systems that oppressed Black people and the youth.

Hardy gravitated toward Shakur when she was 19 living in Cincinnati, Ohio, and her cousin showed her Shakur’s first solo album, “2Pacalypse Now.”

Shakur’s “Brenda’s Got a Baby” resonated with Hardy because of the high rate of teen pregnancy at the time, she said. His song “Soulja’s Story” inspired her to write hip-hop songs because it told a story of things she also saw growing up in Black communities, such as police and gun violence.

When she saw on the news that he was shot, she called everyone she knew. Hardy then went to her friend’s house and prayed, hoping Shakur would survive like he did when he was shot in a robbery in November 1994.

She felt like a family member passed when she learned he died days later a hospital. He was 25.

“We looked up to him as an icon and a revolutionary, and now we’re looking up to him as a legend,” Hardy said.

Shakur inspired others in songwriting

Din “Lil Therapy” Malone took a bus from Denver, Colorado, to watch the trial in Las Vegas.

Malone was introduced to Shakur when he was 13 years old watching Shakur in his breakout starring role as a troubled teen in the 1992 movie “Juice.” Then, he started listening to his music.

“Tupac taught me how to translate my tears into words,” said Malone, a songwriter and artist. Outside of an overflow room in the courthouse, Malone wore a Shakur shirt and played Shakur’s music on his phone’s speaker.

Shakur wrote about his own hardships, and inspired Malone to do the same, putting into words experiences of being bullied as a kid or mourning family deaths, Malone said. He grew up in a Crips-run neighborhood in Denver and — like Shakur — learned how to “live through the hood.”

Shakur’s song “It Ain’t Easy” spoke to Malone about the importance of persevering when life isn’t easy. Even though he never met the rapper, he said he felt like he lost an older brother.

Shakur’s legacy continues

Williams, a North Carolina resident, runs a Facebook fan page for Shakur called All Eyez on Pac that has over 25,000 followers.

The 38-year-old has loved Shakur ever since she watched “Poetic Justice,” the 1993 movie starring Shakur as a postal worker and Janet Jackson as a grieving hairdresser. One of the first Shakur songs she heard was “Dear Mama,” and she said she was touched by Shakur’s deep love for his mother, Afeni Shakur.

Over the years, Williams watched every video about Shakur and every interview of people who knew him, she said.

“That’s what made me create the page because I really truly have a love for Tupac,” she said.

She saw Shakur as a sweet, kind-hearted person who was misunderstood. Shakur wasn’t perfect. He was convicted of sexual assault and acquitted on more serious charges in a sex abuse case in 1994. He was sentenced to 18 months to over 4 years in prison, but served nearly eight months before he was released. But Shakur was human, Williams said.

Some fans who sat in the courtroom during the trial still don’t believe Shakur died, believing he faked his own death and is living in Cuba.

Williams said she was in denial when she first saw Shakur’s autopsy photos but sadly came around to realize he was gone

“He would want to have justice,” she said. “He would want to keep his name and legacy alive.”

The all-women lineup includes Chappell Roan, Doechii, Garbage, Mitski and The Breeders. Other performers include Bikini Kill, Die Spitz, Eli, KATSEYE, Not For Radio, Quiet Light, Rachel Chinouriri and Santigold.

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Special guests include Karen O, Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks.

The event has two performance areas with no overlapping sets, allowing fans to see every performer on the schedule. Rodrigo is scheduled to close the festival from 8:40 to 10 p.m. on the Dandelion Stage.

The festival will make use of multiple areas of Great Park, including Great Park Live, the city-owned amphitheater operated by PSQ Productions, along with additional park space where a main stage will be built. Festival capacity is expected to reach up to 45,000 people.

“The lineup is truly insane and full of my heroes and friends,” Rodrigo said in an Instagram post. “I firmly believe that joy, community, and music can be the drivers of meaningful change and I’m hopeful this festival will be just that.”

Rodrigo said 100% of net proceeds will benefit charities dedicated to advancing and advocating for women and girls.

Beneficiaries include Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center for Reproductive Rights, FreeFrom, Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health, National Women’s Law Center and Planned Parenthood.

Daisy Chain Fields is the latest philanthropic effort by Rodrigo focused on women and girls. She launched her Fund 4 Good initiative in 2024 to support reproductive rights, education and efforts addressing domestic violence.

Metrolink post-event trains

Metrolink will operate three special post-event trains serving destinations in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange and northern San Diego counties, according to the agency.

Train 698 from Anaheim to Oceanside, departing at 11:30 p.m.
Train 699 from Irvine to Los Angeles Union Station, departing at 11:40 p.m.
Train 898 from Irvine to San Bernardino-Downtown, departing at 11:30 p.m.

Metrolink said the added service is intended to give festivalgoers an alternative to driving because parking at Great Park is limited.

Attendees can take regularly scheduled Metrolink service to Anaheim Station and purchase a shuttle pass through festival producer C3 Presents, or travel to Irvine Station and use a rideshare service to reach Great Park, officials said.

Weekend heat outlook

The festival on a warm weekend in Southern California with temperatures in Irvine expected to reach about 93 degrees Saturday.

The hottest period is expected between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when festival performances will be underway. The festival has hydration stations, cooling stations, shaded areas and medical tents.

The beloved country legend and philanthropist, who hailed from rural Tennessee, died Tuesday at the age of 80.

The airport and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced the intent to name the airport in her honor to create “a lasting tribute to her indelible legacy and the generations of people she inspired across Tennessee and around the world,” they said in a news release.

Lee spoke with Parton’s team about the proposal this week and they expressed “their appreciation,” the governor said.

“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said. “From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her. At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness.”

The proposal to rename the airport will be addressed at the Metro Nashville Airport Authority’s meeting Sept. 17.

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What Dolly Parton said about her health struggles

Music & Musicians Aug 28

Dolly Parton streams skyrocket after her death, making her the most streamed artist globally

Music & Musicians Aug 27

In Dolly Parton's theology, God and acceptance shared the same stage

A petition to rename the airport in honor of Parton, which was started more than a year before her death, has over 160,000 signatures as of Friday night and also garnered responses in support from a Nashville City Council member and a Tennesseee state representative.

The “Queen of Country” died surrounded by loved ones following a brief battle with cancer. Her death was felt across the nation and the world, and inspired heartfelt tributes from fans, celebrities and politicians alike.

Known beyond her music for her extravagant blonde hairdos, Southern charm, wit, generosity and kindness, Parton was beloved by generations. She was also a keen businesswoman and devoted philanthropist, creating the Dollywood Foundation for property relief and educational programs in East Tennessee, as well as Imagination Library, which mails free books to children around the world.

According to evolving data released early Friday afternoon by the industry data and analytics company Luminate, audio and video streams of Parton’s discography skyrocketed 2,458% on the day of her death, compared to Monday — climbing from 1.2 million to 30.5 million in the U.S. And by Wednesday, that number rose to 46.3 million.

Worldwide, her audio and video streams jumped 1,549%, from 2.5 million on Monday to 41.8 million Tuesday.

And on Wednesday, her on-demand audio streams jumped to 79.7 million, making her the most streamed artist, globally, on that date.

Tennessee Aug 28

Push to rename Nashville airport for Dolly Parton gets a boost from Tennessee's governor

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Dolly Parton had many projects in the works before her death. Where they stand

Celebrity News Aug 26

Dolly Parton locked away a song the world won't hear until 2045

In the U.S., 10 songs led the charge:

1. “Jolene” grew from over 196.2K streams on Monday to 3.3 million Tuesday and 4 million Wednesday.

2. “9 to 5” jumped from 208.6K on Monday to 3.0 million on Tuesday and 3.6 million on Wednesday.

3. “Islands in the Stream,” her duet with the late Kenny Rogers, climbed from 165.9K on Monday to 2.1 million Tuesday and 2.9 million Wednesday.

4. “I Will Always Love You,” Parton’s performance of her own classic, a song that was later made famous by Whitney Houston’s rendition, rose from 64.9K streams on Monday to 2.0 million Tuesday and 2.8 million Wednesday.

5. “Here You Come Again” followed, moving from 48.7K streams Monday to 1.5 million Tuesday to 2.1 million Wednesday.

6. Then there was “Coat of Many Colors,” with 28.9K streams Monday to 1.3 million Tuesday and 1.9 million Wednesday.

7. “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That?” climbed from 22.1K Monday to 827K Tuesday and 1.3 million Wednesday.

8. “There Was Jesus,” her 2019 duet with Christian singer Zach Williams, rose from 85.2K streams Monday to 635.1K Tuesday and 682.0K Wednesday.

9. “My Tennessee Mountain Home” increased from 5.8K Monday to 562.3K Tuesday and 1.1 million Wednesday.

10. “Tyrant,” Parton’s collaboration with Beyoncé from Bey’s Grammy winning 2024 album “Cowboy Carter,” jumped from 47.8K Monday to 559.2K Tuesday and 755.5K Wednesday.

Sales for such Parton-related books as the memoir “Dolly Parton, Songteller” “My Life in Lyrics” and a picture story based on her classic song “Coat of Many Colors” were also soaring. As of early Friday afternoon, three Parton books were in the top 5 on Amazon.com’s bestseller list.

Curious to hear more Parton? Check out The Associated Press’ official playlist — from her country songs that challenge traditional gender dynamics to the greatest ballad ever committed to record — and read the stories behind them, here.

More than two dozen witnesses provided testimony this month before defense attorneys rested their case in the murder trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur.

The long-awaited trial is headed to closing arguments, scheduled for Monday in a Nevada courtroom where the defense called three former Las Vegas police officers to testify Thursday as their final witnesses.

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After closing arguments and jury instructions, the panel of 10 women and six men could begin deliberations in the only criminal trial in the killing of the hip-hop icon. The presentation of evidence ended after nine days of testimony.

Davis, 63, described as a gang shot-caller, did not take the stand. He isn’t accused of firing the gunshots that killed Shakur at age 25 in 1996, but prosecutors argued that he orchestrated the killing in response to a brawl earlier that night involving Shakur, his entourage and Davis’ nephew.

Shakur, in Las Vegas for a heavyweight fight between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand, was riding in a BMW on Sept. 7, 1996, when a white Cadillac pulled up next to it at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later. The driver of the BMW, Marion “Suge” Knight, survived.

Years later, Davis said he procured the gun and his nephew, who has since died, fired the shots.

Davis faces life in prison if convicted of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He pleaded not guilty.

Defense attorney Michael Sanft has argued that Davis fabricated or embellished his accounts of the killing for money and notoriety and that investigators failed to independently corroborate his claims.

Key testimony from defense witnesses

Three witnesses were called by the defense to testify. Retired Las Vegas homicide detective Dan Long, the defense’s final witness, testified that he tried unsuccessfully to verify several details Davis provided during a 2009 police interview.

Davis told Long that his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, had gone to a Las Vegas hospital after being beaten by Shakur and others in a casino brawl hours before the rapper was fatally shot. Long said he was unable to find hospital records confirming Anderson was treated there.

Long also tried unsuccessfully to locate records for a white Cadillac that Davis said had been rented before the shooting.

Asked by a juror whether he had been able to verify that Davis was actually in the Cadillac the night Shakur was killed, Long said Davis himself told him he was in the car and that the shooting came from it.

On follow-up questioning by Sanft, Long acknowledged he had no independent facts outside of what Davis told him confirming he was in the Cadillac.

Prosecutors countered that Davis’ account matched information already developed by investigators. On cross-examination, Long testified that Davis identified the same four men investigators already believed were in the Cadillac when Shakur was shot.

Long also said he returned to Las Vegas after interviewing Davis in 2009 intending to seek an arrest warrant for murder because he believed there was probable cause, but prosecutors at the time told him to stand down while they reviewed the matter.

The defense also called two former Las Vegas police officers who were assigned to keep the peace at Knight’s home on the night of the shooting. They testified about vehicles entering and leaving the gated residence, including a cream- or white-colored Cadillac.

Key testimony from prosecution witnesses

The case remained unsolved for decades before Davis’ public interviews and 2019 memoir helped revive scrutiny of the killing. Those elements were key parts of the prosecution’s case over the course of the Nevada trial

Prosecutors rested Wednesday after calling 24 witnesses.

On Wednesday, prosecutors played short clips of Davis’ YouTube interviews, during which he implored viewers to buy his book for what he referred to as “the real truth.” In one clip, Davis shared harsh words about Shakur and the attack at the MGM Grand.

Prosecutors also played a clip from earlier in the trial when Davis appeared to mouth words toward a witness testifying about the rivalry between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Entertainment.

Among the final prosecution witnesses to testify was a former Compton gang detective who characterized Davis as a high-ranking “shot caller.” Davis’ ultimate authority meant younger gang members would not have opened fire on Shakur with Davis present unless he allowed it, said Robert Ladd, a former Compton police officer who investigated gang homicides in the southern Los Angeles County community.

Ladd described Davis as a leader of the South Side Compton Crips who could order younger members to act. Ladd testified that Shakur’s shooting triggered a 10-day war in Compton between the South Side Crips and Mob Piru, resulting in three killings and 10 attempted murders.

Asked Tuesday who would have been the leader among the four men in the Cadillac, Ladd answered, “Mr. Davis.”

Defense attorney Michael Sanft emphasized the lack of physical evidence supporting that theory. Ladd acknowledged that, aside from Davis’ own admissions, he had no physical evidence placing Davis in Las Vegas that night and no phone records showing Davis ordered the shooting.

Other witnesses called by the prosecution included former law enforcement officers, including the first to respond to the scene of the shooting; the man who snapped what is believed to be the last photo of Shakur before the shooting; and a former Mob Piru member who helped Knight with security. Jurors also heard audio of Davis’ previous interviews.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority both came out in favor of the name change Friday. It’s expected to come up at the authority’s meeting next month.

Long before 80-year-old Parton died Tuesday, fans in January 2025 started an online petition calling for officials to rename Nashville International Airport in her honor. It got renewed attention following Parton’s death, jumping to more than 155,000 signatures Friday.

The change would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America’s 50 busiest airports.

The governor said he’s already discussed the idea with representatives for Parton.

“At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness,” Lee said in a statement.

Born in poverty in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Parton became an icon whose popularity crossed generational, geographic and political boundaries. In addition to writing and recording hit songs such as “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” she starred in Hollywood films including “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias.”

A number of American airports bear the names of beloved celebrities, from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. New Orleans’ airport was renamed for jazz icon Louis Armstrong in 2001.

Music & Musicians Aug 26

Dolly Parton had many projects in the works before her death. Where they stand

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The vast majority of U.S. airports named for a person honor men. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, is one exception. Another is Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport in Atchison, Kansas.

Putting Parton’s name on the Nashville airport could require its governing authority to revisit its policy for such honors, which states that airport properties should only be named for people who have been dead for at least two years.

The governor’s office said his proposal and the naming policy will be discussed by the airport authority at its meeting Sept. 17.

It was an abandoned church, in rural Tennessee where she grew up, that had become known as a haven for sex, drugs and violence. Rather than see the used condoms on the floor, the out-of-tune piano left behind or the explicit drawings on the walls as a hindrance to her religious encounter, Parton spoke fondly of the setting where she went to pray as a young girl.

“I would sing hymns to God for a while and look at dirty pictures for a while and pray for a while, and one day as I prayed in earnest, I broke through some sort of spirit wall and found God,” she wrote.

“Here in one place was God, music and sex.”

The country music icon was known for blurring the line between Sunday morning and Saturday night, a window into her theology that captivated people across political and denominational lines.

As news broke this week that the 80-year-old country music icon died of cancer, social media was flooded with quotes and interview clips of Parton proclaiming her Christian faith, something she wore on her sleeve even when her relationship to church was complicated.

But for many Christian members of the LGBTQ+ community who struggled to reconcile their sexuality and gender identity with the intolerant beliefs they were taught, Parton’s public support helped them keep their faith in some cases, and transformed their understanding of how God sees them in others.

“Her approach to solidarity was inspiring for me as a young, queer Christian girl realizing I was gay,” said Ciarra Jones, a 32-year-old workplace consultant from Oakland, California. “For queer Christians, experiencing another queer Christian — or another queer-affirming person that is Christian — is important to your journey. Dolly, for me, was one of those lights.”

Music & Musicians Aug 26

Dolly Parton had many projects in the works before her death. Where they stand

Celebrity News Aug 26

Dolly Parton locked away a song the world won't hear until 2045

Parton was a trailblazer in LGBTQ+ acceptance

Long before same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide, Parton made acceptance a recurring theme of both her music and public persona, which has contributed to long-running support from the LGBTQ+ community.

“I got a huge gay following and some really macho-looking women,” Parton told Andy Warhol for a 1984 cover story for Interview Magazine.

When Warhol told her she would make a great preacher, Parton responded: “What do you mean? I am a great preacher.”

American Christianity spans the theological spectrum on sexuality and gender identity, with some remaining firmly committed to a conservative view. As society has shifted, so have some Christians’ beliefs on things like same-sex marriage, though there is a widening partisan divide on certain issues, particularly regarding transgender people.

Parton, whose grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher, said her support for LGBTQ+ people was rooted in her Christian faith. “We are all God’s children,” she told Larry King in 2016. But she also did not try to convince others of her beliefs, sometimes to the frustration of fans who thought she ought to be more vocal.

“Some are preachers, some are gay / Some are addicts, drunks and strays / But not a one is turned away / When it’s family,” Parton sings on the song, “Family,” from her 1991 album “Eagle When She Flies.”

“I don’t condemn nor condone anything,” Parton once told The Associated Press regarding the song. “I just love and accept people where they are for who they are.”

Some queer people who were raised in religiously conservative homes push back against the notion that Parton was not political enough.

“It’s very, very hard to grow up and know who you are and have that be described as deviant and to be afraid that what you are is totally wrong,” said Duncan Teater, a film student at the University of Southern California, as his voice broke.

Teater, who is gay and grew up in Kentucky, was raised as a conservative Christian and has a complicated relationship to the faith as an adult. But, he said, Parton’s support was meaningful and he appreciated how she thinks about religiosity.

“For someone with the credibility and respect that Dolly Parton had, to be confident about the worth of every human being and to say that out loud and without hesitation and in such simple and loving words was a pretty radical act and a pretty political act,” he said.

Parton was vocal about faith in unexpected places

Parton’s faith, and her relationship with the gay community, spread beyond her music and interviews.

On the website for Dollywood, the East Tennessee theme park Parton opened decades ago after seeing families like hers unable to afford to go to Disneyland, there is a mission and values statement, which includes a commitment to live them out “in a manner consistent with Christian values and ethics.”

The park has a chaplain and a chapel — the Robert F. Thomas Chapel, named after the doctor who delivered Parton — that hosts weekly Sunday services.

Patrick Burrows, a 38-year-old scholar of theology and ethics, grew up going to Dollywood and has been more than 100 times.

“Any time there was a church outing in the Southern Baptist church that I grew up in or a day off from school or needing a mental health break in high school,” said Burrows, who grew up outside of Asheville, North Carolina.

The theme park was so formative for him that he wrote a chapter about it in his dissertation while studying theology at Harvard Divinity School.

“You should not see gay and lesbian couples standing next to people with ‘Jesus saved me from my sin’ shirts. And yet you see it” in what Burrows refers to as the “Dollyverse.”

“Dolly created this space for people who are very different from one another to be different from another,” he said.

Burrows recalled writing dozens of pages before one line sparked an epiphany, prompting him to rewrite his entire thesis chapter: “Though I only know it in retrospect, Dolly Parton, through Dollywood, taught me how to be gay and how to be a Christian.”

On Aug. 26, a day after the country icon died at the age of 80, her team shared an update on all the plans she had in development.

“Dolly worked up until the day she died. She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy,” her longtime manager Danny Nozell said in a press release. “Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come.”

Parton died after being diagnosed with cancer, her estate announced Aug. 25 in a statement. She had not publicly disclosed her diagnosis, but had been open about her ongoing health challenges.

Celebrity News Aug 26

Dolly Parton locked away a song the world won't hear until 2045

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The Dolly Parton you may not know, in her own words

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While the beloved star’s death came as a shock to many, she prepared for her legacy to live on. Nozell said in his statement that he and Parton’s team will oversee the many projects she had been working on and “ensure the many dreams she had yet to fulfill are brought to life.”

He noted that many projects were in various stages of development, stressing that Parton approved everything that would be shared on her official channels.

“If you see unreleased music, products, books, experiences, and campaigns launched through official Dolly Parton channels, you can have confidence in knowing that she placed her personal stamp on it.”

The “9 to 5” singer’s team also shared a video compilation of Parton hard at work, promoting some upcoming content.

Parton’s team also said that details on additional projects, including an avatar show she previously spoke about, a biopic, docuseries, scripted series, a Billy The Kid animated series and many more “will be revealed soon.”

Below, an overview of the active Parton projects and some of their release dates.

• Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stops (celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week beginning September 13, 2026)
• Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel (stays begin September 14, 2026; grand opening September 29, 2026)
• Dolly Dolls (launching online September 15, 2026)
• Dolly’s Life Of Many Colors Museum (grand opening September 29, 2026)
• Dolly’s Cup Of Ambition Coffee (launching online September 29, 2026; retail launch Spring 2027)
• Dolly On The Holly (Coming Holiday 2026)
• DOLLY: A True Original Musical On Broadway (Previews begin December 7, 2026; Opening Night January 19, 2027 with tickets currently on-sale through November 21, 2027)
• Kendra Scott x Dolly — The 9 to 5 Collection (launching January 2027)
• Dolly’s Dog Treats (Coming Early 2027)
• Dolly Bedding & Home Decor (Coming Q3 2027)

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Dolly Parton shares photo of her ‘real hair,’ reflects on love of wigs in new book
• Dolly Parton Honored By Fans, Fellow Artists and More After Her Death at 80
• What Dolly Parton Said About Not Having Children with Husband Carl Dean

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Defense attorneys will begin calling witnesses to the stand later this week with closing arguments expected to begin Monday in the criminal case of the only person to stand trial in the 25-year-old hip-hop icon’s shooting death.

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The defense is planning to call three witnesses, but they were not available to testify until Thursday.

Davis isn’t accused of firing the fatal shots, but prosecutors allege that he orchestrated the shooting in a revenge plot for a casino brawl hours earlier involving his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, and Shakur. The rapper was in Las Vegas for the highly anticipated heavyweight fight between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand.

Under Nevada law, someone who helps another person commit murder can be convicted of the crime.

On Wednesday, prosecutors played short clips of Davis’ YouTube interviews, during which he implored viewers to buy his book for what he referred to as “the real truth.” In one clip, Davis shared harsh words about Shakur and the attack at the MGM Grand.

Prosecutors also played a clip from earlier in the trial when Davis appeared to mouth words toward a witness testifying about the rivalry between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Entertainment.

Among the final prosecution witnesses to testify was a former Compton gang detective who characterized Davis as a high-ranking “shot caller.” Davis’ ultimate authority meant younger gang members would not have opened fire on Shakur with Davis present unless he allowed it, said Robert Ladd, a former Compton police officer who investigated gang homicides in the southern Los Angeles County community.

Ladd described Davis as a leader of the South Side Compton Crips who could order younger members to act. Ladd testified that Shakur’s shooting triggered a 10-day war in Compton between the South Side Crips and Mob Piru, resulting in three killings and 10 attempted murders.

Much of the prosecution’s case rested on Davis’ own words from previous law enforcement interviews and documentaries. Davis has said he was riding in a white Cadillac with Anderson and two other men when they pulled alongside Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight in a black BMW. In a 2008 police interview played for jurors last week, Davis said he provided the gun and Anderson opened fire.

The other men in the Cadillac have since died, limiting eyewitness testimony.

Asked Tuesday who would have been the leader among the four men in the Cadillac, Ladd answered, “Mr. Davis.”

Ladd said that Anderson, a younger-ranking gang member, could not have opened fire with Davis in the car without Davis’ permission. If Davis had told the others to handle the dispute later, Ladd testified, “there wouldn’t have been a shooting.”

Defense attorney Michael Sanft emphasized the lack of physical evidence supporting that theory. Ladd acknowledged that, aside from Davis’ own admissions, he had no physical evidence placing Davis in Las Vegas that night and no phone records showing Davis ordered the shooting.

Law enforcement experts said they collected bills and letters from Las Vegas hotels in Anderson’s and Davis’ residences, but they didn’t know when they were dated, or the current location of that evidence.

Sanft has characterized his client’s accounts as fabricated and accused investigators of failing to corroborate what he has said. During the initial stages of the trial, Sanft said Davis was not previously charged in the case because law enforcement knew that he was “full of crap.”

Other witnesses called by the prosecution included former law enforcement officers, including the first to respond to the scene of the shooting; the man who snapped what is believed to be the last photo of Shakur before the shooting; and a former Mob Piru member who helped Knight with security. Jurors also heard audio of Davis’ previous interviews.

Jonathan Landrum and Jessica Hill of The Associated Press contributed to this report.

People began gathering Tuesday at the star, unveiled in 1984 at 6710 Hollywood Boulevard for the country music icon whose film and TV career flourished in the 1980s with hits like “9 to 5,” shortly after word her death at age 80.

In Memoriam Aug 25

Country music icon Dolly Parton dies at 80

In Memoriam Aug 25

‘There will never be another Dolly': Celebrities react to death of Dolly Parton

Her representatives said she had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

Parton’s star was unveiled in a dual ceremony with actor Sylvester Stallone, who co-starred with Parton in the movie “Rhinestone.” The 1985 musical comedy revolved around a bet that Parton’s character can turn a New York cab driver played by Stallone into a country music star.

One of the notes left at the Walk of Fame star read, “Thank you for loving me and accepting me before I knew how to love myself.”

Another borrowed the title of one of Parton’s award wining songs, “I will always love you Dolly.”

“Thank you, Dolly, Brazil misses you,” another card read, an example of Parton’s far-reaching influence.

“The glow of her being outshone every star,” was written on a piece of paper.

Flowers, candles, nail polish, Duncan Hines Dolly Parton cornbread mix, pink sunglasses and other items also were left at the star.

“I love Dolly,” said Walk of Fame visitor Jennifer Garza. “She means a lot to all of us girlies who really like music, and we write music and we play music and we look a different way. She was always about that.”

Parton earned nearly every major honor a musician could aspire to during her legendary career as singer-songwriter, but her influence spread well beyond country music and into the world of Hollywood films.

Parton, whose death at age 80 was announced Tuesday by her nephew and head of security Bryan Seaver, made her feature film debut with 1980s “9 to 5” and went on to amass a long list of acting credits. Parton, whose song by the same name became a workplace anthem, was already well established as a country music icon when she portrayed Doralee Rhodes in the story of three female employees who find creative and comedic ways to get even with their sexist boss played by Dabney Coleman.

Parton starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the hit film, establishing herself as a pop culture figure with a broader audience. Parton’s song won two Grammy awards, and she was nominated for her first Academy Award (Best Music, Original Song).

Parton also became familiar to TV audiences with roles in variety specials and a long list of TV holiday films. She produced projects through her Sandollar Productions company.

She earned 11 Grammy Awards, a Country Music Hall of Fame induction and a Kennedy Center Honor.

Parton, who played at the Hollywood Bowl in July 2011 and October 2016, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

“Our heart breaks for everyone who was touched by the music, personality, and compassion that Dolly Parton brought to this world,” the Hollywood Bowl said in a statement on social media. “A country-music maverick who welcomed everyone to the fold, a world-class singer who could bring the house down with her voice, a woman of so many talents they could be hard to keep track of—did you know she was an expert banjo player? Sending our love to all those who mourn her loss today.”

She was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2004 for her enrichment of the American cultural heritage.

Parton, whose death at age 80 was announced Tuesday by her nephew and head of security Bryan Seaver, made her feature film debut with 1980s “9 to 5” and went on to amass a long list of acting credits. Parton, whose song by the same name became a workplace anthem, was already well established as a country music icon when she portrayed Doralee Rhodes in the story of three female employees who find creative and comedic ways to get even with their sexist boss played by Dabney Coleman.

In Memoriam Aug 25

Country music icon Dolly Parton dies at 80

In Memoriam Aug 25

‘There will never be another Dolly': Celebrities react to death of Dolly Parton

Parton starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the hit film, establishing herself as a pop culture figure with a broader audience. Parton’s song won two Grammy awards, and she was nominated for her first Academy Award (Best Music, Original Song).

Tomlin shared an X post that included a photo of Parton and the caption, “Friend. Songwriter. The Great Harmonizer of Humanity. Dolly. Dolly. Dolly. Forever Dolly.”

In an Instagram post, Fonda recalled Parton’s gifts and her charity.

“I know that millions are mourning and I want to say this – more than anyone I have ever known, Dolly will always be with us because she was so present, so powerful, so generous and playful that she is woven into all our lives and hearts forever,” Fonda said. “We have our memories of her, her songs, Dollywood, 9 to 5, the millions of books she got into the hands of children, all the iconic images that bring her to us. And they are all blessings. Let’s be grateful for all that she has left us to ease our sadness now.”

Parton, who had a home in West Hollywood, followed “9 to 5” with roles in several other films.

“The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982): Parton played Miss Mona Stangley, the protective proprietor of the “Chicken Ranch” brothel. She starred alongside Burt Reynolds in the musical comedy that earned Parton a second Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. Parton performed her stirring hit “I Will Always Love You” for the movie.

Parton released the song in 1974, and it later became a hit for Whitney Houston in 1992. In a 2021 interview with People magazine, Parton reflected on the song’s lasting success over the decades.

“You never know when you’re writing songs, how they’re going to turn out,” Parton told People in 2021. “But after ‘I Will Always Love You’ became a worldwide thing, it was in the movie ‘The Bodyguard,’ and it was No. 1. I really felt my worth.

“Whitney did such a fantastic job. And I thought, ‘Wow. I wrote that little song.’ That’s when I felt my worth as a songwriter. This is my gift and I’m going to do the best I can with it.”

“Rhinestone” (1984): Parton and Sylvester Stallone shared the screen in a musical comedy involving a bet that Parton’s character can turn a New York cab driver into a country music star. A few lessons later at her Tennessee home and Stallone’s character is on a path toward a dramatic career change.

“Steel Magnolias” (1989): Parton played Truvy Jones, a Louisiana beauty salon owner who shared her wisdom with customers. The comedy-drama about the friendship shared by a group of woman also featured Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine and Julia Roberts.

Field shared a heartfelt Instagram post Monday about her co-star.

“If there are truly angels on earth, then we have just lost one,” Field said. “Dolly Parton. There will never be another. I adored her with all my heart and will always cherish our time together. Forever. Rest in peace beautiful Dolly.”

“Straight Talk” (1992): Parton’s character leaves small town Arkansas life behind for the big city, in this case it’s Chicago, and accidentally becomes a radio talk show host.

“Joyful Noise” (2012): Parton teamed up with Queen Latifah in this feel-good film about a choir that takes a new direction under a new director entering a high-stakes national competition.

Parton also became familiar to TV audiences with roles in variety specials and a long list of TV holiday films. Parton also produced projects through her Sandollar Productions company.

She earned 11 Grammy Awards, a Country Music Hall of Fame induction and a Kennedy Center Honor.

Parton, who played at the Hollywood Bowl in July 2011 and October 2016, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984 and was later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. Parton’s star is located at 6710 Hollywood Boulevard, where flowers will be placed Tuesday afternoon in her memory.

“Today, we will place flowers on the Walk of Fame star of our beloved Dolly Parton with profound sadness and gratitude,” aid Ana Martinez, Hollywood Walk of Fame producer. “Dolly was a once-in-a-lifetime talent whose music, films, generosity, and unmistakable spirit touched millions around the world. Her loss is immeasurable—not only to her family, friends, and fans, but to the entire world. The Hollywood Walk of Fame will forever shine a little brighter because Dolly Parton walked among us.”

She was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2004 for her enrichment of the American cultural heritage.

No cause of death was announced in Seaver’s Instagram post.

Many of the basic facts jurors have learned are not in dispute.

Crime and Courts Aug 21

Jury hears from man who took photo of Tupac Shakur moments before murder

Celebrity News Aug 20

Jury hears Duane Davis' 2008 interview with authorities in Tupac Shakur murder trial

Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight were in Las Vegas to watch a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Just outside, Shakur, Knight and their entourage got into a brawl with Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.

Later that night, Shakur and Knight were in a black BMW at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip, when a white Cadillac with four men inside pulled up beside them and someone opened fire. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later. Knight survived with minor injuries.

Years later, Davis would say he procured the gun and his nephew fired the shots. Davis’ lawyers have disputed the statements and fought unsuccessfully to get them excluded. The other men in the Cadillace have since died, limiting eyewitness testimony.

The dispute had its roots in the long-running feud between the Mob Piru Bloods, a gang Knight and Shakur were affiliated with, and the South Side Compton Crips, for whom Davis was a prominent leader.

A jury of six men and 10 women — four are alternates — will decide whether Davis, 63, is guilty of one count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could get life in prison.

Here’s a closer look at the first week of the trial that is expected to last about a month.

Is Keffe D admitting old truths or as his lawyer says, ‘full of crap’?

A prosecutor said in his opening statement that Davis’ own words — in interviews with police, podcasters and filmmakers — would prove he orchestrated the killing.

“Let’s be clear, Duane Davis did not pull the trigger. But he did plan the shooting in retaliation of the beating of his nephew,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told jurors. “Remarkably, you will learn that from Duane Davis himself.”

“Now, 30 years later, we’re going to ask you to finally hold Duane Davis accountable,” Palal said.

Davis’ defense attorney Michael Sanft took the unusual approach of telling jurors his client’s words were all bloviating and braggadocio, and did not represent the truth.

“What they are telling you, they are representing as fact, when it’s really fiction,” said Sanft. He said Davis wasn’t previously charged because law enforcement knew that he was “full of crap.”

Who are the witnesses and what have they said about the 1996 shooting?

Seventeen witnesses testified through the first five days, a little under half the number prosecutors said they plan to call at the trial.

They included a police officer, Garry Dale, who first responded to the scene, jumped into the ambulance with Shakur and asked him who shot him. “We’ll take care of it,” was Dale’s best memory of what Shakur said.

Brent Becker, a homicide detective from the initial investigation, said that despite being able to get probable identification on the men in the Cadillac from confidential informants, it was of little use because no witnesses would say anything solid on the record.

That included Knight. “I thought he lied to us,” Becker said.

Some of the case’s most compelling witnesses — formerly gang-affiliated men who testified unwillingly under court order — essentially refused to help the prosecution that summoned them, but provided drama and humor that was absent from the more sterile official testimony.

They included James McDonald, a former Mob Piru member who helped Knight with security.

“I’m aware of a lot of things,” McDonald said on the stand, “things that was going on, people ain’t talked about them in 30 years. Today ain’t one of them.”

He directly addressed the defendant. “What you’re going through, brother, is what you’re going through,” McDonald said, adding “I didn’t want to be a part of it.”

Knight is on the prosecution’s witness list, but will likely take a similar approach should he be called. He’s in prison serving a 28-year sentence for an unrelated killing in California.

Leonard Jefferson, who took the last known photo of Shakur, also took the stand. Police developed Jefferson’s film and returned the photo negatives days after Shakur died.

In the frame, Shakur looks directly at the camera while Knight stares ahead, his hand on the steering wheel.

“The picture just took on a life of its own,” Jefferson told The Associated Press.

Jurors hear Keffe D’s damning statements

Decades of interviews starting from the late 1990s were played for jurors.

Key was a 2008 interview with law enforcement looking into the 1997 killing of the Notorious B.I.G., Shakur’s rap archrival. Davis had briefly been a suspect in that shooting, but one detective testified that “everyone was a suspect” in that case at one point or another.

Davis shifted the conversation to the Shakur shooting, and admitted his involvement from the passenger side of the Cadillac.

“If we would have been on my side, I would have blasted,” Davis said. Instead, Knight’s car was on the other side, so Davis passed his gun back to the guys in the backseat, he said.

Davis said his nephew took the weapon and started firing.

Several people in the audience shook their heads when they heard detectives tell Davis that the interview would not be used against him. But authorities argue he negated that agreement when, years later, he spoke publicly about the shooting.

Davis, with bald head and gray goatee, sat stoically through most of the testimony, wearing a suit and tie. He occasionally whispered and exchanged fist bumps with his lawyer.

And he spoke to the judge on Friday, saying his family’s safety is at risk because witnesses for the prosecution have shared his home address. “They keep giving out my address,” he said. “They broke into my house, vandalized my house, vandalized my wife’s car.”

“I’m not upset I’m being prosecuted,” Davis said, but “you’re endangering my family’s life.”

Free El Segundo Art Walk: Gallery showings, pop-up live painting events, food trucks, and rocking tunes played before your ears and eyes? That sounds like an outing that has plenty of creative spirit and summer flair. El Segundo has become known for its terrific art walks, and the Aug. 22 event has lots of live music, places to stop by to soak in artworks and conversation and other delightful draws. Entry? It’s totally complimentary.

Nisei Week’s beloved Ondo Street Dancing: Little Tokyo’s ebullient August tradition is coming to a celebratory close, with an event beloved by many adding extra joy to the festivity’s final day. It’s Ondo Street Dancing, beginning at 4 o’clock on Aug. 23. Find a spot along 1st Street in the heart of Little Tokyo, but keep in mind other doings will flower all weekend long. A Plaza Festival at the JACCC Plaza on Aug. 22 also has performances, vendors, and family activities.

Free Los Angeles Kids Book Festival: Author readings, storytime sessions, cute characters, and an energetic Foam Party to close the proceedings are the happy hallmarks of this literary gathering, which will up the whimsy at West Hollywood Park on Aug. 23. No ticket is required but do let the event’s organizers know you’ll be there by registering in advance. Over 100 vendors are expected, as are all sorts of memorable moments created for youngsters.

VinylCon! That one album, the record you obsessed over but loaned to a friend or sibling and then whooosh, it vamoosed into the ether? It may still be out there, at a big sale like the one adding spirit and sound to the California Market Center Aug. 22 and 23. Even if you can’t locate the album you’ve had in the back of your brain forever, count on thousands of other vinyl wonders to grace the happening, which will feature all sorts of record buffs, dealers, and vendors. Tickets are available on the site.

The pop superstar has been nominated in every decade of her musical career. She has 19 competitive MTV VMA wins and in 1986 became the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award.

She is up for 11 awards at this year’s ceremony, including video, artist and song of the year as well as best collaboration, dance, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.

If she were to sweep, she’d tie Beyoncé and Taylor Swift for the title of most-awarded musician in VMA history. They have 30 each. (Eminem is the male artist with the most VMAs, with 15.)

Speaking of Swift: She follows Madonna with the second-most nominations, with nine. If she takes home even one award, she will become the most-awarded artist in VMA history.

Swift is up for video and artist of the year as well as best pop, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.

Madonna and Swift are followed by Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter with seven nods to their name as well as Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with five. Blackpink’s LISA has four and Shakira, Tate McRae, GENER8ION and Yung Lean are tied for three.

Rounding out the artist of the year category nominees are Grande, Mars, Carpenter and Morgan Wallen, in addition to Madonna and Swift.

The top prize of the night, video of the year, sees Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” compete against Madonna’s “Confessions II — The Film,” Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” Mars’ “I Just Might,” Carpenter’s “Tear” and GENER8ION’s “Storm” starring Yung Lean.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Taylor Swift Aug 18

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's wedding bands analyzed by a jewelry pro

Taylor Swift Aug 12

Travis Kelce makes first public comments after Taylor Swift wedding: ‘The best night of my life'

Celebrity News Jul 31

Jason Kelce spills details on Travis and Taylor Swift's wedding, including his favorite moment

The two-hour show will broadcast live on CBS on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and 4:30 p.m. Pacific, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It will also simulcast on MTV and be available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

The show will become available to stream globally the next day on Paramount+ and MTV.

CBS is home to a number of award shows, including the Tony Awards and the American Music Awards. It has aired the Grammys since 1973, though that show will head to ABC in 2027.

This year’s Video Music Awards features 26 first-time nominees, which include GENER8ION and Yung Lean (with their aforementioned three nods, for their “Storm” collaboration) and the K-pop boy band CORTIS and viral “Boston” singer Stella Lefty with two each. Other notable first-time nominees include Don Toliver, Kali Uchis, Noah Kahan, Olivia Dean, Tucker Wetmore and Sienna Spiro.

The best dance category has returned for the first time in seven years. Nominees include McRae’s “Nobody’s Girl,” Bebe Rexha and Faithless’ “New Religion,” Harry Styles’ “Aperture,” Lady Gaga and Doechii’s “Runway,” Madonna’s “Confessions II — The Film,” PinkPantheress’ “Stateside” with Larsson and Slayyyter’s “Dance …”

Fan voting began online Tuesday across 13 categories and ends Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. Eastern and 3 p.m. Pacific.

Voting in the best new artist category will remain active during the show.

___

An earlier version of this story had an incorrect spelling of Lady Gaga and Doechii’s song “Runway.”

Beard was in hospice care when he died Tuesday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members at his side, according to publicist Bob Merlis. Band co-founder and guitarist Billy Gibbons, on tour with bassist Elwood Francis, hailed Beard in a statement.

“Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished,” Gibbons said.

ZZ Top sold more than 50 million records and had six singles that reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. Seven of their albums have been in the Billboard 200’s Top 10 and they earned three Grammy Award nominations.

“I’ve found the people I was meant to play with,” Beard says in the 2019 documentary “ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas.” “I never wanted to quit, and never wanted to get fired.”

How the band came together

Beard, from Frankston, Texas, met Gibbons in a band called The Moving Sidewalks and later introduced bassist and vocalist Dusty Hill, who had been in several bands with Beard.

The trio formed ZZ Top in 1969, naming themselves in part after blues singer Z.Z. Hill and influenced by the British power trio Cream and Jimmy Reed. They maintained their original lineup for more than five decades. Their signature look — long, bushy beards on Gibbons and Hill, and dark sunglasses for all — didn’t change much, either.

When Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards helped induct the trio into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, he joked: “These cats know their blues and they know how to dress it up. When I first saw them, I thought, ‘I hope these guys are not on the run, because that disguise is not going to work.’”

ZZ Top songs — with their sly and humorous lyrics — were popular in Hollywood, which used “Gimme All Your Lovin’” in “Happy Feet,” “Sharp Dressed Man” in “Evan Almighty,” “Legs” in “Air,” “Sleeping Bag” in “I, Tonya,” “Tush” in “Dazed and Confused,” “Mexican Blackbird” in “From Dusk Till Dawn” and “La Grange” in “Armageddon.”

“The best way to describe ZZ Top is we’re interpreters of a great American art form,” Gibbons told The Dallas Morning News.

Their debut release, “ZZ Top’s First Album,” came out in 1970. Their sound was described as a hybrid mixing elements of rock, blues and funk into a steaming-hot Houston stew. They called themselves a “Little Ol’ Band From Texas.”

Breaking through

Three years later, they broke through commercially with “La Grange,” a funky blues song on the album “Tres Hombres” that paid tribute to the Chicken Ranch, a brothel outside of the Texas town of La Grange that operated from 1905 until 1973 and was immortalized in the Broadway show and the film, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Gibbons has ascribed the power of “La Grange” to its simplicity — just two chords and a Robert Johnson-inspired guitar solo.

The band went on to have such hits as “Tush” and “Cheap Sunglasses.” But their 1983 “Eliminator” — named after one of Gibbons’ custom cars — added more production elements, synthesizers and drum machines to their stripped-down sound and yielded the hits “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Legs,” and “Sharp-Dressed Man.” The band toured with a Texas-shaped stage, live rattlesnakes and a longhorn steer.

Long beards weren’t always part of the band’s look. Gibbons said it happened by accident: In 1976, the trio took a long break and scattered. Beard went to Jamaica, Hill went to Mexico and Gibbons went to France.

“Although we were speaking by phone, this was pre-video phone. And Dusty and I did not know that we had gotten so lazy that we had decided to forget to shave,” Gibbons told The Tribune in San Luis Obispo in 2010. “So after three years we returned and showed up, and lo and behold, here was this sort of wacky-looking image. And it just kind of stuck with us.”

A boost from MTV

The band’s rock-chic cool played well on the nascent MTV crowd and their videos, featuring models in short skirts emerging from one of Gibbons’ custom roadsters, became a mainstay.

They kept the beards, hats and cheap sunglasses in the video trilogy of “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs,” made with director Tim Newman.

“ZZ Top reveled in the humor and ridiculousness of it all, busting their synchronized dance moves and spinning their white-fur guitars. These guys always got the joke, at a time when other bands were still just nervously lip-syncing in front of brick walls,” Rolling Stone said in 2021.

In 2012, superstar producer Rick Rubin helped update the trio’s sound with the band’s comeback album, “La Futura.” The album landed at No. 6 on the Billboard chart, its highest position since 1990’s “Recycler,” some 22 years previously.

Hill died in 2021.

In March 2025, the band announced via Instagram that Beard would temporarily step away from the band’s tour to tend to foot and ankle problems. Beard died weeks after ZZ Top called off its Aug. 5 concert at the Hollywood Bowl due to his health issues.

Beard is survived by his wife, Debbie Meredith, and three children.

Side 1, side 2, the hidden song at the end of side 2, the quirky font of the liner notes, the band’s heartfelt thank yous and shout-outs printed on the back, the hard-to-find Easter eggs hidden within the inside photo… an album is a feast for the mind, an art-strong experience, and a path for making memories, one riff at a time.

Even if you’ve picked up a record that is outside of your favorite genre, you’re likely on some sort of life-enhancing, mind-growing journey.

But first step of that joyful trip into the soundful soul is immersing yourself in a host of albums, from a lengthy run of decades, with dozens of record-knowing pros on-hand to answer questions and offer creative guidance.

VinylCon! has those pros and an array of albums, all to give record mavens the chance to dip into different aural universes, and musical stories, again and again.

The weekend-long event is back at the California Market Center on Aug. 22 and 23 and tickets are available for purchase.

The sizable venue map tells the expansive tale: There are a bevy of record stores and vinyl outfits set to attend, with dealers hailing from all over. SloLow Records from Albuquerque, Sundae Soul of Oakland, and San Diego’s Strictly Retro will be there, along with a bevy of places from around Los Angeles and neighboring Southern California communities.

It’s a “music collector’s daydream come to life,” an event that will also highlight “music memorabilia and ephemera” beyond traditional vinyl.

But if you are seeking a new-to-you album, or two, or lots more, the genres will be well-covered: New wave will be for sale, and blues, and disco, too, and all sorts of subs and alts and everything-you-can-dream-ofs.

DJs, too, will perform throughout both days, to keep the flow and groove feeling especially robust.

Late August is always a portal to a new stretch of time, with fall, the start of school, and (sort of) cooler temps ahead. Perhaps a new album, or artist, will suit the mood of this particular era, giving you a novel soundtrack that will always remind you of this specific corner of your life.

We’re ready to fall into some lively liner notes, some clever interior photos, and a hidden track on side 2. VinylCon!, one of the biggest album-ramas of the calendar, can help us revel in all sorts of records, both known and new.

Deijae Devon Jester, 21, was convicted as a juvenile in the Brooklyn-born rapper’s February 2020 shooting death. Jester, 15 at the time, admitted a first-degree murder charge in 2023 stemming from the killing of Pop Smoke, whose real name was Bashar Jackson, an an allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm during the crime. He also admitted a home-invasion robbery count.

Hollywood Hills Apr 7, 2023

Man Pleads Guilty in Killing of Rapper Pop Smoke During Robbery at Rented Hollywood Hills Mansion

Hollywood Hills Feb 19, 2020

Rising Rapper Pop Smoke Killed in Shooting at a Hollywood Hills Home

The Sylmar resident pleaded no contest in June to one felony count each of possession for sale of a controlled substance, bringing contraband into a jail and bringing or sending contraband into a juvenile hall or camp. He was sentenced Thursday to four years in county jail for the drug offense.

Jester’s mother, Nickia Tyonia Randall, is also facing the same charges for allegedly attempting to pass two latex balls to her son that contained fentanyl pills while visiting him Dec. 14, 2025 at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, according to the District Attorney’s Office. One of the balls was recovered and contained 25 fentanyl pills, authorities said.

“Deijae Jester committed a devastating crime when he took the life of Pop Smoke. Because he was a juvenile, the law afforded him an opportunity for redemption. Instead of embracing that opportunity, he chose to traffic one of the deadliest drugs imaginable from inside a juvenile detention facility,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “He was given the chance at rehabilitation by serving seven years in a juvenile hall but he chose to smuggle in fentanyl. Now he faces multiple years in county jail. If you continue to commit serious crimes after being given a second chance, this office will hold you fully accountable. I hope others take notice before making the same destructive choices.”

The 20-year-old rapper was killed on Feb. 19, 2020 at a rented home where he was staying while on a four-day trip to Los Angeles. The robbers knew the address because a day earlier, Jackson had posted a photograph on social media of a gift bag he had received and the address was on a label, authorities said.

The attackers stole Jackson’s diamond-studded Rolex watch and sold it for $2,000, a detective testified.

Pop Smoke arrived on the rap scene in 2018 and broke out with “Welcome to the Party” a gangsta anthem with boasts about shootings, killings and drugs that became a huge sensation, and prompted Nicki Minaj to drop a verse on a remix.

He had several other hits, including the album “Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon,” which was released posthumously.

The event brought musicians like popular girl groups Katseye and XG, among other performers like Dabin.kr, Rich Brian, and Be:First to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, while also partnering with an American nonprofit to make music education accessible to young people.

Music Will is the largest nonprofit music program in American public schools. It aims to make music education accessible for all students, regardless of their background or financial status. The nonprofit reaches more than one million students annually and gives these students opportunities to perform on large stages in front of thousands by partnering with different music festivals, such as Head in the Clouds.

At Saturday’s festival, the nonprofit partnered with Toyota to host a special stage for students from John Marshall High School in Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood.

The high schoolers were given the opportunity to perform with Korean American rapper, Dankadan, on their Toyota Den Stage. Music Will’s Chief Growth Officer, Janice Polizzoto has seen firsthand how students manage to find community within their programs. 

“I truly believe that all kids should have access to arts and music in their academic career. What we hear from kids when we go into classrooms and visit — it’s how much music means to them. Music is a really great source to support their social, emotional learning in addition to their creative self-expression. Being in our program whether they’re in a classroom band or form their own band, kids get a sense of belonging. When they are in music and they play with their classmate, they find their tribe,” Polizzoto said.

Both Music Will and Head in the Clouds seek to provide young musicians with access, opportunity, and a moment to shine. That spirit of opportunity and community is what made Head in the Clouds a fitting stage for Be:First as they grow their presence globally. 

Japanese band Be:First aims to represent their home country in U.S. performance

Be:First is a six-member Japanese group that blends pop, hip-hop, and R&B, making them one of Japan’s most successful contemporary music acts. Formed in 2021 through the audition program The First, created by producer and rapper SKY-HI, the group consists of Sota, Shunto, Manato, Ryuhei, Junon, and Leo. Since their debut, they have earned multiple chart-topping hits in Japan and expanded their global reach by collaborating with artists including ATEEZ, Janet Jackson, and, most recently, Flo Milli and ALT Jacob.

Following their first world tour in 2025, Be:First continued their international expansion with an appearance at Head in the Clouds, one of the world’s largest festivals dedicated to Asian and Asian diaspora artists. The festival has become an important platform for showcasing Asian talent to global audiences, making it a fitting stage for the group’s growing presence.

Their Head in the Clouds performance was the group’s first ever show in the U.S.

Following their performance, NBC San Diego caught up with Be:First to talk about taking the festival stage, connecting with fans around the world, and what’s next for the group.

“We want to do something unprecedented as Japanese artists. We want to introduce people around the world to the greatness of Japanese music and Japanese culture. We hope to share what makes J-pop special with audiences who may not have experienced it before. Above all, we want to teach ‘Bestie’ fans, as Japanese people who haven’t seen anything like this before, the greatness of music and culture of J-Pop itself,” the group told NBC San Diego.

“Head in the Clouds brings together so many incredible artists with Asian roots,” they said.

“We hope more Asian artists and Asian music can continue to reach audiences around the world,” the group said.

“Our international EP ‘WATCH ME’ will be released on Sept.18, and we’ll be promoting it through our world showcase tour. We hope people around the world listen to the songs and connect with the project. Most importantly, we hope everyone stays healthy and that we can successfully complete the showcase together,” they said.

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KCON LA 2026 with Olive Young Festa: Follow the Korean Wave to the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena for three days of energetic K-Pop performances, so much art, and the huge Olive Young Festa, a “K-Beauty Playground Festival” with dozens of brands set to appear. The dates are Aug. 14 through 16 and tickets are available via the site.

D23: The Ultimate Fan Event 2026: The magical convention unfurls from Aug. 14 through 16, with major announcements, star appearances, and fan-focused gatherings in tow. The schedule includes a celebration of “Enchanted” in honor of its 20th anniversary, a milestone ode to “Zootopia” (it is turning 10), and Spider-Man celebration, a tribute to the icon’s big 65th. Cosplay is always a central part, so don your “Toy Story” togs or Marvel wear and fly for the Anaheim Convention Center.

Free Day at the Academy Museum: Perhaps you’ve cinema’d-out this summer, stopping by your local theater each weekend to savor the latest blockbuster or indie fare. Or maybe you’ve been meaning to love upon the movies more. Here’s a cinematic start: Stop by the mid-city museum on Aug. 16, no ticket required, to soak up exhibits like “Ponyo” and sweet activities, no admission required.

Free KCRW Summer Nights with Metro Art: More pay-nothing revelries are shimmering on the weekend schedule, including this DJ-filled night at Union Station. The evening is Aug. 15, food will be for sale, and the magnificent Ticket Concourse space will up the glamour. And if you’re downtown on Aug. 14, near the Music Center? Dance DTLA is coming to a seasonal close, with a night devoted to vibrant Bollywood moves. This is also so free, with dance lessons included.

Pooches in the Pool: The splashiest season is quickly drawing to a drenching close — you might even say it is drying up — but the team at the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation has some fun for your Fido on Aug. 15. Five pools in the system will open up to dogs who want to take a cooling dip before the draining and cleaning begins. You’ll need to fill out and arrive with a form about your pup’s vaccinations and such; also, do note that little dogs will paddle before the big dogs get their chance.

2026 Wings Over Camarillo Air Show: The long-running on-the-wing spectacular is honoring an icon of the skies during its Aug. 15 and 16. “Celebrating 90 Years of the DC-3 Mainliner — A Legend That Changed the Skies” is the flight-festive focus of the weekend-long happening, which will also feature a Classic Car Show and Veterans Hangar. Patrick Warburton is the Grand Marshal of the event, which has become famous for its up-high “thrilling performances” by both vintage and contemporary planes.

The headliners, announced Thursday, are a fitting choice. The annual gathering in New York’s Central Park rallies attendees to pressure world leaders to fund a range of antipoverty initiatives at the end of the United Nations General Assembly ‘s yearly high-level meetings. Joining them on Sept. 26 are rocker Lenny Kravitz, R&B-pop singer John Legend, country music star Lainey Wilson, chart-topping Grammy winner Shaboozey and K-pop group TOMORROW X TOGETHER.

The two Fugees are fresh off several performances marking the 30th anniversary of their landmark album, “The Score.” They were in London, where Hill also brought her music festival celebrating the sounds of the African diaspora, and Rio de Janeiro, where they closed out Global Citizen’s weeklong climate programming.

It’s also the first festival since Global Citizen produced the World Cup’s first halftime show. That collaboration helped raise more than $60 million for the education fund launched with FIFA. Global Citizen co-founder Hugh Evans hopes to leverage next month’s gathering to shore up some outstanding commitments.

Festivalgoers gain entry by taking actions such as petitioning countries to dip into their international development budgets. This year’s priorities include mobilizing $100 million to provide 2 million children with access to education, nutritious food and healthcare; gathering $100 million to improve food security for 1.5 million smallholder farmers; and moving $1.5 billion to expand clean energy in the Indo-Pacific region.

The countries facing asks this year include Spain, Norway, Ireland, Kenya, Japan, Denmark and Australia. Evans specifically called on France to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, Gavi, Education Cannot Wait, or any of their other education partners. “Macron will often talk a lot about their leadership on issues of education,” Evans said of the French president. “But I think, when the rubber hits the road, are they actually stepping up?”

One country that isn’t on the list? The United States. Once the world’s single largest aid donor, the U.S. now provides for Evans “an example of a country that should be a leader on the global stage that is such an incredible laggard at this point.” The U.S. wasn’t worth targeting, according to Evans, given that the administration “butchered its entire foreign aid budget” and “dismantled the entire apparatus” of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Still, while acknowledging a “world of shrinking foreign aid,” Evans expressed optimism that the pendulum will shift.

“I believe that the future belongs to political leaders who are willing to understand the nuance of how power works,” Evans said. “Power doesn’t have to be a negative thing. It can be a very positive thing if you’re wielding it for good. As Spider-Man taught us: with great power comes great responsibility.”

This year’s festival offers a new way for people to gain admission. Fans can still enter the free ticket lottery by completing calls to action on the Global Citizen app. But they can also get automatic entry by making a $25 charitable donation. The funds raised will go toward New York’s City Parks Foundation and organizations that serve those experiencing homelessness.

Evans hopes that artists such as Wilson and Shaboozey, both country music acts, can bring a new audience to his movement. He noted that Wilson, who expressed interest in the festival’s support of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, comes from a family of farmers.

“It’s been quite some time I’d say since we had this level of a country presence in our lineup,” Evans said. “So, I’m super excited about that. I’m hoping that the fans are, too.”

Stewart canceled his Tuesday night performance at Rocket Arena in Cleveland shortly after postponing his Sunday concert in Cincinnati at Riverbend Music Center. The latter venue said at the time that it was due “to an unforeseen but minor medical procedure that required prompt attention.”

Stewart also canceled a few dates earlier this year, including two in Las Vegas and one in San Diego.

“Following further medical evaluation, Sir Rod Stewart has successfully undergone a routine coronary stent procedure. Doctors are pleased with his recovery, and Rod is doing very well and has returned to his normal daily activities,” a statement from his publicist read. “On the advice of his doctors, he will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage. Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates.”

It added that “information regarding affected performances will be communicated by the respective promoters and venues.”

Stewart, 81, was scheduled to appear through Sept. 3 in North America, including his six-night residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and a few dates in Mexico.

“I’m already feeling better and very much on the mend. I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me,” Stewart said in the statement. “I’m deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again soon.”

The Grammy Award-winning Stewart, whose signature rasp made him a rock ‘n’ roll legend, has sold millions of records across his career’s many decades. Perhaps best known for hits like “Maggie May” and “Tonight’s the Night,” he has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice.

The joyful call to action — “All Things K in One Place!” — is sounded each August when KCON LA returns to Southern California with major K-Pop music stars, acclaimed Korean beauty brands, and a huge caboodle of shopping, cultural, and foodie offerings.

And “huge” we do definitely mean: The three-day expo will festively fill out the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena from Aug. 14 through 16, with vibrant live shows serving as major and majorly energetic draws.

Some of the performers on the 2026 line-up include Rescene, Yeonjun, Anderson .Paak, and Modyssey; find the full roster of artists set to take the stage on this page.

But a host of Hallyu hallmarks, from music to art to fashion and beyond, will provide fans a dynamic immersive experience, bringing some of the celebrated sights and sounds of the Korean Wave to Downtown Los Angeles.

“Through KCON, we invite you to explore K-POP, K-Beauty, K-Food band and beyond,” is the organizers’ enticing promise on the event site.

The offerings include big concerts as well as several other events, including “… engaging panels, contents/programs overflowing with innovative products.”

“KCON-exclusive programs” are on the bustling schedule, and “… of course our artist engagements — your chance to meet and even hi-wave with your favorite K-Pop stars!”

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Olive Young, the iconic South Korean beauty brand, will also have a powerful presence at the celebration, and many of the fans who’ve been thrilled about the two recent openings of Olive Young stores in Southern California will be in attendance.

“Designed as ‘The K-Beauty Playground Festival,’ the immersive event brings together 55 Korean beauty and lifestyle brands, interactive activations, personalized beauty services, and the latest K-beauty innovations — all in one destination,” shared the company.

For everything cool and K, as well as how to enjoy the live shows and the large vendor area, stop by the KCON LA site now before heading downtown over the middle weekend of August.

“Music is such a wonderful way for people to bond, for parents to bond. I know from the minute my kids were born, we’re singing to them,” Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, said.

Ms. Rachel launched her mega popular YouTube channel in 2019 with her husband, known online as Mr. Aron.

“I am a music educator, so I get excited about kids hearing a real clarinet on ‘Icky Sticky Bubble Gum’ and kids getting excited about hearing more real instruments,” said Ms. Rachel.

But that isn’t the only education they’ll get from the album. A song like “I Could Be Your Friend” gives kids a script for bolstering their social skills. “We’re always thinking about all kinds of kids, whether they have disabilities, whether they’re autistic,” she said. “We just want the world to feel like it’s helpful to all children and the musical worlds as well.”

The songs aren’t limited by genre, either. Take the single “I Love a Rainbow” as an example: It’s a big bossa nova number. Their take on the classic “Old McDonald” leans bluegrass.

“Music is at the heart of our show,” added Aron Accurso. “And so, we’ve always wanted to release the music and have families experience the music away from the screen.”

Big arrangements and simple songs

“I’m So Happy” was co-produced by Aron Accurso and Grammy winner Scott Riesett and principally arranged by Mr. Aron as well. Aron Accurso reimagined a number of Ms. Rachel’s fan favorite songs and childhood classics with a team of 19 vocalists and 42 instrumentalists.

“It’s songs that people know from the show, but we decided to expand them and elevate them with new arrangements and reproducing them,” Aron Accurso explained. “It was a process of, you know, looking at them and saying, ‘OK, what else can we do to this to make it sparkle more? What can we add to it? What does it need to be on the album?’”

He says they most hope that the album will inspire “living room dance parties, because that’s what we love with our children,” he said. “We love to put on an album and dance around.”

An album next to advocacy

Ms. Rachel has made headlines over the last few years for using her social media platforms to advocate for global humanitarian crises, with particular attention given to the plight of children in Gaza and those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most recently, she shared comments about the mysterious death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells in Mississippi, a case shadowed by the state’s fraught racial history and lingering distrust in law enforcement.

“We know the investigation and everything that followed would have been different if Nolan Wells were white and his friends were black. Nolan and his family deserve justice,” she wrote on Instagram.

Ms. Rachel says she knows her album may bring attention to her advocacy and vice versa. “I view myself as an advocate for children’s rights so anytime they’re being violated by anyone anywhere, I want to be speaking out,” she said. “I want families to be happy and safe and healthy, and I think that’s a wonderful thing. So, if it’s brought up with the album, that’s great.”

‘I’m So Happy’ Tracklist

1. “I’m So Happy” 2. “I Love a Rainbow” 3. “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” 4. “Phonics” 5. “Hop Little Bunnies” 6. “Caterpillar” 7. “Up and Down” 8. “Bubble Pop” 9. “Walkin’ at the Zoo” 10. “Open Shut Them” 11. “I Could Be Your Friend” 12. “I Listen to My Body” 13. “The Wheels on the Bus” 14. “Dino Play” 15. “Pop Those Bubbles” 16. “Old MacDonald” 17. “If You Should Meet an Elephant” 18. “Counting to 20!” 19. “B-I-N-G-O” 20. “Lobby Loo” 21. “Big Feelings” 22. “Together” 23. “I Love You to the Moon”

Fans have been doing double takes for days after footage from a recent “The R&B Tour” concert has convinced many of them that the man performing on stage was a fake.

Sunnya Sultan, who saw the tour in person Aug. 7 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, shared a TikTok video questioning if the 47-year-old “Yeah” singer was truly the one dancing in front of her.

The performer wears a white with lime green and pink ensemble, ball cap and sunglasses as he sings and dances.

Sultan tells TODAY.com she believes she did see Usher perform. She’s also convinced an Usher look-alike also took the stage during a portion of the show.

“Usher came out. The real Usher came out but then he sang like half a song, maybe for like 40 seconds,” Sultan recalls. “Then he goes into this darkness and he comes out, and as he’s walking, I think everyone really thought that was Usher.”

“But as the first song finishes, I think everyone started getting confused because the way he was moving wasn’t really Usher,” she continues.

When she looked closely, she believed something was off about the Usher who now appeared onstage. She noted that his jawline that was “a little too chiseled” and the performer “seemed a little too stiff.”

Also, he was dressed differently. The “real” Usher, she says, came out shirtless and wearing a fur coat.

The Usher who later performed in front of her, she adds, was “fully covered,” as seen in her TikTok video.

“Everything was just kind of weird,” Sultan says. “He looked like him, and then at certain angles he definitely did not look like him.”

Sultan said concertgoers all around her were suspicious.

Usher addressed the rumors in a video posted on the tour’s official Instagram Aug. 9.

“Usure? Wesure,” reads the caption.

The video showed Usher performing onstage in the same white ensemble. It also included screenshots of Usher replying to comments made about the alleged imposter.

“Ya’ll are funny…clone? They can’t clone this??” the singer wrote alongside a laughing emoji.

“How ya’ll come up with this? AI ain’t that advanced,” he added along with more laughing emoji.

Liz Calvario contributed.

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The band issued a statement on Weverse, announcing that Laforteza will be “temporarily unable to participate in upcoming promotional activities” and noting that it’s “imperative that her mental health and wellness are prioritized.”

“Sophia has been receiving the utmost support, and following thorough consultations with medical professionals, it has been advised that she take dedicated time for extended rest and ongoing care to ensure a full recovery,” the statement read. “While Sophia herself is eager to perform alongside her members, the health, safety, and long-term well-being of our artists will always remain our highest priority.”

The statement continued, explaining that the band will “closely monitor (Sophia’s) progress and support her journey.”

“We plan to reassess her condition in September and will share a further update with fans at that time,” the statement read.

Laforteza addressed her fans directly in her own Instagram storypost.

“It truly breaks my heart to have to miss out on a lot. You know how much I love being on stage, performing, and sharing these moments with you,” she wrote. “Making this decision wasn’t easy, but I’m learning that health has to come first. I’m realizing that if I don’t take care of my mind and body now, I won’t be able to keep doing what I love the most for so long.”

The 23-year-old thanked her fans for being “patient” and “understanding.”

“It means more to me than I could ever say. I promise I’m going to work as hard as I can to get through this, heal properly, and come back stronger,” she wrote.

The singer ended her post by urging her fans to “be kind” and give KATSEYE “all your love and support.”

Laforteza did not attend the premiere of the “KATSEYE: Wild Hearts” documentary on Aug. 5. While addressing her bandmate’s absence, Lara Raj told Variety, “She’s not feeling well, but she says hi.”

Another member of KATSEYE, Manon Bannerman, revealed in February that she would be taking a temporary hiatus to “focus on her health and wellbeing,” per Variety.

“KATSEYE remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us. The group will continue scheduled activities during this time, and we look forward to being together again when the time is right,” the band’s statement read.

The group is scheduled to perform live on the TODAY Plaza on Aug. 14 as part of the Citi Concert Series.

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On Friday, festival founder and CEO Martin Ludlow announced the festival would be postponed until 2027.

“Due to significant, unanticipated last-minute public safety and municipal costs associated with the final permitting of the On The Beach Festival, we have reached the decision to unfortunately postpone this year’s inaugural LA Jazz Festival,” Ludlow said in a statement. “Although this decision was an extremely difficult one to reach, our commitment to the audiences and artists participating in the festival is to have a first-class experience worthy of the great legacy of Jazz and our great city.”

Ludlow said organizers were encouraged by the response from performers, fans and sponsors and remained committed to staging the festival in 2027.

“We are so grateful to all the artists — from our headliners to our musicians in the parks, many of whom went above and beyond to make this affordable to the community,” Ludlow said. “All current ticket holders for LA Jazz Festival events will be refunded in full within 30 days. We apologize deeply for this situation and vow to make this right over time.”

The festival had advertised performances by John Legend, Janelle Monáe, Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, Charlie Wilson, Raphael Saadiq, Original Koffee, Terrace Martin, Poncho Sanchez, Joey Alexander, Big Freedia and other artists during events scheduled throughout August, including the Aug. 22-23 Dockweiler Beach concerts.

Festival organizers initially canceled only the opening events before confirming Friday that the entire inaugural festival would be postponed until 2027.

Festival organizers announced an updated schedule July 31 that consolidated programming around the event’s marquee “Jazz on the Beach” concerts set for Aug. 22-23 at Dockweiler Beach.

Ludlow said in a July 31 announcement that organizers were consolidating several festival activities leading up to the Dockweiler Beach concerts.

“The energy and anticipation that has been building for this inaugural LA Jazz Festival has been beyond exciting,” Ludlow said when announcing the revised schedule. “With the goal of making every facet of the festival the ultimate fan experience, we are consolidating several of our activities leading up to our crown jewel event, the Jazz on the Beach concert weekend.”

Festival organizers had billed the inaugural event as a landmark cultural celebration they hoped would become one of the world’s largest international jazz festivals. The festival was promoted as a tourism and economic development initiative designed to celebrate jazz while supporting minority- and women-owned businesses.

The band was scheduled to perform an 8 p.m. show with special guest Cheap Trick.

“ZZ Top’s Aug 5 show at the Hollywood Bowl has been cancelled,” the band said on social media. “Refunds are available at the original point of purchase. We thank you all for your understanding!”

More details were not immediately available.

Tickets, including transportation and parking passes, will automatically be refunded, according to the Hollywood Bowl.

ZZ Top’s “The Big One” tour is scheduled for upcoming stops Friday in Fresno and this weekend in Saratoga and Modesto.

When August arrives, a month, by the way, that is still totally and fully summer, the countdowns rev up.

We’re learning how many days, nights, and hours are left to the season, how long it will be before the sun starts to set before 8 p.m., and all of the reasons why autumn is practically at the doorstep.

Fall, we love you, but summer shimmer is still our festive focus, and finding it for free is our glad-hearted goal.

Once again, Metro Art, that cultural powerhouse that brings so much goodness to Union Station, and KCRW, another potent powerhouse brimming with beautiful music-making, is going to deliver on the “free” and “let’s celebrate summer” front.

The night it is happening? Saturday, Aug. 15, smack dab in the middle of the last full month of summer, and the place? The legendary, high-ceiling’d, ultra-photographable Ticket Concourse, a movie star in its own right (yep, that’s where the 93rd Oscars were just over five years ago, along with other spots around the station).

KCRW Summer Nights with Metro Art will welcome RIO KOSTA, along with KCRW DJs J.Rocc and LUXXURY, to the tune-packed evening, which is open to all ages.

And, as always, this totally free, stow-your-cash, so very complimentary festivity is a basically a show-up-and-enjoy kind of event. With one note: You’ll want to RSVP, so organizers know to expect you.

Art exhibitions will be up and around, so check them out, and sips and food will be available for purchase around the landmark, including at everywhere, the brewery that recently set up shop in the historical Fred Harvey space.

Don’t let summer go just yet: There are still pay-nothing parties of the Saturday evening variety to savor, and savor them, we shall, especially when we can arrive by Metro.

The first regular season edition of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” in 2026 kicks off on Sept. 13 and continues throughout the 18-week regular season.

When thinking of “Sunday Night Football,” you can’t help but think of Carrie Underwood’s iconic theme song. The Grammy-winner will once again be back on NBC and Peacock this fall. But what can fans expect from this year’s “SNF” anthem?

“This year’s show open welcomes ‘Sunday Night Football’ into my ongoing rock star fever dream,” Underwood teased. “I love this new version of the track and, once again, the incredible team behind the camera brought it to life in a whole new way that captures the spirit of this iconic song and the heart of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s one of my most favorite opens yet!”

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Underwood will open her 14th consecutive season on “Sunday Night Football” when the New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13.

A hype woman for the primetime showdown, she sings a rendition of Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You” with the chorus and title changed to “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night.”

Only during football season, of course, might anyone be waiting all day for Sunday night. It’s a time typically reserved for remembering the weekend that was and lamenting the work week to come — with homework to finish, obligations to fulfill and alarm clocks to set.

A football game, at least temporarily, can change that vibe. More than 20 million households tune in to “Sunday Night Football” each week, making it prime-time television’s No. 1 show for 15 consecutive years.

Throughout much of that stretch, Underwood has been the show’s opening act. And like a theme song for a popular network series, her voice is a welcoming invitation to the day’s final game.

“It’s really a signature introduction,” said NBC Sports creative director Tripp Dixon, who has worked on the intro throughout Underwood’s tenure. “So, it’s really designed to set the tone for the three-hour telecast. To me, it’s like the cover of a great book, or a curtains rising moment.”

What song does Carrie Underwood sing on Sunday Night Football?

Underwood and NBC reimagine the intro each season, striving to give it new life and energy.

The song has been changed entirely on two occasions under her reign. Beginning in 2015, she performed “Oh, Sunday Night” for two seasons and then “Game On” for another, before returning to SNF’s musical roots in 2019 with Jett’s familiar melody and “Waiting All Day.”

It has since received a slight annual remix.

“For us, it’s a great collaboration every season, and the fact that she pushes us to go, ‘Hey, what are we doing differently?’ I think it just makes it unique and fun and exciting every season,” Dixon said. “There’s never that, ‘Oh, we’re gonna run it back.’ It’s not that. We toss the playbook out and go, ‘Ok, how are we doing this?’

“Obviously the challenge is usually the chorus has the most energy. But Carrie did this great kind of down-tempoed, dreamy version of it, and it really opened up the piece in a different way in terms of how we were telling the story.”

Underwood typically records the master track and all team matchups, including some potential flex games, in Nashville prior to the intro’s visual production. Her recording session takes approximately three hours, Dixon estimates.

“It’s a tribute to her powerhouse voice that she’s able to do it all in one session,” he said.

After months of pre-production and exchanging ideas and feedback with Underwood’s team, production begins. For the last three seasons, the intro was filmed at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, the home of Underwood’s Reflection residency. That will change slightly in 2026, with Underwood being featured at three distinct locations — the recording studio, an intimate setting in a small music venue and a concert performance in a packed stadium.

“This season, we’ve drawn inspiration from Carrie’s deep, well-documented love of rock music – a perfect fit since our ‘Sunday Night Football’ anthem was born from pure rock ‘n’ roll: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You.'” Dixon said. “We’ve worked to match these two rock frequencies of past and present as they come together in Carrie’s high-energy performance. The greatest players and teams in the NFL will take it from there.”

Dixon and his team craft a scene that doesn’t require Underwood to be directly on camera when she reveals the week’s matchup during the intro. The shot in last season’s version is taken from behind the stage while Underwood looks out at the crowd and the team logos flash on screen.

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“Sunday Night Football is a spectacle,” Dixon said. “It’s not just a sportscast, it’s an entertainment show and I think that Carrie, a world class singer like herself, kind of helps echo that notion.

“When that finally hits air, for me, it’s probably one of the more enjoyable minute and 35 seconds I have in the fall,” Dixon said. “I think the real credit goes to the team that’s doing the three-hour telecast that follows it. But it’s gratifying to see it hit air after all of that work.”

And worthwhile for those who had been waiting all day for Sunday night.

The Genesis front man had been admitted to a Swiss hospital to treat his alcohol addiction before he was released in late 2023 and then re-admitted months later, landing in intensive care where he was unconscious for long stretches of time.

His long-time manager summoned Collins’ family, fearing the rock icon was about to die.

“Because there were some decisions to be made about ‘Do we keep Phil on life support?’ kind of thing,” Collins told The Times of London in an interview Saturday night.

“My kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up. People were coming to say goodbye. But I don’t remember them coming, I didn’t have no idea this was going on. They were all worried that they wouldn’t see me again. It could all have gone so terribly wrong.”

Collins said he’s now on the mend following that seven-month stay in the hospital.

“I was very lucky to have come out of that,” Collins said. “Needless to say, I haven’t had a drink since.”

The Collins family celebrated the end of 2025 by renting out an entire floor of the Mandarin Oriental in the Knightsbridge neighborhood of London, an opportunity to catch up and celebrate.

He vividly recalled how his daughter, “Emily in Paris” star Lily Collins, “was sitting beside me in tears, saying, ‘I never thought I’d get these moments.’ We had an incredible time. I can’t overemphasize how fantastic it was,” he said.

The 75-year-old musician has said he’s also been facing mobility issues lately, making it hard to get back on stage. He’s been frequently seen using crutches in recent public appearances.

“I had five operations on my knee now,” Phil explained on the BBC’s “Eras” podcast in January. “I’ve got a knee that works and I can walk, albeit with assistance (from) crutches.”

The decades he’s spent playing the drums have also taken a significant toll on the eight-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member.

“If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything. If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I will have a crack at it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles,” he said in a 2024 documentary “Phil Collins: Drummer First.”

Fans attending the Zac Brown Band’s concert at Boston’s Fenway Park on Sunday took home more than just memories.

The band’s frontman surprised more than 37,000 concertgoers with a free cruise trip for two aboard the Margaritaville at Sea. The giveaway is valued at more than $40 million, the band said in a news release.

And it comes personally from Brown. He said it was a thank you to the fans as they celebrated the band’s 15th consecutive sold out show at Fenway. Zac Brown Band holds the record for the most consecutive sold out performances at the venue and the most tickets sold in its history.

Brown made the on-stage announcement just before the band’s performance of “Same Boat.”

“Tonight we’re going to do something that even Jimmy (Buffet) would say is crazy. I’m buying every single person here a cruise for two people on the boat. This is the biggest giveaway in history ladies and gentlemen, right here tonight at Fenway Park!”

The cruises can be redeemed on select Margaritaville at Sea sailings over the next year.

“We were honored to work alongside Zac to help bring this incredible surprise to life for his fans,” said Christopher Ivy, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea. “This was an extraordinary way to thank the fans who have supported him throughout his career, and we’re proud to have helped make that incredible vision a once-in-a-lifetime reality.”

The band kicked off their 2026 Love and Fear Tour in Boston and has stops throughout the U.S. over the next few months. Fans attending their shows in other cities will also have a chance to win a cruise trip. The Zac Brown Band said it is giving away four cruises per show. However, those fans will receive a cruise aboard the Beachcomber, a new ship debuting in January 2027 that includes a live music venue called “Same Boat” that was co-designed by Zac Brown. 

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The representative told People that Grande will take “a step back from visibility after she completes the “Eternal Sunshine Tour,” which will wrap next month.

Following the announcement, Empire Street Productions confirmed that Grande has “decided to step back” from the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George,” which will open at the Barbican Center in London next summer.

Grande was set to star as both Dot and Marie in the musical, opposite her “Wicked” co-star Jonathan Bailey.

“We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support,” the production company said. “We wish her nothing but the best.”

The company said that the production will continue as planned and that new casting will be announced “in due course.”

NBC News has reached out to Grande’s representatives for comment.

Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour, promoting the 2024 album of the same name, will conclude in London on Sept. 1.

“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” a representative told People. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”

Grande’s health has been a topic of public discussion for several years. Last year, she addressed criticism of her appearance that amassed around the release of “Wicked: For Good.” At the time, she shared a 2024 interview in which she said that in society, “there’s a comfortability that we shouldn’t have, at all,” including commenting on how other people look, calling it “dangerous for all parties involved.”

Grande released her eighth album, “Petal,” on Friday. In an interview with Apple Music, she said it feels “very experimental and different,” adding that she tapped into the “unfiltered rage that I think we all feel sometimes.”

Public discourse around Grande’s body increased after the release of the music video for the title track. Grande portrays an actor named Pepper, who is repeatedly declared “not good enough” by casting executives in auditions before she kills them with a chain saw. As the video ends, a director yells “cut,” and Grande walks off the set, where she is praised for her talent.

Grande is next scheduled to appear in the film “Focker-in-Law” alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. The “Meet the Parents” franchise movie has a Nov. 25 release date and will be distributed by Universal Pictures — which shares Comcast as a parent company with NBC News.

Ball Arena confirmed the cancellation in a statement that said Moroney was “unable to continue” and that the venue would provide updates when available. Videos from concertgoers also showed that the “Tennessee Orange” singer addressed the crowd before announcing the show was over.

“This is obviously the last thing I would ever want to do, but I’m obviously extremely sick,” Moroney said, according to multiple videos posted online. “I thought I did everything to make myself better and then obviously two songs in, I just can’t play this show tonight. I will make it up to you guys — I absolutely promise I’ll be back.”

Moroney added that she wanted to give her fans the show they deserved before saying she would probably go back to cry in her dressing room. Her voice sounded hoarse and it seemed she was choking back tears as she apologized to the crowd.

In a statement posted to her Instagram story, Moroney announced that the show would be rescheduled for August 27. Fans who are unable to make the new date would be given full refunds, according to NBC affiliate KUSA.

“I never ever will give you guys a show that is not 100% and I knew that I was not capable of giving that to you tonight,” she wrote.

The country star is not the first to have to pivot mid-show due to illness this summer. Lionel Richie rescheduled dates on his tour with Earth, Wind & Fire in June after feeling unwell during their opening night in in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Richie addressed the crowd at the time, telling them that he felt dizzy during his performance of “Dancing on the Ceiling,” NBC affiliate KARE reported at the time. He said that he’s learned over the years to sit down if he’s feeling dizzy, which he did during the song.

“Now, I want you to know that’s the first time in the history of ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’ I’ve done it sitting down,” Richie said. “That’s a bad sign, that’s a bad sign, y’all.”

Live Nation released a statement shortly after that the tour’s dates in Chicago and Pittsburgh would be postponed due to doctor’s advice that the 77-year-old “rest and return to full health.”

Jon Bon Jovi was performing at New York City’s Madison Square Garden when he suddenly started struggling during “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The lead singer of Train, Pat Monahan, stepped in to help finish the song. Monahan was at the venue to serve as a surprise guest.

A representative for Bon Jovi told NBC New York that the New Jersey native was struggling with a sinus infection. The show was canceled after roughly an hour and a half.

Bon Jovi apologized to the crowd and promised he would find a way to make it up to them, NBC New York reported.

“Don’t throw away your ticket stubs, I’m gonna figure something out, OK?” he said. “Just hold onto it, we’ll figure out how to reschedule.”

ATC Management told broadcaster RTE Hansard’s family was “deeply shocked and heartbroken” by his death.

Irish police said a man in his 50s died in single vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan on the outskirts of the Irish capital before 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The man, who they did not name, was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Hansard combined acting and a musical career. He played a member of a Dublin soul band in 1991 movie “The Commitments” and won an Oscar in 2008 for the song “Falling Slowly” from the film “Once,” in which he starred alongside Markéta Irglová.

He was long-serving front man for rock band The Frames, half of rock duo The Swell Season and released solo albums including “Didn’t He Ramble,” which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016.

For years, Hansard led the Christmas Eve charity busk outside Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre, where members of the public gathered to see famous Irish musicians perform in aid of the Dublin Simon Community.

At the funeral of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 2023, Hansard performed The Pogues’ song “Fairytale Of New York” with Irish singer Lisa O’Neill, which prompted dancing in the aisles of the church.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Glen Hansard.”

“A talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many years,” Martin posted on X.

THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST, hot and sweat-inducing though it may often be, has its powerful pleasures. The joy of buying new pencils and bookbags, even if we’re not actually returning to school, is one potent way we like to dance through the centerpoint of the eighth month, and perusing the early Halloween aisles here and there is one way to deal with the triple-digit pleasures. But the biggest approach to banishing the heat is to think about space, the deep pockets of the cosmos, all while paying tribute to some of the most enduring, eras-spanning icons of summertime. We are, most definitely, tipping our sunhat in the direction of the Perseids, and the marvel-filled meteor showers that returns to wow us each year. And if you’re seeking some marvels and merriment and music, too, look to Pioneertown near Joshua Tree, where a Space Craft, presented by Night Howl, will soon land.

THE TWO-EVENING EVENT… will offer astronomical diversions, because the Perseids are the galactically awesome guests of honor, but a bevy of art-forward offerings are also on the shimmering schedule. Epically atmospheric music group Tangerine Dream will play at Pappy & Harriet’s during Space Craft, and the celebrated Steve Roach is at Desert Willow Ranch. Desert Oracle will bring the mysteries of the desert, and the realm beyond, to wonder-filled life, too during the event. Looking for telescopes? They’ll be around, as will opportunities to bask in a space talk or two. It’s all streaking across the sky, at least poetically, on Aug. 14 and 15, and organizers are calling the 2026 happening “especially remarkable.” The showers are occurring during the new moon, which means “truly dark skies” are in store. Love you to bits, dear moon, but when it comes to the Perseids, we’re in a new moon mood. Details, including ticket information, are glimmering here.

Brown, 37, previously had denied more serious charges over what prosecutors called a “vicious attack.” He changed his plea Friday during a hearing at London’s Southwark Crown Court, pleading guilty to a count of affray.

In return for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped charges of assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and having an offensive weapon, a bottle.

Brown’s friend and vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu also pleaded guilty to affray. The two men had been due to stand trial in October.

Brown had denied attacking Abraham Diaw with a bottle at the Tape nightclub in the swanky Mayfair neighborhood in February 2023. But prosecutors said the fight was caught on surveillance camera in front of a club full of people.

The affray charge accepted by the defendants states that “Chris Brown and Omololu Akinlolu on February 19 2023 used or threatened unlawful violence towards another and their conduct taken together was such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety.”

“This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub where Brown used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim’s head twice,” Claire Campbell, a senior prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service, said after the guilty plea.

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Akinlolu joined in and punched the victim in the head, prosecutors said.

“This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable, and the Crown Prosecution Service will work tirelessly – with the police and partners across the criminal justice system – to pursue cases like this, and prove that no one is above the law,” Campbell said.

Brown left the United Kingdom after the brawl but was arrested in May 2025 at a Manchester hotel after flying to the city for a concert.

Brown had been free on bail of 5 million pounds ($6.7 million), which allowed him to tour Europe and North America last summer. He was freed on bail again Friday and will be sentenced Oct. 26 on the affray charge, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

Brown, wearing a tan suit, gold-rimmed sunglasses and a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap, signed autographs for fans as he left the courthouse.

Brown, who rose to stardom as a teen in 2005, won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for “F.A.M.E.” He earned his second in the same category for “11:11 (Deluxe)” in 2025.

He has been in repeated legal trouble since his felony conviction in the 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, hours before the pair were due to perform at the Grammys.

In 2013 Brown was charged with misdemeanor assault for striking a man outside a Washington, D.C., hotel in 2013. The singer was ordered into rehab then dismissed from the facility for violating its rules.

He has been arrested in several U.S. states over altercations, and in 2019 he was arrested in Paris and questioned on suspicion of rape. He was released without charge.

The CHP, working with the Burbank Police Department’s SWAT team, served the warrant in connection with the murder of Drakeo the Ruler, whose legal name is Darrell Caldwell, on Moss Street near Magnolia Boulevard off the 5 Freeway Thursday, the state agency said.

During the investigation, rapper YG was detained, not arrested. The CHP did not say why YG was detained although the department told NBCLA that he is not a suspect or a person of interest in the murder investigation.

Drakeo the Ruler was stabbed at the “Once Upon a Time in LA” in December 2021. The incident occurred as artists like 50 Cent, Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg were supposed to perform. YG was also among those to headline the festival.

The career of Mike DelGuidice has gone full circle on more than one occasion, and in more than one way. He most notably went from being the lead singer of a Billy Joel tribute band to being a member of Billy Joel’s actual band in a well-documented story worthy of a Hollywood script.

And he most recently went from one porch to another.

DelGuidice, 55, opened a Long Island music venue in May called Live On The Porch that’s dedicated primarily to providing artists a platform to perform original music in front of a local crowd. It’s a vision, and a name, inspired by his past Facebook Live performances by the same title that he broadcasted weekly from the front porch of his house during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“It’s really just about the art and about giving the singer-songwriters and giving original music a shot again on Long Island,” DelGuidice said from inside his music hall in Smithtown, New York. “I always felt like I just needed to build a safe space.”

A space where, when the regular crowd shuffles in, they expect to hear something they’ve never heard before.

Beyond the lobby bar, which includes DelGuidice’s original porch piano and an alternate stage for more intimate performances, are barn doors that open to an original artist’s paradise. The main stage looks out to seating for roughly 100 attendees, with an overhead wrap-around mezzanine that seats another 25 beneath the room’s 35-foot ceiling.  

“So, it kind of suits every artist,” he said. “I don’t want young artists that are coming in here to feel that same apprehension that I did, playing one of my songs in front of an audience and feeling like it wasn’t going to be accepted. And I think that this is a place where many people will be able to come and do their stuff and build their local fan base.”

Much like he did, going from one band, and one porch, to the other.

From tribute band to Billy Joel’s band

DelGuidice was asked which Billy Joel lyric best described his career.

“It’s either sadness or euphoria,” he said, selecting a line from Joel���s hit “Summer, Highland Falls.” “That’s the life — the life of an artist, the life of what we do. It’s tremendous lows, tremendous rejection, to all of a sudden, glorious moments.”

One such moment came in 2013 when Joel asked to speak with DelGuidice. Alone.

At the time, Delguidice was the lead singer of Big Shot, a Billy Joel tribute band he had formed more than a decade prior on Long Island – the heart of Piano Man country.

The first show the band played – at Village Club in Port Jefferson – was sold out.

Big Shot grew from a popular local group that played in the backyards of DelGuidice and Joel’s hometown to more of a national act under a white hot spotlight — borrowing a lyric from the song the band is named after.

“We never really suffered through that whole thing of having to build a following on Long Island,” DelGuidice said. “It seemed like right off the bat, people just took to it, and they loved the idea of it.”

That, it seemed, included Joel himself.

In 2002, Joel invited the band to stand in for his sound check prior to his concert at Nassau Coliseum for what DelGuidice considers his first time officially meeting the man whose songs he built a career around.

“That was kind of like his endorsement,” DelGuidice said of Joel’s approval of Big Shot. “He was always supportive of the idea right from the beginning.”

As were members of Joel’s band who later began playing with DelGuidice’s band when their touring schedule allowed — including drummer Chuck Burgi and guitarist Tommy Byrnes.

A tribute singer who sounded like, and even somewhat resembled, the real thing was now surrounded by Joel’s bandmates.

“The band had an authenticity,” DelGuidice said.  

In 2013, Byrnes, who had been with Big Shot since 2011 while Joel was off the road, asked DelGuidice if he’d want to stand in on piano during the band’s rehearsals for their upcoming four-show run in Europe.

“Tommy would call it a ‘Billy stunt double,’ so to speak, that would come in and just do the Billy part during rehearsals to get the band warmed up,” DelGuidice said. “And I thought that’s what I was being asked to do.”

He spent a few days rehearsing with the band at The Paramount – an intimate Main Street style concert venue in Huntington, New York with capacity of about 1,500 spectators.

“Then a couple of people started asking me some weird questions like, ‘Do you have a passport?’ and all this kind of stuff,” he said. “And I was like, ‘Wow, why would they be asking you that?!’”

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Joel walked in on Tuesday of that week, the same day he announced he’d be doing a surprise performance at the venue the following day. The concert, Joel’s first in more than three years, instantaneously sold out.

As the band was having lunch in the dressing room ahead of soundcheck, Joel approached DelGuidice.

“He said, ‘So you want to get up and maybe jam with us and do a few songs, sing some background vocals or something?’” DelGuidice recalled. “I was like, ‘I would love that. Thank you!’”

The rehearsals for the band had also been something of an audition for DelGuidice.

“We got done with the soundcheck, and I was nervous, and then Billy just kind of walked off to the side and he said…‘I want to talk to Mike alone,’” DelGuidice said. “I was like, ‘Oh, boy.’”

Joel and DelGuidice stepped behind the curtain.

“He goes, ‘We’re doing this little run of shows in Europe, how would you feel about coming out and joining us and singing and playing some rhythm guitar?’” DelGuidice said. “And I was just like, ‘Are you f—— kidding me?!’”

Euphoria.

“I thanked him for his music and for the ability to feed my family from playing it,” DelGuidice said. “And then he thanked me for keeping his music alive on Long Island. Not that he needed my help. I almost found that comical, but sweet on his part.”

You had to be a big shot, didn’t you?

Situated above stage left at DelGuidice’s new venue is a homage to his past porch.

On it is a rocking chair, artificial grass, dim lighting and a photo of DelGuidice with his beloved dog Max, a boxer who passed away last year.

DelGuidice and Max were the original stars of the Facebook Live series “Live on the Porch” when it began in 2017. Viewership spiked during the pandemic in 2020 — particularly when Joel let DelGuidice host a Facebook Live on his page — as people were confined to their homes and live music was available only through screens. DelGuidice would perform original music outside his front door and host an after-show discussion.

“Max would sit up next to me, and I would feed him meatballs,” DelGuidice said with a laugh. “There’d be a thousand people watching me feed my dog meatballs, and it was kind of like an unscripted two-hour live reality show.”

It gave DelGuidice a new perspective of his audience. He couldn’t see them react to his music as he would while on stage, but he could hear their thoughts.  

“To see the comments and to read what they were thinking, that never happened in the history of music for me,” he said. “All of a sudden, now I was able to see what people thought of a song or thought of what I was doing, and it changed everything for me. It gave me all the confidence in the world that I would have 1,500 people watching me play my own songs, and they weren’t signing off.”

It further inspired him to build a venue that would provide promote that comfortability for original songwriters. He did so by gutting a former hot tub store, adding a second level and transforming it into a family-run music venue. His daughter and son-in-law, Samantha and Bryan Valensisi, currently hold managerial positions and his wife Nina, daughter Victoria, and sons Colby and Noah will all be taking on various roles at the porch — from management to video production to performing.

“To build a fan base for original music, that’s the hope and the dream of this place,” he said of his new venue. “But it’s really up to the public of how much original music gets played here and how much cover music gets played.”

DelGuidice himself, while performing at the venue, already has covered some Joel songs and other classics.

“It’s part of my DNA,” he said. “It always will be.”

He first recognized that during his sixth-grade talent show, when he stepped on stage and sang “Tom Sawyer” by Rush.

“Once the kids started yelling, I was like, ‘OK, I think I want to do this,’” he said. “So, it was kind of in my blood to want to sing and perform very early. But I was pretty shy and, at least in my mind, it didn’t feel like I fit in in school at all. Music and doing music was a way to feel accepted.”

DelGuidice was born in Smithtown, about 23 miles from where Joel grew up in Hicksville, and raised in Miller Place, the title of one of his three albums.

He began playing the drums before moving to guitar and bass – with his early musical influences being rock bands like Rush and Black Sabbath before getting more into Joel and Elton John as a teenager. He joined his first band at 13, shifting the following to year to gospel music after enduring what he calls a spiritual experience. Years later he returned to regular music, performing solo gigs and plenty of Joel at local piano bars before going on to play bass in a cover band called Kid Gloves.

There were struggles along the way – those moments of sadness before the euphoria.

He spent four years living in a trailer in his friend’s backyard, then bounced around, living at one point in an office space.  

“Definitely a lot of personal and career struggle in those years,” he said. “But those years were also some of the best times I can remember with my kids. Life was simple, and we were closer because of it.”

DelGuidice worked on an album with Joel’s former bass player Doug Stegmeyer shortly before he tragically committed suicide at the age of 43.

“Things kind of went awry from there,” DelGuidice said. “And then I was kind of dormant for a couple of years after that.”

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Until he saw a tribute band dedicated entirely to Dave Matthews Band.

“I was like, ‘Wow, you mean like they’re just playing one artist?’” he said. “Because up until then it was all top 40. We were just doing whatever was on the radio.”

It motivated him to start his own tribute band, playing the classic hits of…Paul McCartney? He planned to name it “Wings Over Long Island” until…

“I thought to myself, well, it’s Long Island, it’s Billy Joel,” DelGuidice said. “People kind of really know me for doing the Billy and the piano bar, and people would often say that I sounded like him a bit. So, I kind of went with that, thinking that would probably be the smartest play.”

Big Shot became one of the most popular tribute bands on Long Island and beyond – going from playing at local bars to music festivals in front of thousands. And the band played on with DelGuidice when he wasn’t on the road with Joel, a stipulation the two had agreed to.

“It grew into a really, really great business for me, and I’m grateful for that,” DelGuidice said. “But obviously it’s a testimony to Billy’s music and his popularity across the island that really helped generate it all.”

‘That was the night that I knew I was actually in the band’

Joel once referred to DelGuidice’s journey as a “quantum leap.”

The first performance where the two shared the stage came during Joel’s surprise concert at The Paramount. DelGuidice performed backup vocals and played rhythm guitar for the man whose songs he had covered for over a decade as lead singer of Big Shot.

Less than two weeks later, DelGuidice was on stage in England for his first arena concert in front of more than 20,000 fans.

“Thank God for Big Shot and thank God for the bands that I played in before that, because they really did prepare me, in a sense, to be ready to play in front of that many people,” DelGuidice said.

Days later, before a concert at the Apollo in London as his dream tour was nearing an end and his status with the band upon returning to the United States unknown, DelGuidice approached Joel as he was arranging his suit on the rack in his dressing room.

“He goes, ‘You’re probably wondering what’s going on. I was gonna talk to you. I’m thinking about keeping you on. You want to keep going with us?’’” DelGuidice said. “And that was it. That was the night that I knew I was actually in the band.”

He toured with Joel for the next 11 years, starting with a New Year’s Eve concert in 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, during which the two sang a duet on “Until the Night.” DelGuidice was also on stage for the 104 concerts in Joel’s historic monthly residency at Madison Square Garden that stretched from 2014 to 2024.

“The monthly residency was the ultimate house band gig I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “Billy owned that place. And all of us on stage were like a bunch of kids. I felt like one of the kids that just got let into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.”

During the final concert at Nassau Coliseum in 2015, it was only fitting to have a fellow Long Islander as Joel’s opening act. His longtime sound engineer Brian Ruggles suggested DelGuidice. Joel loved the idea, lending his newest band member the stage to perform his original music in front of a full arena.

“Opening for Billy was definitely one of the greatest highlights in the time I’ve played with him,” he said. “The most surreal, as well. I was so nervous I’m not sure I truly was able to grasp the enormity of it.”

That was also the night he met actor Kevin James, a Long Island native who made a cameo on stage during the concert. James would later use one of DelGuidice’ originals as the theme song for his CBS sitcom “Kevin Can Wait” — and James also appeared in the music video for DelGuidice’s song “Mona Lisa.”   

“We became friends during the Billy era,” DelGuidice said. “Kevin was really a guy who took a liking to my original music.”

Joel again shined the spotlight on DelGuidice in 2016 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., by having him sing the Italian aria “Nessun dorma.” It became a featured performance at each concert from then on, serving as a prelude to Joel’s hit “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.”

“People got to see me as something other than a tribute artist. They got to see me more as an independent vocalist,” DelGuidice said. “And I’m so grateful to Billy for that because it really helped me as far as doing my own stuff, and I’m not so much attached to the tribute moniker anymore.”

It was all part of his quantum leap.

“Being able to play with Billy and saying I was in Billy Joel’s band, it’s complete next level,” he said. “It was just like jumping from a parallel universe — jumping from here and, all of a sudden, I’m up there with him.”

And just as Joel shared his stage with DelGuidice, DelGuidice would gladly share his venue’s stage with Joel.

“Oh, we can hope. We could pray,” DelGuidice said. “He’s such a great guy, I have a feeling we’ll see him here. I hope he does. Get down here, Billy!”

From porch to porch

All the full circles of his career, all the travel and touring, all the moments of either sadness or euphoria, led him back to the porch.

Inside his music venue is where all of those circles now intersect.  

From performing Billy Joel songs to performing with Billy Joel. From singing other artists’ songs at various venues to performing his own songs at his own venue. From supporting his family to working with his family. From writing original music to amplifying others’ original music.

“I think a lot of [artists] are afraid to do their own stuff because of the response,” he said. “But I think when you build a place and you have this kind of atmosphere where people know what they’re coming for ahead of time, I think it makes a big difference.”

Because, for DelGuidice, success is not about the number of Grammys, or followers, or decimals in a bank account. It’s about the satisfaction that comes from bringing a song to life, no matter how many are listening, or whether it’s performed at Madison Square Garden or Live On The Porch.

“Over the years, I have just become so comfortable with keeping it smaller and keeping it local and keeping it more controlled,” he said. “I can’t stress enough that I really want people and young artists to be OK with the fact that they can just keep their circle small, their fame small, their following small, and be good with that…The success is really just becoming really happy and content with where you’re at and with who you are.”

Like a songwriter on his porch.

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After the prosecution questioned the business associates of D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department took the stand, describing in detail what they witnessed and discovered when they combed through a Tesla registered to Burke and a Hollywood Hills home the singer had rented.

Air fresheners inside 2023 Tesla Model X

Chelsea Murillo, a criminalist with the LAPD, testified that she responded to the Hollywood tow yard where Rivas Hernandez’s mutilated body was found inside the black Tesla registered to Burke on Sept. 9, 2025.

When Murillo arrived at the tow yard, Rivas Hernandez’s body had already been taken to the medical examiner’s office. But the investigator said she noticed “a strong odor” coming from the car, adding that it resembled the smell of a decomposing body “based on (her) professional experience.”

When she approached the vehicle for the examination, she saw multiple air fresheners inside the vehicle.

“I gathered at least 11 air fresheners,” Murillo said. “Majority of them (were) in the center console, also in the rear seats, also in the frunk area.”

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Tesla trunk lighting in blue

The criminalist said after the LAPD photographer took overall photos, she began marking red stains inside the vehicle.

Murillo said after seeing stains in the lower compartment of the rear trunk, she used a chemical reagent called phenolphthalein to confirm the red spots were indeed blood. And to find invisible blood traces, she said she conducted a chemical test called Bluestar.

When sprayed, Bluestar, a luminol-based forensic reagent, reacts with iron in hemoglobin to produce a bright blue luminescent glow, allowing investigators to confirm the existence of blood.

Prosecutors presented a photo of the lower compartment glowing in blue light.

Murillo also testified the third-row seats of the SUV and its left-side paneling showed luminescence after being sprayed with Bluestar.

The investigator also confirmed some of the samples she swabbed from the lower rear trunk came back positive not just for blood but also for Rivas Hernandez’s DNA.

Stains, blue-light luminescence inside garage

Lauren Wallace, Murillo’s colleague, also took the stand, testifying what she witnessed while examining the garage of a Hollywood Hills home rented by Burke on Sept. 17, 2025.

Although Wallace saw two chainsaws in the garage, chemical tests confirmed they did not have any traces of blood.

But she said she came across unusual items: black interlocking floor mats with apparent cuts that may have been made by a sharp object or instrument.

As the prosecution showed a picture of one of the seven damaged rubber floor mats, Wallace confirmed that the mat had bloodstains after phenolphthalein testing.

Even in areas of the mats where no visible bloodstains could be seen, the investigator testified that Bluestar produced a positive reaction consistent with the presence of blood. Some people inside the downtown Los Angeles courtroom gasped as prosecutors displayed a photo of the mats glowing blue.

A rowing machine and a Tesla charging plug also confirmed to have bloodstains, Wallace said.

Inflatable pool with traces of blood

Crime scene investigators found trash bags and tarps inside the garage.

Phenolphthalein testing confirmed the trash bag — inside and out — had bloodstains, including the stains that appeared more brown at the time of the examination.

When investigators located green tarps, they also sprayed Bluestar and notice bright blue light, Wallace said.

A blue inflatable pool was also found in the garage. When investigators opened the item, which had been crumpled up in a ball, it smells like fresh laundry, Wallace observed. She said there were no visual stains, but it reacted to Bluestar and show luminescence.

A dryer sheet was rolled up inside the inflatable pool, Wallace said.

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Luminate, the industry data and analytics company that provides insight into changing behaviors across music listenership, examined streams of each song performed by each musician two days before the final (Friday and Saturday) and compared those figures to the final and the day afterward (Sunday and Monday.)

They found:

1. Global streams of Justin Bieber’s “Everything Hallelujah” more than doubled, rising 110% from 592,000 streams to 1.25 million.

2. Global streams of Madonna’s “Music” rose 66%, from 193,000 streams to 321,000.

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3. BTS’ “Dynamite” also grew in terms of global streams, from 2.14 million to 3.05 million for an increase of 43%.

4. And Shakira and Burna Boy’s official anthem for the 2026 World Cup, “Dai Dai,” also saw a slight bump for an addition of 3.48 million new global streams. That’s a 24% increase, from 14.78 million to 18.27 million. In the U.S. alone, streams of “Dai Dai” rose 52%, from 1.68 million streams to 2.55 million.

Luminate also found that the aforementioned artists only saw considerable jumps in the songs they performed on the field last weekend as opposed to their full catalogs. That phenomenon is more common for Super Bowl halftime performers.

Take Bad Bunny for example: After his record-breaking performance this year, streams of his catalog jumped 175% in the U.S. on the day after the Super Bowl, when compared to the previous Monday.

That’s very much not the case, for good times of the pay-nothing variety are still debuting, including one of the sound-tastic summer stalwarts on the Southern California scene.

We are paying tuneful tribute to the Sunset Concerts, a long-running Skirball Cultural Center series, and it lines up the mics, guitars, and keyboards for another electric engagement starting July 16, 2026.

There are four concerts in all, all taking place on Thursdays, with the last show set for Aug. 6. The theme in 2026? The concerts will pay tribute to “… the uniquely American musical invention of jazz.”

The line-up includes Cory Henry and The Funk Apostles and Katalyst on night one, Terrace Martin Plays Miles and Brandee Younger on July 23, Tortoise and Kassa Overall set for July 30, and Annie and The Caldwells and The Campbell Brothers rounding out the series.

There are two performances night — 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. are the times — but all concert goers are invited to arrive at 6 p.m. to take in the exhibits at the cultural center or enjoy a snack or sip (both will be available for purchase).

“Outsiders, Outcasts, Rebels + Weirdos: Punk Culture 1976-86” is one well-attended exhibition now on view; be sure to see it through Sept. 6.

Good to know? Parking is $20 and street parking is not permitted. Also? Admission to the shows is most definitely free, but “first come, first served” is the outlook, and there are no reservations.

The series will mark three decades in 2027, making it a beloved must-do each summer for those who love live music, community spirit, and the chance to enjoy both for free.

The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Rapper Pitbull, who was born Armando Christian Pérez, set the world record on July 10 for the largest gathering of people wearing bald caps. A whopping 22,141 of the rapper’s fans, affectionately referred to as the “Bald-Es,” showed up to London’s BST Hyde Park festival to pull off the feat. The record was officially confirmed by the Guinness World Records.

Dale, indeed.

In a video capturing the official count, shared on the rapper’s social media, Pitbull can be seen ecstatically yelling, “Bald-E’s, we did it Bald-E’s! We did it Bald-E’s!”

For the gathering, thousands of fans showed up to the festival wearing not only bald caps, but also the rapper’s signature shades. Some took their outfits to another level, donning Pitbull’s legendary tie look, while others also drew on goatees for additional accuracy.

In order for the record to be official, Pitbull himself had to wear a bald cap, Will Munford, an official adjudicator for the Guinness World Records said, according to The Guardian.

The moment called for serious counting. So, 400 volunteers were onsite to individually check people, Munford said, according to the outlet. There was also “drone footage with 42 counters backstage,” Munford added.

The gathering was actually the brainchild of British podcaster Jack Remington, who floated the idea on TikTok in October 2025.

“The capacity of High Park is 65,000 people. That is easily enough to break the world record for the number of people cosplaying as Pitbull in one place at one time,” Remington said in the video. “There is only one man who can save us right now … and I actually have one thing to say. Dale.”

Pitbull eventually got wind of the proposed record attempt and it was on from there.

Well, we can safely say that everyone had a good hair day that day. 

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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On July 10, the rock ‘n’ roll band will release their 25^th studio album, “Foreign Tongues.”

Rolling Stones frontman and legendary rocker Mick Jagger chatted with Willie Geist for the June 14 edition of Sunday Sitdown about plans for the upcoming album, including a potential tour.

“Well, I’d love to. I really want to. And, I’m ready to go,” Jagger, 82, told Willie when asked if they’ll head back on the road.

“I don’t think we’re gonna do shows this year, but hopefully we’ll do shows next year,” he added.

Other members of the band, who spoke with Willie in an interview that aired on TODAY July 9, also attempted to explain the band’s longevity.

“I can’t explain it. I would just say there is a very, very strong bond between Mick and I that goes even beyond in a way but that we’re aware of,” Keith Richards said.

“The only way I can explain is it to say that it’s what we do, you know. It’s just in our blood. We can’t help it,” Ronnie Wood added.

“I have a lot more songs to write,” Jagger continued. “I don’t wanna slow down, particularly. I don’t feel like slowing down.”

The Stones last went on tour in the summer of 2024 to perform their album “Hackney Diamonds,” released in October 2023.

This next album has “a lot of styles in it,” Jagger said. For the Stones, that was intentional: “You hope that every track has got something for everyone. That’s why you’ve got, you know, 14 tracks.”

While four of the tracks were recorded during studio sessions for earlier albums, the 10 tracks made just for “Foreign Tongues” were written and recorded in the span of just four weeks, Jagger said.

Back in earlier years, it used to take months for the rockers to generate an album they were happy with, the rocker said. Now that the bandmates all write more on their own, they can come together and make music more quickly.

But even being over six decades into a career that helped define rock and roll, Jagger told Willie he still feels nervous for this new release.

“You spend a lot of time on (the album), and it’s your baby,” he says. “You want (people) to take notice of what you’ve done.”

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Tyler died “unexpectedly” in a hospital in Portugal where she was being treated for an illness, her family said Thursday in a statement on her website. She was hospitalized in May in Faro, where she had a home, for emergency intestinal surgery. She had been placed in an induced coma for a period but was reportedly improving last month and expected to make a good recovery.

“Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for, her family said.

Tyler earned three Grammy nods, represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, where she came in 19th. She was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to music by Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, all largely thanks to “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which has had more that 1 billion streams, boosted by real eclipses in 2017 and 2024.

The song spent four weeks at No. 1, the video has surpassed 1 billion views and when Stereogum reevaluated it in 2020, the music outlet declared it an “extinction-level event rendered in musical form.”

“It’s pop music as heart-pounding, chest-thumping, blood-gargling, heavens-falling passion explosion. It’s sheer spectacle. It’s fireworks and lasers and lightning and thunder. It soars and swoops and barrel-rolls,” the site said.

The song has never really gone away, covered by the English singer Nicki French in 1995 and the band Westlife in 2006. Cate Blanchett sang it while hitting Billy Bob Thornton with her car in 2001’s “Bandits,” it appeared at a wedding scene in 2003’s “Old School” and One Direction sang it in 2010 on a U.K. version of “The X Factor.”

Early life

Tyler was born — as Gaynor Hopkins — a coal miner’s daughter in public housing with an outside toilet in Skewen, Wales, about seven miles outside Swansea. She grew up with three sisters and two brothers.

She adored the Beatles and her first album was “A Hard Day’s Night.” The first song she bought was “Hippy Hippy Shake” by the Swinging Blue Jeans at 13 and watched “Top of the Pops” religiously, according to her memoir, “Straight From the Heart.”

She would record “Top of the Pops” on a reel-to-reel two-track recorder and write down the lyrics of songs she loved. Her favorites were songs by Janis Joplin, Nina Simone, Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding.

“I used to sing them into my hairbrush for hours and hours, and that’s how it all started for me. I fell in love with singing just from doing that. Looking back, even then my voice had a husky tone to it, but I didn’t think much of it. I thought everyone’s voices were different from each other’s,” she wrote.

In 1976 she had to have surgery to remove nodules on her throat, leaving her with that trademark vocal sound. Changing her name to Sherene Davis, she was fronting a soul band when she was discovered by talent scout Roger Bell, who brought her to London for demo sessions. Then she waited for a label until RCA said it was interested.

Under her new RCA-sanctioned name Bonnie Tyler, her debut album “The World Starts Tonight” in 1977 contained her first chart hit, “Lost in France,” and she was nominated for a breakthrough artists award at the Brits Awards. She then had a No. 3 hit in 1978 with “It’s a Heartache,” but soon drifted. She then signed with Sony and saw Meat Loaf perform “Bat Out of Hell” on the BBC. Impressed, she requested to work with Meat Loaf songwriter and producer Jim Steinman.

‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’

Steinman introduced her to his song “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which would become the debut single for her fifth studio album, “Faster Than the Speed of Night.” He borrowed one of the song’s lyrics — “Turn around, bright eyes” — from his 1969 musical “The Dream Engine” written as a student at Massachusetts’ Amherst College. He told her the song was from a prospective musical version of “Nosferatu.”

“Jim liked to put down a basic rhythm track, do nine takes of the song, choose the best one and then put the kitchen sink on there, like Phil Spector used to,” Tyler told The Guardian in 2023. “He gave me a cassette to listen to in my hotel and we both preferred take two.”

Featuring E Street Band members Roy Bittan on piano and Max Weinberg on drums, “Total Eclipse” is a rumination on lost love: “Once upon a time there was light in my life/But now there’s only love in the dark,” she sings.

The video, a staple of early-days MTV, was shot in a frightening gothic former asylum in Surrey, where the guard dogs apparently wouldn’t set foot in the rooms downstairs where they used to give people electric shock treatment. The visuals included slow-motion tossed doves, candles, dancing ninjas, dancing greasers, Tyler in frighteningly big shoulder pads, fencers, gymnasts, wind machines and shirtless boys wearing swim goggles being doused with water.

“Faster Than the Speed of Night” earned a Grammy nomination for best rock vocal performance — losing to Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield” — and Tyler got another nod for “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in the best pop vocal performance category, losing to Irene Cara’s “Flashdance — What a Feeling.”

After the ‘Eclipse’

Tyler never reached such dizzying heights again but stayed current with such movie soundtrack singles as “Holding Out For a Hero” — from 1984’s “Footloose” — and “Here She Comes” from “Metropolis” also in 1984.

Her 2019 disc “Between the Earth and the Stars” featured duets with Rod Stewart, Cliff Richard and Status Quo’s Francis Rossi, and she ended that year performing a Vatican Christmas concert before Pope Francis.

In 2013, she switched gears to make a country-flavored record in Nashville, “Rocks and Honey,” which included the Vince Gill duet “What You Need From Me” and a little ballad called “Believe in Me,” written by American songwriter Desmond Child and British songwriters Lauren Christy and Christopher Braide. “Believe in Me” was picked to represent the United Kingdom at that year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden.

“It was an absolutely wonderful atmosphere there,” she told the San Francisco Examiner in 2023. “I was being interviewed every 15, 20 minutes, and when I walked out onstage behind the British flag, I thought the roof was going to come off! It was awesome, just awesome!”

In 2017, she joined Joe Jonas’ band DNCE for a performance on the cruise ship Oasis of the Seas as part of a “Total Eclipse Cruise.” When the moon passed in front of the sun, they played “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Tyler was married to property developer and former Olympic judo competitor Robert Sullivan.