Ron Simons Dies: ‘Thoughts Of A Colored Man’ Broadway Producer With Four Tony Awards Was 63

Bill Cobbs, a prolific film and TV actor with memorable performances in Night At The Museum, Brother From Another Planet, Oz The Great And Powerful, The Sopranos and dozens of others, died Tuesday, June 25, at his home in Riverside, California. He was 90.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic It’s difficult to believe that JD McPherson, one of the great classic-minded rock ‘n’ roll singer-songwriters of the modern age, hasn’t had a new album of non-seasonal material out in seven years. That absence of fresh recordings hasn’t caused anyone to issue any missing-person alerts for him in the past few years, though. He’s been quite visible, serving as both the band leader and opening act for three successive Robert Plant/Alison Krauss tours.

Network Entertainment has entered production on a new documentary celebrating the life and career of Bernie Taupin, the legendary lyricist best known for his longtime songwriting partnership with EGOT winner Elton John.

Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer More than four years after leaving CAA for WME, Miley Cyrus has once again signed with CAA for representation in all areas. Cyrus’ return to CAA comes 15 years after she moved her TV and movie career from UTA over to CAA, which had already repped her for music.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Tanner Adell, one of the artists at the forefront of the new wave of Black country music, has inked a new recording contract with Love Renaissance, aka LVRN Records. Adell had been independent since splitting with Columbia Records last year, and her profile increased exponentially when she was one of the artists featured on Beyoncé‘s blockbuster “Cowboy Carter” album this spring, leading to an influx of interest in Adell’s recent catalog, like the signature song “Buckle Bunny.” LVRN is an Atlanta-based label and management company whose roster includes such artists as Summer Walker, 6LACK, DVSN, Spinall and TxC.

Zoë Chao of Peacock’s sci-fi rom-com If You Were the Last and Hadestown‘s Amber Gray will be among the cast of Manhattan Theatre Club‘s Broadway staging of Jonathan Spector’s new comedy Eureka Day in December, producers have announced.

This summer, like many major European clubs, Manchester United will be heading across the Atlantic for a pre-season tour of North America.

Jonathan Axelrod, prolific studio and network executive, television producer and writer (Dave’s World, Can’t Hurry Love, Garage Sale Mysteries…), and son of the late George Axelrod (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Manchurian Candidate, The Seven Year Itch…), died in his sleep on June 13 in Los Angeles. His death was confirmed to Deadline by his ex-wife, television director/producer Katy Garretson. He was 74. 

Two friends from Bolton managed to hitchhike from the UK to Gelsenkirchen in Germany - and arrived in time to watch England’s game against Serbia. Kian Patel, 23, and Mujaahid Chaudhry, 21, saved hundreds of pounds in travel costs by sharing lifts and camping across Europe.

Lzzy Hale recently wrapped up her stint fronting Skid Row with a show in Sacramento, but Jon Bon Jovi thinks she should make her role in the band permanent.Hale fronted the glam metal band for a string of four shows in recent weeks, taking over the role after the band’s previous singer Erik Grönwall announced his departure over health concerns.The last of the four shows took place at Hard Rock Live in Sacramento, California on June 1, and Hale, who also fronts the band Halestorm, has shared her thoughts on the “wonderful” experience of taking on the role.Speaking to SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation, she said: “The response has been amazing. And I’m hearing from people that have been seeing Skid Row since 1987 and are just raving about what I bring to the table.“So, for me, it is friends helping out friends, but it’s also this beautiful milestone in my life where I’m literally being challenged to fill in the shoes that I’ve always wanted to fill from being a kid.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer President Joe Biden raised more than $28 million for his reelection campaign at a downtown Los Angeles fundraiser on Saturday with guests including George Clooney, Julia Roberts and former President Barack Obama. Jimmy Kimmel moderated a discussion between Biden and Obama at the Peacock Theater, which touched on abortion and the Supreme Court. Biden warned what would happen if former President Donald Trump were reelected.

The nominations for the eighth annual Black Reel Television Awards are out. Topping the list is Genius: MLK/X, Season 4 of National Geographic’s biographical series, and Abbott Elementary is next with 12.   

Idina Menzel is returning to Broadway!

Tony-winner Idina Menzel will return to Broadway next year in the new musical Redwood written and directed by Mother Play director Tina Landau, producers announced today.

Iggy Pop dug a selection of Stooges songs from out of the archives for the first time in over a decade with Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ Nick Zinner, Matt Sweeney, and more in tow.During an appearance at California’s No Values Festival, Pop brought together an all-star band to dust off some old classics in his first show of 2024 and the first since wrapping up the touring cycle for his 2023 album ‘Every Loser’.Joining him on stage was Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner, Chavez frontman Matt Sweeney, The Armed’s Uriah Hackney, Las Nubes leader Ale Campos, multi-instrumentalists Joan As Police Woman and Pam Amsterdam, and jazz trombonist Corey D. King.The set was only made up of two of Pop’s own songs, ‘Lust For Life’ and ‘The Passenger’.

Addie Morfoot Contributor One of the first feature-length documentaries about the repercussions of the Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, is being released today on “Frontline.” Nonprofit news organization Retro Report and “Frontline” teamed up on “Crisis on Campus,” about America’s ongoing college campus conflict ignited by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Manchester United will begin their pre-season for the 2024/25 season in just over a month, despite uncertainty remaining around the future of Erik ten Hag.

Doris Biscoe, a pioneer for African American women TV journalists, died Friday at age 77. No cause or location was given by WXYZ, which first reported her death.

are the foot's strongest ally when it comes to spending hours in heels."And now, what shoes should I wear?" is, without a doubt, one of the most repeated questions we ask before leaving our closets. After crafting a look to suit the temperatures and dress code, we've all questioned the best choice for footwear to finish everything off.

EXCLUSIVE: Ji-young Yoo says she was thrown in at “the deep end of things“ when she shot Prime Video‘s limited series Expats, playing the central figure of Mercy, a character around whom everyone else orbits.