Chris Willman Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

The U2 singer's playlist includes such unexpected picks as Peter Frampton's "Show Me the Way," Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and Bruce Springsteen's "There Goes My Miracle" on top of more expected fare by Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Joy Division.

By Chris Willman

The May 17 special offers the one performance of "Lover" songs fans are likely to see this year, now that all her tour dates have been pushed to 2021.

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman

R&B and rap have a lock on the top 10 on both the album and song charts.

Dozens of actors and crew members from IFC's "The Wretched" drove just outside of L.A. County for an informal premiere at one of a dozen drive-in engagements the horror film had this weekend.

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman

Hundreds of staffers will receive health benefits but otherwise lose their salaries starting May 1, as the concert business faces any resumption of live music on a national scale being months away.

The move to break up the slate of hundreds of exclusive releases once planned for April into three days is aimed at helping stores enforce social distancing.

"Moving a conference that draws more than 3,000 people from over 40 countries — in prime flu season — was the only responsible thing to do," said the org, in announcing a "disappointing" decision that could be a bellwether for other conferences weighing options.

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman

Owners believe California is unlikely to let such a high-traffic store reopen in full this summer — and that survival dictates devoting money and energy to opening at 6200 Hollywood Blvd. regardless.

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman

It's hard to imagine saying "this is the tribute he deserves" of any one Stephen Sondheim tribute. But this two-and-a-half hour, nearly all-showstopper webcast was just that.

They were associated early in their career with Johnny Cash — and decades later, loosely, with Quentin Tarantino, after he repopularized "Flowers on the Wall" by including it in "Pulp Fiction."

With a re-broadcast of CBS' hit Prince celebration hastily scheduled for Saturday, Ken Ehrlich provided behind-the-scenes color commentary on performances by Sheila E., the Revolution, the Time, Susanna Hoffs, Misty Copeland, St. Vincent, Mavis Staples and more.

With a bluesier new record, "Good Souls, Better Angels," just out, Williams tells Variety about the album's rawer sound, her raw nerves about Donald Trump, why she wrote more explicitly about domestic abuse, and the neighborliness of her new home, Nashville.

Clark, one of the icons of '90s country, joins "Doug Douglason" for a steamy duet in the satirical new single and forthcoming video.

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman

Rhiannon Giddens, Yola, Nick Kroll and Will Forte are among the guests on the four-week series.

"Alphabetland," the bulk of which was recorded in sessions early this year, is out now via Bandcamp.

By Chris Willman

Women including St. Vincent, Susanna Hoffs, Mavis Staples, Sheila E and even Misty Copeland highlight the Prince salute — but beware Philip Bailey's slayer falsetto, too.

By Chris Willman

With a staff of close to 400 furloughed, high rents on a current location and big costs to move to the new one, the physical media mecca is asking for help — even as Marc Weinstein explains how the vinyl boom kept them going this long.

By Chris Willman

By Chris Willman